It started years ago, this business of reaching — not for the stars — but in the opposite direction: for the lowest common denominator. Of making it easier for those who perhaps didn’t catch on as quickly as the rest, instead of giving them the extra help they needed to catch up, to realize they could do better, to give them a chance to do more with their lives. No; instead we consigned the rest — those of average or greater intellect — to a life of boredom and underachievement by “dumbing down” the curriculum for everyone.

And we began grading on the curve. Now, whose brilliant idea was that? Don’t give that kid in the third row the A+ he deserves, because then you’d have to give the unfortunate kid two rows behind him the failing grade he earned by not asking for help, or for being too lazy to do his homework. And never mind the slippage in the grades of all the students in the middle. So what if someone got a C instead of a well-deserved B-minus . . . right?

Wrong! Because you’ve just killed that B-minus student’s incentive to do better. Why work harder if you’re just going to be dragged down by someone else’s inability to keep up? If you’re just going to be “dumbed down”?

And why are sports any different? I’ve never been athletic, and just made it through Phys. Ed. with a respectable C because I tried. I really tried . . . and I invariably made a fool of myself. But I earned that C. Needless to say, I never joined a team, in or outside of school because I’m seriously not crazy about looking foolish, and because I didn’t want to hold a team back. But that’s not a problem today, because . . . let’s hear it . . . everybody’s a winner! Yay! Yes, you’re a little klutz. So what? So you trip over your own feet. So you can’t hit the damn softball. So you dribbled the basketball all the way to the wrong end of the court. So f**kin’ what? You’re a good kid, and you’ll make the team because everybody makes the team. And you’ll get the same trophy as the kid who scored 20 points for our side, even though we still lost because of your . . . uh . . . unfortunate tendency to screw up. Because everybody gets a trophy. Here’s yours, kid. You did great! (God forbid the little schmuck should experience the reality of disappointment in life.)

Well, dammit — no, you didn’t do great! You’re not an athlete. You shouldn’t be on the team. That’s life. It’s okay. Find something you are good at. Music, art, mechanics, spelling . . . anything that suits you. Just get off my stinkin’ team!

*. *. *

And then we began carrying it over into the rest of our lives. Having been introduced to the concept of being rewarded for doing nothing, or not doing it well, imagine the shock of finally graduating and entering the real world, only to find that not everybody makes the team, or gets hired for the plum job. What do you mean, her qualifications are better suited to the position than mine? Doesn’t everybody get a trophy? Or a great job? Or a big bonus and a raise every year?

Well, about that . . . Once you do land a decent job, you find that — once again — that old “let’s be fair to everyone” mentality has kicked in and you can actually get farther by sucking up to the boss or the personnel manager or whoever seems to carry the most weight in terms of promotions and rewards. And because so many of your fellow non-producers have whined often enough and loudly enough over the years, office policy has been changed. Now, instead of merit raises each year, everyone gets the same percentage increase. And bonuses are based on length of service. So what if that tall woman in the next cubicle works her ass off every day and saved the company hundreds of thousands of dollars last year by catching someone else’s mistake? It isn’t in her job description to do all that. Why should she get more than you do? It’s your right to leave exactly at 5:30 every afternoon, to do exactly as you’re instructed and no more. And if you can get away with playing computer games on company time now and then, where’s the harm? You’ll get your percentage at Christmas, just like Ms. Overachiever. Because she’s been dumbed down to your level.

*. *. *

I’m pretty old, and I remember the good old days of merit raises and bonuses, rewards for excellence . . . and quality entertainment. Where are those shows from early TV like Kraft Theater, Actors’ Studio, Alcoa Hour, Producers’ Showcase — shows that presented a variety of dramas, classics, comedies, and musicals? Yes, there’s Public Television in some areas, but they’re engaged in a constant struggle just to stay afloat. And what’s happened to the slightly silly, but suitable-for-the-whole-family sitcoms and Westerns that everyone could watch together? Today, if it doesn’t feature sex, violence, horror, and language that would make a longshoreman blush . . . well, then, it doesn’t fly. Because crap is what people want to see these days, in the movies, on TV, and even on the stage. And guess what? We’ve gotten what we asked for. We’ve been dumbed down again.

*. *. *

So just as I was asking myself “What’s next?” along came my answer in the form of an online ad for a new board game. Now, I love board games. My two favorites have long been Trivial Pursuit and Scrabble. (I even play online Scrabble — “Words With Friends” — with four different people, three of whom I have never met.) But what’s this I see? Someone has come up with a new version of Scrabble — one that is designed to be “less intimidating,” by being “collaborative” and “accessible.”

Excuse me??!!!

According to a statement from Mattel released earlier this month, Scrabble Together adds “a second side to the board that is collaborative and faster-paced to make gameplay more accessible for anyone who finds word games intimidating.” Instead of competing — which, silly me, I had always thought was the purpose of the game — players collaborate to complete “goal cards.” There are even “helper cards” if help is needed. [Jack Guy, CNN, April 9, 2024.]

Ray Adler, Global Head of Games (great title, by the way) at Mattel, said in the statement:

“Scrabble has truly stood the test of time as one of the most popular board games in history, and we want to ensure the game continues to be inclusive for all players. For anyone who’s ever thought, ‘word games aren’t for me,’ or felt a little intimidated by the Classic game, Scrabble Together Mode is an ideal option.” [Id.]

Well, I’ll be damned! . . . I’ve been wrong all these years. I’ve always thought that learning was a good thing; that improving one’s vocabulary was a form of learning; that life’s challenges led to greater achievements; and that friendly competition was healthy. That there were wins and losses throughout life, and if you lost one, you tried harder for the win next time. Where did I go wrong? Apparently, I was just born too soon.

Because according to Mattel’s research among British board-gamers, it seems that “competitiveness is perceived as declining in younger generations. Of the 2,000 people surveyed, 35% believed baby boomers are the most competitive, followed by millennials on 31% and Gen-Z on 29%.” According to Brett Smitheram, the current UK #1 Scrabble player and 2016 World Scrabble Champion, “The game speaks to a trend in younger people who want to avoid competitive games, instead favouring teamwork and collaboration working towards a fun goal together.” [Id.]

Mr. Smitheram did not favor us with his opinion on the dumbing down of his game. But I’ll bet I can guess.

And I can’t wait to see what they try to do to the noble game of chess.

*. *. *

So there you have it: a world gone apathetic . . . ignorant . . . indifferent . . . just plain blah. No ambition, no desire or incentive to excel, no concern about the future of a world in which everything is done and decided by committee. No Einsteins, no Mme. Curies, no Mozarts, no Edisons. Everyone the same, reaching for that lowest common denominator.

A world gone dead.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
4/20/24