[- Kidult Konspiracy?
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By amy, Section question corner Posted on Wed Sep 3rd, 2003 at 09:33:24 PM EURODISCORDIA TIME
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The New York Times News Service posted this story, which I can't seem to get out of my head for various reasons. There seem to be inconsistencies throughout the article as to what actually defines kidultism, but there are also some assumptions that bother me more deeply. While I have no particular interest in the Care Bears, Hello Kitty, or singing Itsy Bitsy Spider, I certainly do have some interests which might be considered more appropriate for a "younger demographic." Am I a kidult? Or is the very notion of kidultism, which is evidently considered "bad" - a way of pushing adults into doing more of things corporate society deems positive - like taking out mortgages and working all the time?
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A quote from the article that intrigues, or at least confuses me:
While there is nothing new about adults reveling in kiddie culture -- Shirley Temple, Roald Dahl and Pee Wee Herman all had plenty of adult fans -- market researchers say an especially strong wave of childishness began about two years ago.
Theories on why things changed two years ago? (Assuming they really did... )
1) Dotcom bust - people stopped working every waking hour and actually had some time and energy to do something they wanted to do. Since the kidultish activities in the article range from doll collecting to buying a recreational vehicle marketed toward a younger demographic, I'm not convinced this is evidence of a sudden wave of "childishness" so much as a wave of leisure time (heaven forbid!)
2) I don't want to dismiss the obvious event of 2 years ago without addressing it: September 11th. An easy theory would be that 9/11 was so serious and adult, people wanted to escape into childhood. But that one sounds like Dr. Freud to me. OK, now I'll dismiss it. If anyone can make a good case for 9/11 connections, go for it; I can't come up with one.
And an even weirder quote:
Some social scientists, however, see signs of a deeply troubling trend. That so many adults expend so much time and energy pursuing the thrills of youth just proves how significantly "adulthood has lost its appeal," said Frank Furendi, a professor of sociology at the University of Kent at Canterbury in England. "Adulthood has got nothing attractive about it anymore. That's actually quite sad."
What exactly does he mean by that? What used to be attractive about adulthood that isn't anymore? Have the kidultish activities replaced adultish ones one-to-one? Were those leisure activities? Or were they working and taking out mortgages?
Well, I best get off this weblog now - I've heard blogging is kid stuff...
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