Spelling is a sport...just like cheerleading!

Am I the only person who saw the end of the Spelling Bee last night on ABC? It was...awesome. Yes, that's right. I was literally on the edge of my seat, hand clasped over mouth, in nervousness for the last two spellers.

There I was, finishing up Supernatural (even in reruns Jensen Ackles is the shit), and I thought, "hey! I will click over and check on the spelling bee!" The final two girls were going one after the other, spelling words that seemed to be mostly of German origin, and kicking ass.

Finally, one of them missed a word. But it wasn't over yet! The other had to spell her next word correctly AND spell an additional word. The first word went off without a hitch, and when 13 year old Katharine Close her that she needed to spell the word "ursprache" (meaning parent language), she got a small smile on her face. Clearly, she knew it. And RIGHT THEN I knew she was going to win. As soon as she hit the last letter she stepped back in shock and was immediately presented with the trophy.

This was exciting tv! And, you know, for once it is nice to see Americans celebrating people who are good at an intellectual pursuit and aren't simply trying to choke down buffalo testicles (Fear Factor) or give their best Elvis impression (American Idol).