Worst Person in the World

Posted on January 19, 2012 at 5:45 pm by JM Ashby

Is higher self-esteem making our kids weak? Lets ask Fox News.

I would name this entire panel as Worst Persons, but for now I’ll single out Fox contributor Andrea Tantaros who says she thinks the recession was good for kids because it humbled them into working at Blockbuster Video. Really.

Tantaros: I think the recession hurt a lot of those millennials because they were expecting to get jobs. [] My generation was getting jobs when they were in college. A lot of them had to move home with their parents, their parents didn’t have the money to spend on them to move to a city like New York, so they had to go work at the Blockbuster Video and be humbled a little bit. I think the recession was good for kids.

How dare those spoiled brats expect to find a job after going in debt tens of thousands of dollars in college! The audacity! Working at Blockbuster for minimum wage was good for them!

This 60 Minutes report is from last March, and while the economy has improved since then, child poverty rates remain very high. And if you can watch this and say the recession was good for kids, there’s something seriously wrong with you.

(via Media Matters)

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  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1128441487 Ferris J. Anderson Jr

    Too f*ckin’ bad blockbuster went out of business.

  • i_a_c

    Oh whatthefuckever. Fox News’s audience is predominantly over 50, so of course they would stereotype the younger generation. As a guy in my early 20s who went to college, got my degree, and am now in graduate school, and worked damn hard to get where I am, I resent this kind of crap.

    And of course Bob Beckel would join the party. Now there’s your prototypical “Fox News Democrat.”

  • holyreality

    “Self esteem” was invented to defend mediocrity. The first time I heard the expression was from a D.A.R.E graduate.

    She informed me that anyone who smokes weed has low to no self esteem.

    Well from then on, I associated self esteem with a copout, a way for shrinks to cajole parents to let their child remain a loser, never remind them what a winner is, and that they deserve to be respected because of what others think about them.

    You never seem to know how hard it is to get to third base if you were born there, low prestige minimum wage jobs teach the youngin’s what suck is, and then maybe a desire to rise up in the world naturally provides incentive to progress.

    I’m not saying recessions are good for kids, but the self esteem meme is not helping anyone except child psychologists, and pharmaceutical manufacturers cashing in on the scam.

    • SkJL

      Why would anyone listen to this lunatic? Oh never mind, she was on Fox News…

      • Lexamich

        No one pays attention to that damned show besides well-meaning individuals like Bob and such.

        To regular FNC viewers, that show is background clutter that just so happens to be on while they’re vacuuming their dirty carpets.

        They’re definitely not paying attention to anything the bimbo paid to say stupid, insensitive shit in a glib manner has to say.

    • JMAshby

      There are so many things wrong with this comment I don’t even know where to begin.

      • Lexamich

        I got this, JM.

    • Lexamich

      Teehee…

      I’m a so-called “shrink.” A family “shrink” to be exact, and yes, I’m paid very handsomely for my services.

      Am I really exploiting the individuals seeking services at the facility that employs me and over 50 others?

      A…”scam” is an elaborate system built around taking advantage of an opportunity presented to a malefactor. With that said, one instance must come before the other. Someone has to come seeking help at my facility in order for me to “scam” them. See, those in my line of work do not chase after anyone. We offer our help. Get that? OFFER? Remember that word when or if you reply to this here comment.

      I’m having a very hard time believing you rebelled against the use of a term used by a person recovering from…something after she picked on you for smoking weed.

      Find a better excuse.

      Did she call you a pothead loser dummyhead when she belittled your self-esteem?

      That would be a better explanation of your railing against the profession to which I’ve committed 14 years of my life to the point where you claim it’s all an elaborate “scam.”

      Let me ask a series of questions…

      How were you introduced to the drug the “D.A.R.E. graduate” confronted you on?

      How old were you when you encountered this “D.A.R.E. graduate”?

      Did your parents, guardians etc. allow you to abuse drugs in their household?

      If you have siblings (younger or older), did you abuse drugs in their presence?

      If you encountered this “D.A.R.E. graduate” beyond the age of 19, what was the setting? School campus, worksite, online chat etc?

      Were you high before you thought to compose the comment to which I’m replying? This question may come off as facetious or insulting, but I’m asking it for a specific reason. In other words, are you still getting high?

      It is apparent that you felt you were on a tear with the comment. It is just as apparent that you, in fact, do suffer from the dreaded “low self-esteem.” You may not realize it, but your comment is dripping wet with self-pity (no, that term, like “self-esteem” is not exactly clinical, so forgive me). Hell, your intro mentioning the “D.A.R.E. graduate” (stressing the latter) alone informs one that the negative reaction you had is based on the accomplishment of your would-be antagonist.

