Comments on: Even Scarlett Johannson Couldn’t Keep Me Interested

By: Living Off Dividends

Living Off Dividends — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 10:01:32 +0000

If you believe people don’t mistreat their employees, you need to meet my wife ;-P

By: Anitra

Anitra — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 14:47:01 +0000

I haven’t read the book or seen the movie, but I have a friend who recently switched from an abusive nanny situation to being a special-ed teacher. She debated over doing this for a long time, because a) she had/has a deep attachment to the kids she was supervising (it’s not their fault their parents are horrible), and b) she had no energy left to look for new jobs at the end of the day (and no safety net).

Even when she did switch, the new job had a drastic pay cut, so while it’s much more enjoyable, she has a hard time meeting her expenses. She has had to look for second and third jobs, which she never had to do as a nanny.

By: Brip Blap

Brip Blap — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 03:17:43 +0000

Her choices were limited, but I just meant that once she got in the position it wasn’t just so easy to get up and leave it. She really cared for the kids. If it’s an immediately debasing situation I imagine that it’s either (a) an exaggeration for the sake of the art of le cinema or (b) someone trying to get background for a book.

It’s not so easy for everyone to find success, money, enjoyment or benefit in their work. A lot of people, for whatever reason, are simply seeking a foothold.

Again, I’m not the best person to argue the movie since I haven’t seen it. I mean to, because occasionally Scarlett Johannson can be, er, quite talented.

By: Lazy Man

Lazy Man — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 03:11:12 +0000

In the case of your wife’s friend it sounds like her career choices were limited at the time due to her citizenship. That wasn’t the case here and it was an immediately debasing situation – starting in the first 3 minutes she met the boy – maybe even before (at least in the movie).

I’m not saying she should go for either success or money, but she should at least go for something she enjoys or gets some benefit from.

By: Brip Blap

Brip Blap — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 03:01:08 +0000

One of my wife’s very good friends was a nanny when she first immigrated to the US. I disagree with everyone – it is not lame excuses always, or lack of responsibility. She was a smart educated woman from another country and she took the job until she could get her citizenship and get back to work in a professional position (she’s now in senior management for a major bank in their IT department). She had a similarly debasing, unpleasant job but she has told us many, many times that she stayed there (and at her one other nanny job) long enough to form a deep attachment to the kids. She felt so strongly for them that she put up with some abuse. Maybe it’s weak, maybe it’s an excuse, but she said it was tough to think of “abandoning” those kids. I haven’t seen the movie – my wife read the book – so I can’t comment on it, but nannies are in a very odd and very tough position. Don’t be so quick to judge. People can have motivations other than just success or money.

By: cytoman

cytoman — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 17:07:10 +0000

I found it quite insulting for her to suggest that Stockholm Syndrome is the reason for staying in the job. This seems to be yet another example of people who are not willing to accept responsibility and accountability for their OWN choices and actions.

By: Randall

Randall — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 15:57:33 +0000

I know people that have stayed in the same low-paying job for years, making lame excuses like (I get 3 weeks of vacation and I don’t want to lose it). Most of these people suffer from a very low self-esteem problem from my POV. For the most part they don’t feel like they ‘deserve’ to do any better and don’t try to go anywhere.

It frustrates me because the person I’m referencing here is one of the best artists that I’ve ever seen. His work could allow him to go professional if he wanted to, but he just thinks he’ll fail.

If you don’t at least try, you always fail.

By: nwdirector

nwdirector — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 01:49:10 +0000

My wife just PPV’ed the movie this week. I watched about 20 minutes, then went to my office and read your blog instead.

By: moneygardener

moneygardener — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 22:32:47 +0000

I agree. That was one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen; and my wife agreed.

By: Mrs. Micah

Mrs. Micah — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 19:54:17 +0000

I read the book a while back. I still wonder why nanny put up with it. In the book, the pay was really good and she kept thinking it would get better. She also kept passing off the things that happened as one-time.

And then she also felt bad for the kid, sort-of wanted to mother him since his real mom wasn’t paying him any attention.

But the book was much too depressing for me to want to see the movie.