AGENDA:
Read along and listen to a reading of "Me Talk Pretty One Day"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5cAceXWCt0
pg. 166
https://sites.google.com/site/johannanrijken/project-1
Read an additional short story of your choice and write a summary/analysis of that story.
Work on your own "Sedaris" essay.
Post a reply for Questions 1-4 from previous post.
1. I find the parts where he makes fun of himself the most funny. His self-deprecating humor is fresh and innocent; I find it inspiring that he can make fun of himself so easily.
ReplyDelete2. I think the sections where Sedaris is making fun of his family are the parts that can be found most offensive. Although Sedaris usually compensates with a touching compliment, I would not know how to feel if my brother wrote about me and our family in this light. However, Sedaris makes fun of himself just as much if not more than others, balancing it all out in a way. Sedaris’ humor is making fun of people; he would not be doing his job as a comedian right if he did not slightly offend people in some instances.
3. Sedaris writes about his parents in an interesting and very relatable way. In all the stories that include his siblings, more specifically his brother Paul, he characterizes them as the type of parents that have favorite children, which he uses to his advantage to make them more comedic. Parents and children always have conflicts and differences, which Sedaris enhances and uses his own experiences to relate to his readers and prompt them to find the humor in their own relationships with their parents. In other words, Sedaris makes fun of his parents in a way that everyone can relate to—maybe even his parents can relate.
4. Sedaris highlights his insecurities and makes fun of them, therefore showing how ridiculous they actually are. By doing so, Sedaris is helping his audience in a way. For example, in “Go Carolina” Sedaris points out the ridiculousness of his lisp. A reader who has a lisp may find Sedaris’ experience inspiring and learn to work on or accept their lisp. I admire Sedaris for his courage to expose his deepest insecurities and extremely personal experiences to audiences with the hope of helping them and even lifting their spirits concerning their own hardships. This is truly inspiring and a perfect example of the power of writing.
1. The parts and sections that made me laugh in David Sedaris’s book were the parts where he pretty much insulted himself, and used his own flaws to make others and maybe even himself laugh. It’s hard to make fun of yourself and your flaws so when David does this it adds a fresh sort of humor to his book.
ReplyDelete2. Some parts of Sedaris’s book can most definitely be found offensive. Such as the parts where he is making fun of his family or the seamstress. Of course we think it’s funny or we are amused by it but others might not be. I think that making fun of others flaws and not just his own is part of the way Sedaris writes. He makes fun of himself because it wouldn’t be fair to make fun of others and not himself.
3. Sedaris writes of his parents loosely. His parents seem very specific. Sedaris’s parents let them smoke which most parents wouldn’t really allow. His father seems to get along with most of the siblings quite nicely. A lot of the times parents and children have a lot of conflict concerning the things that Sedaris’s parents would otherwise let him do. I don’t think it’s unusual for his siblings to not have any of the same interests as his father. My father is a vegan who thinks that abortion is okay and he also loves art. I hate art, I hate abortion, and I am most definitely not a vegan.
4. Sedaris shows us his flaws and the things that he has grown insecure about himself. I find them funny because he’s okay with talking about his flaws, I most definitely am not okay with my flaws so when he highlights his own it shows how silly they sometimes are. It helps us realize that our own flaws may also be silly and stupid, and helps us to maybe even show them. I love the way Sedaris writes about his faults because it’s hard and obviously takes some courage to publish them in a book.
1. Sedaris’ You Can’t Kill the Rooster essay came out to be one of the funniest pieces of literature that I’ve read in awhile. Aside from its funy plot and the contradiction between the young boy and his parents, the very vulgar language added much humor. The constant use of words like “motherfucker” and “bitch” contributed to the vast humor that the text offers. The self deprecating humor along with this made me LOL.
ReplyDelete2. Because having a demeaning attitude towards your parents is occasionally condemned as taboo, I find sections of his writing that reference his family in negative connotations slightly offensive. The phrase “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you,” may apply to this scenario. Ultimately, he makes more fun of himself than others sometimes, so it may contradict this concept.
