But Brokeback Mountain IS educational

by Kris   ⋅   May 16, 2007   ⋅   Comment now   ⋅    RSS

Something about this case makes me chuckle. Chicago eighth graders were subjected to the horror that is forbidden rural man love when a substitute teacher slyly popped in Brokeback Mountain to educate the kids. “What happens in Ms. Buford’s class stays in Ms. Buford’s class,” the makeshift mentor allegedly said as the door closed. 12-year-old Jessica Turner and her grandparents Kenneth and LaVerne Richardson are suing the Chicago Board of Education for $500,000 in damages since Jessica suffered so much psychological distress.

This lawsuit does not entirely stem from Ang Lee’s poetic (and dusty) scenes of spit-for-lube, this all boils down to a religious vendetta. Mr. Richardson warned the school administration back in 2005 not to corrupt his über sheltered granddaughter when he complained about assigned literature which contained curse words. “This was the last straw… I told them it was against our faith.” If he’s talking about watching an Academy Award winning film as exemplary to filth and all that is amiss with the world, well then I must concur. Damn you Oscars for being so progressive.

I’m so amazed how Jessica wasn’t exposed to curse words in a book before the age of 12. Judging by her age, I’m guessing she skipped a grade or two, but did she also freak out when the boys passed around dirty passages in novels just to see girls’ expressions or told dirty jokes or when a friend got her first period? I mean, I can sort of understand that the grandparents want to protect her and other children, and that gay relations might be shocking to people of any age, but I’m not sure swearing and sex are something easily suppressed in middle school when most kids begin “seriously” dating (for the long haul — like longer than a month!). Well I mean besides the frivolous flings and crushes of Elementary school. You remember? *sigh*

Besides, Brokeback Mountain dealt with a deep understanding of the highest form of positive human emotion (love) and how groups of judgmental individuals persecute coupling or concepts they can’t comprehend. Yeeah, funny how life imitates art.

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