Offensive TV ads

[LoudBeagle]

I'm really offended by the NCME ads on tv that push students to study algebra and other mathematics in school. It is admirable that these ads encourage school students to study math, but they do so by trampling on and belittling an entire class of working people to get their message across. Basically, in the setting of these ads, two co-workers in an office meet at the coffee station. They begin chatting and it soon becomes clear that one of them is a top executive while the other is a secretary or receptionist. Several put-downs are leveled at the secretary, implying that he/she is uneducated, never studied math and performs only "trivial office tasks" such as filing and getting coffee for others "above" him or her. Having worked as a secretary and receptionist, and having a mother who did the same thing, I am greatly offended at the stereotypes presented in these ads. I also resent the implication that one is an uneducated, "ignorant flunkie" if they work as a secretary/receptionist. I also believe that these ads send the message that it is okay to put down anyone who works as a secretary/receptionist, treating them as if they were some "trained monkey" or other lower life form, instead of human beings who perform a vital service to companies and society in general. (What office doesn't have a secretary?) Apparently, it is okay for an educational-related organization such as the NCME to practice bigotry and prejudice against ordinary, working-class people such as secretaries, but God forbid they do or say anything racist, for example! Just another liberal organization full of hypocrisy, I guess. (P.S. - I have a degree in education and studied math!)

 

[Moi]

Originally posted by LoudBeagle
I'm really offended by the NCME ads on tv that push students to study algebra and other mathematics in school. It is admirable that these ads encourage school students to study math, but they do so by trampling on and belittling an entire class of working people to get their message across. Basically, in the setting of these ads, two co-workers in an office meet at the coffee station. They begin chatting and it soon becomes clear that one of them is a top executive while the other is a secretary or receptionist. Several put-downs are leveled at the secretary, implying that he/she is uneducated, never studied math and performs only "trivial office tasks" such as filing and getting coffee for others "above" him or her. Having worked as a secretary and receptionist, and having a mother who did the same thing, I am greatly offended at the stereotypes presented in these ads. I also resent the implication that one is an uneducated, "ignorant flunkie" if they work as a secretary/receptionist. I also believe that these ads send the message that it is okay to put down anyone who works as a secretary/receptionist, treating them as if they were some "trained monkey" or other lower life form, instead of human beings who perform a vital service to companies and society in general. (What office doesn't have a secretary?) Apparently, it is okay for an educational-related organization such as the NCME to practice bigotry and prejudice against ordinary, working-class people such as secretaries, but God forbid they do or say anything racist, for example! Just another liberal organization full of hypocrisy, I guess. (P.S. - I have a degree in education and studied math!)

I have never seen that commercial but I think that's a horrible commercial. Whatever it's point, it seems to have missed the first rule of education which is to support rather than to attack. It surely isn't the only offensive commercial out there I'm afraid.

 

[Isaac Brock]

Originally posted by Moi
I have never seen that commercial but I think that's a horrible commercial. Whatever it's point, it seems to have missed the first rule of education which is to support rather than to attack. It surely isn't the only offensive commercial out there I'm afraid.

Very well put indeed!

 

[rtwngAvngr]

I think it's admirable that the ad is honest. People in these roles ARE treated like crap. Right or wrong. It's the truth. Why do you hate depictions of truth?

 

[Moi]

Originally posted by rtwngAvngr
I think it's admirable that the ad is honest. People in these roles ARE treated like crap. Right or wrong. It's the truth. Why do you hate depictions of truth?

Having not seen the commercial I can't really say. From the description of it, it didn't seem to be saying "look, get educated because otherwise you'll be treated like crap" The description was more like "becuase you are uneducated you deserve to be treated like crap" And that, my friend, is a load of crap.

 

[LoudBeagle]

Because, my friend, it is NOT the truth. There are people out there who know how to behave in a kind and civilized manner towards people, no matter WHAT type of work they are doing. It is also NOT true that all secretarys and receptionists are uneducated bimbos and have not studied math, as this ad seems to imply. I am offended by this ad in particular because I have a degree in education, and this ad is produced by an educational organization. I have also worked as a secretary. I find this ad SHAMEFUL for the messages it sends. We are SO careful to be so politically "correct" in our schools. We preach "diversity", "tolerance", "kindness" , etc., EXCEPT, it appears, when it comes to "certain people". If you hold a blue-collar job or believe in certain religious values, for example, then it's okay to stomp all over you, "tolerance" and "kindness" be damned! Believe me, I experienced this first hand as a teacher in the schools! You should hear how some educators talk about plumbers, let alone parents! We as educators, and as members of educational organizations like NCME, have the capacity to instill certain values in the children who are entrusted to our care. We can teach them to treat others like CRAP based on what they do for a living, or we can teach them to RESPECT others based on the fact that they are HUMAN BEINGS with feelings, hopes and dreams like the rest of us. This NCME ad had the choice to get their message across without stomping on a whole class of working people to do so.

