# Help me identify this shortstory... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 6, 2003, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-shortstory/147010 "2003-01-06T20:54:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BabaBooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dfb087/32.png) [@BabaBooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BabaBooey)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-shortstory/147010/1 "2003-01-06T20:54:33Z")
I just remembered reading it in grammar school when I was too immature to understand some of the points it made. All I remember is that a male and a female are sitting watching a television program. Whenever the male is about to have an intelligent thought, a government issued machine in his head sets off a high pitched sound that distracts him. Basically the government hinders the talented to make all people equal, attractive people are forced to wear masks, etc… I vaguely remember the program they’re watching involves a ballet of some sorts that ends in a disobediant dancer being shot by some general. The story just reminded me of some of Orwell’s or maybe Vonnegut’s work, which I really enjoy, and if this short story ended up being a part of a novel, I would like to check it out… ---
**Author:** ![Harli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c0e974/32.png) [@Harli](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harli)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-shortstory/147010/2 "2003-01-06T20:58:15Z")
That would be _Harrison Bergeron_ by Kurt Vonnegut. A popular story read in school, but should be read again as an adult for it’s social implications. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![dejahma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dejahma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dejahma)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-shortstory/147010/3 "2003-01-06T21:01:30Z")
It is a Kurt Vonnegut short story. I can’t remeber the name of the story but it is in the book “Welcome to the Monkey House.” It’s about a society where everyone is handicapped to the least common denominator so that no one has advantage over others. ---
**Author:** ![dejahma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dejahma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dejahma)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-shortstory/147010/4 "2003-01-06T21:05:18Z")
OK I looked it up and it is titled “Harrison Bergeron”. It was also made into a showtime movie a couple of years ago. Do a search and you can find the details. ---
**Author:** ![monica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@monica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monica)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-shortstory/147010/5 "2003-01-06T21:20:48Z")
It’s definately Harrison Bergeron. I read that in eighth grade. I remember reading it along with Fahrenheit 451 ~monica ---
**Author:** ![BabaBooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dfb087/32.png) [@BabaBooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BabaBooey)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-this-shortstory/147010/6 "2003-01-06T21:22:41Z")
Thanks. Anyone that wants to check it out can go to [http://www.tnellen.com/cybereng/harrison.html](http://www.tnellen.com/cybereng/harrison.html) Sorry about the spoilers in the original post, but without them you wouldn’t know about the story in the first place…