Talk:The Pet Goat

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I'm would like to propose removing the adjective "unreputable" from the line about Bush's critics. It seems to me that it is neither objective or necessary. Simply labelling them critics is enough without inserting a value judgement. (Not to mention that "unreputable" is rather archaic word--if the adjective has to be there, "disreputable" is more standard.) --Edmondjohnson 02:21, 8 September 2006 (UTC)

I believe this is factually incorrect - see [1]. —Stormie 01:34, Jun 30, 2004 (UTC)

Interesting points -- and precisely the kind of article I was looking for when I was writing the Wiki entry. Could you add that to the Wiki page? Maybe we'll change the name later, although I suspect that, even if that's not the actual name of the book, it's the name by which it's best known now -- and therefore the entry under which Wikipedia readers will look for it. (Hmm -- an article on famous misapprehensions would be a good addition to Wikipedia.) -- orthogonal 01:42, 30 Jun 2004 (UTC)

I have changed the word "to" to "with" in the statement that the President was reading "to" the schoolchildren. As actually the children were reading TO the President. He just happened to be reading along. (haamer)

"The fact that Bush considered the crash to be an accident contradicts his claim that he immediately implemented the government's emergency response plans. Also, the first plane crash was not broadcast live anywhere. There was no footage of the first plane hitting the WTC until the next day." Is this passage retarded? The footage capturing live events of 911 didn't exist as events happened and only existed the NEXT DAY?! I'm amazed....and I hope the words I'm typing right now appear immediately and don't suffer the same delay as live events under political propoganda. There at Booker Elementary school President Bush had stated,"Two airplanes have crashed into the World Trade Center in an apparent terrorist attack...a full scale investigation to hunt down and to find those folks that commited this act...". Don't allow a political agenda to cloud the facts here on Wiki.(haamer)

Here's some clarification for "haamer": I believe that what was meant was that footage of the first plane crash was not captured by the news media as there was no reason for any television station to be filming the towers at that time. The footage of the first collision that eventually surfaced was taken by tourists and videographers who were filming the towers at the time by chance. Television stations did not get access to this amateur footage until late that day (or perhaps early the following). As such, the collision Bush would have seen on television must have been of the second tower (which, of course, was filmed by several television stations). I think the inference made by the previous poster was that since Bush saw the second collission, the idea of it being an accident was foolish. Of course, this assumes that Bush knew he was watching the second of two collision, which it appears he didn't. In conclusion, the statement you reference is faulty in its logic--and, I agree, unnecessary in this article--but it's not as "retarded" as you think. --Edmondjohnson 02:34, 8 September 2006 (UTC)

Is it just me, or is this sentence a little too pedantic and POV? "The truth, of course was that Bush, like anyone who had a sense of responsibility, realized that there was nothing he could do at the moment, and found it best not to throw the children into a panic by telling them the country was under attack." The chavi 01:16, 8 September 2006 (UTC)

As there are no other "My Pet Goat" articles, this doesn't need "book" to disambiguate it. If an admin reads this could they please perform the move, as there is a redirect at the target. Trilobite (Talk) 02:51, 31 Aug 2004 (UTC)

I noticed this as well. Done. Derrick Coetzee 18:08, 30 Oct 2004 (UTC)

Since the name of the book is actually The Pet Goat, should the title of this article be switched to that? My Pet Goat is the more popular usage, but a simple redirect could take care of that problem, and the article would end up being a tiny bit more factual in its presentation. Beginning 02:43, Dec 12, 2004 (UTC)

