from Captain Underpants: The Preposterous Plight of the Purple Potty People:
One day you’re a superstar because you pooped in the toilet like a big boy, and the next day you’re sitting in the principal’s office because you said the word “poopy” in American History class (which, if you ask me, is the perfect place to say that word).
You’re probably wondering, “Why would adults do that? Why would they encourage something one day and discourage it the next?”
The only answer I can think of is that adults are totally BONKERS and should probably be avoided at all times. Perhaps you’ll be lucky and fine a small handful of grown-ups whom you can trust, but I’m sure we can all agree that you really have to keep an eye on most adults, most of the time.
Didn’t I just say that yesterday?! I couldn’t believe it when I came to that passage last night reading to the buggers, and suddenly this whole project of reading the Captain Underpants series for how it conveys skepticism to children occurred to me. I’m rusty on philosophical texts that would apply to that project, but god knows I got the time. And then I could suggest whether it’s an ethical thing to do or not (YES—if a person needs anything in this world it’s SKEPTICISM). How much you want to bet me I can do this, get it published in an ERIC journal someplace, and come back from sabbatical with an actual thing to show for it (which nobody ever does), plus then be actually qualified to teach in the graduate ED program--? HA! The idea is so ME that I turned to myself and thought: Where the hell have you been Bitch?