Saturday, January 26, 2008

How She Move? How I Cringe!




Now I love a good disadvantaged- kids- who- have- to- fight- to- reach- a- goal movie. Some of my favorites are Stand and Deliver, Lean on Me, and Freedom Writers. Sometimes I watch these movies for inspiration after a very hard day of teaching middle school English. These movies always make me feel better. They make me feel like there is worth in my profession, and somehow I am making a difference. They also show me that students have the desire to succeed. They just need a push from someone to realize it. These movies are often realistic (as realistic as Hollywood can make them) snapshots of poor, uneducated, and struggling families and students. The goal is usually some sort of academic test to be passed or scholarship to be won. The students are trying for a better life through the avenue of a good education. Makes sense right? Well... tell me then why a movie that has the potential to have a good influence on disadvantaged kids to work hard for a decent education starts out with a GRAMMATICALLY INCORRECT title! How She Move doesn't make me want to watch how a girl tries to pass a scholarship test for a prep school that will give her the advantages that others don't have. It is obvious by the title that she doesn't know how to make subjects and verbs agree, and with that she will probably fail that test! One little S makes all the difference! Maybe I am so incensed because I am an English teacher. Maybe I am incensed because I teach in a urban area where I fight the hard fight everyday to improve the everyday bad grammar that they have embraced as correct. Glamorizing bad grammar is stupid. Rappers and singers do it everyday. (Remember "Wheres my girls At?") Using bad grammar as a title for a movie that is supposed to be about reaching an academic goal is just irresponsible. Shame on you Hollywood! If your interested, here is New York Post review about the movie that sums it up neatly.
How She Move review

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