The Four Things I Learned from a ‘Juvenile’ Mockumentary
This post is for January 5. To understand why that matters, I hope you will read my post from January 1. You can find it by clicking here: January 1
In a preview of the Netflix Series American Vandal, Polygon’s Julia Alexander calls the show “juvenile,” a word that was also used by a friend of mine when I told her the show’s premise. However, in the same sentence of her review, Alexander also calls this mockumentary “serious” and “mature.” She then uses her forum to proclaim the show’s brilliance.
...and for so many reasons, I agree.
I agree as an adult thinker who is capable of seeing the brilliance of a show built on satire; I also agree as a non-judgmental guy who appreciates a show that challenges the psychology that causes humans to presume guilt and to close-mindedly accept things at face value. But more importantly, I agree with the brilliance of this show as an educator who has spent years surrounded by teenage humans.
If you haven’t seen the show, I could probably make some of you stop reading this blog post by admitting that the 8-episode first season of the series is about a high school senior who is expelled for spray-painting obscene images on cars in a faculty parking lot. However, if you watch the show closely, there is a great deal about human interaction that we can learn from the show, and I would go so far as to suggest that the series serves as terrific professional development for educators who need to remember these four things:
At the very beginning of the series, Peter Maldonado, the “documentarian,” asks the subject of his documentary to “state your name and who you are.” He responds by stating his name, but then pauses as he grapples for something else to say about who he is. “And I'm...I don't know, dude, I'm just Dylan! What do you mean, who am I? That's a stupid question.” Eventually, in the series, Maldonado admits that this was, indeed, a stupid question.
This stands out to me because the one thing Dylan may have believed he was - a student - had recently been taken away from him. And unfortunately, Dylan is not capable of seeing everything else that he is because they are not things normally given a “title” in our society. He eventually is “exposed” as a terrific friend and boyfriend; he is loyal and fun-loving.
Eventually, Dylan may be a father or an uncle, or he may have a profession or title that he typically places with his name. However, Dylan - like many teenagers - needs to realize what he is in the eyes of others...and if nothing else, it’s okay for him to just be Dylan, a young man who is still finding his way.
As American Vandal unfolds, we learn that very few adults take him seriously, and some adults believe he is a trouble-causing delinquent. He plays pranks that definitely are inappropriate and some that are hurtful to others; he interrupts class and he draws vulgar images on whiteboards. However, there is a lot to Dylan that is not visible on the surface.
In one scene, his mother describes a time when he was a kid and they were at the ocean. She kept having to save him from the waves as they came crashing in until finally she decides that he has to learn. She goes on to explain that the wave knocked him down, but he got right back up with a giant smile on his face.
He may be different from most people, and I’m sure he annoyed his teachers at times. I know “Dylan.” Dylan has been in my class and when I was an assistant principal, Dylan spent a lot of time in my office. However, if I took the time to know Dylan and his “different” personality, I could see the smile that his mom saw on his face.
In American Vandal, Dylan claims “Everyone thinks I did it…like everyone,” and he’s Right. Because he has a history of of recklessness and even a bit of low-key vandalism, the school administration, the teachers, the school board, and even most students believe that he is the culprit. However, the “assistant principal” in me wants to believe that it was not. The documentarian takes the time to listen to Dylan. This is a gift even greater than making the documentary itself, I believe. Sometimes, having anyone who will listen and having anyone who will consider - even for a moment - that there is more to the story than what is being told is the greatest gift a person can be given.
As educators, we owe it to our students to give them a bias-free chance to be heard. As humans, we owe this same courtesy to all we encounter. We should not judge just because others are, especially when we are unsure of the truth behind a situation.
Towards the end of the season, I believe we - as viewers - are tested. Up to this point, the show has taught us a lesson about presuming guilt and about attempting to predict behavior based on past actions. So, in an attempt not to give away plot, know that Dylan has a chance to get back at another student. He is expected to retaliate, and as viewers, we won’t question why. I expected the worst. What Dylan did to get back on this student, however, was only an iota of what I would have expected him to do.
I failed the test.
The show attempts to prove that we are what others believe we are. And, it becomes a slippery slope when we begin to accept that we are who others believe we are. In the documentary, characters refer to Dylan as, “the stupidest kid I’ve ever met” and “a burnout loser.” And while he is not the smartest kid in the school, and while he does have scenes where he is smoking marijuana, he’s not stupid, and he’s not a burnout loser. But, especially in a school, if the students or the adults begin to put labels on students, they have a much better probability of becoming these things.
American Vandal is not for everybody. It uses a brand of humor that may not be well-received by some. However, it’s humor worked for me...and its message deepened my ability to lift up (rather than tear down) those people around me. I hope you will check it out sometime, but I hope even more that you will remember my four big takeaways when you interact with others immediately.