3. It is not uncommon to see conflict between parent and child, and because of the fact that his parents had favorites amongst the many of them, Sedaris was able to tie that into his comedic writing. He was able to develop his character and writing skill in spite of his conditions at home.
4. Self deprecating humor indicates to the reader that the author has acknowledged their own flaws and is able to look upon it lightly. The fact that Sedaris was able to make fun of his experience in Paris, for example, has shown that mentally, he has grown and is able to improve his character upon that experience. As he reveals himself more and more throughout the novel, I am seeming to like Sedaris more and more.
1. Though there are many hilarious parts in Sedaris’s personal essays, there is a chain that caused me not only surprised, but made me laugh out loud after he revealed what the buildup was leading to. At first, when he mentions was going to convert him into one of America’s homosexuals, I was neutral, like: “haha, I get it gay jokes are funny moving on” but then he continues with it. It leads into his homophobic small person teacher, and I was very confused like, “this kid is like, I don’t know, eleven? What the heck”. Then he goes to college and reveals his very homosexual agenda, and how he introduces it is hilarious. Yes, young Sedaris, you are totally going to get a hard-on from the hot animal-rearing major during live drawing class (which is false, typically you do not get attractive people for live drawing class nor would you have the will to get an erection. Just pain and suffering.).
ReplyDelete2. Yes, of course some of Sedaris’s essays are going to be on the mean side and seem ill-spirited at times, because that is what he does as a comedian. As a comedian, Sedaris must take the goods with the bads and vice versa with the world and spin both in a source of entertainment for his audience. Generally comedians use hate as a tool to capture the audience, because as humans, we love someone’s maliciousness directed to someone else, and hearing or watching about it. But as a comedian, Sedaris uses the flaws of the world to not only entertain the audience, but to direct the audience’s attention to current conditions in the world, and that’s really clever—his charm, you could say.
3. His parents typically come off as the typical parent, wanting the best for their child, and wanting to see what they do best and exploiting the hell out of that. That is his parents, but there’s a twist to them in that they’re rather distant from their children, and often Sedaris talks about how his mother wasn’t the kind of person to say “I love you” to her children, as seen in “Me Talk Pretty One Day” where she declares for everything but her children. His father in particular is also a strange man, as he tries to introduce his children to things he might like, rather than what they would like. Though, because of these living conditions, Sedaris distances himself from his family members. However, there is a kinship with his siblings with their mutual distaste for their father, which is funny, because I feel like Sedaris is particularly close with his father with how often he talks and knows about him. Despite his opposing view on how his father should’ve conducted himself with his children, there are numerous moments which Sedaris keeps close to his heart such as the day at the beach, and his dad telling other men about theoretical questions. However, he has nothing in common with his father, and neither do his siblings. It’s not uncommon, it’s actually more common to have a child drastically opposite from their parent, especially if there’s pressure to be the same. It’s just how humans are.
4. Sedaris reveals a lot about himself through his essays, like his homosexuality, his family struggles, and the typical human struggles with identity. Because of his status as a comedian, he has to take his insecurities and spin it in self-deprecating humor, but there is a tinge of sadness with every time he brings up a part of himself negatively, but that might be just me. However, I like how he just opens himself out there, and it builds a larger connection between him and the audience, I would think.
1. The parts of and sections from "Me talk pretty one day" that made laugh were when Sedaris would be talking so eloquently throughout the essay and then he would start cursing and making sexual innuendos. It makes the story seem more realistic.
ReplyDelete2. I personally don't find Sedaris's book offensive, but some people might find some of his essays offensive. A lot of people might not appreciate some of the vulgar language and some of the family situations, but if Sedaris would have written any other way he wouldn't have become as successful as he is.
3. Sedaris writes about his parents and how growing up was for him. His father almost became the complete opposite of his children but still would get along with them. The way he writes about his parents seems relatable to the reader, you grow to like his family.
