The Bwog
The Terrible 12s Need Parental Supervision
Previous Post | Next Post

Terrible 12s, you haven't even set foot on campus yet and already the whole Internet is abuzz with your goings-on.

In fairness, this latest outburst comes not from a Terrible 12 himself, but from his embarrassing mother, who (according to Craigstlist via Gawker) is looking hire a babysitter for him, for "support" -- "support" apparently meaning picking up his dry cleaning, fetching things for his apartment (Carman double?) and scheduling his doctors appointments (walking to health services?).

Our new classmate will start Columbia in the fall, lives on 84th between Park and Lexington, has five brothers and sisters, and no nanny. All the job requires is "PERFECT English" and "SOME college," meaning that you could be making 60-75k/year babysitting your own classmate.

See also: Babysitting, Craigslist, Gawker, The Terrible 12s

July 28, 2008 @ 4:51 PM | Comments 41 comments | Add comment Post a comment | Link to this article | | | Share on Facebook

Posted by ....: #1 · reply · track
July 28, 2008 at 5:01 PM
Wow, this makes me sick on so many levels. First, anyone working high up in the fashion industry. Second, anyone working high up in the hedge fund industry. Third, people who think they are so different from the rest of us that they require the equivalent of house slaves. Fourth, anyone who requires a nanny after the age of six. Fifth, blackberries...just...blackberries. Sixth, the woman assumes she has perfect English, which is dubious. And finally, seventh, using the word "fetch." Yes, reminds me of dogs, slaves, and servants. Thanks for the daily dose of ire bwog!
Posted by further confirmation: #2 · reply · track
July 28, 2008 at 5:11 PM (from campus)
that everyone working in the finance world sucks.
Posted by a prize: #3 · reply · track
July 28, 2008 at 5:44 PM
to be named later for the first to out this spoiled 12er, and/or get him to share his servant with others.
Posted by YEAH: #4 (in reply to #3) · reply · track
July 28, 2008 at 6:02 PM (from campus)
lets go beat him up!
Posted by i'm: #5 · reply · track
July 28, 2008 at 6:11 PM
contemplating going through the interview process just to show up and deck that douchebag in the face. then smear his bloody face all over the apartment. And take a dump on their living room carpet for good measure, cause, you know, the rest of us are simply uncivilized ogres.
Posted by jason: #6 · reply · track
July 28, 2008 at 6:18 PM
Guys! Lay off my mom!
Posted by wow: #7 · reply · track
July 28, 2008 at 6:57 PM
Funniest thing I've read in a while.
Posted by BWOG, Come On: #8 · reply · track
July 28, 2008 at 7:23 PM
Did you actually read the listing?

1. It's a nanny for the whole family.

2. The family has 5 children, so the 2012er has 4 siblings.

3. 84th between Park and Lex is the "second apartment" offered at reduced rent to the nanny.

Still hilarious, but BWOG is disqualified for not having perfect English.

Also of note: the 2nd son apparently "doesn't need to be cared for. He will pretty much look after himself". And the college freshman can't do this?
Posted by Perfect English: #9 · reply · track
July 28, 2008 at 7:34 PM
The period goes inside the quotation mark. Those who live in glass houses...
Posted by Well: #10 (in reply to #9) · reply · track
July 28, 2008 at 7:41 PM
Technically #9 did not claim to have perfect English either, but just wanted to point out the fact that Bwog didn't.

Also another thing Bwog got wrong: the person they're looking for must be available at very particular hours, six days a week if not seven.

I doubt very much a Columbia freshman, even those with Rhodes in their eyes, has enough time or stamina for that amount of commitment in addition to classes...
Posted by ...: #11 (in reply to #10) · reply · track
July 28, 2008 at 7:45 PM
I think Bwog was kidding about a CU student actually taking the position...
Posted by mildly stupid: #12 · reply · track
July 28, 2008 at 7:55 PM
I responded with the following email.

From my CU account.

She's probably a benefactor.

Shit.

"As a Columbia student myself, I would recommend that you cut off your son's nanny services. There are laundry services on campus that I'm sure would be happy to visit an apartment. I believe your son will develop a huge resentment if he is still being "parented" at university age. Moreover, Columbia highlights independence and resourcefulness as important qualities in a student, and methinks that a nineteen-year-old who can't schedule his own trips to the doctor would fail on said count.

Also, imagine the following conversation.

"Cool, dude, you have your own place!"

