Political Bias in Summer Reading

phillyfan26 · 07-18-2007, 11:40 PM

For many schools, summer reading is a typical assignment. I'm taking an AP English course, so I was assigned three books to read for the summer. One of these books is the extremely conservative "Shut Up and Sing" by Laura Ingraham. I am unsure whether this is intended to be thought-provoking about how political bias can ruin writing (which after ten pages I can already see it's murdered any hope of a reasonable read) or if my school district doesn't get it. I'm thinking the latter based on past behavior. I don't know how many 16 year olds even understand politics, let alone be able to discern political bias. Maybe I'm not giving us enough credit, but I'm unsure to say the least.

But, for those who have read it, how ridiculously right-wing is it? My favorite part is that in order to not make it completely liberal bashing, she includes those Republicans who lean liberally, ironically making the bias even stronger.

But my point here is, should summer reading include political bias? I mean, it would be one thing if there was a contrasting liberal favored book, but there's not. So, thoughts?

Angela Harlem · 07-18-2007, 11:50 PM

i reckon it needs to be liberal leaning all the way so you can hopefully influence these one-day voters to see sense. you know, subtle propaganda and stuff.

Varitek · 07-19-2007, 12:41 AM

Laura Ingram is really, really bad. Ann Coulter bad, but with less leggy blondness to get acclaim. THat is really sad, especially if they expect you all to buy the damn thing and give royalties! And you're in Philly, right, not some conservative town somewhere? or are you in one of the red suburbs? Either way, is there some sort of report or critique of the summer reading you will get to do that you can use as an outlet (within the assignment) to express your concerns over how biased it is?

phillyfan26 · 07-19-2007, 12:59 AM

I'm assuming some kind of assignment once school resumes, but there's none at the moment.

I am in the suburbs, but there's no dominating party around here, really.

maycocksean · 07-19-2007, 06:38 PM

The least they could have done is giving you "Unspeak" to balance things out.

It was so blatantly partisan and biased against the Right that I finally quit reading it.

And I'm a liberal!

anitram · 07-19-2007, 06:47 PM

How is this an AP English book? It's not well written, it's not a literary work - there are about a thousand books you could and should have read instead. It's not so much the bias that offends me, it's the shitty writing.

VertigoGal · 07-19-2007, 07:03 PM

I'm sure I've bitched about this before, but the required basic economics class for seniors at my high school has to read the Fair Tax Book. I live in the right wing infested suburbs of Atlanta. They don't read anything remotely equivalent from a liberal perspective and because it's a general prereq economics class the level of depth/interest isn't extraordinary. So, of course, most kids around here emerge from the class worhsipping Neal Boortz and plastering Fair Tax bumper stickers all over their Hummers.

phillyfan26 · 07-19-2007, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by anitram
How is this an AP English book? It's not well written, it's not a literary work - there are about a thousand books you could and should have read instead. It's not so much the bias that offends me, it's the shitty writing.

I could name about 75 logical fallacies already, and I'm only one chapter through the book.

unico · 07-19-2007, 07:21 PM

maybe the assignment was done to illicit the exact response you're getting now? it might not be propaganda to sway you to the right. it might be more like "look how ridiculous this is"

phillyfan26 · 07-19-2007, 07:45 PM

That's my hope. I just wonder why they would make it only republican ridiculousness though, and no contrasting ridiculous democrat book.

deep · 07-19-2007, 07:52 PM

It could be this one teacher has a bias. And he is hoping to set you on the right side of the culture war.

I think a lot of students will be turned off by it.

unico · 07-19-2007, 07:58 PM

i dunno, it sounds like a really crap book to me. i think this professor could be purposely trying to turn students off

U2democrat · 07-19-2007, 08:33 PM

I was forced to read so many books and now I can't remember any of them except Angela's Ashes, which I hated.

unico · 07-19-2007, 08:50 PM

i saw the movie...

but that actor was cute. he was in cowboys & angels too.

maycocksean · 07-19-2007, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by VertigoGal
I'm sure I've bitched about this before, but the required basic economics class for seniors at my high school has to read the Fair Tax Book. I live in the right wing infested suburbs of Atlanta. They don't read anything remotely equivalent from a liberal perspective and because it's a general prereq economics class the level of depth/interest isn't extraordinary. So, of course, most kids around here emerge from the class worhsipping Neal Boortz and plastering Fair Tax bumper stickers all over their Hummers.

