President Obama's surprisingly controversial speech to school kids tomorrow will take a mild swipe at TV.
Some far-right activists have been trying to stir up fear among parents that the speech is actually a way for Obama to push his political agenda on students. In fact, according to an advance text of the speech released Monday by the White House, it's a pretty straight-ahead call for students to stay in school, mind their elders– and even wash their hands (to ward off Super Flu).
Obama's speech also includes a paragraph in which the president will warn students not to be fooled by all they see on the small screen.
"I know that sometimes, you get the sense from TV that you can be rich and successful without any hard work — that your ticket to success is through rapping or basketball or being a reality TV star, when chances are, you’re not going to be any of those things," the president will say. "But the truth is, being successful is hard."
The reference to "reality TV star" is a decidedly current touch and reflects just how widespread the genre has become in the culture. With MTV and other young-skewing networks now dominated by reality programs, many cultural observers have noted that fame has replaced power and money as the chief dream of many young people.
Obama is scheduled to deliver his speech Tuesday at 9 a.m. West Coast time.