"Er, yeah."

"Hey, who is that remarkably attractive woman with little college who is earning more that you will your first year out of Columbia? I hope you're banging her!"

"Er, no. That's my nanny. Mommy says she can't have sex with me."

It'll happen.

This isn't meant to be snarky in the least. It's a legitimate concern. Just looking out for the class of 2012."
Posted by mildly stupid: #13 · reply · track
July 28, 2008 at 8:12 PM
I just wanted to warn the poor lady...
Posted by wow: #14 (in reply to #12) · reply · track
July 28, 2008 at 8:17 PM
you do have balls and sound like a total douche.

but you know what, it probably is for the best.
Posted by no,: #15 · reply · track
July 28, 2008 at 8:34 PM
she just has a misplaced sense of helping others sometimes!
Posted by hahah: #16 · reply · track
July 28, 2008 at 8:41 PM
The thing which is weird about this post and makes me think it's more of a parody than something real is the fact that two parents like this would have FIVE CHILDREN.

Five children? Seriously, tell me what fashionista and hedge fund manager would have five children in this day and age. I doubt they even have enough time to have had sex five times in their marriage if this was a real couple.

Posted by mildly stupid: #17 · reply · track
July 28, 2008 at 8:42 PM
AHAHAHAHAHA

Sorry, but the craigslist user address you recently mailed (comm-772852266@craigslist.org) does not seem to be valid. It could be you're trying to respond to a very old posting, or that the user has not requested anonymous email forwarding. Please check the address and try again.

w00t.

Posted by babysitter: #18 · reply · track
July 28, 2008 at 8:54 PM (from campus)
same as house slave? dumb
Posted by and why: #19 · reply · track
July 28, 2008 at 8:55 PM (from campus)
shouldn't a career women with five kids have a babysitter? dumb
Posted by Adam Nobler: #20 · reply · track
July 28, 2008 at 9:10 PM (from campus)
If there's a bustle in your hedgefund,

Don't be alarmed now.
Posted by duh: #21 (in reply to #19) · reply · track
July 28, 2008 at 10:41 PM
everyone knows women with "careers" have their vaginas sewn shut. You'd think at least THAT is common knowledge.
Posted by Right on: #22 (in reply to #2) · reply · track
July 28, 2008 at 10:55 PM (from campus)
You're right man - everyone in the finance world sucks, and you rule. That's right, you RULE! How does it feel to be King, sir? Hmm? You must be very proud of your self-righteous little self.
Posted by hmmm: #23 (in reply to #16) · reply · track
July 28, 2008 at 10:55 PM (from campus)
global family (a la brangelina)?
Posted by flat broke: #24 · reply · track
July 28, 2008 at 11:55 PM
'you could be making 60-75k/year babysitting your own classmate.'

sure, i agree, it's ridiculous... but where do i sign up? i don't know about you guy, but i'm not at all above doing some spoiled kid's chores. for enough money.
Posted by can't even type. : #25 (in reply to #24) · reply · track
July 28, 2008 at 11:57 PM
or you GUYS, even.
Posted by ...: #26 · reply · track
July 29, 2008 at 12:41 AM
i had friends back in sf that nannied. it's a good gig... one girl i know put herself through school with it.

Posted by Stephen Abootman: #27 (in reply to #24) · reply · track
July 29, 2008 at 1:11 AM (from campus)
I'm not your guy, buddy!
Posted by I agree: #28 (in reply to #24) · reply · track
July 29, 2008 at 8:39 AM
I'd totally do it.
Posted by Hey!: #29 (in reply to #27) · reply · track
July 29, 2008 at 9:57 AM
I'm not your buddy, friend!
Posted by it had to be done: #30 (in reply to #29) · reply · track
July 29, 2008 at 11:16 AM (from campus)
I'm not your friend, guy!
Posted by ugh: #31 · reply · track
July 29, 2008 at 1:24 PM
i'm not your guy, fag. wow that was completely out of line.
Posted by Glass Houses: #32 (in reply to #9) · reply · track
July 29, 2008 at 5:13 PM
Periods don't necessarily have to go inside quotation marks.
Posted by wild guess: #33 (in reply to #22) · reply · track
July 29, 2008 at 5:56 PM
That this is written by somebody who works in finance and is insecure enough about the career path to have to defend themselves so vehemently
Posted by This woman: #34 · reply · track
July 29, 2008 at 8:28 PM
is just the logical extension of most other parents now. Let's be honest, a lot of us didn't schedule our own doctor's appointments freshman year of college. And a lot of parents are sending constant care packages and "checking in" 24/7.