4. In his writing, Sedaris highlights his insecurities. He gives humorous tones that makes others laugh at his pain. Sedaris uses his comedy to show others that talking about their flaws makes people realize them and gives you a new sense of courage.
1.The funniest part of Me Talk Pretty One Day to me is still “You Can’t Kill the Rooster”. Paul’s brash and kind of vulgar humor is funny in and of itself, but the reading we heard by Sedaris also made the section more humorous. It emphasized the personality Sedaris was trying to get across in the text and also the compassion Paul shows towards their father in his own “unique” way. In trying to comfort his father, he still keeps that same vulgarity, which creates a funny juxtaposition—Paul swearing left and right while still being a kind of shoulder to lean on for his father.
ReplyDelete2.As it is a comedic book, there will, of course, be sections where Sedaris could be considered snide or mean. Although not all comedy relies on that kind of concept to get an audience to laugh, the type of subjects Sedaris covers requires a bit of a “break” to not get the audience completely “down”, therefore this kind of humor is needed, in a way. This petulance gradually becomes a part of his charm and how he deals with himself and what’s troubling him.
3.Sedaris writes his parents in a way that relatively anyone can relate to. They’re not strict in the least. Sedaris seems closest to his father by the way he speaks of him as well and by how much he mentions him it shows that’d he’s made an impression on him. The statement regarding his father is not usual, though. Considering how loosely they were parented, they were able to, in a sense, experience a lot more and develop their own interests.
4.Sedaris reveals his insecurities by making fun of them, which, in turn, shows how ridiculous they are in hindsight. I like that Sedaris reveals this because by doing so it shows the audience that it’s okay to have something irrational to not like about yourself and it’s okay to laugh about it and deal with it. These parts are sad with a hopeful undertone that one day these insecurities will not taunt him, and they’ll soon be just laughter.
1. None of the parts of the Sedaris book make me "LOL", but I can understand why other people might find certain segments funny. Through his use of sarcasm, vulgar/generally inappropriate language, and self deprecating tone, Sedaris feeds a certain type of humor.
ReplyDelete2. The entire book is pretty mean spirited and criticizes virtually every area of Sedaris' own life. While he finds humor in this style, this humor comes at the expense of possible discomfort for the reader in some areas.
3. The way Sedaris introduces his parents allows them to come off in a way that is very real, and genuine. It gives the reader something to relate to as he describes their separate personalities and the way in which they try to relate to their children. It all comes off in a very dysfunctional way.
4. Overall, the way Sedaris describes himself is very real; both in a positive and a negative way. He calls attention to the lapses and embarrassments of his life with sarcasm and humor, and because these topics are probably uncomfortable for him, it's not really anyone else's place to criticize the way in which he approaches these topics.
1. Specifically, I found “The Learning Curve” entertaining because it portrayed Sedaris as a teacher, conveying how his various students reacted to him. Right from the beginning, it is clear that he has no idea what he is doing, evidenced by the fact that he keeps himself occupied by opening and closing the door. None of his rather abstract assignments seemed to fulfill the course and many of the students were confused or even angry with his teaching style. Since this is an environment we are all familiar with, it was funny to see how he would act in a classroom setting as the authority figure.
ReplyDelete2. There are definitely sections of his essays that border on the line between humor and insults, but I do not think he gets to the point where anything is completely derogatory. The article that we read earlier in the class explains how you cannot write essays in this fashion if you are afraid of offending someone. Petulance is a huge part of his writing style because that is how he makes people laugh. His childish nature revels itself through his phrases, the way he crafts them to poke fun at everything around him, including himself.
