This would be a camp for all of those folks we've met from time to time who unfortunately and for whatever reason missed out on the peer humiliation that most of us suffer through at an early age. It sucks at the time, but we endure it, move on, and are better off in the long run.-- homunculus, Apr 05 2001 This could be reinforced with moments of intense reflection. We could provoke this through a 48 hour stint in a senseary deprivation tank whilst having pure lsd, diesal soaked hash and periodic inhalation of carbon monoxide administered at random intervals throught the day and night.
The more I think of this the more I feel society in general would benefit from this service.-- bozboz, Apr 05 2001 Perhaps more along the lines of group wedgie sessions, enforced thick glasses wearing and somehow engineering it so that everyone at the camp gets picked last for all team sports.-- mcscotland, Apr 05 2001 you have provoked a long forgotten memory of a small child being picked up by a cheering mob of grubby human infants and legs-forced-a-kimbo being charged battering ram stylee the length of the playground towards a metal pole. i dont know whether it happened to the body my human brain belonged to previously or whether it just observed this callous act. but it sure is a far cry from my innocent back hugging, peer grooming, itchal scrag ridden infant reveries.-- chimpboy, Apr 05 2001 Having suffered what I assume to be a typical level of such hazing myself, I do not wish it on anyone. But you raise an interesting point, homunculus, in stating, "we endure it, move on, and are better off in the long run." I'm no social scientist, but I believe your statement is true. So why is there a media focus on how most of the school shootings in the U.S. are perpetrated by kids who have suffered peer humiliation? Are these kids' experiences demonstrably worse than typical, or is it part of the PC "build a child's self-esteem by never letting him feel sadness or pain" manifesto, or is it simply our desperate need to find a cause?-- beauxeault, Apr 05 2001 In the future everyone will have 15 minutes of humiliation-- Op, Apr 05 2001 Well, it sounds like pure evil to me ("better off in the long run," my ass), but since it's for those who were administering it the first time around, pure evil is OK.
At least everyone would be equally crippled.
!! Videotape the proceedings and sell the tapes to former victims. I'd pay high dollar for a several individuals.-- mcdonald107, Apr 05 2001 Wow, what a range of responses. My first foray into the halfbakery has sparked more interest than I thought it would. What I originally envisioned is a camp where people can go to acquire a thicker skin. Kind of a retreat for those who tend to embarrass themselves in social situations because they were never told, "That's stupid." "That's not funny." etc. etc. Most of this happened in grade school - to me anyway - and you'd be hard-pressed to find folks more brutally honest than kids in that age range. I actually do think there is some value to it. Ideal candidates for camps like this would be people who were home-schooled for example. The value comes from being able to say, "Go screw yourself" rather than just taking it when someone tries to insult you. We remember the peer humiliation we endured and are vigilant ever since.-- homunculus, Apr 05 2001 "Revenge Is A Dish Best Served Cold" -Sicilian Saying-- thumbwax, Apr 05 2001 I agree that vengeance is a waste of time ... that's not really what this is about though.-- homunculus, Apr 06 2001 Come on, don't give short shrift to vengeance. Turnabout is fair play, and I know you didn't drag your sack over here for the soup.-- reensure, Apr 06 2001 Friday the 13th and its sequels are kinda about this-- thumbwax, Apr 06 2001 Revenge....hmmm....this posting has brought up some unpleasant memories. Having been dirt poor, homeless, and just not cool (band nerd, choir nerd, top student), I endured a lot of humiliation by the "cool", pretty, popular, athletic, and rich (well, comfortably upper middle class) girls. As a result, I made it a point to corner them one by one, alone, in a bathroom and push their heads in the toliet and flush it several times....then I threatened to kill them if they told anyone. I never got caught (having done this to 7 girls) and I never had any retribution from them....they were too humiliated to tell anyone what I did...they didn't even compare notes and warn each other what I was doing. They also managed to find other people to target their meanness toward. To this day, I regret what I did, but I also wonder, in this day and age, if I would instead have shot them all if I had thought of it......-- Susen, Apr 06 2001 (Yikes!) Hey Susen... uh... did I ever tell you how wonderful and insightful all your postings are? You seem really smart and oh so nice! <edging towards the door...>-- PotatoStew, Apr 06 2001 Hee...Hee... The best revenge is living well. I went on to win a state beauty pageant while in college, get three college degrees, and live reasonably well. I'm also only two pounds heavier than I was in high school....makes me laugh at all the "pretty girls" who are now heavy and have 5 kids and middle age spread.... I'm still jockey weight. Growing up poor and homeless probably did me every bit as much good as it did damage.-- Susen, Apr 06 2001 Incidit in foveam quam fecit :-) ..... no, really....what I have learned in life is this: Non ergo fortuna homines aestimabo seb moribus; sibi quisque dat mores, condicionem casus assignat. Of course, non ego sum stultus, ut ante fui.-- Susen, Apr 06 2001 Sheesh... I really should have paid more attention in my high school Latin classes... I can't keep up with you people.-- PotatoStew, Apr 06 2001 Thumbwax is right. Revenge is a dish best served cold. Just like icecream. And while both may be a waste of time (or at least bad for you), they're both fun dishes to eat.-- sirrobin, Apr 06 2001 That is truly insightful and considerate, waugsqueke.
Susen, I was trying to find a Latin translator so that I could impress you, but I couldn't, so I'll just ask in English. May I have your baby? :)-- absterge, Apr 06 2001 Is that possible under the current technology?-- Susen, Apr 06 2001 Baked. It's called Basic Military Training. I'll have to fishbone this one.
[beauxeault], I think you're fairly on spot here. Part of it, I think, is that we need a cause and you can only invoke Marilyn Manson so often; part is probably the PC campaign. I don't think the humiliation is worse than typical, but I think that the outcasting is. Most people fit in by being humiliated. Some people are humiliated in such a way as to stand out--or call attention to themselves (often inadvertently) by doing something unusual, like wearing trenchcoats or being a certain, unusual (in that geography) color or being a Nazi. Peers see this and say "That's weird. You're not like us". This, along with (I presume) an inability to deal with such ostracism.-- disbomber, Apr 03 2005 random, halfbakery