While stage presence exhibited a distinction between the comedians, they also stacked up in the same manner regarding topics of conversation. Since it is in another category than presentation style, I thought it would be appropriate to designate a blog to the theme. The styles of the performers also reflect their respected topics. The ratings are based mainly on the explicitness of the material, followed closely by the degree and language used throughout each performance. Essentially, I will promote myself to the head of the movie rating system for the purpose of this blog.
Mitch Hedberg adopted the mildest of attitudes. Compared to the other two entertainers, his stand-up was child play. More power to him because it did not take away anything from the comedy. He had a totally different approach than the other two’s observational humor. His absurd one-line jokes were sure to please, and he did so in a “G” manner. With not one curse word in mind, the two skits I especially recall are the “out-of-order” escalators and the Dufrane search party skits. It could be that I remember them because they were his longest jokes, usually have two to four kickers following the initial punch line. Set apart from the rest of comedians I have heard, his straightforward manner of speech could be comprehended by the simplest minds, thus a “G” rating is given to Mitch’s work.
In the middle of the film rating spectrum is once again, Wanda. On the surface, she used swear words sparingly, only for a more powerful affect. Dig a little deeper into her act and one might find her material to be extremely offensive. She was very blunt in her criticism of the male gender. Most of the clip we saw from Wanda Sykes: Tongue Untied dealt with male criticism. She also addressed political and race issues in the skit we saw in class. The last skit we got to see from her special had a racist tendency. We have learned throughout the semester that it is okay for people to poke fun at their own gender, race, religion, etc. So in conjuncture with that thought she was brutal in her “racist dolphin” act. Her PG-13 rating is based on this piece alone. This joke was also a little more insightful than that of Hedberg’s one-liners while addressing racism in a creative and funny manner.
Last, but not least, Dave Chappelle takes the cake as the most gruesome and gritty of the day’s acts. He used a more observational style than Mitch or Wanda and added his overly confident cursing vocabulary to suit. Most of his jokes revolved around episodes in his life or situations that can be illustrated by his audience. He consistently used curse words to further the muscle of his jokes with a few unnecessary jabs included. I noticed a few times he abused the usage of swear words, beating the dead horse in his stereotypes. For instance, he took the audience on a nostalgia trip with the bit on kid’s cartoons. Focusing on a childhood cartoon character, Oscar the Grouch, but added an adult spice to the scenario. In conclusion, once you see Dave Chappelle, you know you are not a kid anymore. Therefore, his “R” rating is appropriate for his intended audience.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Mild, Medium, and Hot (pt. 1)
The day we have all been waiting for, since the beginning of the semester, since the first day of class; stand-up comic presentations. Today was the first day of the fully fledged comedic insanity. The first lucky comedians were: Mitch Hedberg, Wanda Sykes, and Dave Chappelle. These are surely three well defined comedians with lots of material and analysis to take away from. The only comedian we had studied previously was Wanda Sykes and her material and insight was still amusing. The comedians had no real congruity with each other. The most obvious association would have to be that Dave and Wanda are both aggressive on stage. The reason for the title of this blog is that these three performers just so happen to fit right in line with three successive BBQ sauces. But instead of taste, this comparison concerns stage presences.
We studied stage presences a few weeks ago while examining the “Funny Ladies” video and the work paid off for this specific blog. On the Mild end, Mitch Hedberg is the bees’ knees when it comes to laid-back presence. Thomas made it evident that this “hippie” presence is merely but a front to his stage fright. He has battled his entire career with the shyness he exhibits on stage. Maybe my “mild” argument should be adjusted to “wussy” but for the sake of that not being a real BBQ flavor, I will stick with Mild. Although his jokes were funny, I could tell he did not look comfortable on stage. Hiding behind a mop of brown hair and large, aviator sunglasses, he even told a joke while timidly sitting on steps of the stage. Overall, it did not have a negative impression on the jokes he was telling, it all seemed part of his personality. It was the most unique of the three stage presences, but also the most boring, and for that, he receives the Mild taste.
Up next, we have the Medium sauce. Wanda Sykes was as funny as the first time I had heard her a few weeks ago. We got to see two skits from two different time periods and the stage presence was consistently strong. I was very comfortable regarding her stage presence and she seemed equally comfortable around her crowd. Unlike the other two, I am pretty sure her crowds were not nearly as large; nonetheless, she owned the stage. Her appearance was also coherent with her dominant stance against the stereotypical man.
