Comments on: “Father Says …”

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 19:39:29 +0000

Yes, how could I fail to mention SUGAR!! “We’re adequate!” is the slogan I had in mind, because so many comments played off how average we were feeling that day.

By: Eric Boysen

Eric Boysen — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 16:05:56 +0000

I can’t find the specific statement of the slogan unless it is the “We’re adequate!” in the title. Is that what you had in mind?

By: Eric Boysen

Eric Boysen — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 16:00:42 +0000

The first time through I couldn’t find the vulgarity (because I didn’t bother to read the note that told me where to look), but in my search I found reference to a potential snack (non-) food, “Cobalt-blue inside-out glass peanuts.” and don’t forget the Keepa chemical of choice — Utah Sugar.

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 18:53:24 +0000

Heh, heh, we should really start to compile it. We have the Keepa'ninny (or just "ninny") name for ourselves, and now terms of non-endearment, and even a preferred vulgarity (comments 97-99), to go along with our mascots and slogan and whatever else I'm not thinking of at the moment.

By: Eric Boysen

Eric Boysen — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 18:28:29 +0000

Do we have a Keepa lexicon?

By: kevinf

kevinf — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 21:41:18 +0000

Wow, official recognition of a totally made up word! Thanks, Ardis, I’ll have to use this one more often!

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 20:46:14 +0000

I hereby declare “yikes” (per Dovie) and “yikesworthy” (per kevinf), both used as adjectives, to be Official Keepa Terms of Non-Endearment.

By: kevinf

kevinf — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 20:36:07 +0000

If Father was so wise, he still somehow stumbled in teaching that Pres. Lincoln was the one who started the civil war. As to the father presiding in the home, the recent discussion about “fall-lite” over at BCC this week shows that for some, we haven’t come so far at all. Very much a product of the times, though. I’m trying to decide if it really is a talk given by a boy, or someone trying to sound like a 12 year old boy, and I’m not sure. Still, viewed from our current perspective, which may not totally be fair, I find it yikesworthy nonetheless.

By: Mina

Mina — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 20:06:10 +0000

As Diana pointed out, “Father says” is pretty much the gist of the whole thing!

It’s an interesting document in several ways. It strikes me as probably a very good summary of mainstream political views of the time, religious content aside. And the religious content is pretty scant, no? If I were reading this cold, I don’t know that I’d immediately identify it as an LDS document. The question “How is Heaven regulated” and the idea that the Constitution is “founded on the relations of the family,” are the only tip offs for me, but neither seem to “scream Mormon,” really.

And simplistic and naive content aside, as Ardis said, it IS a cogent and well organized work and better than what many high school graduates could muster today. I’m afraid that shocks me more than its Father-Knows-Best flavor.

By: Bored in Vernal

Bored in Vernal — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:35:43 +0000

Well, especially with how many times “Father” is cited, and given the fact that it has been selected for publication in an AP manual, I think you are right that it loosely represents a mainstream view–and for that reason it’s interesting historically. Especially notice how vigorously a republic is defended and strong governmental authority is described!

Interesting post, Ardis.