Thursday, April 12, 2012

Attica Blues

Attica! Attica! Attica! Atti....you get the point. Tonight we are doing a team presentation on the Attica Prison Riot of 1971. I would have liked it to be a synopsis of Dog Day Afternoon instead, and the Not Jimmy Smitts even suggested we use clips from that movie. I had to explain to him that Dog Day Afternoon is NOT about the Attica Prison Riot. Yeah, Pacino shouts it out and whatnot, but it is NOT AT ALL about the riot. You'd think he would know that if he has seen the movie. Oh wait, he didn't. He, like most people, only remembers Pacino shouting Attica.

But before we get to our presentation, we started class at the usual 15 past 6 and I think we were supposed to be discussion racial disparity in corrections, but of course we Trayvon Martin it up. I decided this was my opportunity to call them all out about the lack of support for Zimmerman from the Hispanic community. I totally thought this would rile them up a bit, maybe provide a little debate to entertain me. No. Didn't happen. They all agreed with me. Fat Alberto tried to piggy back on my thought process and said "It's cause the blacks are all aggressive and mean to us if we speak our minds." What blacks? This is El Paso dude. YOU are the majority. There are no black people in El Paso bullying you for your opinion. Maybe for your English language skills. I almost feel bad mocking these people as there is now no doubt in my mind that they will never be better humans. Ever.

The first group presented after our lunch and since it was the three newbies to our class, I tried to listen with an open-mind. It wouldn't be fair to tune them out without knowing what they could do. They did nothing. They giggled, they read from the slides, one of them answered a text message during her portion and I am still not sure what they were talking about.

We killed it, as per usual. The picture perfect portrait of preparedness. That's what Not Jimmy Smitts said anyway. Except add some stuttering to it. Reminder: don't go for the alliteration if you are a horrible public speaker. The best part was the graphic photos of the riot and retaking of the prison. Typhoid Maria almost threw up. I'd feel more satisfied if she had, but I'll take the overly dramatic dry-heaving...for now.

Fat Alberto and Typhoid Maria took on the Stanford Prison Experiment...for a FOURTH TIME. In three other classes they have presented on this same subject. Each presentation is a mirrored image of the last, save a few added "facts" that they gathered from an intentionally incorrect Wikipedia page. I even called them out before the presentation and asked "Isn't that the exact same power point from the last class? You could have at least changed the background." Typhoid Maria shot me a nasty scowl but didn't acknowledge that it was regurgitated.

Fat Alberto even referenced me AGAIN. Every presentation he has said "Tiffany told me about this thing...yada yada yada". Here's the thing, each class we discuss the issues after the presentation and then the next class, he references ME and MY opinion. I didn't tell him anything. We don't chat. I offered insight to the class, not just to you. And that insight is not to be used by you. Well, if you use it, act like it's your own, don't say "Tiffany told me." Fucking idiot.

They added a video this time. Unfortunately, as interesting as it looked, Typhoid Maria stopped it and scrolled forward after 15 second runs and said "Well we have this but it's long so we aren't going to play it." I feel like I know far too much false information about the Stanford Prison Experiment. I almost (and probably will) want to find an excuse to do my own presentation on it just to shame them. It'll start with the first slide stating "Wikipedia is not an appropriate reference. Neither am I. That's why I did my RESEARCH on the subject from RELIABLE and TRUSTED sources. You are all fucking idiots. Specifically, Fat Alberto and Typhoid Maria."

I have to highlight my favorite part of the night. When discussing the Trayvon Martin shooting, Fat Alberto told me "You should be like el Presidente or something in the big house." I replied "You mean the white house?" To which he matter-o-factly stated "No they had to stop calling it that because of Obama."

I'll leave you to ponder if he was attempting irony or if he meant it. Good night ladies and gentlemen.

1 comments:

Shannon said...

Laughing my ass off. I typed it out. That is hilarious. "Overly dramatic dry heaving." This cracks me up. Let's go visit the big house, please??

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