DD is regularly belittling "The Odyssey" and I don't like it

[Anonymous]

DD (15) is reading "The Odyssey" for school. I am a professor of Greek literature, so I may be biased, haha. But I adore this book, maybe more than any book I've ever read. DD has...different views. She regularly announces that she hates or thinks it's bad, and that's okay, she can have her opinions. But she often makes jokes about its apparent poor quality and has even taken to mocking Homer. Yesterday she claimed at dinner that "Sabrina Carpenter could have written The Odyssey but Odysseus couldn't have written Bed Chem". This is starting to seem to me that she's trying to get under my skin. Why is she doing this? If she doesn't like a book that's fine, but why this persistent need to make fun of the book that plays a large foundation in my career?

[Anonymous]

I think you already answered your question.

Have you asked her to back up her arguments, though? That might be fun for both of you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD (15) is reading "The Odyssey" for school. I am a professor of Greek literature, so I may be biased, haha. But I adore this book, maybe more than any book I've ever read. DD has...different views. She regularly announces that she hates or thinks it's bad, and that's okay, she can have her opinions. But she often makes jokes about its apparent poor quality and has even taken to mocking Homer. Yesterday she claimed at dinner that "Sabrina Carpenter could have written The Odyssey but Odysseus couldn't have written Bed Chem". This is starting to seem to me that she's trying to get under my skin. Why is she doing this? If she doesn't like a book that's fine, but why this persistent need to make fun of the book that plays a large foundation in my career?

OP here, she said that HOMER couldn't have written the Sabrina song. Oops haha

[Anonymous]

I hope this is a joke. God put teen girls on earth to humble their mothers with mockery.

[Anonymous]

I was ready to back her, but yes, that's weird and almost seems directed at you. Or she just isn't that smart. Sorry.

[Anonymous]

Good grief, you need to toughen up a bit, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD (15) is reading "The Odyssey" for school. I am a professor of Greek literature, so I may be biased, haha. But I adore this book, maybe more than any book I've ever read. DD has...different views. She regularly announces that she hates or thinks it's bad, and that's okay, she can have her opinions. But she often makes jokes about its apparent poor quality and has even taken to mocking Homer. Yesterday she claimed at dinner that "Sabrina Carpenter could have written The Odyssey but Odysseus couldn't have written Bed Chem". This is starting to seem to me that she's trying to get under my skin. Why is she doing this? If she doesn't like a book that's fine, but why this persistent need to make fun of the book that plays a large foundation in my career?

Really?

My guy, know what hills to die on.

[Anonymous]

She is 100% trying to get under your skin, whether she knows it or not.

[Anonymous]

If this is your biggest problem with your 15 year old, count your blessings.

[Anonymous]

If yo love it so much, you should have introduced it to your child before the school did and you could have taught her why you love it so. Missed that teaching opportunity. But now she's discussing it with you, which is great. You can learn from her perspective (which frankly will be a lot closer to your college student's perspective and will make you a better professor). Don't let her comments bother you. Use it as an opportunity to connect with your DD

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hope this is a joke. God put teen girls on earth to humble their mothers with mockery.

+1. The fact that it matters to you is WHY she wants to mock it. It's a way of distancing herself and establishing an individual identity. The "X could have written Y, but [author of Y] couldn't have written Z" is a common internet formula. I see it as a way of undermining what teens and younger people see as the sacred cows of old fashioned culture and the self importance that grows around them.

You don't need to agree with that attitude (I don't), but it's a pretty normal one for a teenager.

[Anonymous]

I love this thread.

How do you react, OP? I can see how this could be painful, but maybe it could be fun if you were both being playful and curious.

"Really? Wow! Can you play me some of your favorite lyrics? What makes you think of that comparison?"

Can you give her "Circe" or "Song of Achilles" by Madeline Miller to compare? Maybe she'd like a more feminist-centered view of mythology from a more modern author.

TBH I had trouble with The Odyssey in school but enjoyed Miller's take as an audiobook.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD (15) is reading "The Odyssey" for school. I am a professor of Greek literature, so I may be biased, haha. But I adore this book, maybe more than any book I've ever read. DD has...different views. She regularly announces that she hates or thinks it's bad, and that's okay, she can have her opinions. But she often makes jokes about its apparent poor quality and has even taken to mocking Homer. Yesterday she claimed at dinner that "Sabrina Carpenter could have written The Odyssey but Odysseus couldn't have written Bed Chem". This is starting to seem to me that she's trying to get under my skin. Why is she doing this? If she doesn't like a book that's fine, but why this persistent need to make fun of the book that plays a large foundation in my career?

Ya think?

Of course she is repeatedly dissing your very favorite book of all time to get under your skin. Your reaction is the point. You can either joke back about things she loves (Sabrina Carpenter?) or ignore her. Let it go, let it gooooooo!

[Anonymous]

OMG wait until she gets really personal and mentions your cankles or something OP. Are you going to crumble?

[Anonymous]

There's a lot of modern retellings of the Odyssey that are really engaging. I was a medieval English major, not Greek literature, but I love the Odyssey and have been reading it to my kids since they were 5. We read any story we can for kids about roman or greek gods. I think the way The Odyssey is presented in schools is very dry. Odysseus telling the cyclops his name is Nobody is awesome.

Have her read "A Thousand Ships" by Natalie Haynes- it's a female recounting of what happens after the Trojan war ends. It was so good!

I also want to say that it's not just girls who try their parents. My son gloms onto anything my DH likes and he disparages it. DH was the cub scout leader for years and then my son refused to go just because DH liked it. So DH had to be the cub scout leader for other people's sons since his own wouldn't show up.