In practicing your impromptu (improvised) presentations, you should practice with a general method. That's the whole point of the exercise, as I pointed out in class. That is there should be a routine method of gathering information, inventing ideas about a topic, etc. Newspaper reporters, police, and public speakers all use the same proved methods.
Here are some methods I've discussed many times in class and in email handouts. But again I warn you: the method is not an end in itself. It's what works that counts. That's why I don't bother with devoting a whole semester to learning these. Because soon learning about methods replaces using them in an easy and casual manner. One doesn't take exams on going shopping; yet most people know how to make checklists before they go to a big department store to Hong Kong. Methods of invention are no different from common checklists. Here are some Methods of Invention (that is, ways of discovery).
One is the common newspaper method known as the 5 W's and H:
5 W's + H
TOPIC: Vacations.
What is a vacation?
Where should one go?
When is the best time to take a vacation?
Why go on vacations?
Who goes/should go on a vacation?
The meaning of a vacation. When we define something we put it into a larger class.
"Woman" belongs to the class of humankind. "Jazz" belongs to the class of music. We also isolate its traits: "music is enjoyed in terms of rhythm, melody, sound (timbre), harmony (blending of tones), etc.
ETYMOLOGY. (word origin).
Work on the word origin of "vacation" or a related word: "holiday" = holy day. Possible pun: "holy day" = "wholly day": a vacation belongs "wholly" to you. So it's a time to relax.
COMPARISON.
Different kinds of vacations. Comparing vacations and other remedies (pills, medical care, therapy, shopping, etc.).
CONTRARY (ANTITHESIS/OPPOSITES).
"If you feel sick working, you'll find your cure in a well-spent vacation. Instead of pressure, why not choose peace? Why kill yourself earning money when you can add years to your life by spending money instead?"
CONTRADITION.
What a vacation is not:
"A vacation should not be a time of stress; one should not go on a vacation just to escape from life; one should not go on a vacation just to make your neighbors or colleagues envious. Vacations should not be more stressful than one's regular life."
MORE AND LESS.
"If you're willing to spend thousands of dollars on medical checkups, how much more so should you be willing to spend far less on a brief vacation, which probably will be of greater medical aid."
CAUSE/EFFECT.
Why do people go/need to go on vacations? What are the benefits of a vacation?
PROVERBS.
Quote a proverb or a pop song: "As Frank Sinatra sang in one of his hit records, 'Let's Get Away From It All.'"
ANTECEDENT/CONSEQUENCE.
This covers probable cause and effect (not certain cause and effect), usually in the form of "if" clauses:
"If you don't take a vacation now, you're not likely to take a vacation ever. So stop planning to do it and do it. Why not pack up and leave today instead of always planning to do so sometime in the distant future?"
PAST FACT/FUTURE FACT.
"You took vacations ten years ago; there's no reason you cannot take them today."
POSSIBLE AND IMPOSSIBLE.
"If you were able to take time off to attend your child's birthday party, you're able to find time for a vacation."
"If you can take days off when you're sick, you can take days off when you're healthy too!"
TESTIMONY (QUOTES).
"People who return from vacations say they feel better, younger, healthier, more motivated," etc.
Or quote a famous writer.
EXAMPLE. Cite a famous movie; a scene from a movie. Give examples of what vacations are like in Paris, Vienna, Venice, Moon Lake, etc.
DIVISION.
Divide up the idea of "vacation" into different parts.
For example,
"A vacation need not be an expensive getaway to Paris nightclubs or the beaches of Nice. It can be as simple as a weekend hunting in the woods only miles away; or it can be a single day at home listening to music, with the phone turned off and the shades drawn down, etc. "There are many kinds of vacations. There are the obvious tours of Rome, Bangkok, Melbourne and so on. There are the ski trips to Colorado and the ocean cruises and the flights over the Grand Canyon or the gambling weekends in Las Vegas. But vacations need not take those obvious, and often expensive, forms. A vacation can be a day's barbecue in one's humble backyard."
CONTRAST.
"You're sitting in your office: the phones are ringing; your blood pressure is rising; your head is pounding; the voices of your colleagues are deafening; the second-hand smoke from your co-worker next to you is choking you. So instead of sitting you think of sailing. Instead of phones ringing you dream of birds chirping. Instead of your blood pressure rising, you imagine relaxing on a patio holding a gin and tonic in your hand. Instead of your head pounding, you wish you were pounding the beaches of Malibu or paddling the rapids in Michigan. Instead of the deafening voices of your colleagues, you prefer the softly informative voices of a tour guide in Helsinki, embroidering her tour lecture with details of the life of Finnish composer and patriot, Jean Sibelius."
