Yesterday, while watching the Superbowl ads (great game, by the way!), one came through that confused me.  I wasn’t sure what it was advertising, because surely, I thought, it isn’t advertising what I think it’s advertising, is it?

Here it is (via youtube):

I looked it up and, yes, it is advertising a website for people seeking to have an affair!  I can’t believe it!  I’m disgusted with the world.  (Also disgusted to find out that this commercial was banned everywhere except in Texas.  Not sure how that happened.)

Last night was family movie night at the Huhn house, so we watched the (straight to DVD) Tinkerbell movie.  This movie catalogs the “birth” of Tinkerbell and her place among the fairy heirarchy.  Evidently faries are segregated by their natural talents, of which Tinkerbell is a natural “tinkerer”.  Because of this, she is looked down upon and feels inferior to the nature talent faries who create the rainbows, wind, flowers, and the like.  In the end, however, she proves her worth by using her talent to save Spring and is praised for her work.

While this isn’t a bad storyline overall, it struck in me a thought about the negativity of nerdiness.  Never is someone who has a natural inclination for mechanics or computers or science really viewed as “normal” in Hollywood.  Scientists are always extremely smart while at the same time extremely ostricized by society.  Unlike other characters, whose idiosycricies are seen as cute quirks, these “nerdy” characters are seen as weird and misfit for society.  And the only way that they can overcome any of this is for their nerdiness to play a part in solving some big problem.  The only way that they will be accepted is if what they do is successful enough to overcome their quirkiness.

If it is true that art imitates life, then it is certainly true that intelligence is seen as more of a hindrance than a help in American society today.  Those who are smart have two options – either work hard to be “super smart” – smart enough for their brains to overcome other perceived weaknesses, or choose to limit their intelligence and “dumb down” to fit in.  There is little room in society today for someone who is only mildly more intelligent – just enough to know and do things that many people can’t do, but not smart enough to bring the “wow factor” into play.  To be a nerd means one has a tough choice – either work twice as hard to try to impress or dumb down to try and fit in.

Ultimately we need to learn to judge people not on what they can and cannot do, but in who they are.  A person’s worth isn’t bound in their tallents, it is given by their creator.  God created us all to be of eternal worth.  In fact, God thinks so much of us He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the ransom for our sin!  Now that’s worth!  And it’s a worth not built on what we do, but who we are.  It is time for us, particularly those of us who seek to follow Christ, to see all people at worthy because they are worthy to God.

Congratulations to the University of Texas football team on a wonderful season and a great victory over Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl!  It was a great game with a nail biter ending.  Glad to see Cosby have a great game to end his senior year.  With Jordan Shipley returning next year, which almost promises that McCoy will return, I think UT will be looking at another great year next year.  The defense is young and will only improve.  I would have loved to see what this team could have done in a playoff system, but that is for another day.