It's Just Ignorance

6:00 AM Elizabeth Seckman 24 Comments

My son's favorite Mountaineer wearing a coonskin cap-
a cap that was made famous by Davy Crockett.

This is my son's favorite Mountaineer. Caleb, a West Virginia University student, is usually a pretty cool guy, not known for going all fan boy over anything. But in 2012, we were at an open house at the university and THE Mountaineer, Jonathon Kimble, was there. Caleb made a bee line to get his autograph.

Seems Mr. Kimble reached a special level of notoriety by using his mascot's musket to bring down a bear. My son said he was officially the most celebrated Mountaineer ever.

My son still has a profound respect and admiration for the leather-wearing, coon-skin-cap-topped, bearded man...even if he's no longer portrayed by Mr. Kimble, who I suppose graduated and has moved onto to other fields of glory.

So, while watching a televised WVU football game, Chris Stirewalt of Fox Sports made a comment about not knowing what kind of hat the Mountaineer was wearing, that he assumed it was some sort of rodent.

My son was instantly furious, certain it was an intentional slam against the Mountain State, WVU, and the Mountaineer.

But I told him to relax. Mr. Stirewalt probably took the same biology class that prompted Paramount Studios to put udders on a bull in the movie, Barnyard.

Maybe this creature looks normal to some, but to us- it's laughable. That's supposed to be a dude. Be he a bull or a steer, he's sporting an udder, and unless Paramount was out to make the first transgender barnyard animal, they got it all wrong. Someone didn't do their research.

Only cows (that's what you call a female bovine) have an udder. Bulls and steers (male bovine) have, um, well, man parts- the lucky bulls getting to keep a few more of the man parts than the unfortunate steer.

Anyhow, my point is, there was no reason for Caleb to get upset. He simply had to understand that most insults come from ignorance, not intention. Even though you assume people are paid thousands of dollars to be pros and get their facts right, they don't.

Lexa, L.G, and Tonja Drecker host
this weekly good things check in!

1. My dog is back to her regular self! Sure, that's still old and creaky,
but she's a happy pooch again.

2. I got my books for the WV Book Festival without having to pay expedited shipping. I usually wait too late for standard shipping rates- I feel so organized!

3. My husband has next week off from work, and I have him a to do list ready. He's so lucky to have me.

24 comments:

Tonja DreckerOctober 16, 2015 at 8:37 AM
Lol! Love that you have a list for your hubs. I had to laugh at the utter...wow. Did they mess up. But you're right, high paid and famous (even having a cushy job) does not make smart. Nope.
Pat HattOctober 16, 2015 at 9:41 AM
lmao never knew they messed that up, yeah in the end most people are just too lazy to get the facts or get the facts right
Christine RainsOctober 16, 2015 at 9:44 AM
Yup, a lot of those mistakes come from ignorance. But the utter thing, yeah, ridiculous! Yay for your dog being back to regular self and for the hubby being home. :) Have a lovely weekend.
Sheena-kay GrahamOctober 16, 2015 at 9:53 AM
Ignorance is not always bliss. Yay for transgendered cows. Glad the dog is okay and at least your son is not obsesed about the Kardashians.
RobinOctober 16, 2015 at 10:55 AM
Hello Elizabeth, old friend!

I haven't been feeling well (again) and it's showing in my sucky blog visiting.

I loved this post. Yes, so often people do things out of ignorance rather than intention. That means everyone just needs to relax. Of course, that isn't easy when it's in your "wheelhouse" that someone goes amuck.

#3 on your list cracked me up. Yes, he is!
UnknownOctober 16, 2015 at 1:34 PM
This is such an important point to remember! I feel like people today (myself included) are so quick to find offense with everything-- we expect it, we even look for it. It's good to remember that the whole world isn't out to get us.
AnonymousOctober 16, 2015 at 2:06 PM
Ha, ha, I know what you mean about Barnyard. Having grown up on a farm, I couldn't stop laughing at the huge blunder of bulls having udders.
You're so right about how things are often said in ignorance and are not meant to offend. It's a good reminder to take that into consideration before we get angry.
The whole thing with the to-do list for your husband's vacation week cracked me up. Have a great weekend!
Stephanie FarisOctober 16, 2015 at 4:18 PM
That is SO true. I don't think the insult was deliberate. Most people just have no idea about anything outside of their small space in the world!
CherdoOctober 17, 2015 at 12:20 AM
Don't they know that you don't want to mess with a Mountaineer (I was born in Charleston)?
MelissaOctober 17, 2015 at 8:03 AM
This comment has been removed by the author.
Annalisa CrawfordOctober 17, 2015 at 1:25 PM
I guess we all assume everyone has the same knowledge as we do - obviously not true. Although I thought it was pretty common knowledge that males do not need the equipment to feed their young?
RenaOctober 17, 2015 at 1:27 PM
That poor confused cow. At least they do have nipples, but if you can find the nipple on a bull, you're looking too hard (talk about Hi Def!). And yes, it's just ignorance, though how do you not know that's a coon-skin cap?
cheerfuloptimisticOctober 17, 2015 at 9:32 PM
Yay for happy dogs.
dolorahOctober 17, 2015 at 10:25 PM
See, and I thought I was the only one to question a bull with udders, lol. Good you're keeping your own bull udderly busy in his week off :)
UnknownOctober 18, 2015 at 12:29 PM
I'm reminded that sportscasters are picked for their voices/looks and not for their intelligence. Yay for your dog being healthy again and for getting a head start on your book event! I bet your husband's really looking forward to that To-Do list.... LOL!
A Beer for the ShowerOctober 18, 2015 at 7:31 PM
That reminds me of one of my favorite off-color jokes. If you milk a cow, you've made a friend. If you milk a bull, you've made a friend for life.
TBMOctober 19, 2015 at 5:19 AM
It's a good lesson for all of us. So many people are just ignorant. Funny about the bull, though. I'm a city girl, but even I know that. Of course, my partner comes from a ranching family so maybe I've learned through osmosis. So glad your dog is feeling better. Ours is old and creaky as well, but still smiling and he makes me laugh every day.
Suzy, The Grey BrunetteOctober 19, 2015 at 11:09 AM
Oh dear... I did laugh at those udders just now. It's probably not something I would have even noticed if I'd watched the movie! I guess I'm just as ignorant (or maybe just a bit blind!). I can understand your son getting angry, but I just love that you're so calm and collected about it all. <3 you!!
Suzy x
www.suzyturner.com
Loni TownsendOctober 20, 2015 at 9:43 AM
Ha, yeah. I find there's a lot of things I'm ignorant of, and a lot of things I know but my family doesn't. That's the great thing about smart phones. I can ask Google almost anything. :)
David Powers KingOctober 21, 2015 at 2:27 PM
I'd always wondered that about Barnyard. :)
Misha GerrickOctober 21, 2015 at 2:57 PM
Hahaha yeah the Barnyard thing did make me laugh the first time I saw it. It's Rugby World Cup at the moment, which is a HUGE thing in South Africa. But dang, the things the commentators say sometimes have me rolling my eyes so far back I fear they might get stuck there.

A recent literary favorite was when the guy went about how one Aussie rugby player was born in the same town as "JL" (Actually PL) Travers, writer of Mary Poppins.
S.P. BowersOctober 21, 2015 at 3:45 PM
Most insults come from ignorance, not intention.

Love it! It's very true, and while it doesn't necessarily excuse them, it does help to keep calm in what could be intense situations. Have fun with hubby next week!