 

[wonderwench]

I haven't seen the ad. But my gut reaction is one of distaste.

I respect anyone who does an honest job well, no matter what it is.

There are better ways to promote education without belittling the honest work of others.

 

[rtwngAvngr]

LoudBeagle,
I wonder if you're hypersensitive. These types of support positions are less demanding and do not push a person to use all his abilities to his fullest. That's not to say anything bad about people working these jobs, but somewhere inside, behind all the rationalizations and condemnations of a society which doesn't worship mediocrity, they must secretly yearn for "better". And like I said, right or wrong, many times people in these roles ARE disrespected by "professionals". So is it better to teach people to strive for better, or to accept mediocrity?

If you don't believe me, ask yourself this question: How come noone ever says they want to be an administrative assistant when they grow up?

 

[wonderwench]

RWA,

I disagree. Being a good secretary can be an extremely demanding job. Early in my career, I was an admin assistant for a year while going to night school for my MBA. I had a team of managers that I had to juggle, and it was not easy. I've also had one excellent AA who reported to me for a few years - I trusted her so much she was like an extension of myself. She handled a great many issues on her own and freed me up to focus on other priorities.

 

[Moi]

Originally posted by rtwngAvngr
LoudBeagle,
I wonder if you're hypersensitive. These types of support positions are less demanding and do not push a person to use all his abilities to his fullest. That's not to say anything bad about people working these jobs, but somewhere inside, behind all the rationalizations and condemnations of a society which doesn't worship mediocrity, they must secretly yearn for "better". And like I said, right or wrong, many times people in these roles ARE disrespected by "professionals". So is it better to teach people to strive for better, or to accept mediocrity?

If you don't believe me, ask yourself this question: How come noone ever says they want to be an administrative assistant when they grow up?

While I admit that there is a valid argument for encouraging people to strive for the best they can be, does that mean you can belittle those who are other than yourself? Isn't striving for the best also accepting, gracefully, that no everyone was born to be a brain surgeon or nuclear physicist? Why would someone's profession relegate them to being the butt of someone else's jokes? If that's what "better" means, hell, I hope we have a country full of mediocrity.

 

[LoudBeagle]

Mediocrity is not limited to "lower" level positions. There are very mediocre doctors, lawyers, etc. In fact, downright BAD doctors, for example, who have been responsible for injuries, even death, of people. I know some personally! To respond to your query of whether I am "hypersensitive", I would hope not! I would hope that the sensitivity I have expressed would be the "NORM", which I am hopeful that it is, judging from the comments that most people have left in this thread. I would think that you come from a position of INSENSITIVITY, given your obvious attitude towards so-called "lower" level positions such as secretary. I would also venture to guess that you are quite judgmental about something which you have had no experience doing - that is, the job of being a secretary. Being a secretary today requires quite a bit more knowledge and skills than in the past, including mathematical skills. Also, you are wrong in thinking that people don't choose secretarial work as a career. Many do, and not only do we have colleges specifically geared towards earning a degree in the secretarial field, but most college campuses include many courses required to make it in the secretarial field. And if you think it is easy to get and keep a job as a secretary, go try it! Good luck passing your typing (keyboarding) and other tests!

 

[lilcountriegal]

I wonder if you're hypersensitive. These types of support positions are less demanding and do not push a person to use all his abilities to his fullest. That's not to say anything bad about people working these jobs, but somewhere inside, behind all the rationalizations and condemnations of a society which doesn't worship mediocrity, they must secretly yearn for "better". And like I said, right or wrong, many times people in these roles ARE disrespected by "professionals". So is it better to teach people to strive for better, or to accept mediocrity?

Ok. Time to jump in here.

