Loved this doc. Boys State is a thing I'm weirded out that I'm as unfamiliar with as I am (only had 1 friend from college who went). But this is an interesting and somewhat heartwarming doc to watch in the landscape of 2020.
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Boys State doc- Apple+
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Last: 5 yr ago by Bonfired
Been meaning to watch this as my dad was a camper, I was a camper, and also did a year as a junior counselor.
I went. It was weird being there.
Virgin Club was the working title.
Without having watched...what is Boys State? I had one friend in college that I remember having gone but I don't know anything about it.
It was the worst experience. I just remember really wanting it to end. Be interesting to watch this.
I saw that at the True/False Film Festival this spring
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Loved it
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Loved it
Im born and raised Austin, lived in Texas my whole life. Until I watched the trailer on the other thread, I had never ever heard anything of Boys State. It was very twighlight zone feeling. How could something that has been around for so long, appears to be very huge, and I have never heard of it. So strange.
I remember the experience being miserable.
Didn't help that I got pretty drunk the night before leaving and rode down to Austin hungover in a van next to our vice principal, who was also my neighbor.
Didn't help that I got pretty drunk the night before leaving and rode down to Austin hungover in a van next to our vice principal, who was also my neighbor.
I went and it was pretty lame.
I have been on the fence about watching this. Went to Boys State and it was pretty sucky, though it probably did help me get into A&M and some scholarships.
The only positives I remember were going to one main events where Governor GWB was the keynote speaker and seeing the LBJ library. He (LBJ) may have been a
POS but it was cool getting to go to a presidential library as a high school student. Also lucked out and got a room in Jester by myself somehow.
The morning calisthenics were dumb but not as dumb as the stupid anthem.
Me and another dude would cut out of any non-mandatory session and hit up some arcade on Guadalupe.
The only positives I remember were going to one main events where Governor GWB was the keynote speaker and seeing the LBJ library. He (LBJ) may have been a
POS but it was cool getting to go to a presidential library as a high school student. Also lucked out and got a room in Jester by myself somehow.
The morning calisthenics were dumb but not as dumb as the stupid anthem.
Me and another dude would cut out of any non-mandatory session and hit up some arcade on Guadalupe.
My biggest beef with boys state is that you really needed to know what was going on before getting there. It was a lame whirlwind the entire time. Rec sports was great though.
This comes through pretty clearly in the doc. If there's 1100 kids there, there are 11 that are super into it, and the rest are just there ****ing around. Still, they told a compelling story, and it's an interesting look at high school level politics thrown into a blender from the normal high school structure.Ragoo said:
My biggest beef with boys state is that you really needed to know what was going on before getting there. It was a lame whirlwind the entire time. Red sports was great though.
Ragoo said:
My biggest beef with boys state is that you really needed to know what was going on before getting there. It was a lame whirlwind the entire time. Rec sports was great though.
This. We weren't really prepared for what it was other than it's a government/politics thing. Agree the sports were the best part, other than making fun of the guys that were super into it. We didn't get to go to the capitol because there was a huge storm that day.
A Boys State memory. This will give you a clue how much I got out of it. At our mass gatherings, groups would shout out their city names, and these four cities would always be done in this order.
Moore, Cox, Forman, Hood
What can i say? We were teenagers. It seemed funny to us at the time.
Moore, Cox, Forman, Hood
What can i say? We were teenagers. It seemed funny to us at the time.
I went, as well. I remember it as being pretty lame, as well. I couldn't wait for it to be over. But I did learn something about politics. Every candidate that spent any time in front of a crowd answering questions spent the entire time with the opposing party trying to pick him apart. It was pretty true to life.
I went, as did a few of my closest friends, however in different years. We all agree it was one of the worst weeks of our teenage/young adult lives. As the person above said, it took us until almost the last day to even realize what was going on and we were even more amazed that other kids applied and went through interviews to go. We were called to the high school office and told we were nominated and that was it. Made a few acquaintances that I ran into a few times at A&M and said hello, but otherwise it was a pretty miserable experience.
This was my experience, but I declined. I had no interest in that bs.Topher17 said:
I went, as did a few of my closest friends, however in different years. We all agree it was one of the worst weeks of our teenage/young adult lives. As the person above said, it took us until almost the last day to even realize what was going on and we were even more amazed that other kids applied and went through interviews to go. We were called to the high school office and told we were nominated and that was it. Made a few acquaintances that I ran into a few times at A&M and said hello, but otherwise it was a pretty miserable experience.
Never heard of it until my son was nominated, he interviewed with the American Legion.
He said it was great, they would come up with ridiculous bills and do goofy stuff all day.
But he likes politics and debate...yeah he's a nerd.
He said it was great, they would come up with ridiculous bills and do goofy stuff all day.
But he likes politics and debate...yeah he's a nerd.
My favorite part of the experience was when I got home, my parents surprised me with my first car, a 1978 Chevy Nova. I loved that car!
went in virgina...my experience echoes a lot of what y'all said re it being very meh...but i had zero prep going in (that's the biggest problem imo). looks great on a college app, though!
my folks are heavily involved in the american legion in bryan and across the state. apparently, my dad is in the documentary. probably need to see it.
my folks are heavily involved in the american legion in bryan and across the state. apparently, my dad is in the documentary. probably need to see it.
