No, Idiocracy Does Not Make Me Want to have Kids

Above: Idiocracy (2006), dir. Mike Judge



So I’m about 15 years late to the party & I finally watched Idiocracy starring Luke Wilson and St. Maya Rudolph (hormone monstress extraordinaire).

My ex-wife and I watched it cuz we have actually had MULTIPLE people reference Idiocracy when telling us why they are having kids or why we should have kids after learning we are child-free by choice.


Here are my statements on this movie:

1. It has aged extremely poorly and uses racial slurs and “f-g” liberally in the dialogue
2. The movie is otherwise...fine for what it is
3. Idiocracy is a fictional movie and SATIRE about EUGENICS (eugenics people, eugenics) so NO, it does not convince me to have kids
4. Intelligence is not genetic*, which in and of itself undoes the premise of Idiocracy
5. Being smart doesn’t make you a better parent or more fit to be a parent
6. Being book smart is just one facet of intelligence. Emotional intelligence, street smarts, being a polyglot, etc, are equally valid
7. I still support all parents who want to have kids regardless of perceived intellectual capacity

*If you don't believe me, how about the word of two professors of psychology:


"Many people believe that their intellectual ability is hardwired from birth, and that failure to meet a learning challenge is an indictment of their native ability. But every time you learn something new, you change the brain--the residue of your experiences is stored. It's true that we start life with the gift of our genes, but it's also true that we become capable through the learning and development of mental models that enable us to reason, solve, and create. In other words, the elements that shape your intellectual abilities lie to a surprising extent within your own control."
- from Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning by Peter C. Brown, Dr. Henry L. Roediger 3, and Dr. Mark A. McDaniel



Some background - I went to public school (in Canada) all my life until university, and during uni I was awarded three academic prizes. I was raised by two excellent parents: one parent who barely graduated high school, and another who didn’t graduate at all.


My ex-wife also went to public school, and in university she wasn’t awarded with any academic prizes. She was raised by two excellent parents, one of whom has a PhD and the other has a Masters degree.

We are not having kids.




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