And so on.
ANALOGY.
"A vacation is like taking a trip to the moon. It's difficult blasting off, but once you do there's nothing like it."
"A vacation is like a blood transfusion but without medical risks."
Or try the list method, as when one goes shopping. Just make a list of things one should buy/mention:
1. Why people go on vacation.
2. Who goes?
3. Name some places people go to.
4. Discuss why people go to those place.
5. Explain why people go to vacations in general.
6. Think of a memorable quote about holidays or vacations.
7. Compare vacations in different cultures.
8. When do people take vacations?
9. How do they feel after a vacation?
10. What are some fears peole may have about vacations?
11. Disadvantages: taking medical shots; passports; visas, hotel bookings, money problems.
12. Advantages: Getting away; relaxing; education; eating, etc.
And so on.
1. Why do people take vacations?
2. Why should I go on vacation?
3. Which places to go to?
4. What about people who don't have too much money?
5. What are some of the dangers? Robbery, theft, illness, etc.
6. What if someone is afraid of flying?
7. Which trains are best?
8. Is one place better than many?
9. Is the country better than the city?
10. Does one need to spend much money?
And so on.
Of course, all of this has to become a general and routine method of inventing ideas; that is, it should become automatic.
The shopper doesn't say, "Now I'm going to come up with ideas of what to buy in Shanghai." It becomes automatic.
So when you practice at home, you should instantly know how to use a method of inventing, then ordering, ideas with a beginning, middle, end, an introductory sentence or two and a memorable conclusion.
<Well, Just take a walk down Lonely Street.> (Elvis Presley record)
"Thank you. We return you now. . . ."
"This is your outer space disc jockey with a request for Earth."
<Earth Angel, Earth Angel.> (Pelicans record)
"That was the Pelicans' outer space recording. . . ."
"Earth! I've just been handed a bulletin. The flying saucer has just landed. We switch you again, downtown. We can see the monster now. He's wearing. . . ."
<A white sportscoat. . . .> (Marty Robbins record)
"I think the monster is about to speak."
<I wonder why nobody don't like me, or is the fact that I'm ugly?>
(Harry Belafonte Calypso record)
"There's only one person who can save these people now. Stepping out of the spaceship is Elvis. How do you feel about this situation?"
<I'm a little mixed up but I'm feeling fine.> (Elvis record)
"Do you think you can save Mars from the monster?"
<Yeah, yeah.> (Elvis record)
Irving Berlin's White Christmas vies with Jingle Bells as the most universal of secular Christmas songs. This Oscar-winning song was featured in the 1942 movie, Holiday Inn, and included a verse, often omitted these days, but sung by Barbra Streisand on one of her Christmas albums.
{Verse} The sun is shining, the grass is green, the orange and palm trees sway, there's never been such a day in Beverly Hills, L.A. But it's December the 24th and I am longing to be up north. {Chorus} I'm dreaming of a white Christmas.
Bing Crosby's version of this song is by far the most famous and was once the biggest-selling single of all time. (Elton John's special version of "Candle in the Wind" now holds that distinction, but as a charity single.) Sinatra, the singer who surpassed Crosby as a song stylist, also recorded this song.
I'm dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones I used to know, where the tree tops glisten and children listen to hear sleigh bells in the snow.
In the Rock era, liberties were taken with the song. Elvis recorded an R&B version for his first Christmas album. Hard as it may be to believe today, Elvis' first Christmas album caused a furor when it was released, many DJs refusing to play it, deeming it an insult to the holiday. The song's composer, Irving Berlin, also was angered by this song version:
I'm dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones I used to know. May your days, may your days, may your days be merry and bright and may all your Christmases be white.
But teenagers loved the record! What most teenagers didn't know, however, was that Elvis copied his version from an earlier R&B version by the black doo-wop group, The Drifters, using the typical falsetto of the doo-wop style. Still, Elvis added his own distinctive vocal style to the arrangement.
I, I, I am dreaming of a white Christmas with every Christmas card I write, may your days, may your days, may your days be merry and bright and may all your Christmases be white. I, I, I, I'm dreaming of a white Christmas.