3. Sedaris’ father seems very exploratory and curious about the world, always finding a new way to analyze it, while his mother is more detached and spends most of her time smoking and listening to the radio. His siblings, while he is sometimes close to them as a result of them banding together against their parents views, seem to each have their own special skill and otherwise keep to themselves. Sedaris is closest to his father because he is fascinated and astounded by his father’s perception of the world and what he has to offer. Although they may be opposites, he finds a home with him. This statement about all of their different interests is not unusual because children often want to rebel against whatever their parents want them to do, so it is a common theme in most families.
4. In the essay “Smart Guy,” Sedaris explains his insecurity concerning his intelligence level and how he has been treated throughout his life. Most of his essays, including this one, speak of how he is somewhat lost and never really understands what he wants or where he is going in his life. Even coming back to his lisp, when he talks about it, he tries to make it hilarious. It does get to the point where his humor becomes dark or a defense mechanism to deal with his own pain. These are the sections that seem sad, where he is giving himself no credit. Sedaris writes in a way where everyone can relate to him in some way, making his statements raw and genuine.
1. I don’t find any of Sedaris that funny. It doesn’t appeal to my sense of humor. There were a few lines that I thought were clever, but I didn’t really find any of it that funny. I find the whole self-deprecating thing kind of depressing. “Twelve Moments in the Life of the Artist” is particularly depressing, as he is describing an artform that I dislike and his failures as a person.
ReplyDelete2. Petulance is certaining a part of Sedaris’s schtick, as his entire persona is based on pessimism and self-deprecation. When he is describing his experience as a college professor, he explains that he has very little experience in the field and just does what he wants to do, with little regard of the opinions of others. Though he often makes fun of others, he makes fun of himself as well, balancing the scale. I still don’t think it’s funny though.
3. Sedaris writes about his parents in interesting ways, though he focuses more on his father than his mother. His father is peculiar, stubborn and passionate, and he cares deeply about his children, shown through his attempts to give them purpose. Sedaris seems to relate to his siblings closely, as they often have to deal with the same antics of his parents, but are still subject to his criticism.
4. Sedaris often reveals his insecurities throughout the essay, such as his intelligence in the essay, “Smart Guy”, his artistic ability in “Twelve Moments in the Life of the Artist”, and his dysfunctional family and struggles with homosexuality throughout the book. Though these are serious issues, Sedaris uses a humorous tone to relay the issues to his audience, making them more relatable to the audience.
1. The body parts that makes me laugh are ears and feet because they can abnormally big or unnaturally small.
ReplyDelete2. I do not find anything Sedaris says as mean or evil-spirited because I feel like it’s part of his charm. In addition, because I feel like I can just as sarcastic or satirical if not more as Sedaris.
3. I feel like Sedaris was the closest to his mother as many boys are though he felt as if his mother did not care for him as she did his younger brother. In addition to that his father did not connect to him because he expected too much of him. In addition, I do not feel like it is unusual to have a parent you do not connect to because we are human and we do not have the same interest as everyone else.
4. I feel like Sedaris is strong and courageous to reveal all of his insecurities and secrets because he did not have to it, but he did it to make someone else’s life better and I admire him for that.
1) Personally, my favorite thing from David Sedaris' essays is his time in Paris. I feel like this is really where he gets his groove, and isn't just preoccupied and spending all of his time and money on drugs. He has a sarcastic way of observing this new land, and I like seeing the world through his eyes.
ReplyDelete2) None of it rubbed me the wrong way, as in snide or mean spirited, although if he voiced his thoughts out loud I'm sure the people around him might not have felt the same way, especially if they were named in his book. However, I tend to think like him, so it makes sense that I wouldn't be insulted.
3) His parents come across as caring, but not quite sure how to make that evident in their behavior towards him. On the other hand, I can see how he might have just turned the way his parents talked to him and acted around him slightly so as to make his essays more humorous. I know I do that sometimes, even though I have a great relationship with my parents, to make others laugh.
4) I like Sedaris as a kid, and then I like Sedaris in Paris, but when he is just hopped up on drugs I still think he's funny, but less so. I think it was courageous for him to reveal all of his past, and that's why he hides behind all of his humor.