I just made my weekly call to my soon to be 14 year old grandson, who lives outside DC, and I bring up the subject of Calvin and Hobbs, which we used to read together and laugh our BLANK off. (He named his dog Calvin.) We talk about our favorite episodes, then he suddenly tells me it's a bit "outdated". Huh, I think, and ask how. He replies " sexism ". Again I think, huh, and say " WHAT!?! Where's the sexism?" He responds it's because of the Get Rid Of Slimy Girls Club. My question is this: should I disown my grandson? If not, how can I deprogram him?
Yes, you should disown him for such sacrilege, although I wonder if he's pulling your chain. Calvin is only six in the comic strip. Girls had cooties at that age. Nothing wrong with that club's name.
Little boys historically have never liked little girls at that age. Calvin will grow out of it of course.
Here you go: Son, you know how sometimes when you buy lettuce from Publix, you bring it all the way home only to find out it’s slimy? Yeah. Do you like the lettuce when it’s slimy? Oh no, it’s gross. It sure is. And do you think it’s right for Publix to sell that slimy lettuce and make us pay full price for it? No, I guess not. Of course not. Don’t you think there should be a law, or at least a club, against the slimy lettuce? Well, yeah, I guess so. So you see, it’s the same with Calvin. He doesn’t want to get rid of all girls, just the slimy ones. And it just wouldn’t be right to have the slimy ones mixed in with the good ones. I’m glad we talked.
Never was into Calvin and Hobbes so had to look this up. I get that I guess some 6 year old boys may think girls are gross. Maybe some girls think that way, too? By age 14, it doesn't surprise me that he's not relating to the content, lol. Am I unique in not having gone through that period? I always had crushes on girls as far back as I can remember.
A soon to be 14 year old doesn’t like the phrase “slimy girl club”; it sounds like he has his first girlfriend.
Though tall and handsome, my grandson is a nerd. I don't call him that. He refers to himself as one. Nonetheless, he's not unaware of girls, but I avoid the topic. We have a close relationship, so I figure he'll broach the subject one day, at which point I'll tell him to always have a rubber in his wallet.
Oh, he loves it. As someone suggested, he was pulling my chain. That he even said it shows how differently today's youngsters view things. I don't think he actually believed it was sexist it, though. He's whip smart and said it sarcastically to highlight how silly wokeness can sometimes be.
My first crush was in 6th grade. She was so kind to me. I recently learned from an esteemed poster on THFSG that she's now a nun, seriously!
I remember that one and thought of conversations my playful dad and I had, like where the sun went when it "set". ("Oh, it goes to light up another planet.")
As far as I know, the only books one of my sons ever read were Calvin and Hobbes. I'm a big fan as well. There is a C & H group on FB if you are interested. Interesting that Watterson - the artist - steadfastly refused every opportunity to merchandise his characters or turn them into a movie or TV show. He turned down a fortune to keep Calvin a pure-in-heart 6 year old boy.
Sister Rose Hoover. Have not seen her since 2009 when she left the Cenacle Retreat House in Gainesville to become the superior at the Cenacle Retreat in Metairie, LA. The Cenacle order is contemplative with the sisters acting as spiritual directors for retreatants. At one time the order had numerous large retreat houses located all over Europe and North America. The demand for their spiritual services declined and their diminished income required the sale of their large, lovely retreats. The Metairie Retreat, a 52 bedroom hotel like building with a chapel and 20 plus acres on the shore of Laake Ponchatrain was one of the last remaining. The diocese of New Orleans acquired it from the order and Sister Rose retired to the Cenacle's home facility for retired sisters in Chicago. The Gainesville Cenacle house met the same fate and closed about 10 years ago with the three remaining elderly sisters relocating to Chicago. Sister Rose is, as you wrote, one of the kindest, perhaps even the kindest soul I have ever had the pleasure to know.