In this vein, when I went, I was part of the "Nationalist Party". In the big assemblies, we would chant "Go Nats, Go Nats, Go Nats" which ended up like "Gonads, Gonads, Gonads". Again, hilarious at the time.otni said:
A Boys State memory. This will give you a clue how much I got out of it. At our mass gatherings, groups would shout out their city names, and these four cities would always be done in this order.
Moore, Cox, Forman, Hood
What can i say? We were teenagers. It seemed funny to us at the time.
Looking forward to it.
I was a Boys State delegate. Really impacted me.
I can't believe someone did a film about this.
I was a Boys State delegate. Really impacted me.
I can't believe someone did a film about this.
I guess Girls State was a lot more calm because I don't remember those chants
Didn't go, but my dad and brother did. Somehow this trailer seems... curated... to give a very specific impression of the experience.
Sounds like every trailer, and every documentary, ever created...Quote:
Somehow this trailer seems... curated... to give a very specific impression of the experience.
Blew my knee out playing flag football like halfway through, spent the rest of them time in a full leg brace and crutches in ATX summer. Not the most enjoyable.
One of sons best friends is in the trailer...haha.
Went the year before he did.
Went the year before he did.
I went and thought it was miserable. My main memory was somebody submitting a chemical castration bill for child molesters. Other than that I remember playing a lot of ping-pong and the food being terrible.
GoAgs92 said:
One of sons best friends is in the trailer...haha.
Went the year before he did.
Your son's best friend is a year younger than you?
20ag07 said:Sounds like every trailer, and every documentary, ever created...Quote:
Somehow this trailer seems... curated... to give a very specific impression of the experience.
OK Fine. Definitely true. I just feel like other documentaries are hiding their bias better. Or are even trying to hide it.
I grew up in a small town. I just remember my parents telling me I was going and that was it. No interviews, etc. It was truly horrible. I couldn't wait to get out of there.
The coolest thing about the whole trip was on the way home we drove through Jarrell, Texas. In 1997 is when that F5 swept through there right before Boys State. It still is one of the creepiest things I have ever seen in my life. Looked like a bomb had gone off. Cars in trees. Toilets and bathtubs in fields. Empty ponds. Grass pulled up. And concrete slabs were the only evidence that a home had previously stood there. Still remember that vividly. What a devastating tornado.
P.S. I loved the doc. So so cringy...but a great ending.
The coolest thing about the whole trip was on the way home we drove through Jarrell, Texas. In 1997 is when that F5 swept through there right before Boys State. It still is one of the creepiest things I have ever seen in my life. Looked like a bomb had gone off. Cars in trees. Toilets and bathtubs in fields. Empty ponds. Grass pulled up. And concrete slabs were the only evidence that a home had previously stood there. Still remember that vividly. What a devastating tornado.
P.S. I loved the doc. So so cringy...but a great ending.
Went nearly 35 years ago...grew up in Alabama. Wasn't real politically aware or anything, but definitely wasn't going to turn down the invite.
It was at the University of North Alabama, and it was a good 9 hour bus ride for those of us from the coast..stops about every hour or so to pick up other delegates. I think we got to campus at about 5 A.M.
I remember very little about any of the legislative stuff...I remember the city meetings happening, but that's about it.
It was a great experience for me as far as meeting people from different backgrounds. My roommate was from inner-city Birmingham (I grew up in a small town), and we had some interesting conversations. There was a group of us who played cards during down time, and I was the only white kid...nobody thought anything of it. Just kids shooting the **** and talking.
Our city got some calisthenics from hell one morning...some idgits snuck out of the dorm one night (where the hell they were going in Florence, Alabama, I have no idea), and we all paid for their lapse in judgement. Marched our asses out to the practice field in the rain and wore us out.
George Wallace was still Governor (the very end of his final term), but he did not speak to us at the capital...we were told he was ill, and he probably was. We got the Lt. Governor instead.
Glad I went, and it was good personal growth, so not a waste in that regard. In terms of politics, meh. Reinforced my nascent belief that politicians were FOS, and there were some teenage bull**** artists amongst us that may be career politicians now.
It was at the University of North Alabama, and it was a good 9 hour bus ride for those of us from the coast..stops about every hour or so to pick up other delegates. I think we got to campus at about 5 A.M.
I remember very little about any of the legislative stuff...I remember the city meetings happening, but that's about it.
It was a great experience for me as far as meeting people from different backgrounds. My roommate was from inner-city Birmingham (I grew up in a small town), and we had some interesting conversations. There was a group of us who played cards during down time, and I was the only white kid...nobody thought anything of it. Just kids shooting the **** and talking.
Our city got some calisthenics from hell one morning...some idgits snuck out of the dorm one night (where the hell they were going in Florence, Alabama, I have no idea), and we all paid for their lapse in judgement. Marched our asses out to the practice field in the rain and wore us out.
George Wallace was still Governor (the very end of his final term), but he did not speak to us at the capital...we were told he was ill, and he probably was. We got the Lt. Governor instead.
Glad I went, and it was good personal growth, so not a waste in that regard. In terms of politics, meh. Reinforced my nascent belief that politicians were FOS, and there were some teenage bull**** artists amongst us that may be career politicians now.
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