      Why was she in the position to question your mental state? You put her there to do just that, and it is obvious that it affected you negatively. I’d venture to say you had an overreaction to her criticism.

      You do know that “D.A.R.E. graduates” are not licensed professionals, correct?

      You really do have to be more careful with your words, especially in the presence of “scam” artists like myself.

      Ciao…for now.

      • holyreality

        Thanks for your articulate reply.

        I associate Rx drugs for invented sickness a scam.

        When I was a lad, kids who got hyper were sent out to burn off that intense energy, today teachers send them off for a doctor’s ordered drug that narrows young minds, and begins a lifetime of prescriptions escalating toward drugs notorious for suicidal thoughts as a side effect.

        This is the scam I refer to, I do not intend to smear all mental health professionals with this broad brush, but the fact is it is a scam when unneeded drugs are routinely prescribed for conditions good parenting can handle alone.

        Time runs short for now, and I look forward to more clarifications to your dissection of my point.

        • Lexamich

          First off, what constitutes “intense energy”? Do you mean, say, a child talking back to one of his teachers, or a child perhaps threatening to stab his tutor in the belly? See, within my career, I’ve dealt with both, multiple cases. I interviewed the children sent to me, followed by my full assessment which is given to the individual that perhaps prescribes medication that treat symptoms I’ve signified. These were processes that came under intense scrutiny by a medical board that is linked to the federal government and the AMA.

          Tell me, do you know the first thing about properly analyzing so-called “intense energy”?

          Have you ever sat down and asked a disturbed child exactly what disturbed him, or did you simply cast him aside so that he’d no longer disturb the classroom?

          Hell, what even gives you the authority to come to the conclusion that there’s a scam going on?

          How do you know that the drugs prescribed to any individual child are “unneeded”? Have you ever interviewed family members, his peers, or pray tell, one of the individuals that simply witnessed an outburst?

          You must excuse me, there is no “dissection” to be had here. Your comment is farcical at best and worthy of scorn at its worst. The only point you made with both comments is that you like talking out of your ass and and that you’re easily offended by people that aren’t even trying. Your initial comment is rife with ignorant commentary and naive defenses of an idiotic point of view and routine conspiracy jabber.

          I apologize for giving you the impression that I was entering into a dialogue with you.

          Nope. Sorry.

          I am, in fact, mocking your opinion of my profession. Intensely, I might add.

          You have nothing to offer in terms of food for thought regarding the matter of child psychology. I might ass well be arguing with the big-mouth bimbos and the chuckleheads at FNC. At least then, I’d be given the opportunity to perhaps advertise my place of employment. Not that I’d ever stoop to suffering the proud ignoramuses, corporate suck-ups, and eager propagandist scum within FNC headquarters.

          May I add that I work pretty close to that building here in the city. I’ve been face to face with more than a few of their personalities on occasion. They’re all a bunch of phonies, and the sooner the entire country rejects that repugnant infotainment news station and all its churlish, preening, self-righteous dolts the better. Ugh!

          Anyway, folks in my profession run into individuals such as yourself very often. You think you have all the answers because you reached as certain age relatively unscathed without properly assessing yourself. I notice you barely answered the queries I put before you. This is expected, as they would reveal the reason you had such a negative reaction to someone confronting you on your abusing what is widely known as a so-called “gateway drug.”

          Who gave you the prescription for marijuana and what symptom were you treating when you used it , if I may ask?

          Oh, you’ll probably ignore that question, too, but I thought I’d ask anyway.

          See, “marijuana” is a drug that is prescribed, as well. I’m guessing you went to one of those ubiquitous street doctors to get your supply, correct?

          Again, if you want to have a true dialogue with an individual whose craft you deride, you aught to be more careful with your words, Holy.

          The only “scam” expressed here is being perpetrated by one who chastises a profession dedicated to helping individuals understand their mental capabilities.

          Now…you want to continue feeling sorry for yourself, while blaming the health care providers for societal foibles, or you want to stop bullshitting and lay off the supposed “shrinks” that “scam”?

          • holyreality

            Apologies for goring your ox, the emotions in your wordage suggests spittle on your keyboard. Please calm down and excuse me.

            Time is short, and if there is no room for dialogue, there is not much point in answering your charges, as much as I’d like to.

            We are all friends here, and understanding becomes difficult if there is no room to converse, so toodles and have a good weekend. :)

          • Lexamich

            “Goring” an “Ox”?

