divine angst

So there’s this show on TLC called Honey, We’re Killing the Kids! I got a little sucked in this afternoon (after I went to an outdoor book festival and the grocery store; don’t worry, I haven’t been sitting on my butt all day).

Anyway, the basic premise is that families with unhealthy lifestyles are profiled, and a nutritionist/behaviorist (I guess) comes in and gives the family a plan for a healthier lifestyle. But, of course, the parents must have a “shock” to make them WANT to change, so they do age-progression on photos of the kids.

I swear to God, the pictures are hysterical. I am sure the parents are suitably stunned by the “worst-case” picture they see at the beginning, and are pleased by the “see how you’ve helped your kids!” picture they see at the end. But the pictures themselves? Look up “stereotype” in the dictionary. The bad pictures invariably show the sons with mullets and acne scars and cheap, plastic-rim glasses. They always have ratty facial hair and are wearing ill-fitting clothing. In contrast, the good pictures show the sons with fashionable haircuts, NO glasses (which, huh? one parent picked up on that and said, “I guess he got that surgery”), clean-shaven faces, and attractive clothes.

The pictures are, really, total fiction. I am not sure what sort of technology they use (though the shots inserted into the show make it look like the behaviorist is using Photoshop, when I am sure SHE is not using ANY software, and Photoshop is not the basis for the age-progression) but it doesn’t seem terribly likely to produce realistic results. Of course, for the shock value, the producers are going to make the bad pictures as unappealing as possible. But isn’t baldness and bad skin and the extra weight enough of a negative?

Everyone knows that law students are special. (We are!) But how can we remember to feel our own special-ness deep inside during the summer, when all that personal attention–via the Socratic Method–is just a faint memory? Here are a few ways.

• Isn’t it nice when the administration makes you feel special? (The Bitter Law Student)
• It would be nice, though, if everyone thought you were special. (The Namby Pamby Law Student)
• When the chips are down, music can always make you feel better. (Cella Bellum)
• Class might also make you feel better, if you can save some money that way. (Yayarolly goes to law school)
• You can also raise your spirits by stumbling into personal attention from a partner! (You Can’t Get Arrested for Being Awesome)
• Or by a chance encounter with someone who shares your interests. (Will Work for Favorable Dicta)
• Better yet, you could have a life-changing experience. (Clever WoT) [congrats!]
• But maybe you should try to avoid doing painful things more than once–remember, you’re ALREADY special. (Virginia Bar Exam Blog)
• Because, after all, Bar/Bri twists everything. (Legal Quandary)

And that’s it for this week! Be sure to look for the Weekly Law School Roundup at Evan Shaeffer’s Legal Underground next week.