Even if this kid went and lived in Carman and had his mom that close and available, you really think he would be doing his own laundry?

(Psst...it's an epidemic...)

[external link to www.nytimes.com]

Posted by How odd...: #35 (in reply to #34) · reply · track
July 29, 2008 at 10:03 PM
Really? I got one visit, and I bussed home by myself, internationally, through Montreal at the middle of the night.

And I hauled myself to health services when I got so high that I lost my tactile perception for a week, thank you very much.

Although I did get some nice chocolate in the mail.

Maybe it's them rich folk. They've got to keep it down a little. Maybe they're overcompensating for ignoring the little runts.

Posted by green: #36 (in reply to #35) · reply · track
July 29, 2008 at 11:08 PM
It really is commendable that you were mature enough to get yourself so high.
Posted by red: #37 · reply · track
July 29, 2008 at 11:11 PM
Anyway, this guy lives 15 minutes away from campus and he needs "support" for "going off to college?"
Posted by #4 of 5: #38 · reply · track
July 30, 2008 at 9:57 AM
By the time these parents have their 4th and 5th children in college, they won't give a crap.

The only time my parents have called me at school was to say that they were going on vacation and I needed to feed the cat.

I feel unloved...
Posted by I think...: #39 (in reply to #35) · reply · track
July 30, 2008 at 7:20 PM
...it's mostly the competition to get your kids into a good college. Make sure they do enough extra-curriculars, make sure they get perfect grades, make sure they go to good summer programs, SAT prep courses...micromanage, micromanage, micromanage...

Unless your sixteen-year-old is super-independent and getting themselves into Harvard without any parental help.
Posted by Juelz: #40 · reply · track
July 31, 2008 at 8:17 PM
84 and park is pussy.

1 40 deuce all day eryday, harlem world, oooooooooooooow
Posted by Actually...: #41 · reply · track
August 1, 2008 at 7:45 PM (from campus)
I wouldn't consider myself "super-independent" but I damn sure wouldn't give my parents credit for my getting here. Don't get me wrong my parents are great, but simply for "middle-class" parenting meaning providing a roof and food for me while I took care of my own future. I did my extra-curriculars because i wanted to not because my mom was obsessed with getting me into a good school. Never took SAT prep courses, did summer programs etc. It all ultimately falls on what the kid wants. I would never want my parents to go through all of these unnecessary extremes for something that I should want to do myself.
Name:
(Log In | Register your identity)

Email:
Reply to:

Describe this color in one lowercase word.

About Us

Bwog is compiled by the staff of The Blue and White, Columbia University's undergraduate magazine.

Contact Us

Please send tips to bwgossip@columbia.edu.

Questions or concerns? Email bweditors@columbia.edu.

Bwog is always looking for new writing talent. Email bwog@columbia.edu.

In Print

Search

Comment Policy

Our Favorite Comments

omg: [read]
"the GSSC VP Student Life is like the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher"
Clearly: [read]
"the freshmen yearn for a return to the womb."

Bwogroll

National Blogs
IvyGate
Papertrail
Open University
Wonkette

City Blogs
Gothamist
Gawker
Craigslist
City Room (New York Times)
Overheard in New York
Community Board 9
Stop Columbia
Eater
Curbed

Other School Blogs
Wesleying
Gadfly (Harvard)
MadsVassarBlog
Sex and the Ivy (Harvard)
Elliot Back (Cornell)
OnwardState (Penn State)

Columbia Blogs
WikiCU
Light Reading
GS Lounge
Columbian Cokane
The Hungry Lion
Roar Lions Roar
Phlog
the(pro)be
EcoReps
Columbia Dems
The Blaaag
Editor Josh
The One Train
Lumilux
Igloo on Wheels
Bored@Butler
Five Plus One
The Columbia Critic
Queued Paper
The Columns
ReflectivePundit
wang.
2nd Law
el participante Commentariat
The Core Junction
Off Broadway
CollegeOTR
Greater or Smaller
The Mayor's Hotel
Barnard Zines
Peter and Rob Make Lists of Things

Technical

Our headlines are syndicated through Atom.
This site is powered by the Publicate Content Management System, which is available for free.
Our interface icons are from the free Silk set.