momentary TV weirdness

[pantryslut]

Malcom in the Middle name-checked children's psychology theorist Piaget last night. ("I've read Dr. Spock, Piaget...")

As it happens, in college, I worked on a study of nonverbal language predicated on Piaget's theory of the Zone of Proximal Development -- essentially, the headspace where preschoolers learn best. It was a work-study job, and mostly data entry, but I had to understand the theory in order to do the work. So I got to attend (and get paid for) early morning department and project meetings and the like (but I didn't actually have to *read* Piaget). It was one of the coolest jobs I ever had. And, come to think of it, it paid as much as many of my subsequent jobs.

I hate to put it this way, but it's way too literate a reference for such a dumb-ass show.

Comments

[tgeller.livejournal.com]

Who do you think writes sitcoms? English majors!

(Oh, uh, sorry... that's *whom*. :-P )

[pantryslut.livejournal.com]

But most English majors do not work on psych studies as undergraduates, and therefore wouldn't know Piaget from a hole in the wall.