Hating modern life

[ellieding]

I'm only posting to get this off my chest really, so not really asking to be told to 'lighten up', if responses from people who feel similarly.

I just went to dd's school book fair and was pretty aghast at what seems to be peddled to them as decent storytelling. Corporate junk written by morons marketing their brands; Lego, hello kitty, spongebob...vacuous princess fairy tripe about nothing or paired up with animals covered in sparkles. Utter 'non-stories', anachronistic, poorly written. All the fact books were presented in a vulgar 'look-at-this-hideous-dinosaur/shark/crazy snotty science/everything is gross' way. Jacqueline Wilson (the woman should be locked up to prevent her writing) with her dysfunctional nasty characters and soapy stories. 'troo-ta-life-innit-tho' - ugh.

I don't want to hear 'at least it gets them reading'. In all honesty I'd rather they weren't given this commercially saturated drivel. Also, if i have to see another soulless, vulgar cartoon...

I appreciate this may sound ott, but i honestly find it all genuinely jarring and horrid.

Yep. Yanbu. Too much marketing, not enough content. I buy all the classics and some pound shop books with real stories or fairy tales which have a decent plot and vocabulary. We still do have some disney books as DS does love these, but I avoid anything else.

You have a very valid gripe imo , op.

YANBU.

Completely with you on all of it really, but particularly the "non-stories". My DDs are a bit older now but I guess this has been going on for a while.

The sheer hollowness of it all is just about enough to bring on an existential crisis.

Thankfully, there are plenty of good books out there. Just maybe not at school book fairs

Nope, I'm totally with you, OP!

Is it not perhaps that you don't like the way British (and possibly American) culture is? There are countries in Europe where this sort of stuff doesn't feature at all and the culture is quite different.

YABU - you don't have to buy it,

some kids enjoy the "commercially saturated drivel" AS WELL AS the more classic works - as a bit of a light diversion, something they are interested in, a book with "extras" can hold their interest longer sometimes.

(if you "don't want to hear" stuff, why post in AIBU?)

Completely agree. I went to my school book fair hoping to get an armful of stuff and really struggled not to turn on my heal and run.

Jonny Duddle saved the day, though. At least I came away with something we can all enjoy!

Er, to hear from like-minded people?! I know what kids like, kids like shit. Doesn't mean we should feed it to them on a platter. Schools should be free from corporate marketing that grooms them toward passive consumerism imo.

YANBU. From what I've seen in my nieces' and nephews' collections, a lot of it is utter crap. Why the fuck would you give a Spongebob 'story' book to a child who hasn't even read a minute fraction of the fantastic kids' literature out there?

And yes, the marketing angle is dire.

It's all the disposable stuff though. I have kept the classic toys and books in the loft in case DD has children. So we have Beatrix Potter, classical fairy tales, AA Milne, doll's pram, Noah's Ark etc in the loft. The other shite stuff gets "recycled" at school/church fairs.

I don't think this is necessarily a modern life issue.

When I was in junior school in the '80s and LOVED reading, my Headmaster 'banned' Enid Blyton books as he thought they were badly-written, silly nonsense.

To be fair, Enid Blyton is badly-written silly nonsense.

The trend I hate is all these comic style books (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Tom Gates, Captain Underpants etc) Some of the grammar and punctuation is just wring, bit s are spelt phonetically and there is zero description or scope for using the imagination in them. Ugh.

Jacqueline Wilson on the other hand, I really like.

*wrong, bits are spelt

I guess I asked for those typos by making snide comments!

ah, but what do you suggest instead?

Ladybird books?
Janet and John?
Chalet School? (makes great threads here but NOT what you want your daughters to aspire to)

YABU it's merely a small part of life you can choose to opt-out of if you wish

Agree that those sponsored book fairs are awful. Very little there of value. And though the DCs like it, it's the same way they enjoy a comic - ie the commercialism and the garishness of it. The books that they go back to are proper, well written, actual books rather than merchandising vehicles.

YANBU my DD Y2, bought home a reading book yesterday called 'The Fame Game' about yes you've guessed being famous. It featured the likes of Simon Cowell, Kate Moss (!!!!!!), Madonna and also explained that John Lennon was killed outside his house by a 'mad fan'......It also advised how to spot a celeb; 'bling', 'large sunglasses' , 'small dog'. I sometimes feel like a lone voice in the wilderness but how this book ever be described as a suitable and appropriate I find astounding...and be part of a reading scheme..

YANBU my DD Y2, bought home a reading book yesterday called 'The Fame Game' about yes you've guessed being famous. It featured the likes of Simon Cowell, Kate Moss (!!!!!!), Madonna and also explained that John Lennon was killed outside his house by a 'mad fan'......It also advised how to spot a celeb; 'bling', 'large sunglasses' , 'small dog'. I sometimes feel like a lone voice in the wilderness but how this book ever be described as a suitable and appropriate I find astounding...and be part of a reading scheme..

YANBU my DD Y2, bought home a reading book yesterday called 'The Fame Game' about yes you've guessed being famous. It featured the likes of Simon Cowell, Kate Moss (!!!!!!), Madonna and also explained that John Lennon was killed outside his house by a 'mad fan'......It also advised how to spot a celeb; 'bling', 'large sunglasses' , 'small dog'. I sometimes feel like a lone voice in the wilderness but how this book ever be described as a suitable and appropriate I find astounding...and be part of a reading scheme..

YANBU my DD Y2, bought home a reading book yesterday called 'The Fame Game' about yes you've guessed being famous. It featured the likes of Simon Cowell, Kate Moss (!!!!!!), Madonna and also explained that John Lennon was killed outside his house by a 'mad fan'......It also advised how to spot a celeb; 'bling', 'large sunglasses' , 'small dog'. I sometimes feel like a lone voice in the wilderness but how this book ever be described as a suitable and appropriate I find astounding...and be part of a reading scheme..

YANBU my DD Y2, bought home a reading book yesterday called 'The Fame Game' about yes you've guessed being famous. It featured the likes of Simon Cowell, Kate Moss (!!!!!!), Madonna and also explained that John Lennon was killed outside his house by a 'mad fan'......It also advised how to spot a celeb; 'bling', 'large sunglasses' , 'small dog'. I sometimes feel like a lone voice in the wilderness but how this book ever be described as a suitable and appropriate I find astounding...and be part of a reading scheme..

YANBU my DD Y2, bought home a reading book yesterday called 'The Fame Game' about yes you've guessed being famous. It featured the likes of Simon Cowell, Kate Moss (!!!!!!), Madonna and also explained that John Lennon was killed outside his house by a 'mad fan'......It also advised how to spot a celeb; 'bling', 'large sunglasses' , 'small dog'. I sometimes feel like a lone voice in the wilderness but how this book ever be described as a suitable and appropriate I find astounding...and be part of a reading scheme..

You what cannot ?
Can you repeat that?