June is bustin' out all over
What's one of the harbingers of June? The Scripps National Spelling Bee.
It sounds simple. Everyone can spell, right? Even a junior high kid.
Okay, well stick that kid in the middle of a stage, surrounded by a gradually dwindling number of other spellers. Then add a row of photographers who start clicking furiously every time the kid starts to trace letters on his/her palm. Then add a row of judges, including the deadpan pronouncer (the fabulous Dr. Jacques A. Bailly) and his sidekick, the associate pronouncer. And let's not forget to have all the parents on stage, too. And while we're at it, let's add some tv cameras and broadcast the competition live on network television (with colour commentary).
Great.
Now spell sphacelated. Or formenkreis.
Can I have a definition please? Language of origin? Part of speech?
These kids rock. They've spent hours studying for this very moment. Their emotions can run the gamut from elation and relief after a correctly spelled word to sinking, crushing disappointment after hearing the dreaded "ding" when they get a word wrong. All of it is captured on camera, and I cannot look away. Oh, the drama!
I love it.
posted by Lynda @ 9:58 p.m.
4 Comments:
I love watching Spelling Bees, but I can't watch them live from the beginning, because it doesn't get good until the very end. But oh, how good it is.
I'm so happy you used "June" in the title of your post. It's been stuck in my head all day! Also, I would have been awesome at Spelling Bees.
I don't know how they do it! I kept trying to guess at how to spell the words before they came up on the screen and I got maybe 3 right in the whole 2 hours.
mel: did you see the girl get eliminated because they thought she got the word wrong, and then she got reinstated because she actually got it right? You can't make this stuff up!
rosey: They played the June song on CBC that afternoon and I totally cranked it. And I bet you would have been super awesome at spelling bees.
ashley: Those words were so hard! I was doing not too bad until they hit the "championship" words, then I was totally out of it.
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