Finally, the big tuna for the day, Dave Chappelle ate the Hot sauce like a champ. His boisterous manifestation on stage had me on my heels for his entire act. I was never quite sure when the next curse words would erode from his dominant style and loud mouth. Dave is the epitome of the Hot sauce on stage and I would be shocked to see another comedian with his pizzazz. He also had some distinct poses. During periods of close-up camera views, it was evident when he paused for laughter. Upon a punch line, he would pucker his lips and lean, with authority.
We studied stage presences a few weeks ago while examining the “Funny Ladies” video and the work paid off for this specific blog. On the Mild end, Mitch Hedberg is the bees’ knees when it comes to laid-back presence. Thomas made it evident that this “hippie” presence is merely but a front to his stage fright. He has battled his entire career with the shyness he exhibits on stage. Maybe my “mild” argument should be adjusted to “wussy” but for the sake of that not being a real BBQ flavor, I will stick with Mild. Although his jokes were funny, I could tell he did not look comfortable on stage. Hiding behind a mop of brown hair and large, aviator sunglasses, he even told a joke while timidly sitting on steps of the stage. Overall, it did not have a negative impression on the jokes he was telling, it all seemed part of his personality. It was the most unique of the three stage presences, but also the most boring, and for that, he receives the Mild taste.
Up next, we have the Medium sauce. Wanda Sykes was as funny as the first time I had heard her a few weeks ago. We got to see two skits from two different time periods and the stage presence was consistently strong. I was very comfortable regarding her stage presence and she seemed equally comfortable around her crowd. Unlike the other two, I am pretty sure her crowds were not nearly as large; nonetheless, she owned the stage. Her appearance was also coherent with her dominant stance against the stereotypical man.
Finally, the big tuna for the day, Dave Chappelle ate the Hot sauce like a champ. His boisterous manifestation on stage had me on my heels for his entire act. I was never quite sure when the next curse words would erode from his dominant style and loud mouth. Dave is the epitome of the Hot sauce on stage and I would be shocked to see another comedian with his pizzazz. He also had some distinct poses. During periods of close-up camera views, it was evident when he paused for laughter. Upon a punch line, he would pucker his lips and lean, with authority.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Harry Golden and His Theories on Gradual Integration
Another passage that caught my fancy in Black and White and other Political Stripes was the entry by Harry Golden. Similar to my previous entry’s writer, both Golden and Baker were writers for newspaper. Golden’s paper is not read as much as Golden’s New York Times, but the Carolina Israelite sure made me laugh. “The Vertical Negro Plan” gave a few concrete reasons on how to gradually assimilate African Americans. His writing in the 50’s must have been very controversial. One, because he wrote in the 50’s, and two, he wrote in the South.
He uses three plans in order to emancipate the slaves. The first is his Golden Vertical Negro Plan, which requires all schools to provide only desks in all public schools. The idea that there will be no desks means the Negro has not “set” himself anywhere, thus, he cannot be ridiculed. The second solution reminded me of A Modest Proposal’s. Although it has nothing to do with eating Irish babies, it does offer a solution dealing with babies. The theme behind My White Baby Plan is to offer white housekeeping women the opportunity to free up some time in their day. They would do this by hiring baby-sitters on a daily jobs, The only incongruence would be that the babysitters are black. This seems very logical because it would improve the lives of both black and white women, on the other hand, it would be pretty radical to let a stranger babysit your baby, especially a negro one. He offers, “a mutual exchange of references, then the people can sort of pool their children at a central point in each neighborhood, and every time a Negro wants to go to the movies all she need do is pick up a white child-and go” (437). This would solve the problem of Negros running away with white women’s babies. The final, and most formal plan, is the Golden “Out-of-Order” Plan. He states that Negros in North Carolina represents 39% of the population and he has already implemented the plan, and it works. If a department store or local park were to shut down the “white” water fountain, after a short period of time, the whites would assimilate to the “black” fountain. Genius! Desegregation!
I appreciated Golden’s writing because of its novel ideas. As we learned the first half of the semester, a novel or incongruent idea is funny to the audience. These theories are pretty novel to the young adult living in the 21st century, and I sure got a kick out of them.
