My daughter's teacher, Howard Stern, and racism. Am I overreacting here? help!

[progressivebydesign]

Okay. My daughter, a senior in high school, is in a political class at school. Today, for some unknown reason, another teacher that lingers in the class all the time started playing something off Youtube and her main teacher told everyone to quiet down and listen. It was an audio on youtube from Howard Stern's show. I hadn't heard of it.. but it was pretty awful. The schtick was "Sal" from Howard's show supposedly on a street corner in Harlem interviewing "black people" about Obama and intentionally misrepresenting McCain's positions as Obama's and asking them about it, and they were tricked into saying they supported McCain's positions believing they were Obama's. It was horrid.

My daughter complained to me that it was weird that the teacher played that.. and then said something about it shows what happens when people vote because of race. An astute kid in the class (which is mostly republican kids) said "how do you know they're BLACK? It's an audio!" The teacher said "just listen to them talk, it's OBVIOUS they're black!" And then the class descended into making fun of the people used for that Howard Stern bit.

I'm pretty upset about this. But am I overreacting?? We talked about this over dinner and the family came up with these points:

1. how does anyone really know if "Sal" was in Harlem. We don't.
2. how do we know it wasn't actors. We don't.
3. how do we know they were "black people". We don't.
4. how do we know that the guy didn't ask 100 people and came up with a few that were fooled. We don't.
5. how utterly cruel these people are to do that for nothing more than ridicule.
6. how dare the teachers use HOWARD STERN and this racist bullshit as a teaching aid?

Am I overreacting? because I'm thinking of calling the school tomorrow and objecting.

[Frances]

1. I think it's OK to ask the principal to find out what the teacher's

point was

Also, is the teacher planning to show Jay Leno clips of interviewing dumb white and black people

[babylonsister]

2. I didn't read this whole thing, but WHY is Howard Stern now a part

of this teacher's curriculum? I have a huge negative issue with him that has nothing to do with elections. Are teachers so unimaginative they can't find their own way to educate? Stern isn't it.

[Webster Green]

9. No shit!

Stern is an adolescent fucking idiot!

Why the hell would a teacher play his crap? :wtf:

[mrcheerful]

15. Maybe the teacher was trying to show just how uninformed

a lot of americans are? I had a teacher that pulled stunts like that when Nixon ran on his second bid. He took Nixons words and said McGovern was the one who said those things then had us vote on what we had heard and who would we like better in the white house. Damn If 75% of the class didn't like Nixons speechs when they thought McGovern said them.

Just saying, to get at todays kids teachers need to get their attention, a bored kid learns little.

[progressivebydesign]

26. the teacher said it was to prove they were voting because of race. her words..

and to illustrate she uses a schtick from Howard Stern, and then has the audacity to say that "it's obvious they were black because of their voices"

[mrcheerful]

33. Ok I missed that part

That reminds me of when I was about 8 I asked mom why all of her relatives sounded like afro americans, moms side of the family came from the south. I couldn't sit down for 3 days after asking that question. That was 1964 and I still can't tell when I pick up the phone and its one of moms relatives calling. But that could be me as I have trouble with recognizing voices in general.

[amyrose2712]

3. As a Stern fan, I heard the bit, and I would venture to say #4.

I can't understand why a teacher would use this in class. That's inappropriate. The bit was comedy. Howard was a Hillary supporter but now is pro Obama. Well, rather anti-bush/mccain. He he very pro-choice. And pro equal rights.

[Dangerously Amused]

4. I would definitely complain to the prinicpal.

That was a ridiculous and RACIST "teaching tool."

[EFerrari]

5. That teacher is an idiot.

[liberalhistorian]

6. Oh, for God's sake, obviously neither you nor

your daughter are familiar with Stern and his skits. He's not at all a racist and most of his skits are designed to show the stupidity of racism and anti-semitism. The problem is, too many people take it way too seriously, not realizing that he's spoofing and trying to show the absurdity of racism and other forms of discrimination. He was trying to show that the only reason too many people won't vote for Obama is race, period. He's Jewish and his long-time sidekick is black; they've both heard it all when it comes to racism and anti-semitism. I'm sorry, but you're completely overreacting. Stern hates Bush and everything he stands for.

[drmeow]

11. This is as much about the fact

that the teacher used Howard Stern's show to create an atmosphere in the classroom where making derogatory remarks about race were acceptable.

[EFerrari]

12. Stern wasn't in that classroom. And as much as he likes to pride himself

on his liberal stances, he fails often enough.

[prayin4rain]

14. you think it is appropriate to play howard stern at school??

I think his humor is utterly inappropriate at a school regardless of his politics.

[liberalhistorian]

18. You think kids aren't listening to him on their own, including

at school? Get real.

