wild and crazy kids

When I was a camp counselor we had to chaperone the dances for all the little girls and boys. To avoid the risk of the kids becoming uncool, we, the counselors, chose the music for the dances. Once, though, we decided to let the oldest campers (who were like 16 and 17) choose the music. They fucked it up so bad; they were unprepared and what music they did have was terrible. They even chose the shitty theme that was "Funky Movie TV".

Their fucking up reached its pinnacle when they slipped a song onto the playlist that completely shouldn't have been there. I don't mean "Magic Stick" or shitty rap or heavy metal with a ton of cuss words. I mean a song that dance etiquette hasn't even considered. They started playing "Mad World" by Gary Jules. It is one of the more sad, suicidal songs I can possibly think of.

So we had this giant room full of 8 year olds slow dancing to "Mad World" with a scared and confused look on their face. That song is not for people under 15, and these little kids (just now dipping their toes into the social agenda of life) were just thinking this was part of going to dances, was slow dancing with your best girl to really creepy suicide rhapsodies. Some of the more socially concerned ones had a look like, "Yeah, no big deal. I dance to suicide rock all the time, losers. Whatever."

"...the dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had..."