RWA... I AM a secretary, and quite proud of that fact. I have been a medical secretary for approximately 10 of my 31 years, a legal secretary for a few years prior to that. I take offense to being called "mediocre". I currently work as the only Office Manager/Secretary in a large hospital in the Cardiac Surgery Department (Cardiac = heart, in case you need help following along).

I have had a magnitude of post-high school schooling. I was trained as a Medical Assistant & Phlebotomist, just to name a few. I was schooled in mathematics, anatomy and physiology, Medical Terminology, also just to name a few. I maintained an A grade consistently. I do not "get coffee" (GRRRR.. that analogy to secretaries PISS ME OFF) for my bosses. Among many, my job is to assemble the surgical team when a stat heart (stat = immediate, in case you need help following along) comes in to the hospital.. it is my job that I have the Surgeon, Physicians Assistant, Surgical Assistant, Perfusionist, and Anesthesiologist in the OR within minutes of my inital call. You try to assemble a team from various locations that fast... if I had to, my job would be literally run through the hospital to find them and drag them kicking and screaming to the OR. I currently type 90+ words per minute and can quite convincingly out-debate the chief heart surgeon. I choose to be a secretary because I love my job, not because I feel it is "mediocre". Whereas, I am not educated in a vast number of other subjects, and a computer is an ongoing wonder to me, one profession is no better than the other.

In addition, I am a secretary. I am a 31-year-old single mother of a toddler child, who I raised from birth by myself. I was alone at 8 months pregnant, without a job and unable to find one in my condition. I am VERY PROUD of the fact that, without the use of the welfare system (with exception to health insurance for my daughter) I have managed to come from that stage in my life to living in a 3 bedroom house, maintaining a comfortable lifestyle, while being able to enjoy some of the finer luxuries occasionally, all on a "secretaries" salary.

 

[jimnyc]

Originally posted by lilcountriegal
In addition, I am a secretary. I am a 31-year-old single mother of a toddler child, who I raised from birth by myself. I was alone at 8 months pregnant, without a job and unable to find one in my condition. I am VERY PROUD of the fact that, without the use of the welfare system (with exception to health insurance for my daughter) I have managed to come from that stage in my life to living in a 3 bedroom house, maintaining a comfortable lifestyle, while being able to enjoy some of the finer luxuries occasionally, all on a "secretaries" salary.

Bravo, lilcountriegal!

 

[eric]

Hey lil,

You have much to be proud of !

 

[wonderwench]

Yes, Bravo Lil! Well done, gal!

 

[LoudBeagle]

BRAVO LIL, YOU HAVE SAID IT ALL! And Bravo to all working people everywhere, whatever job you work at! Working people keep America going, and we should all be proud of that! This will be the last I add to this thread, except to say to Lil that my father was a hospital administrator, and had the utmost respect and admiration for his secretary! He was also married to my mother who worked as a secretary.

 

[Moi]

I think your post, lil, is great. The fact remains that it takes all kinds of people to make the world go around. Some are the boss, some are not. I had an assitant for several years who I could not have done my job without. I valued her quite a bit and she was the first person outside of family that I called when I went to the hospital to have my baby!

 

[willinator]

Originally posted by rtwngAvngr
LoudBeagle,
I wonder if you're hypersensitive. These types of support positions are less demanding and do not push a person to use all his abilities to his fullest. That's not to say anything bad about people working these jobs, but somewhere inside, behind all the rationalizations and condemnations of a society which doesn't worship mediocrity, they must secretly yearn for "better".

if a person can be happy with a low paying job, more power to them

 

[lilcountriegal]

Welcome to the board Will

if a person can be happy with a low paying job, more power to them

Whereas, as a secretary, I am not making a six figure salary, my salary isn't "low". That is another misconception given to secretarial/support staff (ranks right up there with "get me my coffee woman!").

Had that been true, I couldnt have gone from living with family when my daughter was born, to moving into my own house by my daughter's first birthday. I consider myself 'comfortable'. While everyone (including those making six figure salaries) could always use more money, I'm perfectly happy with the salary I make.

 

[jon_forward]

outstanding job lil!!!! my first wife went to college to be a med sec/transciptionist. one of those excellerated 2 years in one deals, spent a lot of nites going over stuff words/terms. not easy. I applaud you I still have not figured out why the med community has to have 2 words for every part of your body. before I helped the first wife it was like a secret language.