Contents

[edit] WP:RM discussion

[edit] My Pet Goat → The Pet Goat

  • The Pet Goat is the correct title of this work. Jonathunder 04:53, 2004 Dec 18 (UTC)
  • Support. Makes no sense to use a factual inaccuracy simply because it's common. Beginning 19:22, Dec 18, 2004 (UTC)
  • Support. Alkivar 19:46, 18 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  • Support. The article could be made more NPOV, but the book has achieved a degree of fame (notoriety?) and should have an article. I can't name a single elementary school reader—except maybe some of the ones we used in the '70s—but I know about this book. Bin Laden made reference to the book in his last video; that says famous to me... —Tkinias 20:27, 18 Dec 2004 (UTC)
    • Addendum: I've extensively rewritten the article to NPOV it and clarify the work's cultural significance. —Tkinias 21:15, 18 Dec 2004 (UTC)
      • Much much better, no longer reads like a Michael Moore muppet wrote it. Alkivar 00:05, 19 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  • Oppose. The work's only claim to fame is that a President read it to elementary school children while his countrymen burned and fell to their deaths. Whatever its true name, the name by which most people (around the world) know it is "My Pet Goat." The article can contain a correction on the title and a redirect can take care fo those few people who do know the correct title. --[[User:Tony Sidaway|Tony Sidaway|Talk]] 13:54, 20 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  • support. So according to Tony Wiki should generalize. Forget the fact the President was read TO, forget the fact about the story title....it's most important that opinions matter when distorting REALITY and can be verified somewhere else. (Haamer)
  • support. use accurate titles--Jiang 15:48, 21 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  • support. john k 20:52, 22 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  • Support. It shouldn't be too confusing. When people get the redirect, they'll see the picture of Bush and know they're at the right page. Nathanlarson32767 21:04, 22 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  • support.

The factual title of the story should be used with a cross-reference to the erroneous title. It is historically accurate and a substantive issue that Michael Moore got the title wrong. This is not nitpicking, but represents Michael Moore's fast-and-loose relationship with facts. The "popularity" of the erroneous title illustrates the lack of intellectual curiosity in those who accept Michael Moore's shockumentary as gospel. Almost four years after the event, people are still erroneously parroting Moore's error. The false title should be listed properly as "erroneous" and not merely "popular".

In fact, bin Laden's speech makes the factual error of assuming that among the things that the "goat did... that made the girl's dad mad" included ramming things. The goat in this story only eats things, and does not make any attempt to force its horns on anything.

is a bit of a weak argument. It's clear in context that Osama uses the word "ramming" in order to suggest the "ramming" of the Twin Towers. It's not then a factual error, but more like "poetic license". I suggest it be removed. Dysprosia 03:07, 3 Mar 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Schoolchildren?

'Schoolchildren" is not listed as a word by Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 10th edition ("schoolchild" is, but "schoolchildren" isn't). A google search of the dictionaries doesn't find it in the online dictionaries either. But I'm not going to change it again. --Bubba73 01:44, 4 Jun 2005 (UTC)

schoolchild (noun) A child attending school. American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition (2000). Houghton Mifflin.
As in most dictionaries, including the one you consulted, the word is listed under the singular, but that doesn't mean the plural is not a word. Jonathunder 03:30, 2005 Jun 4 (UTC)
You are right. I thought I was right when I made the change, but I was wrong.--Bubba73 00:45, 5 Jun 2005 (UTC)

[edit] 68.236.180.238 Edit

I reverted the 68.236.180.238 edit as it was POV and unnecessary (though admittedly funny... this just isn't the right forum for your joke).Isotope23 19:48, 27 July 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Articles like this...

...are why I love Wikipedia! Dpbsmith (talk) 20:23, 11 September 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Spoiler warning

Hey, there should be more space between the spoiler warning and the spoiler itself. I was going to read the book, and now you've ruined it for me. I hope you're all happy now. sob sob --Slashme 12:33, 19 December 2005 (UTC)

I laughed quite a bit at the spoiler warning. --Mrdie 18:16, 28 December 2005 (UTC)

I put it back in since it seemed so popular. If anyone wants to remove it, can I suggest a vote ... or at least a UN Security Council resolution. Alanmoss 12:35, 1 September 2006 (UTC)

I have added an

Spoilers end here.

as otherwise people would not know where to recommence their reading. This would lead to a situation where the bulk of the article was not read. This is not desirable. Camhusmj38 11:19, 27 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Scary Movie

This article incorrectly stated that "In the 2003 parody film Scary Movie 3, the President..." whereas it should have stated "In the 2006 parody film Scary Movie 4, the President....". I have corrected this error.

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