The Skinny: Tortured By YouTube

The Skinny is Hillary Profita's take on the top news of the day and the best of the Internet.

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It appears that our country's politicians are not the only people continually tortured by the presence of YouTube.

Apparently, writes the Los Angeles Times, high school students are taking their gripes with teachers to the Web: "YouTube, MySpace and other websites are sprinkled with videos taken in high school classrooms around the country."

The videos, likely taken with cell phone cameras, are of high school teachers doing things that, well, they probably would prefer were not broadcast on the Internet.

At Malibu High (which is apparently an actual school and not an MTV reality series) it's become a real problem. "The Angry Teacher," for example, shows one instructor "increasingly losing his cool to a classroom of unruly students. Another shows an agitated teacher pulling a chair out from underneath a student."

The Times also came across a clip of "a white-haired teacher walking around the Los Flores school, edited to accompany the lyrics of the Bee-Gees' 'Staying Alive.' The YouTube user who posted the video wrote: He 'gave me a D in biology freshman year. [He's] a sexy beast. Who's laughing now!?'"

Policing the videos has become an issue, as educators say they "must balance protecting the rights of students to express themselves in this digital age with the need to shield classmates and teachers from ridicule."

An attorney for the National School Boards Association suggests they handle it the old fashioned way. "…the easiest thing to do is contact the parents and tell them what's going on. In most cases, they'll put a stop to it."

Senators Write Strongly-Worded Letter To Other Senators

The endlessly riveting debate to begin debate over an Iraq resolution that will have no actual policy impact drags on in the Senate. The Washington Post takes note of today's big news: a strongly-worded letter has been distributed.

Sens. John Warner, Chuck Hagel and five other Republicans sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. As it appeared that the Senate was "deadlocked" over the nonbinding war resolution and Reid was going to move on to other issues, they "threatened to attach their measure to any bill sent to the floor in the coming weeks."

Some Other Guy Who's Running For President

As part of the New York Times' occasional series on 2008 presidential candidates other than Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, the front page today features a profile on Republican candidate and former Massachusettes Gov. Mitt Romney.

As Romney is apparently best known for being a Mormon, the Times asks whether his religion will be an obstacle to the White House. While polling says Americans likely would not vote for a Mormon (particularly the Republican base of Christian conservatives,) Romney is launching a plan to turn that around, consulting with other Mormon politicians and meeting with evangelical leaders.

So far, several of those leaders found that Romney may be the candidate "best able to win and carry their social conservative agenda to the White House."

Sunny Iraq

Yesterday's news that a CH-46 Sea Knight U.S. Marine helicopter crashed near Baghdad, killing all seven aboard, makes nearly all the front pages, as it's the "fifth deadly loss of an American helicopter in Iraq in less than three weeks," writes the Washington Post.

The New York Times contends that it's actually the sixth helicopter to go down in three weeks – their count includes "a previously unreported downing of a helicopter operated by a private security firm on Jan. 31."

The cause of Wednesday's crash is unclear, although the NYT writes that witnesses said it appeared to have been shot down, while "military officials" said it "might have been caused by a mechanical failure." The Wall Street Journal writes that an "Iraqi official said it was a missile."

The other helicopters were shot down.

Marine Gen. Peter Pace's comments to a Senate panel on Tuesday regarding the recent increase in crashes reappear in the papers today: "At this point in time I do not know whether or not it is the law of averages that caught up with us or has there been a change in tactics, techniques and procedures on the part of the enemy."

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[bildooreilly]

Why do they have cell phones in class anyways? Hell they didn't used to let you even bring a calculator into class when I was in school. My best teachers in school were always men who demanded a little respect. When I was in grade school there was one teacher who a few times during the year would take some kid in the backroom and beat the cr ap out of him with a shoe... they'd come out crying, and that would be it, problem solved. No big deal about it, no going to the office, no calling home.... That was one of my best teachers, I never got hit by him and didn't wanna either, there was very little problems in his class and lots of learning and he was a great teacher, and nice guy until you crossed the line. He'd probably be arrested these days.

[effallah]

"At Malibu High (which is apparently an actual school and not an MTV reality series) it's become a real problem."

You are insult to journalism.

[effallah]

"(which is apparently an actual school and not an MTV reality series)"

Thank you for the stereotype.

[megtress]

I was a rebel kid in my days of school, but I like to think it was almost always from an intelligent standpoint. I was more inclined to have respect for the teachers who would engage me in discussion as to why I might have a differing opinion rather than the ones who would flip out.

But on the other hand, I have seen students push teachers to their edge and only those with astounding patience could play the mind games needed and display a calm demeanor. Most would send the student out of his or her classroom.

What the teachers that were shown on the program tonight displayed was inappropriate behavior. While I believe that children these days have little respect (mostly their parents fault in lack of parenting...a verb, an actual job) for their superiors, we all lead by example. A teacher who displays a "freak out" as it were, is setting the example that this is okay behavior. It isn't. It's not constructive.

So YouTube is revealing the truth of society. Brilliant.

[Jasonian18]

lol welcome to the 21st century people students broadcast everything now deal with it if you don't want something broadcast about yourself because it is "non-professional" sheesh then be above reproach try controling yourselves you stupid teachers.

[Jasonian18]

lol welcome to the 21st century people students broadcast everything now deal with it if you don't want something broadcast about yourself because it is "non-professional" sheesh then be above reproach try controling yourselves you stupid teachers.

[krenz4]

Maybe if the little brats spent more time listening and learning, rather than playing with their *** in class, there'd be fewer angry teachers! DUUUHH!

[rray52]

Lets face it any thing you do in public (and some things in private) are subject to being videoed and posted to the web.
Right or wrong that is the way it is.

[ecuadoriana]

"An attorney for the National School Boards Association suggests they handle it the old fashioned way. '%u2026the easiest thing to do is contact the parents and tell them what's going on. In most cases, they'll put a stop to it.' "

Uh, yeah, he must be living in fantasy land. Parents haven't a clue as to what their kids are doing in their own bedrooms (which are located in the parent's house), let alone what they're doing in the classrooms.

Worst case scenerio- parent files lawsuit claiming their precious little steven-speilberg-in-the-making is having his constitutional right to freedom of creative expression squashed.

Why is it kids are spending more time being seduced by instant fame than by an education that they need to earn, not to mention the future employment & respect which also need to be earned?