12.16.2009

am i normal??

so, lately i've been remembering my favorite parts about growing up in a super liberal, cultural, crazy, smart area. in talking with my co-workers and friends, one of the biggest striking differences between there and utah, where i now reside, is that here, white people are a majority. okay, just kidding. really, one of the huge differences is the sex ed program that we endured and learned from in the great public school system in california.

one of the most traumatizing of those experiences (yes, more traumatizing than seeing a woman give birth, using bananas in inappropriate ways, and another story that i will tell in the future) was the wonderful musical gem called "Nightmare on Puberty Street." yes, you read that correctly. it was a musical. and it was called "Nightmare on Puberty Street." we were all forced to watch this tony-award winning (no, it didn't win a tony) musical in jr. high, and all sevies and eighth graders had to sit and watch it together. now, mind you, this was during the time where i had a crush on like 11 boys at a time and was writing them notes that said something along the lines of "do you like me? check yes or no" (apparently not much has changed). anyhoo, after this enlightening musical, i wanted nothing to do with any of the 11 boys as i was seriously terrified about what was going on in their heads (sounded like some scary stuff), and most importantly my own well-being.

topics covered during the two-day blush-fest included ones that i still feel silly and inappropriate talking about, but the most important subject and song that still resonates in my head today is one called "am i normal." this classic line ended up being a joke that we still use to this day (right, carissa??). upon googling it, i found out that even though the melody has become much more hip (it used to resemble something more like lion king--now it sounds more like a good version of eminem), the words and lyrics are still the same.

and now for a musical snack beyond any you've ever encountered: Normal (either click on this link, or on the player down below).

9 comments:

Alexandra said...

oh the free love CA upbringing we had...i am so grateful for how it tested my wits and thought-process.

"my body's growing fast...and they treat me like trash" hahaha. Puberty is ROUGH, man!

MissKris said...

oh my.
That song is the funniest song I have ever heard. And I'm pretty sure my roommate thought I was a freak when she walked out into the family room and heard me listening to it.
Am I normal, Brook???
hahahaha oh I'm so tempted to teach in California now :)

Lalis said...

Oh... my... word... Like that's supposed to make ANYONE feel better? HAHA!!

David's Holla Atchya! Blog said...

Hahah! That was great. "My body is going to change but my mind is not prepared." Who recorded that song? Can you imagine singing it in a musical studio? Is there a music video?

Megan said...

My favorite line: "If they'd ask me, they'd see I'm not a hoochie." Matilda and I thoroughly enjoyed this song, especially Matilda. She was dancing and singing along.

Anonymous said...

I also enjoyed the hoochie line. I really don't have words for this song; it's so funny I can't react.

Stephanie L. said...

Haha... Good times. However, I don't think every class had to endure this. Trevor denies ever seeing anything like this, so I think it may have been some kind of sick experiment done on us.

Allison said...

Hey girl! Found your blog through Whitney's, hope you don't mind. I was just thinking about you the other day after looking through some pictures from that Spring term you helped make so much fun! Great memories!

Great post--love those sex-ed classes in 6th grade. At least they separated the boys from the girls in my school. My favorite was the teacher who let all the girls know where the secret bag of pads were hidden in her classroom's supply closet: "In case you need one, just come into my class at any time and grab one, and nobody will know what you're doing." Well, the boys might not, but still scary that all the girls would know...and how do you conceal one of those things?

Have to comment on the story about the date with snowboarder. A friend of mine said that while she knew there were good intentions, people would set her up on blind dates with guys they were sure were "just perfect for her" (most turned out to be major disasters). She'd wonder how in the heck those people knew who would be her perfect match?! Oh well.

Hope 2010 is treating you well!

Unknown said...

Hi Brook,
You don't know me but I've actually been one of the performers in "Nightmare on Puberty Street" (last year) in CA, and your blog and your friends' comments were awesome! It's true; these topics are mortifying and the song is ridiculous, but as we can see by the fact you still remember those crazy lyrics and the "trauma" it caused on your life (then, at least), we can see that the show really does make an impact in the students we serve. The fact we sing and dance around about puberty is totally worth it when we stumble across stories and blogs of previous audience members who can recall the show with a sense of humor and gratitude. Thanks for sharing your story and bringing a smile to my face. :)