Modern Literary References to the Emperor's New Clothes?

April 7, 2008 7:01 PM

Looking for modern, easy-to-understand references to The Emperor's New Clothes that would help 5th graders understand what a literary reference is (and why it's useful to have a more-than-passing familiarity with source material that writers tend to reference.)

I'm an elementary school librarian, and today was surprised to find that nearly half the kids in a fifth grade class had never heard Anderson's classic story about a vain emperor being swindled by a pair of clever rogues. I read the story, which they loved, but was not particularly successful in my attempt to explain that writers and speakers frequently reference this story in the expectation that readers/listeners will understand their allusions.

I'm very open to suggestions about how best to teach this idea (briefly- this is a five minute lesson) but would most appreciate modern references that would make the concept clear (extra points for quotes slamming our current president- most of my students would love it...)

posted by carterk to education (6 comments total)

To use President Bush as the allusion, he surrounds himself with people who agree with him and these folk are arrogant and prideful. Most people, though, think and know that he makes very unpopular choices and his decisions are awful. On top of that his poll ratings are below 30% and he doesn't care because he doesn't believe his critics, his fellow citizens, which some are even in his own political party. They are not as wise as his yes men and women who tell him, "Continue, stay the course". So, even though he has been told he is wrong or 'naked' he will never admit his decisions are wrong because he has to keep that delusion that the President never makes mistakes. Hubris.
posted by alteredcarbon at 8:19 PM on April 7

How about pop musicians, that the kids would be familiar with, who still think that they're "all that" but are obviously now unpopular?
posted by porpoise at 8:25 PM on April 7

Right, exactly- except I want to *show* them a literary reference, not make one. My google, ah, fu hasn't turned up a decent quote, was hoping that someone here could point me at one. Anyway, thanks.
posted by carterk at 9:49 PM on April 7

from wiki:

In the Halo video game series by Bungie Entertainment, the high prophets refuse to accept the obvious facts that the rings are actually massive superweapons capable of exterminating life throughout the galaxy, instead believing that the rings are capable of launching them towards their great journey. In one scene Master Chief alludes to the story.
posted by jpdoane at 10:03 PM on April 7

Google "The emperor has no clothes".
posted by designbot at 7:49 AM on April 8

Something from The Simpsons? They can probably relate?
posted by KAS at 8:56 AM on April 8