In a preview of the Netflix Series American Vandal, Polygon’s Julia Alexander calls the show “juvenile,” a word that was also used by a friend of mine when I told her the show’s premise. However, in the same sentence of her review, Alexander also calls this mockumentary “serious” and “mature.” She then uses her forum to proclaim the show’s brilliance.
...and for so many reasons, I agree.
I agree as an adult thinker who is capable of seeing the brilliance of a show built on satire; I also agree as a non-judgmental guy who appreciates a show that challenges the psychology that causes humans to presume guilt and to close-mindedly accept things at face value. But more importantly, I agree with the brilliance of this show as an educator who has spent years surrounded by teenage humans.
If you haven’t seen the show, I could probably make some of you stop reading this blog post by admitting that the 8-episode first season of the series is about a high school senior who is expelled for spray-painting obscene images on cars in a faculty parking lot. However, if you watch the show closely, there is a great deal about human interaction that we can learn from the show, and I would go so far as to suggest that the series serves as terrific professional development for educators who need to remember these four things:
1
We define ourselves by what we do, but we (especially students) may need some help with this.
At the very beginning of the series, Peter Maldonado, the “documentarian,” asks the subject of his documentary to “state your name and who you are.” He responds by stating his name, but then pauses as he grapples for something else to say about who he is. “And I'm...I don't know, dude, I'm just Dylan! What do you mean, who am I? That's a stupid question.” Eventually, in the series, Maldonado admits that this was, indeed, a stupid question.
This stands out to me because the one thing Dylan may have believed he was - a student - had recently been taken away from him. And unfortunately, Dylan is not capable of seeing everything else that he is because they are not things normally given a “title” in our society. He eventually is “exposed” as a terrific friend and boyfriend; he is loyal and fun-loving.
Eventually, Dylan may be a father or an uncle, or he may have a profession or title that he typically places with his name. However, Dylan - like many teenagers - needs to realize what he is in the eyes of others...and if nothing else, it’s okay for him to just be Dylan, a young man who is still finding his way.
2
At the heart of every “goofball,” there is a special person.
As American Vandal unfolds, we learn that very few adults take him seriously, and some adults believe he is a trouble-causing delinquent. He plays pranks that definitely are inappropriate and some that are hurtful to others; he interrupts class and he draws vulgar images on whiteboards. However, there is a lot to Dylan that is not visible on the surface.
In one scene, his mother describes a time when he was a kid and they were at the ocean. She kept having to save him from the waves as they came crashing in until finally she decides that he has to learn. She goes on to explain that the wave knocked him down, but he got right back up with a giant smile on his face.
He may be different from most people, and I’m sure he annoyed his teachers at times. I know “Dylan.” Dylan has been in my class and when I was an assistant principal, Dylan spent a lot of time in my office. However, if I took the time to know Dylan and his “different” personality, I could see the smile that his mom saw on his face.
3
We need to ask ourselves if anybody is really listening to the students in our care.
In American Vandal, Dylan claims “Everyone thinks I did it…like everyone,” and he’s Right. Because he has a history of of recklessness and even a bit of low-key vandalism, the school administration, the teachers, the school board, and even most students believe that he is the culprit. However, the “assistant principal” in me wants to believe that it was not. The documentarian takes the time to listen to Dylan. This is a gift even greater than making the documentary itself, I believe. Sometimes, having anyone who will listen and having anyone who will consider - even for a moment - that there is more to the story than what is being told is the greatest gift a person can be given.
As educators, we owe it to our students to give them a bias-free chance to be heard. As humans, we owe this same courtesy to all we encounter. We should not judge just because others are, especially when we are unsure of the truth behind a situation.
4
The worst thing we can do is to begin assuming negative behaviors.
Towards the end of the season, I believe we - as viewers - are tested. Up to this point, the show has taught us a lesson about presuming guilt and about attempting to predict behavior based on past actions. So, in an attempt not to give away plot, know that Dylan has a chance to get back at another student. He is expected to retaliate, and as viewers, we won’t question why. I expected the worst. What Dylan did to get back on this student, however, was only an iota of what I would have expected him to do.
I failed the test.
The show attempts to prove that we are what others believe we are. And, it becomes a slippery slope when we begin to accept that we are who others believe we are. In the documentary, characters refer to Dylan as, “the stupidest kid I’ve ever met” and “a burnout loser.” And while he is not the smartest kid in the school, and while he does have scenes where he is smoking marijuana, he’s not stupid, and he’s not a burnout loser. But, especially in a school, if the students or the adults begin to put labels on students, they have a much better probability of becoming these things.
American Vandal is not for everybody. It uses a brand of humor that may not be well-received by some. However, it’s humor worked for me...and its message deepened my ability to lift up (rather than tear down) those people around me. I hope you will check it out sometime, but I hope even more that you will remember my four big takeaways when you interact with others immediately.
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