Can you spell "sinuous"? Or "royalist"? Congratulations, apparently you're now talented enough to be a TV star.
At least that's the view of the makers of The Great Australian Spelling Bee, this country's foremost televisual breeding ground for low bars and unrealistic expectations. 
The kids on this show are very good at spelling words, to which any reasonable person will reply, "So what?". I'm good at spelling words too - in fact I'm the best speller I have ever met - but nobody is putting me on TV and talking about how cute it is when I say I'm nervous. Because I'm not a child, and apparently it's only kids who are allowed to be congratulated on their spelling. Apparently Grant Denyer and Chrissie Swan don't give a damn about me. And I'm actually better than these kids. One of them couldn't spell "grandeur", and I can. I spell it all the time. What do I get for my talents? Sweet FA.
But the refusal to give me any credit, though important, is not the worst thing about the Spelling Bee.
The worst thing is that it is teaching our children that success in life comes through a capacity for lexical memorisation.
When they get into the real world, these children will get a short sharp shock as they realise that nobody cares what they can spell, because in the real world what matters is results.
I'd like to see a show that focuses on practical skills. How about the Great Australian Manufacturing Bee? The Great Australian Mining Bee? The Great Australian Call Centre Bee?
That'd sort the wheat from the chaff. It is my fervent hope that we can one day move beyond being impressed by children spelling, and start being impressed by children contributing to the economy.
And also by me, the best speller ever.