🚀 go-pugleaf

So Mattel is going to market a dollie that says
"Math class is tough!"---so what?  People have
been bitching about math classes since the dawn
of time---boys and girls alike---so obviously
the vast majority of people out there MUST agree
with this sentiment; all Mattel is doing is having
their little plastic pals voice what is undoubtedly
on every child's mind.  The point is, EVERYONE IS
ALREADY CONVINCED OF IT, SO WHO CARES IF A TOY
REPEATS IT?  If a child is going to take a liking
to math, then he/she/it won't give a tinker's
damn what some stupid toy has to say about it.

Besides, the way math is taught in this country
(especially at the grade-school level), maybe it's
not such a bad idea to prep the kids so they know
what an uphill slog it will be---and just think:
Mattel may be doing the nation's kiddies a service
by protecting their fragile self-esteem.

Billy: "Hi, Johnny! Hey, didja getcher report card?"
Johnny: "Yeah. I dint do too good, 'specially in Math.."
Billy: "Yeah? Too bad...Hey, I got a B-plus! Not bad, huh?"
Johnny: "Yeah..Way cool, Billy...I only got a D-plus, though."
Billy: "Uh-huh--Well, better luck next time, Big J."
Johnny: "Aww...I ain't worried about it, Billy...after all,
         even my sister's Barbie Doll says that math is tough..."

See? A little good can come out of every dark situation, nicht?...


T.R. Stone
University of Nebraska-Omaha
Where, yes, as you might have guessed, I'm doing
Grad work in Applied Math...