Spelling bees are stupid

[Hanacker]

So I was watching the Scripps National Spelling Bee, and it just seems so random. In one round, one kid got gnocchi and another got genyssiesmology or something. I shouldn't be able to spell any of the round 7 words off the top of my head. And the English dictionary pronunciations of foreign words are so bad. Mauka (ma-u-ka) was comically mispronounced so as to be ridiculously easy in that round and gyokuro (gyakaro), setsuke (setsky), and aguidaga (agadaga) were so bad that familiarity with the original language was actually a hindrance.

It made me angry, but I have to admit it was pretty enthralling. I feel bad for the kids who got fucked in the ass with stupid words, though.

[Shadarr]

It's always seemed to me that the format makes luck the determining factor. Since they're not all spelling the same words, the winner is really just the one who got a bunch of words she could spell. It would be like an obstacle race where each contestant does a different course. It may be fun to watch, but it doesn't really tell you who the best speller is.

[Juan Rayo]

Why are they called spelling bees? in spanish: Abejas que deletrean. It makes NO sense.

(serious question)

[rossm]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bee_(gathering)


According to etymological research recorded in dictionaries, the word in fact probably comes from dialectal been or bean (meaning "help given by neighbors"), which came from Middle English bene (meaning "prayer", "boon" and "extra service by a tenant to his lord")

[ABailey]

That particular spelling bee got protested (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37496186/ns/us_news-life/). By people in bee suits! Very stupid people in bee suits.

[triggercut]

In one round, one kid got gnocchi

Did he pass it around or share? How come he got gnocchi? Did he bring it as a lunch?

[John Many Jars]

Gnocchi rules man

[Dan_Theman]

Amen to that.

I always felt they should put the kids inside of "cones of silence" and give each of them the same words (and have it used in a sentence). Record the answers and have them play out one at a time to see who got it. Maybe it's too boring and possibly too expensive to manage, I guess - it's not like these committees are all rolling in spare cash. I just think that fairness is important.