Student gets angry after talking about “Gangnam Style” with staff at school
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Friday, October 18, 2013
Yesterday afternoon, 16-year-old student Raymond K. Wang was picked up from school early, at 1:55 p.m. Eastern Time, nearly an hour before school officially ended at 2:45. In his last 5 minutes at school today, Ray was in the school kitchen, where he and his class were in taking cooking lessons, and when Justin James Gallagher walked into the room, Ray went over and talked to him. Ray and Justin talked about music, like they usually do. They have known each other since December 2010, when Justin began working at the group home at Rock Street, about a 5-minute drive away from the school. It was the League School in Walpole, Massachusetts, where Ray has been a student for over six years. Justin Gallagher and Ray have been friends ever since they met nearly three years ago, and a topic they frequently discuss together is music. Justin likes most songs, but for the past four months, Ray has had cognitive dissonance due to the memory of an interaction they had on June 26, Raymond’s last day at the residence. On that early-summer afternoon, Ray decided to show Justin the song “Baby” by Justin Bieber. Unfortunately, Justin Gallagher was not a fan of the original, though he loved the goat version. In the goat version, in the chorus (“Baby, baby, baby, oh like”), the oh’s are replaced with the sound of a screaming goat. Well, actually a sheep, but whatever. Justin Gallagher laughed, but after that, when Ray asked for his impression, Justin said, “The song I could do without,” giving the original version a “2/10” but the goat version, which he loved, an “8/10.” Justin Gallagher likes, but feels mostly neutral about, “When I Was Your Man” by Bruno Mars, which got a 6/10 from him, but he loves the song’s predecessor, “Locked Out Of Heaven,” which he rated 9/10. For the past four months, while Ray has had a beautiful, wonderful summer and fall, he can’t stop thinking about his disappointment about Mr. Gallagher not liking “Baby.”
For the rest of the day on 6/26/2013, Ray was stuck on this thought. At some point later that afternoon, a funny moment involved the coincidence that Justin Bieber and Justin Gallagher have the same first name. When asked who sings “Baby,” house manager Bob Most jokingly said “Justin Gallagher” instead of “Justin Bieber,” and Justin Gallagher, who was just outside the office, sitting on a couch, laughed.
Ray talked to Justin Gallagher again today. Justin said he didn’t like “Gangnam Style.” Or at least that’s how Ray interpreted it. Ray remembers for certain that he talked to Justin Gallagher about that song. What Ray is not 100% certain about is whether Justin said he liked it or not, but Ray feels like Justin said he liked it. Now that this memory has been challenged with today’s interaction, which would contradict it, Ray feels wronged. Raymond’s parents took him to a Bank of America near their home in Lexington, Massachusetts. The car ride took over an hour, and Ray spent the whole time unable to stop thinking about his disappointment. “Baby,” and now “Gangnam Style,” too? At least Justin Gallagher likes “On The Floor,” the next most-viewed video, but Ray is tired of finding people who hate “Baby” but love “On The Floor” and “Bad Romance.”
The family got home at 3:35 p.m. Ray had a mini-meltdown in which he took his anger out at Mom. When Mom reminded him that people are different and that no song can have a perfect rating, Ray got very defensive and lashed out at her. Then, Mom gave him a time-out, ordering him to sit on the couch for 5 minutes. She also told Dad not to talk to him during that time, as this attention would count as “rewarding” inappropriate behavior. Mom said, “No, don’t give him a bonus.” By “bonus,” she meant a reward for the inappropriate interaction. Mom was very disappointed that Ray had lost his temper and was rude to her.
Tonight, at about 7:30 p.m., Raymond and his father went to the Chinese Bible Church of Greater Boston, located at 149 Old Spring Street, Lexington, Massachusetts, a 15-minute drive (4.6 miles) away from home. Three hours later, they went to Best Buy in Burlington, Massachusetts. Ray was still upset about Justin Gallagher not liking “Baby” and “Gangnam Style.” Ray waited in the car. At one point, Ray got outside briefly and saw a Best Buy staff member named “Jeff.” Ray wondered if Jeff liked “Baby” but was afraid to ask him. Ray instead went back into the car for another few minutes before Dad finished shopping and drove him home.
Tomorrow is Saturday, so Ray will wake up early and go to Lovelane for horseback riding.
Sources
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