That Twilight Display Looks Different…

December 6, 2008 By 22 Comments

Recently, a couple atheists went to Borders and saw a display for Stephanie Meyer‘s Twilight series.

They thought it was missing something. So they added something to the display…:

I’ll admit: it made me laugh.

(Not friendly, you say? Perhaps not. I’ve been on a mean streak lately. I made a student cry in school the other day. I say she deserved it, though the consensus among my friends is that I am a douchebag.)

Also: Reshuffling books at a bookstore is not cool. I’ll assume they put it back in it’s proper place after the picture was taken…

Filed Under: General 22 Comments
  • http://www.sheeptoshawl.com writerdd

    I think it’s funny. But really, Hemant, you made a student cry?

  • http://jeffmilner.com Jeff Milner

    What’s the connection between vampires and Mormonism? I’m not that familiar with the Twilight series, can someone enlighten me?

  • http://darwinsdagger.blogspot.com Darwin’s Dagger

    I didn’t realize there was a Mormon connection to Twilight. Now there’s another reason to hate it, besides it being just another craptacular pop culture phenomenon.

  • http://www.sheeptoshawl.com writerdd

    Well the author is Mormon and some of the plot is clearly driven by Mormon doctrine (no sex before marriage, etc.)

  • http://thebitchreport.blogspot.com/ Milena

    I’ve been made to cry by a high school math teacher before. Not nice. =(

  • Jesse

    I’m now interested in the story about you making a girl cry. Come on Hemant, let us decide your douche-baginess ourselves! ;)

  • Jen

    Eh, the kid probably deserved it. High school kids are awful (note: my sister is that age, so I can say these things).

    As to Twilight, that is the worst book ever, and I have read some real wall-bangers. Now, I haven’t read the book, to be fair, but a friend of mine read from her copy in a mocking tone and we laughed and laughed and laughed and were a little terrified about what teens now think is romantic (such as sneaking into someone’s bedroom to watch them sleep).

  • Jesse

    Hey Jen – Black people are awful, they deserve whatever they get (my cousin is black, I can say these things)

  • http://friendlyatheist.com Hemant Mehta

    The student story: I coach a team at my school. A student wasn’t showing up to practice. So we told her she was no longer on the team. Then, she cried.

    I say she deserved it. Anyway, she might be given a second chance…

    (See?! I’m not *that* evil.)

  • http://omega-geek.blogspot.com Spook

    Twilight : Who knew that abstinence porn could be a best seller?

  • TheDeadEye

    If vampires were real, I’d probably have to admit that God was too.

  • johnb300m

    Hemant,
    My world geography teacher at Sandburg made kids cry all the time. The kids deserved it.

  • zeosgeek77

    I work in a book store, I hate when people do this kind of thing.. not the shifting around, I mean putting shitty books on display everywhere.

  • Robin

    Hemant,
    If a student does not show up to practice and does not have a good excuse (a REAL good excuse), then off the team he or she should go. It is not fair to the other members.

    Unless there are mitagating circumstances, stick with your original decision.

    Book display-very clever. Not a big fan of the series (especially the last one) but it is a very popular choice by the teens at the library.

  • tamarind

    My college philosophy teacher made me cry. He was an ass. Ass.

    I once moved all the copies of the Book of Mormon into the fiction section of Barnes & Noble. I live in Supermormontown, UT, so it took me two trips. An official “reshuffling” movement is probably inappropriate… but it was satisfying. The little things are what get me through the day.

  • Mathew Wilder

    But…but kids are reading! How can that be bad? At least they’re not playing violent video games. Ones with anti-Jebus themes and occult messages, like Harry Potter, and evil beings like vampires…ah! Cognitive dissonance! Cognitive dissonance! Breathe…breathe…stop thinking…Yay! Praise Jebus!

  • Mathew Wilder

    Wait…wait…Jebus said to drink his blood. So he was promoting vampirism…and he was a zombie! Holy crap! All us Christians have been wrong all along!

  • Jodie

    Do you coach mathletes?

    If so this is some kind of hybrid nightmare gym teacher/math teacher situation. My gym teacher made me cry on more than one occasion. My math teacher just made me hate life. :)

    Also, don’t you get a raise after you make your first student cry?

  • http://friendlyatheist.com Hemant Mehta

    Do you coach mathletes?

    If so this is some kind of hybrid nightmare gym teacher/math teacher situation. My gym teacher made me cry on more than one occasion. My math teacher just made me hate life. :)

    Also, don’t you get a raise after you make your first student cry?

    I coach Speech Team. It’s pretty damn competitive.

    And yep! There’s a raise involved. If I make three children cry in the span of a month, I get moved up to six figures.

  • laterose

    In the less then one year I’ve been teaching I’ve made three kids cry. And I teach art classes.

  • Beijingrrl

    Don’t feel guilty about the student. You’re promoting rationalism, right? What consequences did she expect when she decided not to show up for practice? IMO, atheists are ethical because we hold ourselves and others responsible for our actions.

    Did she explain why she wasn’t showing up? Has she lost interest, but can’t face a parent’s (or your) disapproval? Is she overextended and trying to juggle too many activities? Is there a social conflict? This would be the perfect time for a mentor to step in and help her sort it out in a rational manner and learn to handle some of these issues which she will undoubtedly face again.

    Dare I say that kids are under more pressure today? A lot of kids I know have busier schedules than their parents! You’d be doing this student a favor by helping her set realistic goals and expectations, which may or may not include being part of your team.

  • Jeff Flowers

    I’ll assume they put it back in it’s proper place after the picture was taken…

    As someone who works part time at Barnes And Noble, I assume that they didn’t.