            Let me guess, you stole that cute little line from the “D.A.R.E. graduate” after she saw you were upset that she got on your case about the weed smoking, right?

            Listen, I’m simply attempting to help you understand that you really do need to keep quiet regarding “scams” and such. If you want to dole out more fake outrage over being confronted with your own mess like Newt Gingrich at the CNN debate last night, I won’t stop you.

            Time isn’t too short for impudent, presumptive, hypocritical retorts, I see.

            Anyway, I see you took the time to imagine “spittle” on my keyboard in the same manner you imagined you had the authority to spout off regarding child psychology. If I were to imagine something, it would be that your first comment actually offered a cogent, highly informative assessment and evaluation of the “scam” you whined about. Unfortunately, you read like a patient/client that had to attend a few, erhm, sessions with those in my profession once or twice in the past or present and resent the fact, nothing more.

            You’ve answered my “charges” with tired defenses meant to divert attention away from the fact that you don’t have a clue regarding the industry you’ve cast as a “scam.”

            I’ve visited this site for the last four years. I’ve fought with damn-near all the regulars, and if I missed any it wasn’t for a lack of trying. I know we’re friends here. You believe that I’m being hostile with these comments of mine. See, you’re very, very defensive. Again, I’m attempting to get you to admit that you don’t know what the hell you’re spouting off about, that’s all. C’mon, just admit the fact and move on.

            You already know that you’re being assessed by me for the sake of mocking your commentary. Otherwise, you’d have been here boasting about how you stood up for yourself and your precious weed against the scourge of the “D.A.R.E. graduate.”

            I’ve dealt with burgeoning junkies, too, my friend. They like talking back to individuals trying to offer them help while they’re being self-destructive.

            Again, why were you in the presence of a “D.A.R.E. graduate” and at what age were you abusing illegal narcotics? Those are simple questions that one suffering from a guilty conscience would avoid answering.

            I’m trying to inform you that what you see as a “scam” is not. Again, play Newt Gingrich in the presence of someone that hasn’t helped to treat drug addicts, disturbed children, and just plain misguided people.

          • holyreality

            I just do not remember anyone with such a big chip on their shoulder here, I must have really hit a nerve, enough to get,
            “I apologize for giving you the impression that I was entering into a dialogue with you.

            Nope. Sorry.

            I am, in fact, mocking your opinion of my profession. Intensely, I might add.”

            Sorry, I have a life and can goof off here only so often. I smoke daily, not much, and not more than a couple-few times. Just like all my friends, I have been doing this for the last thirty years or so.

            The girl was my hippie buddy’s daughter, she and her brother grew up in a free spirited household. These kids were whip smart, and quick to catch onto the dry, sparse humor that constantly kept the household chuckling and going on.

            Ironically enough, she absorbed the DARE training enough to repeat what she heard. But after an initial pre-early teen troublemaking period, she realized her passion, dropped out of school at 15, got her GED by 16, and was off to Manhattan for school at the Fashion Institute. She has been contracting and subcontracting in Italy for five to six figure orders for her designs.

            She did end up becoming a pot-head just as much if not more than myself, cannabis does not lead to ruined lives anymore than other herbs, foods or drugs.

            Her brother is a studio drummer in demand in LA.

            These two children avoided a life of prescription drugs because their parents would not allow them. There were some pretty serious mother issues (she was violent) that led to the local social authorities, and courts attempts to remove them to their mother.

            Psychologist, after Counselor tried and tried again to get either of the two to agree with their mother’s lies that the father beat them repeatedly. They were prescribed drugs, and the only one who took them was the Mom.

            Each told me of the counselor reassuring them that they were safe, and could tell the judge that daddy beat them, and they got angry after repeating that Mom is nuts, and she was the source of the violence.

            So perhaps you can see why my deep seated hostility to the self esteem movement dovetailing with prescription drugs led me to you, and that chip on your shoulder.

            Thanks for your word.

  • muselet

    Oh, for the love of … Your first instinct was right, Ashby: the entire panel needs to share the title of Worst Persons (and everybody gets a trophy just for participating).

    What a bunch of blowhards.

    –alopecia

  • GrafZeppelin127

    Well, as a former teacher, I can say that there is some merit to the idea that our education system is far too focused on children’s self-esteem, in some places to the point of actively preventing kids from learning, but that’s no secret, and there’s a limit to how far you can take it outside of the school context. Ideas that make sense on the micro level don’t always make sense on the macro level.

    Just by way of example, there’s no reason why merit (intelligence, hard work, resourcefulness) can’t get you good grades and rewards in school. There are a lot of reasons why those same qualities might not bring success or prosperity in the “real world.”

