I think it all started with extreme sports.
Extreme: meaning that there is a real chance that you could die doing whatever it is you are doing.
Soon enough "extreme" went mainstream and everything aspired to be extreme. Who wants regular Gatorade when you can cheat death with Extreme Gatorade? Ya'll remember right? For most of us normal folk, "extreme" jumped the shark when Doritos went down that road.
Yes, I know that it is now 2010 and all that is old news. And, while most of us and our favorite snack foods stopped being extreme, I think the phenomenon has had a lasting effect on our culture. Especially for a few attention seeking nimrods.
Specifically, I am talking about extreme parental fail (which is stinkier than any Dorito).
You are 16 and want to sail around the world all by your lonesome. What is that? You really, really, really want to? Like really, really? Why not? Sounds extreme to me. Here's the keys to the yacht babe. See you in a few months.
Sailor Abby Sunderland's parents were not the only stinky Dorito parents to hit the news lately.
Let's take a look at Jordan Romero.
He became the youngest person to summit Everest at age 13. What is the death rate for Everest climbers? 1 in 10. Yup, that is right. Who knows what the chance of losing a limb or going blind is. What cool parents, right? Extreme!
Wait. Before you take your toddler cliff diving, let me warn you: Not all extreme parenting works out so well.
Remember seven year old Jessica Dubroff? Her parents thought it would be a good idea for her to pilot her way around the world. They were "extremely" off. She died in a plane crash. Tragic.
All of these extreme-pushing parents makes these guys seem like parents of the year.
At least they weren't so extreme as to actually put the kid in the balloon.
And THEY went to jail.
Ironic, huh?
UPDATE: I am not saying that Abby's parents were doing it for the money, but her blog went from a standard blogger template to a professional cash cow .com overnight!
