Why Did He Go There?

I have a new roommate. He's 25 and like most people his age, he is wise beyond his ears. Yes, ears was intentional. His intelligence, his profound thought and his life experience is simply something that sounds good; to himself. There's very little substance to it and within his ears, I sometimes question whether there is a light on. Like many his era and younger, he appears to have a strange sense that if you leave something and it's washed, fixed, repaired, assembled or replaced, he has achieved. Many people will blame parenting, society or participation trophies, but I question those people. I also condemn that thought process as being part of the problem. A proverbial out for an entire generation. My feeling is, he simply lacks knowledge in an era, where it's so easily accessible, one must make attempts to appear smart, as to avoid questioning. 

So why am I bashing this young man? Many reasons, but I do have fun with the child, at times. One afternoon I happened to notice a belt buckle he was wearing. It was large, had a cartoonish skull on it and commented, "Oh that's Jack Skeleton. Nice." Immediately, his chin and nose rose into the air and he replied "Skellington. It's from a Tim Burton movie." I paused. Being this was only our second or third conversation, I hesitated, but then realized his condescending correction had given him pleasure. I took a sip of my drink and said "Ah yes, Nightmare Before Christmas. Do you consider it a Halloween movie or a Christmas movie? Many debate this." He replied "Halloween," and before he could add, I said, "You are aware, it's not technically a Tim Burton movie, right?" He produced and wrote it, but didn't direct. None of the usual muses are in it either. No Depp or Bonham Carter. The actual director has stated that Burton had very little to do with it actually. It's a shame too, because credit Burton, and Burton's ego rarely allows him to correct them. He was busy directing the dreadful Batman movie. So which film of his is your favorite? Do you enjoy the Batman movies, stop motion films or his earlier comedies? Maybe the Gothic stuff, like Sleepy Hollow or Sweeney Todd? I guess Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands cross comedy/Gothic horror genres?"

It was at this point the stuttering began. As he tried to spit out out the word, "Beet...Beetle...Beetleju," I quickly interrupted him, warning him not to say it three times. Then followed it with a mock laugh. An instant later, his nose and chin distinctively lower, he excused himself. 

Was I rude? Of course. Was I a pretentious jerk. Of course, but if there is one thing I have learned in my life, one that has seen the earth orbit the sun twice as many times as his, is that, we should never assume one doesn't know as much as us, simply because they make a tiny mistake. And please don't fret for the young boy. He has since told me about the "processed crap" in my veggie burger, while swigging a Mountain Dew and slurping Ramen Noodles from a cellophane package, described working on cars and heavy construction equipment as "basically the same," and explained to me how my cat, who has little care for deception or perceptions, "isn't as slick as he thinks." This self professed gamer, has a high opinion of himself, which is important, but I do think it masks some insecurities. I do not know the gamer lingo, but my Tim Burton tirade was my ode to the late Frank Vincent's Billy Batts. "Now go get your shine box." Who knows? Maybe how I should have thought about how that turned out for poor Billy.

In Allen Iverson's voice "Movies? You're going to question me on movies?"