"To be great is to be misunderstood."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1841
It is not often that a work of literature is as controversial as it is cautionary. When Mark Twain penned "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," he illustrated the dangers of racial bias that, at the time, threatened to regress into a pre-Civil War mentality. During an era when the fear of totalitarian rule was near its peak, George Orwell's "1984" provided a glimpse into a future in which human rights were of no consequence. In "I Am Better Than Your Kids," Maddox treads on what is held by many as sacred ground to deliver a prophetic warning about the dangers of overindulging children with undeserved praise.
Our present day culture is quickly becoming a bottleneck to progress. Throughout history, we have grown as a species as the pioneers of previous generations passed their knowledge on to their progeny. Yet, this fundamental attribute of humans that distinguishes us from other animals is overwhelmingly lost on the majority as we observe a world mired by apathy and self-entitlement, spawned from a pervasive lack of appreciation for our journey through time. While it has been said that education begins at home, the author makes the case that perhaps the disingenuousness of parents with regard to their children is a fundamental flaw of our society. The artwork presented in his book is a mere sampling of the vast collective museum showcased on refrigerator doors throughout the civilized world: each new work as indistinguishably bad as the last, serving only to increase entropy as yet another uninspired caricature is hoisted up for all to see. Consequently, true individualism and originality are stifled by the reverberating echo of mouth-breathing ineptitude continuously reinforced by the prevailing, yet mendacious, consensus that everyone is a star. We are witnessing the withering of creativity. The final Renaissance of humanity has come and passed.
Some may criticize his book as a misopedic tirade. Others may disregard it as a frivolous and self-defeating satire that will ephemerally resonate with a juvenile demographic. Please do not subscribe to these single-minded, dismissive trains of thought. When the initial shock has passed, you will realize that "I Am Better Than Your Kids" is a magnum opus - a compilation realized only through years of painstaking work and meticulous editing. While it is undeniably humorous and bold, it contains a brilliant critique of society that is readily apparent to the astute reader amidst the tapestry of profanities. The author's candid approach toward the character conditioning of children is reminiscent of the ancient Spartan agoge system. He seeks to atone for the sins of a generation corrupted by Nickelodeon and MTV - restoring dignity to a world in which human empowerment has been stripped down to a touch-tone vote for a talent show contestant.
In the introduction, Maddox stresses the excessive use of the phrase "good job," proposing that gratuitous praise is the catalyst for the modern-day cesspool of cultural ingenuity. Perhaps such vacant speech has become T.S. Eliot's proverbial whimper proclaiming the end of our world.
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About the author
Beautiful book, coffee-table quality
This long-anticipated collection of Maddox's harsh criticism of children's drawings is, unlike the pathetic "artwork" produced by children, no disappointment. The book itself is a work of art. It's not just a cheaply-printed gag book. All pages are printed in color with a glossy finish. The dust jacket has a slight raised texture for the picture frame. It has THREE HUNDRED PAGES, so it isn't just a printing of the drawings from the website. Yes, the classics are in there (such as the fire truck on the cover), but most of it is new unseen material. The drawings being reviewed aren't just printed in the middle of a blank page. Instead, each piece of artwork is set amongst decorative toys appropriate for the topic (e.g., all of the vehicle drawings are surrounded by toy cars and other stuff). Maddox's commentary is neatly printed on legal paper within the image.
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- Reviewed in the United States on November 5, 2011
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Top reviews from other countries
- VerdictsReviewed in the United Kingdom on March 20, 2013
A Parents Ultimate Guilty Pleasure.
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- Anne Katrin MelleReviewed in the United Kingdom on June 29, 2012
Another hilarious masterpiece from Maddox