  • WickFields

    As a lifetime progressive I acknowledge this as an enormous problem. It’s not the entitlement, per se, that’s at issue with the millennial generation, it’s that materialism and a seeming contempt for intelligence are pervasive. We are a sum of the information we receive. If your of a certain age in this nation (under 25) most of the information you’ve absorbed is from reality television. The irony is Fox News has contributed more to our collective idiocy than any other media source. But I have to concur w/ George Carlin on this one; “The only people that have good self esteem are sociopaths”.

  • trgahan

    I assume they followed this segment with a panel discussion on how to “keep those damn millennials off your lawn!” Can someone please point to a time in history that the older generations weren’t easily convinced they were the “last hard working generation” and everyone younger than them is just an “entitled brat” for wanting to achieve what they achieved?

  • JBShakes

    The BALLS on this woman. “MY generation, THEIR generation…”

    LADY, YOU JUST TURNED THIRTY-THREE FUCKING YEARS OLD!!

    • Lexamich

      The chick is a Con-servadimwit sycophant appeasing those giving her a chance to be on camera. Delusional thinking and lack of self-awareness is a requirement.

  • Lexamich

    @ holyreality

    Why is it that those suffering from a bruised ego always feel the need to proclaim they’ve “hit a nerve”?

    Sheesh.

    I have a chip on my shoulder when it is you with the second-hand saga of a recovering addict fueling your misdirected rage against my profession.

    *sigh*

    Ok, whatever…

    You’re obviously too thick-headed to acknowledge that I’ve read you completely.

    Again, that is to be expected.

    It’s funny how many people become busy when they tie themselves into knots rhetorically on message forums.

    I have a life, too. It just so happens to involve posting comments on this blog every-so often. There is nothing wrong with this, so why broach the subject of “lives”? A diversion, perhaps?

    How many is a “couple-few”?

    Also, you and “your friends” have abused illegal narcotics for the last thirty years, correct?

    Again, I must stress the fact that marijuana is a drug that falls under the medical authority, and can be prescribed for certain physical and psychological ailments.

    Of course you chose to eagerly boast about the pot-smoking because that is the sheild you you to hide your true feelings regarding what ails you.

    I guess you showed me, right?

    Look, you’re attemtping to allude to the fact that you’ve done okay for being a pot-head for that long. Again, you cannot fool a professional therapist with bravado.

    You’ve smoked for that long for what? Because your friends do it? You were quick to push them into the conversation in order to hide behind them. I’m more worried about the conclusion you reached after this “D.A.R.E. graduate” called you out. I mean to rebel against an entire profession that you yourself never encountered. Again, I’m the one with the “chip” on my shoulder, hm?

    Again, indulge how I scam the people that pay me to help them.

    The “free-spirited” household sounds very…magical. Funny how this child ended up confronted with a close-minded program like “D.A.R.E.”
    I assume “D.A.R.E.” was a phase. Or was the “pre-early teen troublemaking period” the actual phase?

    Ah, it all worked out in the end, correct? I mean, she absolutely agrees with you and your pot-smoking ways now, so of course, she’s doing much, much better, correct?

    You’re very, very intimate with these children, I see. You know their ups and downs and both sides, eh?

    You sure you’re not a psychologist?

    I mean, you’re attemtping to sound like one.

    Not a therapist, mind you.

    See, we actually interview and analyze those we encounter in such a manner. Oh, and most are not mentioned in random convos in a glib manner. See, if we know that they were addicts once, we’re always looking for signs of relapses.

    Oh, but you found comfort in her relapse, didn’t you? She dignified you “self-esteem” when she overcame her growing pains and built a fashion career, correct?

    I bet you shed a tear when she graduated. She and her pothead bro justified drug abuse all the world over for your sake.

    Hell, did she even apologize for hurting your feelings back when she was in her “D.A.R.E.” phase?

    She probably forgot, per usual with potheads.

    I must say, the tale you weave would be quite convincing if you hadn’t written what you had prior. Since, it seems the webmasters here are attempting to stop us from bickering, I cannot fully reveal your ruse to be such.

    Be glad for that, ok, “Holy” crusader.

    No need for me to embarrass you and make you an enemy for the remainder of my time here.

    Oh, you’re still feeling sorry for yourself, BTW. It’s even more obvious when you imagine the “D.A.R.E. graduate” you mentioned dismissively (if not derisively) earlier has now joined forces with you and the pot-head brigade.

    Have fun with that imagination ‘o your’n, kay.

    P.S.

    The chip says leave him out of this.