There was a brief mention in class today about a conservative=conformist/ liberal=rebel bias.  While I don’t such a strict division could be accurate (there are no absolutes when discussing humans), it made me think of this video from TED.com.  We’ll talk about it tomorrow in class.

Or maybe Wednesday; we have a lot to discuss.

After you watch, you might want to check out YourMorals.org to see where you rank.

[EDIT: I neglected to mention that you should also explain how your video reflects a device.]

For the past week, we’ve been discussing literary devices in British music and (mostly) WWI-era poetry.  To move our discussions into the realm of popular culture, we will compile a series of videos that represent our favorite devices.  In doing so, we will not only demonstrate understanding and application of the devices, but also (perhaps) defend YouTube as a site worthy of our perusal.  Our main challenge will be sifting through the channels for clips worth watching.

Here are the rules of the game:

• First, familiarize yourself with the list of literary devices I handed out in class.  We have covered most, but certainly not all, in our discussions this past week.
• Second, add the following devices:
  • Allegory
  • Anachronism
  • Flashback
  • Foreshadowing
  • Irony
  • Satire
• Third (before you head to YouTube), try to come up with an example off the top of your head.  (Your journal might be a handy resource for this.)  The Simpsons, Scrubs, Seinfeld, and Family Guy are rife with allusions, puns, metaphor, characterization, etc.  You can often find a short clip of your example without resorting to browsing the stacks.
• Fourth, If you cannot come up with one, begin your search.  Google’s video search is a good place to start.
• Fifth, once you find your video, please make sure it is clean (see your syllabus).  I suggest using "not suitable for minors" filter under the Advanced Search button (to the left of the Search bar) on YouTube or Google when undertaking your search.
• Finally, post a link to your example in the comments below.  (If you are unable to log in and you’re using a Yahoo! account, follow this link to enable the OpenID feature of your screenname.  If you aren’t using a Yahoo! account, send me an email with your comment and I’ll post it for you, or create a Google account.)
• Oh! Idea: If you find yourself without an example after having thoroughly searched, why not make your own video?  A short, creative clip illustrating one (or more) of the terms would be awesome (and graded accordingly).

The idea for this assignment came from this post on Todd Seal’s blog.  If you click on the link, you can view his examples for most of the devices.  As you can see, he hasn’t completed the list.  Let’s see if we can all do it in a weekend.

About a Boy Update

If you want to get a head start on About a Boy, go ahead and purchase it.  (Gardner’s or Steve’s Sundry usually has a cheap copy.)  I’ve ordered a class set at B&N on 41st, so we should begin our discussions on the 25th or 26th, depending on when they come in.

Have a great weekend!  I look forward to watching your videos!

As a quick review of today’s discussion, here are the main points we covered:

• T-DIDLS sounds funny
• Diction is the author’s choice of words; an author can make a short piece more meaningful than a long one just by choosing cool/more specific words.
• Denotation is the dictionary definition of a word; it is the word’s literal meaning.
• Connotation is what the context says about the word; it is what the word implies.
• Slang, colloquial language, and jargon are used in a persuasive setting to connect with an audience.  Using them can be risky, though; an author will secure a bond with his or her audience as often as he or she severs it.
• Slang words are words used in everyday conversation, never in academic or formal writing. They add flava to our speech, but send the wrong message when used improperly. (Did I get away with “flava”? I can use that, right?  Proper/improper?)
• Colloquialisms are tied to a geographical location. It is often easy to tell where someone lives (even if they don’t have a noticeable accent) by the phrases and words they use.  They make up the grey areas between different dialects of the same language.
• Jargon makes sense only if you are part of the group to which the piece is written. Unless you bone up on the topic. Then you’re kind of part of the group. So, it only makes sense if you are part of the group to which the piece is written.

While it turns out that Richard Nixon’s "surfer" flub was not actually recorded, I thought I’d share the other video I mentioned.  Here, Jay-Z is asked about an obscure song he wrote in 2006.  Mayor Bloomberg steps in, quoting the title.  While this has little to do with "diction," it does run parallel to the fact that if you seem to have little in common with your audience, a nod to their culture goes a long way.  This is precisely how jargon or colloquialisms (sometimes slang) can be a bridge between you and your audience.  This falls under the ETHOS category, but we’ll talk more about that soon.

Remember to bring an article to class tomorrow for discussion.

If you were confused by the RSS feed talk today, check out this older post.  I have listed sites that I enjoy, as well as a video about setting up an RSS feed yourself.

I’d add Treehugger and Popmatters to the list.

Remember, comment below, telling me who you are (if it isn’t obvious from your name), which web sites you like to visit and anything else you care to share, like good music!  If you don’t have a site to share, click on a link that has been posted, have a look around, and report back.

Buy journals soon.

Amazing first day!  Thanks, guys.