This Can't be True

There are days that I read the news headlines, and I say to myself, 'how can this be?' My daughters would use the expression, 'for real?' If I wanted to be a little less clean, I'd say something else, because that's how I feel about this news item.

I've never read any of Toni Morrison's novels, but I know how talented a writer she is and I know of her accomplishments. She's been lauded with both the Nobel Prize for Literature as well as with the Pulitzer Prize. Lofty heights. Her two most acclaimed novels were Song of Solomon and Beloved. She recently signed a contract to be the commencement speaker at Rutgers University this spring, and the deal is worth $30,000 for Morrison. Nice check for 15-20 minutes, but she's earned that.

What has my head upside down is news that Rutgers just paid Snooki $32,000 to offer to the student body her wisdom on fake tanning, fist pumping, drinking, and having casual sex with strangers. How do you pay a moron like Snooki $2K more than Toni Morrison? How do you justify that?

Whoops, I'm sorry, I said in my first post that I wouldn't call people names. It's just so hard when Snooki acts like a human pinata, just asking to be whacked with a broomstick, baseball bat, or whatever you might use to take a swing at such a hittable object. It's like the pitcher telling the cleanup hitter that he's going to throw a medium speed fastball over the heart of the plate. How can you decline to take advantage of the circumstances?

I know you could also accuse me of 'picking' on Snooki because I've taken her to task a couple of times previously http://fathersagainstdaughtersdating.blogspot.com/2011/01/snookis-first-on-list.html

How can you pick on an individual who left the Rutgers University students with these well-thought insights, "Study hard, but party harder," or "When you're tan, you feel better." With those pearls of wisdom, it's no wonder parents of Rutgers students are flooding administrative offices with complaints that the Jersey Shore starlet was paid nearly $10K more than the parents pay in tuition, fees and room and board for a year.

A second news item is a little more encouraging. According to a recent study (I know, the skeptical research thing again) young adults might be less likely to have alcohol-related problems and to display impulsive behavior when the FATHER monitors their social interactions.

Apparently, most studies of parenting and its impact on children is primarily focused on mothers, and fathers are typically ignored. This study paid particular attention to Dads, and it found that when Dad pays more attention to what's going on - who are his kid's friends, their whereabouts and their social lives, there is a reduced chance of risky behaviors.

Furthermore, daughters who think their Dad is permissive and less aware of their social lives are more likely to be involved with alcohol-related problems.

P.S. Don't forget to tell your daughter that you love her.