Like "White Christmas," "Have Yourself a Merry Christmas" is another Christmas song whose original context is often forgotten. It was introduced by Judy Garland during World War II for the movie, Meet Me in St. Louis. The lyric specifically addressed the issue of absent men fighting the war, while their loved ones can only have a "little Christmas" without them, hoping that, once the war is over, "our troubles will be out of sight." (In the movie, set at the turn of the century, the song's lyric had a different significance.) Besides Garland, Streisand also recorded this song. It was featured in the movie, The Godfather; and most recently Christina Aguilera included a more embellished version of the song on her Christmas album:
Have yourself a merry little Christmas, let your heart be light, from now on our troubles will be out of sight (next year all our troubles will be out of sight).
But what's a merry Christmas without a silent night? And "Silent Night" is the most famous of all Christmas songs, secular or religious. It was written on Christmas Eve by the Austrian organist, Johann Gruber, and played on an acoustic guitar because the organ had broken down. Barbra Streisand includes it on one Christmas album, and Elvis included it on his first Christmas album, singing it straight, obviously out of respect for the religious spirit of the song. (Elvis was raised in a southern Christian church, part of the "Bible Belt"states and said he learned Rock 'n' Roll by watching singers in black churches.) Mahalia Jackson was the most celebrated gospel singer of the twentieth century and she gave a powerful reading of the song.
Silent night, holy night, all is calm all is bright.
Christmas is more than religion; it's about the season too. And what would Christmas be without snow? For this reason, "Winter Wonderland" is one of the most popular (and one of the best) secular Christmas songs. The song is distinctive for its feminine rhymes (glistening/listening) and its simple metaphor of a winter landscape as a "wonderland." Pat Boone, one of many who recorded this song, was one of the clean-cut "pop hopes" expected to replace Elvis with a tamer (and safer) teenage appeal, especially since Elvis was in the army. Of course, that didn't happen: Boone never really sang good Rock 'n' Roll, though he was a good ballad singer, as his version of "Winter Wonderland" shows:
Sleigh bells ring, are you listening, in the lane snow is glistening, a beautiful sight we're happy tonight walking in the winter wonderland.
Besides snow, one thinks of children at Christmas; and what would children be without Santa Claus? Christmas has given the world many children's songs, many linked to Santa Claus. "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" is one of the most famous:
You'd better watch out, you'd better not cry, you'd better not pout, I'm telling you why (why?), Santa Claus is coming to town.
Along with children go novelty songs. "Novelty songs" are songs whose main distinction is something unusal or funny about them, rather than the melody or lyric. These novelty songs include the well-known Chipmunk records ("Christmas Time Is Here") as well as this song about "Mommy" kissing Santa Claus (who, of course, is really her husband).
I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus underneath the mistletoe last night.
The distinction between novelty songs and children's songs may not always be clear-cut. In any case, "Here Comes Santa Claus" is one of the more popular children's songs. Elvis recorded this for his first Christmas album.
Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus, riding down Santa Claus Lane. Vixen and Blitzen and all his reindeer pulling on the rein. Bells are ringing, children singing, all is merry and bright, hang your stockings and say your prayers cause Santa Claus comes tonight.
In the same vein, cowboy movie star, Gene Autry popularized "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," dramatizing the life of one of Santa's reindeer, made famous in the children's verse, "The Night Before Christmas."
Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer had a very shiny nose, and if you ever saw it, you would even say it glows.
With Rudolph's fame, it was only natural that Rock 'n' Roll would find a place for him, as in Chuck Berry's seasonal classic, "Run, Rudolph, Run!"
Out of all the reindeers*, you know you're the master mind, run, run, Rudolph, Randolph ain't too far behind. Run, run Rudolph, Santa's gotta make it to town. Santa make him hurry, tell him he can take the freeway down. Run, run Rudolph, cause I'm reeling like a merry-go-round.
*Note, "reindeer" is usually unmarked for plural, though Berry adds an "s."
Without mentioning Rudolph, "The Little Drummer Boy" became one of the better novelty songs and is heard in almost all versions. Famous pop pianist, Liberace recorded a typically flashy version of the song, without lyric.
All the songs we've heard so far were written by white composers, though one was performed by a black doo-wop group, The Drifters. A lot has changed, however, in the last several decades. Black influence on Christmas songs started at least as early as Bessie Smith's 1925 record, "At the Christmas Ball" (not strictly a Blues). But later Blues and R&B artists had greater influence. The Moonglows, famous for sentimental doo-wop ballads, also recorded this unusual R&B blues, a rarity:
Hey Santa Claus (repeat) Well Santa Claus bring my baby back to me, hey Santa Claus bring my baby back to me.