I'm sorry.

Sounds a bit like where I grew up.

indra · 07-19-2007, 09:55 PM

I'm so glad I'm old. When school let out for the year all the teachers told us was to not let the door hit us on the rear on the way out.

Bono's shades · 07-19-2007, 11:42 PM

That is beyond bizarre. In every English class I've ever taken, we were ALWAYS assigned actual literary works, not political diatribes by hacks.

phillyfan26 · 07-19-2007, 11:47 PM

I'm still sort of suspecting the thing to end with "Ha, that was all a joke, there's no way I could write all of this with a straight face." It's that blatantly incorrect.

I still can't get over her essentially saying, "I'm not just bashing liberals. I'm also bashing republicans who aren't completely conservative."

shart1780 · 07-22-2007, 04:15 AM

Maybe one day I'll read a conservative book (although hopefully it's notone of Laura Ingram's). All the stuff my teachers have assigned me has been extremely liberal. It's pretty one-sided.

phillyfan26 · 07-28-2007, 06:29 PM

To update you all, it has continued to be one of the funniest books I've ever read. I mean honestly, I think her premise going in must have been, "Let me take all the most extreme examples, make them represent everything liberal, then take quotes out of context and make inferences about them that are completely out of nowhere." I mean, she devoted a good 10-15 pages on Michael Moore alone!

She still has yet to defend any conservative views in the entire book, just talking critcizing democrat's criticisms, without looking at the substance. If you doubt Bush, you are anti-American and are secretly looking to become ridiculously rich and powerful.

07-18-2007, 11:40 PM	#1
phillyfan26 Blue Crack Supplier Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 30,343 Local Time: 11:26 AM	Political Bias in Summer Reading For many schools, summer reading is a typical assignment. I'm taking an AP English course, so I was assigned three books to read for the summer. One of these books is the extremely conservative "Shut Up and Sing" by Laura Ingraham. I am unsure whether this is intended to be thought-provoking about how political bias can ruin writing (which after ten pages I can already see it's murdered any hope of a reasonable read) or if my school district doesn't get it. I'm thinking the latter based on past behavior. I don't know how many 16 year olds even understand politics, let alone be able to discern political bias. Maybe I'm not giving us enough credit, but I'm unsure to say the least. But, for those who have read it, how ridiculously right-wing is it? My favorite part is that in order to not make it completely liberal bashing, she includes those Republicans who lean liberally, ironically making the bias even stronger. But my point here is, should summer reading include political bias? I mean, it would be one thing if there was a contrasting liberal favored book, but there's not. So, thoughts? __________________

07-18-2007, 11:50 PM	#2
Angela Harlem Jesus Online Join Date: Dec 1969 Location: a glass castle Posts: 30,163 Local Time: 03:26 AM	i reckon it needs to be liberal leaning all the way so you can hopefully influence these one-day voters to see sense. you know, subtle propaganda and stuff. __________________ __________________

07-28-2007, 06:29 PM	#20
phillyfan26 Blue Crack Supplier Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 30,343 Local Time: 11:26 AM	To update you all, it has continued to be one of the funniest books I've ever read. I mean honestly, I think her premise going in must have been, "Let me take all the most extreme examples, make them represent everything liberal, then take quotes out of context and make inferences about them that are completely out of nowhere." I mean, she devoted a good 10-15 pages on Michael Moore alone! She still has yet to defend any conservative views in the entire book, just talking critcizing democrat's criticisms, without looking at the substance. If you doubt Bush, you are anti-American and are secretly looking to become ridiculously rich and powerful. __________________

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07-19-2007, 12:41 AM	#3
Varitek Blue Crack Addict Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: on borderland we run Posts: 16,861 Local Time: 11:26 AM	Laura Ingram is really, really bad. Ann Coulter bad, but with less leggy blondness to get acclaim. THat is really sad, especially if they expect you all to buy the damn thing and give royalties! And you're in Philly, right, not some conservative town somewhere? or are you in one of the red suburbs? Either way, is there some sort of report or critique of the summer reading you will get to do that you can use as an outlet (within the assignment) to express your concerns over how biased it is?

