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Amanda's family is Catholic. Amanda is bisexual. And she's having a hard time getting her parents to understand that this is not just a phase. "When I was in the first grade, I remember one day we were playing a game that was kind of like Sleeping Beauty where like the prettiest girl on the block fell asleep on a picnic bench. And you know, somebody had to go and wake her up, to like, kiss her and revive her and it would always be one of the boys. And I always felt like I wanted to go and revive her"
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Piece Description
Amanda's family is Catholic. Amanda is bisexual. And she's having a hard time getting her parents to understand that this is not just a phase. "When I was in the first grade, I remember one day we were playing a game that was kind of like Sleeping Beauty where like the prettiest girl on the block fell asleep on a picnic bench. And you know, somebody had to go and wake her up, to like, kiss her and revive her and it would always be one of the boys. And I always felt like I wanted to go and revive her"
2 Comments
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Review of Amanda from New York: GirlfriendFirst off, I'm so glad these Radio Diaries are available again. There's a segment in here with Amanda talking to her parents about her sexuality. It is so real, and completely captures the essence of what children face when they confront their parents' traditional values. Something I love about this is that there's no resolution to the story. It ends in the middle, where Amanda is. I'm planning to use this, along with other Teen Diaries, and stories from Blunt Youth to do a special program on teens. |
Transcript
Amanda from Queens, New York: "Girlfriend"
TEENAGE DIARIES
Produced by: Joe Richman All Things Considered (NPR)
4/22/96
Robert Siegel, host: From NPR news this is ATC. I?m Robert Siegel
NOAH ADAMS, Host: And I'm Noah Adams. It is part of the job description for being a teenager that you don't agree with everything your parents do and say. But there are times when those disagreements concern more than just staying out late or being allowed to watch television. As part of our Teenage Diaries series, we gave a tape recorder to Amanda, a teenager growing up in Queens, New York. This is her story.
[outdoor sounds]
AMANDA: We're freezing. OK. Open up that door girls, we need a light--unless you've got one.
1ST YOUNG WOMAN: What about your mom?
AMANDA: What about her?
2ND YOUNG WOMAN: You're going to smoke that rotten cigarette? I mean, I know it's rotten.
AMANDA: I don't give a shh......
Read the full transcript
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Eric Nuzum
Posted on April 26, 2004 at 07:05 AM | Permalink
Review of Amanda from New York: Girlfriend
Listening to this diary is an odd experience. It provides intimate insight into Amanda's life and the conflict with her parents, but stops short of any type of conclusion, transitional moment, or resolution. It is as if a window into Amanda's life is randomly opened, then quickly closed. While the piece feels so real, a listener could be confused as to the purpose of the piece or what they should make of it.
In programming discussing gay rights, gay (or even straight) teen culture, or nontraditional relationships, this piece can put a human voice to issues that tend to get lost in loud rhetoric and heated debate. However, if a station wants to use this piece, they need to be prepared to provide the missing sense of closure and context.