The Obnoxious Kid

Is it just me, or does almost every class seem to have an obnoxious kid? You know the one I'm talking about: That idiot who hasn't figured out that most of his classmates think he's a tool but who continues to attempt to "entertain" them all with an ever-flowing river of moronic chatter, immature responses, and pathetic attempts at humor. Or that twit who spends most of the period unashamedly conversing with the girl behind her about whatever mindless topic they were discussing over lunch, despite the fact that her friend and all the people around her would like to smack her in the head with blunt object to get her to shut up.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that the obnoxious kid can't be genuinely funny or even charming in some ways, but don't you ever get sick of it? I mean why can't he see that sometimes enough is enough? The joke gets stale. His attempts to entertain become pathetic, not amusing. Maybe I still laugh when he gives a teacher a hard time, but sometimes it is just a gut response to an outrageous comment, not a genuine appreciation of his "show." But he doesn't see it that way. Sadly, my reaction, however mild, is always interpreted as a call for an encore.

So what is it that makes this kid tick? Teachers will tell you he is seeking attention. Maybe...but so are they, right! I mean isn't that usually what the battle erupts over -- control of the class? I'm not so bugged by the fact that someone might be seeking attention, but it annoys me when those people really don't have any clue how the rest of the world sees them. They think they are being amusing and cute, but actually they just BUG!

Is it rebellion? Do these people like the roll of "rebel," so they take every opportunity to appear that way in their classmates' eyes? Again, I'm a bit of a rebel myself in many respects, so it isn't this I hate so much as the fact that there seems to be an inner cluelessness about The Obnoxious Kid that won't allow him to see things for what they are. I remember my dad once took me aside after he learned that I had discovered certain swear words. (I won't tell you how he discovered that because it is a story for another blog.) He told me that he wasn't so concerned that I knew the words or even used them occasionally. What concerned him was that I used all language with discretion. After I looked up the word, I think I knew what he meant: It's not that big of a deal if I am standing out in left field where no one can hear me, but if I am screaming profanity from the pitcher's mound, it will mean trouble. This lesson of discretion is the one that The Obnoxious Kid hasn't learned.

Then, have you noticed that some kids are maliciously obnoxious while others are teasingly so. Some seem to want teachers to shout at them; they purposely provoke anger and then respond in kind. I suspect it might be a way for them to avoid doing the actual assignments (which they may be too stupid to complete anyway) by distracting everyone with an angry exchange. The teasers can usually be scared into submission if a teacher has had enough. (I'd probably never admit it, but many times I am glad to see this happen. In fact, sometimes I wonder why a teacher allows certain people to go on as long as they do...often way beyond the realm of entertaining or "cute.")

I consider myself a regular, non-attention-seeking sort of guy, and I appreciate the occasional outburst from someone who dares to say things out loud that I wouldn't. But, lately I've noticed that certain people don't seem to know when enough is enough. I sit by one fifth period, and I guess I'm going to have to tell him that he's just not funny anymore. Not that it will matter.