Michelle Goepp wrote: > My favorite is this: "In America, people who try to > adhere to [the rules] run the risk of sounding > pretentious or haughty." Steve Said: >I was sure that line was going to end 'British' rather than 'pretentious >or haughty'. I think it is a sad fact that in our schools kids who speak well, are good at math and answer questions in class are generally saddled with derogative labels - "brain, geek, nerd, etc". Kids will deliberately play dumb to be accepted by the mob. It's an even sadder fact that media, through TV and movies, supports and perpetuates this movement by portraying scholastic achievers as dorky, and athletic achievers as cool. This is especially obvious in the stereotypical portrayals of males and females. The coolest guys are dumb jocks, and the un_cool_est are computer dorks. The coolest girls are tall and beautiful and smart and class president, while the uncoolest are short dumpy underachievers, (or short dumpy overachievers - I guess to be forgiven for being a smart chick you have to be blonde and beautiful).