Tiger Mom Vs Tiger Blood
By: "Tiger Blood" has overtaken "Tiger Mom" in cultural dominance.
However, you'd be foolish to think that in the battle of tigers, Charlie Sheen will prevail over author Amy Chua. I only see one person "winning" — and it's not him.
Sure, Jerry O'Connell does a hilarious send up of Sheen in this "audition"to replace him on "Two and a Half Men".
But is that as funny as this send up of Asian parentingby Vietnamese-Chinese-Australian comedian John Luc? "B+ again?" asks the father. "That's it. Too late, no more chance. You die."
The same sort of ridiculousness can be attributed to parents from all over the globe, but Chua's book continues to strike a particular chord. Her success as a parent, which even she mocks, has opened up the floodgates for other Asians and Asian Americans to make some funny business out of their childhoods.
It's only gaining momentum.
A new website called "Tiger Mom Says" lets users proclaim the thoughts of an exacting mother.
"Minor in English? DOUBLE MAJOR IN HOMELESS" Tiger Mom says, or "100th percentile mathematically impossible? INVENT NEW MATH."
But it's not just moms.
Another site allows you to submit questions to "High Expectations Asian Father".One person asks, "Father, an alien swarm is guaranteed to invade the world tomorrow. Can I not do homework?" His answer: "Become doctor for those aliens."
I'm afraid I'll be called a racist for laughing so hard, but I'm laughing because my mother was the same way! I can't tell you how many book reports she assigned me during the summer because she was convinced my learning needed to continue even though school was out!! But, well, she's largely responsible for where I am today, and I should have been more like her as a mom.
So enjoy your "Winning!" while it lasts, Charlie Sheen. As someone wrote on "Tiger Mom Says": "Charlie Sheen WISHES he had Tiger Blood."
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