[prayin4rain]

20. that's not the point ... i think some kids smoke pot and drink

alcohol ... that doesn't mean the teacher should bring it to class.

[EFerrari]

25. Why would high school kids listen to Howard Stern?

You get real.

And why would a teacher bring him into a classroom on purpose?

[liberalhistorian]

27. LOL. You are really sheltered, aren't you?

A TON of high school kids listen to Stern, have from the beginning. A lot of the kids at my son's school listen to him. The more people try to stop it, the more they listen.

[EFerrari]

28. No, I'm not sheltered. The high school kids I know

think he's so ten years ago.

lol

[progressivebydesign]

19. I'm QUITE familiar with Stern. It's the TEACHER I have a problem with.

You honestly believe that these 17 year olds really understood Stern's "comedy?" All they played was the interview portion.. of course the teacher left out the preamble wherein Stern said "just shows how fucking stupid people are" and it's "fucking hilarious"

I know that the Stern fans will defend his humor, but as a parent is he REALLY a good teaching tool? She did not present it as humor. She presented it as it "proving that blacks are voting for Obama because of his race"

[amyrose2712]

22. Thanks..Im no good with words.

but you took them out of my mouth. But, I agree he should not be used as a teaching tool at that level. And, I'm sure he would agree.

[drmeow]

7. You are so NOT overreacting

Definitely call the school.

[RazBerryBeret]

8. I would agree w/Babylonsister

I would have to bring it up to the principal if my kid's teacher was playing
Howard Stern clips for them to watch. Unless it fit the lesson, somehow...and I can't imagine how that would fit in.

[Donnachaidh]

10. Make an appointment with the principal and discuss it.

Any teacher that uses anything from Howard Stern should be reprimanded, at the very least. I don't think you're overreacting at ALL. Where is the school? You don't have an area in your profile.

[progressivebydesign]

21. I'm in the Tacoma area.. in a nearby suburb. n/t

[prayin4rain]

13. howard stern at SCHOOL???? he is a misogynist and a racist and that is not appropriate. n/t

[soothsayer]

29. No, he's not.

[prayin4rain]

34. ok he's not... he just ACTS like a racist and misogynist would act if he was, which he is not n/t

[rwenos]

16. Beware Alienating the Teacher

I have these experiences with my kid's high school teachers all the time. Some are great; some are rank incompetents. My kid and I have agreed, however, that it's not smart to make trouble for a teacher, if your kid (1) needs the grade for college; and/or (2) needs the teacher for a recommendation. If either is the case, silence (one might even say "prison face") is the smart policy.

Is this selling out? No. It's the statement of someone who got into a highly-competetive university and graduate school by not making waves.

I had a professor once who called it "Donsmanship." A student term from Oxford University, where they call the professors "Dons." In other words, the term means "handling the Don to get what you want/need."

[progressivebydesign]

23. Yes, I had an issue with an angry french teacher and she made my daughter suffer thru it.

I was quite diplomatic when I had to email her french teacher a few years ago at the same school. She was having these outbursts at the students, and sent me a snarky note about an assignment or something. I wrote back so very kindly and diplomatically but had to contradict her on something . OOOOh did she ever make my daughter pay for that! She would make little comments to the whole class sarcastically, using some of the points I'd made in my email.. and she would just be awful to her.

So.. I figured this time I'd just speak to the school via phone, and keep my identity vague. I don't want my daughter to suffer as a result, because this teacher is ALSO the advisor and grader for the senior project which can keep you from graduating. I thought I'd have a little chat with the principal or asst. principal about it and keep it low key, like an advisory.

My daughter is just so upset because of the ensuring rude comments after that teacher played that clip.

Of course.. this is the SAME school where the (now transferred) asst. principal took a security video tape a school that a girl at the school kissing her best friend, and presented to her parents (who went to his same church) as proof that she was a lesbian. Which resulted in the girl being transferred to a brainwashing camp out of state.

[prayin4rain]

24. yeah you do have to be pragmatic... it's a tightrope n/t

[slampoet]

35. Funny, in my neighborhood "Prison Face" means you are sucking cock.

But aren't we all.

[BrklynLiberal]

17. Youa renot over-reacting, and I would definitely call the school and complain.

[soothsayer]

30. Would you complain if she played a Jay Leno 'street walking' segment (which btw he stole from Stern)

where he did the same thing? Or is are you just overreacting to the fact it came not from Jay but from Howard Stern?

[4lbs]

31. You can see Jay Leno's segment on TV and verify who he's talking to and where he's at,

but you can't on Howard's RADIO show.

[ismnotwasm]

32. No you're not overreacting

That's wrong on so many levels I can't type it out. I'd complain for days if I had to