He uses three plans in order to emancipate the slaves. The first is his Golden Vertical Negro Plan, which requires all schools to provide only desks in all public schools. The idea that there will be no desks means the Negro has not “set” himself anywhere, thus, he cannot be ridiculed. The second solution reminded me of A Modest Proposal’s. Although it has nothing to do with eating Irish babies, it does offer a solution dealing with babies. The theme behind My White Baby Plan is to offer white housekeeping women the opportunity to free up some time in their day. They would do this by hiring baby-sitters on a daily jobs, The only incongruence would be that the babysitters are black. This seems very logical because it would improve the lives of both black and white women, on the other hand, it would be pretty radical to let a stranger babysit your baby, especially a negro one. He offers, “a mutual exchange of references, then the people can sort of pool their children at a central point in each neighborhood, and every time a Negro wants to go to the movies all she need do is pick up a white child-and go” (437). This would solve the problem of Negros running away with white women’s babies. The final, and most formal plan, is the Golden “Out-of-Order” Plan. He states that Negros in North Carolina represents 39% of the population and he has already implemented the plan, and it works. If a department store or local park were to shut down the “white” water fountain, after a short period of time, the whites would assimilate to the “black” fountain. Genius! Desegregation!
I appreciated Golden’s writing because of its novel ideas. As we learned the first half of the semester, a novel or incongruent idea is funny to the audience. These theories are pretty novel to the young adult living in the 21st century, and I sure got a kick out of them.
Lyndon B. Johnson - God's Gift to the Oval Office
Out of all the passages I read in section four: Black and White and Other Politicians, Russell Baker’s was the most interesting for me. Unlike most of the book’s excerpts, Russell’s is told in the first person. Is satirical prose targeting the politics and life of Lyndon B Johnson was more than just another southern fictional humor excerpt. This narrative had meaning for the common reading, and it uniquely had some historical facts included.
Russell Baker wrote a column for the New York Times for thirty years. This specific entry of his book The Good Times, he describes Johnson’s personality as a cocky politician. Baker wrote in a time when newspaper and journalism were the main mediums for the public eye. In this time, if a politician running for president got a good vibe from the New York Times, he was nearly a shoe-in for the presidency. That’s how much weight Baker held as a columnist, and it is this power that makes Johnson look down right foolish.
Baker’s main theme focuses on Johnson’s admiration for John F. Kennedy. The president at the time, he is the apple of Johnson’s eye. Baker makes this connection seem almost like an obsession. Some other motifs that inspire Baker are Lyndon’s arrogance of Charles de Gaulle, to poverty in India, to his youthful career as a rural Texas schoolteacher. His criticism can not be appropriately understood without specific quotations. He ridicules Johnson in such a way that it is quite comical. Baker describes a day in the life, “You didn’t sleep through a time of glory and happiness as wonderful as this. You stayed up, enjoying it, talking about it. He talked about it one night with the handful of pool reporters assigned to his plane, telling them tat all the great leaders of the world were dead now, replaced by minor figures. He, Lyndon Johnson, was the last of the big men left on the international scene” (485). One of the writers challenges Johnson’s claims, and in response, Johnson denounces the man in question.
Johnson often sucks up to the reporters, calling them by their first names and befriending them only in hopes of a good review. It is this tactic that eventually bites him in the ass. After a long interview with Russell Baker, Johnson subtly asks his secretary, “‘Who is this I’m talking to?’”(484). The entry ends in quite a comedic fashion.
Because Russ criticizes Johnson’s policy in Vietnam (at the time of LBJ’s presidency) Johnson excludes him from a Presidential Scholars ceremony. It is just his luck that Baker still shows up, but Lyndon is unable to remember his name. During the course of five pages, they must have had a half dozen interactions, but in the end, “he still didn’t know me from Herb, Uncle Gene, or the Jolly Green Giant” (487).
Russell Baker wrote a column for the New York Times for thirty years. This specific entry of his book The Good Times, he describes Johnson’s personality as a cocky politician. Baker wrote in a time when newspaper and journalism were the main mediums for the public eye. In this time, if a politician running for president got a good vibe from the New York Times, he was nearly a shoe-in for the presidency. That’s how much weight Baker held as a columnist, and it is this power that makes Johnson look down right foolish.
Baker’s main theme focuses on Johnson’s admiration for John F. Kennedy. The president at the time, he is the apple of Johnson’s eye. Baker makes this connection seem almost like an obsession. Some other motifs that inspire Baker are Lyndon’s arrogance of Charles de Gaulle, to poverty in India, to his youthful career as a rural Texas schoolteacher. His criticism can not be appropriately understood without specific quotations. He ridicules Johnson in such a way that it is quite comical. Baker describes a day in the life, “You didn’t sleep through a time of glory and happiness as wonderful as this. You stayed up, enjoying it, talking about it. He talked about it one night with the handful of pool reporters assigned to his plane, telling them tat all the great leaders of the world were dead now, replaced by minor figures. He, Lyndon Johnson, was the last of the big men left on the international scene” (485). One of the writers challenges Johnson’s claims, and in response, Johnson denounces the man in question.
