Misanthrope, Me

[furtech]

I had the "Today" show on in the other room this morning and heard a woman talking about "Adoption Month" and "Forever Families" and people ringing a bell by their forever family when the adoption is finalized. She said there were twelve adoptions that morning and there would be twelve bells rung.

Rushed into the room expecting to see happy shelter dogs...and was profoundly disappointed when it turned out to be human kids being adopted.

I am such a misanthrope.

At the same time, I still think it is weird that this adoption organization is using all the buzz words more commonly associated with pet adoption (especially "forever homes" and "forever families"). She never used the words "boys and girls" or "kids" or "children"-- just "adoptions". The way she was talking it sounded like people on Rockefeller Plaza had literally just adopted kids that morning-- like at a pet adoption event.

People are weird. Or I am.

Comments

[zillabean.livejournal.com]

Haha maybe you just like dogs better!

[furtech.livejournal.com]

...probably this.

[bovil.livejournal.com]

I think they're just aggressively going after the "not real parents" stigma associated with adoption.

[furtech.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but it was so weird to never even refer to them as kids or children or boys/girls...she did use their names (though some of the names sounded like pet names...one was named, "Seven" <--wtf?). And it sound SO much like descriptions animal rescue groups use that it was kind of creepy.

Sometimes when a group tries too-hard to overcome stigmas or clichés, they just make it worse...

[martes.livejournal.com]

Maybe they're seeing the animal adoption groups have a much higher adoption rate and figure to use the same tactics!

Of course, it's a lot easier to rehome a dignified older dog or a happy lap cat, instead of an abandoned kid with all sorts of bizarre behavioral problems. (and having an adoption pitch that makes him sound like a dog will probably add to those problems)

[merrycalliope.livejournal.com]

Now I'm imagining kids arranged by size in little enclosures with water bowls and piddle pads down, wearing "ADOPT ME" t-shirts and being walked around on leashes by prospective parents.

So, if you are weird so am I. That's some really peculiar wording.

[killpurakat.livejournal.com]

Yikes! That... really doesn't sound right. I've dealt with kids who were abandoned by their parents and lived in orphanages, and I think this would be one more traumatic event that they don't need. :(