In this episode of This American Life, listeners will get opinions and commentary about camp. This episode specifically takes place at a pair of camps in Michigan--Lake of the Woods, a girls camp, and Greenwoods, a boys camp. Although the camps may have separate names and may brag they are better than the other, they function as one whole camp--they share many of the same fun activities. While listening to This American Life, one will hear a major theme of camp people verses non-camp people. Once one heads off to camp, their life has changed forever. Also, this episode has two highlights about the popular icon, David the counselor, and about the fearful ghost stories by which the camp is haunted. Just from spending a short amount of time with the camp kids, This American Life gathered a quick list for Notes on Camp.
The first episode, Mr. Popular, opens up with a quirky guitar strumming song that introduces the long living camper--the boy who has participated since he was eleven years and grew up to become a camp counselor. His name is David, but often referred to as Davey by his small, yet obsessed fan club. David claims that "the best moments of his life are with campers. Two weeks in the real world is about a day in camp. It's almost like a time warp." Because of camp, David strongly admits that it changes peoples lives for the better. While observing the lunch room (known as the mess hall), loud screams, singing, and chanting fills the air. The atmosphere is booming with chaos, but David somehow can control it all. "David is the force, the one people turn to. He is the man." His ability to calm drama and stir up humor allows many of the campers to relate to him and claim he is the "number one counselor."
This American Life successfully observed Mr. Popular, but they also observe a certain type of fear among the campers. In the second episode, the kids lack of common sense is tested. As always, each camp has some time of horror story. Several kids are eager to share this camps story. As they tell the story of Turtle Man, each person's details in the story can change and influence the story a different way. The bottom line is that the Turtle Man takes its new victim each fourth of July. The children's curiosity with the ghost stories and their want to get scared is surprising since they are currently living in the woods. A group of boys' gullability and curiosity gets the best of them when testing the legend of Bloody Mary and chant "Let's get scared!" The anxiety and focus that the listener hears in the young boys is humorous when the legend is finished. The need for the ghost story to be true is evident as one of the boys swears, "I felt a baby in my hands! It worked!"
The two segments of This American Life share an innocent story of campers having a good time over the summer. The fact that David is the one all campers are envious of suggest the need of a role model to the immature boys and girls to look up too. The fun atmosphere that is fulfilled by the singing and chanting creates a loud area for the campers to express their inner personality, let go of nasty stereotypes, and have fun being a kid. The simplicity of a camp is amazing when is brings so much joy to the many campers. Both of the episodes illustrated the innocent lifestyle of children and how life can be more fulfilling through goofy games and stories rather than materialistic ways. People need to learn a lesson from Notes on Camp and start living the fun life--start camping!
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