The girls have never flat-ironed their hair, the boys haven't learned to shave. The spellers in the Scripps National Spelling Bee are awkward, khaki-clad and frankly, adorable. The Bee is a unique television event that features unlikely heroes--smart middle-schoolers whose clothes don't fit just right--and I thoroughly enjoy the live broadcast every year. (Ironically, I just typed "Thoroughly" about three times before the spell checker removed the red underline from the word.)
I'm still not sure why spelling interests us in entertainment. There are plenty of national contests for kids' activities--sports, music, cheerleading, dance, etc. Perhaps it's because spelling is a symbol of childhood. It's something you only do as a kid, and in the world of spelling, Scripps is the big leagues, the masters, and broadway. Also, everyone has a spelling memory. You know what word knocked you out in your last (or only) bee. (For me, it was "oyster.") Even movies like the documentary, Spellbound and the drama Akeelah and the Bee were successful and made for some good entertainment.
What I like most about the event itself is the sense of community and support in the room. When a speller misses a word, the whole place lets out a sincerely disappointed "Ohhh." The students also share high-fives, and give each other standing ovations. There's a team spirit amidst the individual competition, as though they want to make the Bee last as long as the rules permit. Also, the spellers are never alone on stage. When the competition gets down to the select few, the families come sit on stage too. You're alone at the mic, but surrounded on all sides by people rooting for you. The sense of community is also emphasized in the diversity of the kids. Most ethnicities seem to be represented, and while I think there are more girls, the gender ratio is close as well. Spelling is effective in bringing together a diverse group to celebrate hard work and intelligence.
This year, the tension was further broken up by funny sentences as examples for the spellers. For example, "Stacy told Alex his dating prospects might increase significantly if he started bathing hebdomadally." This made the show more fun to watch, but more importantly, it must have been nice for the spellers. Laughing reminds you to breathe.
The televised production is also well constructed. In between rounds, they profile the kids with short videos of them in their hometowns. This--most of the time--shows them as regular kids who still have friends and fun in addition to spelling. They also each choose a word that describes them, and they spell it out with letter blocks. It's a cute production idea that gives the segments a cohesive feel that keeps with the theme and focus of the broadcast.
Mostly I like it because I can remember a time when my hair looked like that. And I didn't know what to wear. (Okay, I still don't know what to wear.) And it's just nice to see a spotlight on the quirky, and often forgotten middle school set. Interesting and entertaining, the Scripps National Spelling Bee a rare televised competition event that is all kindness and positivity.
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