1.6K views May 2009
A morning show host interviews a young spelling bee champion, making insulting assumptions about his intelligence until he protests that he is simply smart.
0:08 Coming up next, we'll meet yet another smug guy who's scaled Mount Everest. 0:12 Oh, we've had too many of these guys, or you're gonna hate this one. 0:14 This guy is, uh, particularly hateable. But right now, we've got a very special guest here in the studio with us, and I do mean special. 0:21 Some idiot savants are skilled with music or numbers. 12-year-old James Kamara's skill is spelling. 0:26 Like a real life Rain Man. 0:28 That's right, Tracy. Here's him winning the New Jersey State Spelling Bee. 0:32 He did such a good job there that he gets to represent the state in the Nationals. 0:36 And he joins us now live right here in the Today Now studios. 0:38 James, good morning. 0:39 Good morning to you. 0:41 James, we are both so proud of you. 0:43 Yeah, when I won, I was like, yes. 0:45 Yeah. 0:45 Well, now, James, tell us, how did you get to be able to spell like that? 0:49 My brain works normally, so I don't, I can't even fathom it. 0:51 Well, I study like 2 or 3 hours a day. 0:54 What is going on in your brain right now? I, I think you can probably understand everything we're saying, but is it all jumbled up? 1:00 I mean, do you see random colors and flashes and stuff like that? 1:03 No, I don't. I just, I'm fine. 1:04 I understand your school has actually put you in a special institution, 1:09 the gifted and talented program. 1:12 Well, those are accelerated learning classes. 1:14 Ah, is that what they're calling them now? 1:16 Yeah. 1:16 Mm-hmm. Well, let's take another look at you up on that big high stage. 1:21 E-U-D-A-E-M-O-N-I-C, Eudaimonic. 1:26 That's correct. 1:27 Yeah, see, look at him there. I mean, he may not be able to feed himself, but he can spell a word I can't even pronounce. 1:32 Whoa, whoa, I can feed myself just fine. 1:33 James, the other kids must be so cruel to you. Are they? 1:36 No. 1:37 Do they call you names? 1:38 No, I'm fine. 1:38 Oh, I bet they do. 1:39 I bet it really hurts your feelings. 1:41 They never call me names. 1:42 Well, James, do you know if your mother did a lot of drinking or had a drug problem while she was pregnant with you? 1:47 No, she didn't. She was fine. 1:48 I really admire her strength in raising you. I mean, I would have just tossed you in the gutter to end your agony. 1:55 There's nothing wrong with me. I'm just smart. 1:58 Right. James, if you want to howl or pound your head against something, you just go ahead and do it. 2:03 There's nothing wrong with me. I'm just smart. 2:05 You just do whatever you have to do. 2:07 I'm just smart. 2:08 It's okay. 2:08 It's okay. 2:08 Calm down. Oh, whoa now, hold on, take a seat. 2:11 It's okay. 2:12 Relax. 2:12 It's okay. 2:13 Okay, all right, calm down. All right, calm down. 2:15 All right, I think we need some help in here, guys. Uh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, whoops. 2:21 All right, guys, thank you very much. 2:24 Okay. Oh, what a great little guy he is, huh? He just got a little excited there for a minute, I think, but. 
