ML4ML Joke of the Week: From a Fortune Cookie, "You deserve respect and will eventually get it"

This week's joke of the week came to us from a fortune cookie I cracked open after a decent meal of moo shoo pork following NAMLE 2015 (National Association for Media Literacy Education conference. I cringed and cackled as I read the message that struck to the heart of both the hopes and fears of my identity as a media literacy advocate. An existential masterpiece!

Fortune hits home for media literacy advocates

I think this fortune has the quality I most highly esteem in humor: sentiment that is both ironic and sincere at the same time. If I may paraphrase others paraphrasing Mark Twain, the surest sign of a rare intelligence is the capacity to consider contradicting notions simultaneously as valuable and valid. Do you feel respected and/or disrespected and/or lacking respect as a media educator, all at once? I sure do! I can't count the times I have been patted on the back for doing something "so important" and "so necessary" for learners of all different age groups and settings, feeling good for a few minutes, and then realizing that the pat on the back comes with no room in the curricula, no funding, no supporting efforts and no growth in the participatory community for doing and expanding media literacy. Like much of the best comedy, this fortune cookie delivered hope, some hidden truth, and a slap in the face all in one neat little package.