Listen to "Welfare Cheese" by Emanuel Lasky (1963)
Did you catch these lyrics?
"Calling Mr. Kennedy
Its an emergency
Hand me some of that welfare cheese"
Read the following excerpt from a blog about growing up on welfare:
I was raised on welfare. I was raised using food stamps, government healthcare, and eating government cheese. Like many other families my parents divorced when I was young and my father never paid child support. My mom was left to raise four children – alone. So what was she expected to do? Of course depend on the government. It's their obligation to care for people in situations such as these, right? The government distributed small checks, food stamps, cheese, and limited healthcare but the price was your self-worth, pride, and dignity.
My family finally broke out of poverty when I was in my teens. I often ask my mother how she broke out of poverty. She tells me that welfare and all of the government services were helpful but the longer she was on them the more life they would suck out of her. The welfare cycle is hopeless, helpless, and creates and unhealthy dependence upon the government. So what did she do to get free?
One of the keys for her was her sister, my aunt. She told my mom that if she did not find some way to get off welfare that her kids would most likely follow in her footsteps. Painful as that conversation might have been, it was just what the doctor ordered. My mom continued to work jobs that did not pay too well . She returned to school, received her diploma, and began to take some college courses.
Do you think Byron was right to feel so strongly about the cheese?
What do you think it says about the times that there was a popular song titled Welfare Cheese?
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Considering Setting: Fashion from the Watsons' Era
Fashion is an indicator of the times. Looking at clothing of a certain period gives the viewer a sense of what people and attitudes were like. For example, during World War II trenchcoats were popular, making the wearers look military.
Look at the following links to see what people wore in the late 1950s early 1960's. Notice what people were wearing, the materials, the styles, (formal or informal dress) and how comfortable or uncomfortable the clothing looked.
http://www.retrogalaxy.com/fashion/boys-fashion-1.asp
http://www.oldkewgardens.com/ss-schools/PS99-1962-kindergarten1.jpg
1)From what you observed, what was considered appropriate clothing for students during the 1960s?
2)How was the fashion similar or different from what students wear today? Explain.
3) Do you think the clothes look comfortable or uncomfortable? Why?
Friday, October 8, 2010
Considering the Setting of The Watsons
The weather in Flint, Michigan plays a big role, most noticeably in Chapter 1.
Look at the following website from weather.com:
Flint, Michigan
Bronx, NY
How different is Flint than New York in terms of average temperature?
Could the events of chapter one happen in New York? Why or why not?
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