Language challenge

Metonymy in language challenge

• TikTok
  • Sex jokes vs. other app relations
  • Quick allusion vs. other jokes (how can it sound good in the flow)
• First crush
  • The XXX (slight connection) with pithy, rogue, well-known phrases 
  • Implied backstory via label is good
  • Actual descriptor

Text Presentations

Lil

Exercise: groups work together to construct a character and place them into situation from piece

Characters:

• “Laz” skinny blonde hipster who drinks THC smoothies to make himself chill when he’s actually chronically anxious
• “Tyler” 12 year old boy, plays Rocket League, skateboard, BEATZ, someone’s first crush, growing away from his mom, not good at school, but not sure if it’s not 
• “Jeb” monk that couldn’t stay celibate, super erection condition, drives the Oscar Meyer weinermobile
• “Jared” works at Subway but he’s not THE Jared From Subway

How does their character connect to the story

• Different groups imagined different characters acting differently
  • ACTIVITY: how would the character behave in the Sedaris poop piece?
  • ACTIVITY: CHARACTER SWAP! How would someone else’s character behave in the Sedaris poop piece?

Addison

Compare and contrast Riverboat vs. Clif Bar piece

ACTIVITY: Which had stronger sense of character

• Riverboat: just a man locked into life on the water, with allusions to sexuality
• Clif Bar: man tries to eat Clif Bars every day until the CEO of Clif Bar adopts him as his son
  • Everyone except Kiran agreed that Riverboat has a stronger sense of character, has more subtle allusions to his personality, past, and habits, whereas Clif Bar is a lot more about the mission than the character behind it. Also the accent helps.
  • Kiran thinks Clif Bar because Riverboat Captain feels like a caricature.

ACTIVITY: How to make character stronger?

• Could we give him a why? (i.e. climber/athlete, no father figure, lost soul, etc)
• Traits vs. Actions
• How does form contribute to character stagnancy?

QUESTION: Riverboat captain might be better character, but does that necessarily mean funnier

Chesed

Cookie Monster/Patty articles

ACTIVITY: Describe line where character speaks incredibly in form or incredibly out of form

• Everyone focuses on Cookie Monster (stronger character specific voice)
• Easier to break from
• Cookie Monster already has a voice, vs. Patty doesn’t speak, so her voice must be imagined (“go up to Charlie Brown and punch him in the fucking eye”)