Because nothing says ‘grammar nazi” quite like bustin’ some caps. As this episode of ‘Schoolhouse Rock Re-imagined’ by Adult Swim suggests – it’s time to bring Schoolhouse Rock back. I’d go so far as to make it mandatory viewing. If you want to buy beer, you have to have 50 hours of viewing time in. If you don’t like beer, how about doing 50 hours. or your cable shuts off? You get the picture.
Those who have learned the rules of language under the lash, cling to them for dear life. Clutching an imaginary red pencil, and slashing through comments from those whose carefree grammatical life is untroubled by the past, present or future tense. The unsolicited corrections make the crabby grammarians no new friends, but they simply cannot help themselves – so be tolerant, please.
Anyone who has made it this far, knows that I am not without a great deal of fault in this arena; but I do know why it galls me to spot violations so egregious that even I can see them. I suspect the same may be true of the highly irritated grammatical masters as well. It’s because you had fun learning this stuff as kids!
The generation which is most responsible for the decline of the language, is filled with former kids who took Schoolhouse Rock and Sesame Street for granted. The people who are making vowels an endangered species had an amazing, brilliant and fun head start in the language and math business. Imagine! Learning could be fun.
And that – is why the rest of us are so very cranky, sonny!