Johnson often sucks up to the reporters, calling them by their first names and befriending them only in hopes of a good review. It is this tactic that eventually bites him in the ass. After a long interview with Russell Baker, Johnson subtly asks his secretary, “‘Who is this I’m talking to?’”(484). The entry ends in quite a comedic fashion.
Because Russ criticizes Johnson’s policy in Vietnam (at the time of LBJ’s presidency) Johnson excludes him from a Presidential Scholars ceremony. It is just his luck that Baker still shows up, but Lyndon is unable to remember his name. During the course of five pages, they must have had a half dozen interactions, but in the end, “he still didn’t know me from Herb, Uncle Gene, or the Jolly Green Giant” (487).
Monday, April 6, 2009
Desperate Housewives
The Desperate Housewives is a TV drama shown on ABC. It is now in its fifth season, and has had tremendous success. This fictional atmosphere outlines the absurd happenings of Wisteria Lane. It follows the obscure lives of a group of women who adhere to their own crazy family lives. This seemingly perfect suburban neighborhood is filled with: domestic struggles, children, crime, and death while putting on a smile when they see their neighbors at any instance. The show has been awarded six Emmys and two Golden Globe Awards. The show continues to attack fictional problems in an American suburban setting; Erma Bombeck does not.
Erma writes about very real situations in the life of a female housewife. Similar to Desperate Housewives, she has had tremendous success. She was around for a period of 30 plus years with columns in female orientated magazines. 900 newspapers have Bombeck publishings. He points out persistent problems between the reality and the myths of being a mother. Unlike the hit TV show mentioned earlier, her problems are very real. She debunks the supermom ideal in her columns, and ousts the images that TV and media have potrayed them as. She began writing during the women’s movement of the 1960’s and continued to empower housewives through the 90’s. She writes for the stay at home mom, about the stay at home mom. The persona she adopts in her excerpt from At Wit’s End urges the women’s movement through a descriptive prose narrative. Some topics she covers includes: swim suit shape, raising children, the horror of snow days, and drinking. She explains typical situations of a housewife that I would never have thought otherwise. The fact that the “Act of God” known as a snow day is looked so down upon by housewives actually makes sense. Speaking for the opposing gender, mothers have to work those snow days instead of sending their children off to school like field mice on the prairre. Her persona does not fit the model of a suburban housewife because she regrets marriage and a few other nuances she tries to avoid. She says that children more often than not do no appreciate their hardworking mothers and she admits that no family is perfect.
The Desperate Housewives and Erma draw parallels about certain topics. For the most part, whatever these women do in their private lives, must stay private. In both societies, whether fictional or real, the women must protect what dignity they have. While the women of Desperate Housewives strive to remain perfect in everyday life, the real suburban housewife struggles to live everyday life. In conclusion, she does a great job outlining the problems of a housewives’ world.
Erma writes about very real situations in the life of a female housewife. Similar to Desperate Housewives, she has had tremendous success. She was around for a period of 30 plus years with columns in female orientated magazines. 900 newspapers have Bombeck publishings. He points out persistent problems between the reality and the myths of being a mother. Unlike the hit TV show mentioned earlier, her problems are very real. She debunks the supermom ideal in her columns, and ousts the images that TV and media have potrayed them as. She began writing during the women’s movement of the 1960’s and continued to empower housewives through the 90’s. She writes for the stay at home mom, about the stay at home mom. The persona she adopts in her excerpt from At Wit’s End urges the women’s movement through a descriptive prose narrative. Some topics she covers includes: swim suit shape, raising children, the horror of snow days, and drinking. She explains typical situations of a housewife that I would never have thought otherwise. The fact that the “Act of God” known as a snow day is looked so down upon by housewives actually makes sense. Speaking for the opposing gender, mothers have to work those snow days instead of sending their children off to school like field mice on the prairre. Her persona does not fit the model of a suburban housewife because she regrets marriage and a few other nuances she tries to avoid. She says that children more often than not do no appreciate their hardworking mothers and she admits that no family is perfect.
The Desperate Housewives and Erma draw parallels about certain topics. For the most part, whatever these women do in their private lives, must stay private. In both societies, whether fictional or real, the women must protect what dignity they have. While the women of Desperate Housewives strive to remain perfect in everyday life, the real suburban housewife struggles to live everyday life. In conclusion, she does a great job outlining the problems of a housewives’ world.
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