07-19-2007, 12:59 AM	#4
phillyfan26 Blue Crack Supplier Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 30,343 Local Time: 11:26 AM	I'm assuming some kind of assignment once school resumes, but there's none at the moment. I am in the suburbs, but there's no dominating party around here, really.

07-19-2007, 06:38 PM	#5
maycocksean Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Ohio Posts: 4,915 Local Time: 11:26 AM	The least they could have done is giving you "Unspeak" to balance things out. It was so blatantly partisan and biased against the Right that I finally quit reading it. And I'm a liberal!

07-19-2007, 06:47 PM	#6
anitram Blue Crack Addict Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: NY Posts: 18,918 Local Time: 12:26 PM	How is this an AP English book? It's not well written, it's not a literary work - there are about a thousand books you could and should have read instead. It's not so much the bias that offends me, it's the shitty writing.

07-19-2007, 07:03 PM	#7
VertigoGal Rock n' Roll Doggie FOB Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: I'm never alone (I'm alone all the time) Posts: 9,860 Local Time: 11:26 AM	I'm sure I've bitched about this before, but the required basic economics class for seniors at my high school has to read the Fair Tax Book. I live in the right wing infested suburbs of Atlanta. They don't read anything remotely equivalent from a liberal perspective and because it's a general prereq economics class the level of depth/interest isn't extraordinary. So, of course, most kids around here emerge from the class worhsipping Neal Boortz and plastering Fair Tax bumper stickers all over their Hummers.

07-19-2007, 07:21 PM	#9
unico Blue Crack Addict Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Rage Ave. Posts: 18,749 Local Time: 11:26 AM	maybe the assignment was done to illicit the exact response you're getting now? it might not be propaganda to sway you to the right. it might be more like "look how ridiculous this is"

07-19-2007, 07:45 PM	#10
phillyfan26 Blue Crack Supplier Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 30,343 Local Time: 11:26 AM	That's my hope. I just wonder why they would make it only republican ridiculousness though, and no contrasting ridiculous democrat book.

07-19-2007, 07:52 PM	#11
deep Blue Crack Addict Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: A far distance down. Posts: 28,603 Local Time: 08:26 AM	It could be this one teacher has a bias. And he is hoping to set you on the right side of the culture war. I think a lot of students will be turned off by it.

07-19-2007, 07:58 PM	#12
unico Blue Crack Addict Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Rage Ave. Posts: 18,749 Local Time: 11:26 AM	i dunno, it sounds like a really crap book to me. i think this professor could be purposely trying to turn students off

07-19-2007, 08:33 PM	#13
U2democrat Blue Crack Addict Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: England by way of 'Murica. Posts: 22,142 Local Time: 04:26 PM	I was forced to read so many books and now I can't remember any of them except Angela's Ashes, which I hated.

07-19-2007, 08:50 PM	#14
unico Blue Crack Addict Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Rage Ave. Posts: 18,749 Local Time: 11:26 AM	i saw the movie... but that actor was cute. he was in cowboys & angels too.

07-19-2007, 09:55 PM	#16
indra ONE love, blood, life Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 12,689 Local Time: 12:26 PM	I'm so glad I'm old. When school let out for the year all the teachers told us was to not let the door hit us on the rear on the way out.

07-19-2007, 11:42 PM	#17
Bono's shades Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: The back of beyond Posts: 5,047 Local Time: 11:26 AM	That is beyond bizarre. In every English class I've ever taken, we were ALWAYS assigned actual literary works, not political diatribes by hacks.

07-19-2007, 11:47 PM	#18
phillyfan26 Blue Crack Supplier Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 30,343 Local Time: 11:26 AM	I'm still sort of suspecting the thing to end with "Ha, that was all a joke, there's no way I could write all of this with a straight face." It's that blatantly incorrect. I still can't get over her essentially saying, "I'm not just bashing liberals. I'm also bashing republicans who aren't completely conservative."

07-22-2007, 04:15 AM	#19
shart1780 Rock n' Roll Doggie Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Washington State Posts: 3,861 Local Time: 04:26 PM	Maybe one day I'll read a conservative book (although hopefully it's notone of Laura Ingram's). All the stuff my teachers have assigned me has been extremely liberal. It's pretty one-sided.