A slice of Trump country

[Orrex]

Last week we attended a demolition derby at the local county fair. My older son is something of a connoseur, and we've gone every year since he was about four. We recognize that this is Trump country, and this sort of event is not generally expected to be a bastion of liberal thinking. You basically have to accept it as the price of admission.

This year's derby, however, went above and beyond.

The first event was a "Power Wheels" matchup between kids ages 4 - 9. Before the start, the announcer asked how many drivers are girls. I vainly hoped that he'd praise them for their interest in an overwhelmingly male-dominated sport, but of course I was wrong. "Now, you girls have an advantage, because God gave you the gift of reckless driving." He proclaimed this to preschoolers, in front of a laughing crowd of more than 1,000.

Got it? Even an in event when you're supposed to hit other cars, girls are lousy drivers. That's a goddamn laugh riot!

The announcer then displayed the event's trophy, to be awarded to the winner, before declaring "We live in the age of participation trophies, so everyone gets a medal." Either mock the prize or award it, you stupid fuck! Why would you denigrate these kids who were foolish enough to think they were taking part in a fun event?

Next to the teen event, with unlicensed drivers aged 13-16. One of the seven competitors was doing quite well, until the announcer realized that she had pigtails visible under her helmet. "She's a girl!" the announcer crowed. "Like I said, they have a God-given gift for mayhem!" Got it? She was skilled when he thought she was a boy, but as a girl she could only be comically destructive, because God. Hardy har har!

Throughout the several events he praised the male drivers for their aggressiveness and their abandon, while the one or two female drivers were mocked for their inherently poor driving ability.

He also made numerous jokes about his ex-wife (she's a loser, she's a slut, she can't drive, etc) and his mother-in-law (she's fat, etc.)

Again, this isn't wholly surprising, given the demographic, economic, and election history of this Trump-voting, Confederate-flag-toting PA county, but I've seldom seen it so publicly and so shamelessly showcased.


As with many similar displays locally, we use this as a teaching opportunity for our boys, aged 10 & 13. To their credit, they are much more politically conscious than I was at their ages, so they understand why this kind of behavior is so abhorrent and how far we have to go as a society.

[vlyons]

1. 2 reactions

1. I hope that you decide to never subject your family to this vulgar display of misogyny and animus again. There are far far better ways to teach your children.

2. Were I you, I would write to the promoters and advertisers of that event, informing them that you won't be ever attending again and why. Complain about the misogyny of the announcer. You could also write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper.

We don't have to put up with that crap. We can expose ourselves and our families to more inspiring and uplifting public events than stuff like that. We hold ourselves to a higher standard, because we are better than that.

[Orrex]

2. In fact I have already completed the company's online "feedback" form

As to your first point, this is the first of a dozen or so events at which we've seen this kind of fuckery. My older son enjoys the derbies themselves, and as I said, we used it as a successful teaching moment.

Notwithstanding your call to attend more uplifting social functions, we'll likely continue to go to these for as long as my son enjoys them. It is indeed an ugly display, but I'd rather have our children encounter it while we're there to guide them, instead of letting them stumble upon it for themselves.

[Freedomofspeech]

3. What county here in PA...

Was it Westmoreland?

[Orrex]

6. Lawrence

But I'm sure that the same story could be told in many places.

[dalton99a]

4. Thus ensuring similar behavior in their progeny

Typical deplorable scumbag

[Orrex]

9. It's tremendously difficult to counteract, too

We can't generally presume to teach other people's kids right and wrong, and opportunities to provide examples for them are limited.

Trump supporters have repeatedly and clearly demonstrated that they are all but impervious to reason, evidence, expertise & fact. Even direct personal hardship inflicted by Trump's policies won't readily sway them.


I don't know how to effect change on a large scale, especially when the effort is likely to be drowned out like a single voice in a grandstand.

[Bettie]

5. My oldest son has a bad habit of reading over my shoulder

(Just got a "jeez mom, lighten up" as he read that!)

Anyway, he read that and wondered why anyone would say that girls are not good drivers. From his experience, they tend to be better, more careful drivers than the boys he knows.

They also, according to him, did WAY better in Driver's Ed this summer than any of the boys (except him, he got the highest grade in the class on both the book stuff and the road stuff, though he didn't tell me, the teacher did when I saw him at the grocery store).

There are more of us than there are of them and we're becoming a better society overall. Every generation gets a little better than the one before.

[Orrex]

8. Happily, our sons know that their mom drives just fine

She sets a great example in many ways.

She was seated directly in front of me in the grandstand, and I could feel her spine stiffen every time the stupid announcer opened his dumb mouth.

[maxrandb]

7. I know the place

it's like America is being run by people that think Larry the Cable Guy is funny

[Jim Beard]

10. My mother was a bad driver but she made up for it in other areas.

She held the family record for fender benders. About 75% But we never made fun of her, she was her on worst critic.