Influenced by black artists, white artists followed, as we saw with Elvis' cover of the Drifters' recording of "White Christmas." White teenage singer, Brenda Lee, had a 1950s hit with one of the first Rock Christmas songs, "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," still heard and covered today. (A hop, by the way, was a teenage dance venue.)
Rocking around the Xmas tree at the Xmas party hop, mistletoe hung where you can see every couple tries to stop. Rocking around the Xmas tree, let the Christmas spirit ring, later we'll have some pumpkin pie and we'll do some caroling.
"Jingle Bell Rock," a more inane song, and lacking Lee's ebullient and skilled vocal, followed soon after.
Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock. Jingle bells swing and jingle bells ring. Snowing and blowing and bushels of fun, now the jingle hop has begun.
Rock was not the only genre that sang seasonal greetings. Charles Brown's "Merry Christmas Baby" is one of the few Christmas Blues. Rock artist, Chuck Berry recorded a cover of this Blues, with a tinkling Blues-styled piano and Berry's variation on "White Christmas" featured in the guitar bridge. ( A "hi-fi" is a high fidelity record player.)
Merry Christmas, baby, you really did treat me nice. Merry Christmas baby, you really did treat me nice. You bought me a hi-fi for Christmas, now I'm living in Paradise. Well I'm feeling mighty fine, I've got good music on my radio. Well I feel so fine, I got good music on my radio. Yes, I wanna hug and kiss you baby, while you're standing beneath the mistletoe.
Besides Rock and Roll and the Blues there was disco, such as in this disco adaptation of a famous Handel tune called, "See the Conquering Hero." George Frederick Handel was a baroque composer (like Bach) who wrote many oratorios (operas without stage action and on religious subjects). One oratorio, Joshua, featured this song, which became an instant hit. "Zion's Daughter" borrows the tune and pumps it up for a good disco Christmas record. "Zion's daughter," by the way, means the Virgin Mary, that is, daughter of Jerusalem (=Zion).
Zion's daughter, now your heart is full of joy, in a cradle in the manger lies a holy boy. Zion's daughter with your sweet angelic smile, holding in your arms the Christ child resting for a while.
This record was a hit for the disco band, Boney M., who had an even bigger Christmas single with "Mary's Boy Child." As we've seen, Elvis started the trend of Christmas with a beat. But compared to current hip hop Christmas songs, Elvis' early Christmas hit, "Blue Christmas," might almost sound old-fashioned today. But Elvis' recording still packs a punch for those with ears to hear: listen to the way he attacks the opening phrase, "I'll have a. . . ." while a rhythmic bass pattern adds interest (and gloom) to the song. "Blue Christmas" is now a classic and has been recorded by many artists since, including pop singer, Dean Martin; country singer, Jim Reeves, and French-Canadian chanteuse, Celine Dion.
I'll have a blue Christmas without, I'll be so blue just thinking about you. Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree, won't be the same, dear, if you're not here with me. And when those blue snowflakes start falling, that's when those blue memories start calling, you'll be doing all right with your Christmas of white, but I'll have a blue, blue, blue, blue Christmas.
Christmas songs work in all kinds of styles, not only Rock and pop. Italian-American pop tenor, Mario Lanza, was especially noted for his sentimental versions of Christmas songs. "O Christmas Tree" is based on the German song, "O Tannebaum" (the melody is also Maryland's state song).
Oh Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, forever true your color.
"O Holy Night," written by the French ballet composer, Adolphe Adam, has Lanza's signature high note at the end:
O night, when Christ was born, O night, divine, O night, O night divine. O holy night!
But some people can't be home for that "holy night." "I'll Be Home for Christmas" is another World War II song whose sad significance is often forgotten. Written from the point of view of a soldier, it tells of his dream to celebrate Christmas at home. Written by Buck Ram, who managed and composed for The Platters ("Only You"), this song is now a standard. Elvis recorded a moving version of the song, successfully blending ballad and rhythmic phrasing (compare the title phrase and "where our love-light gleams" or "for Christmas, oh yes!"). But Elvis can color even a single word, like "mistletoe," with suggestive overtones:
I'll be home for Christmas, you can plan on me. Please have snow and mistletoe and presents on the tree. Christmas Eve will find me, where the love light gleams, I'll be home for Christmas, oh yes, if only in my dreams.
This Elvis record, like the others heard here, were all included on Elvis' first Christmas long-play album. That album offended all but the teenage market on its first release, for two opposite reasons. Adults were offended that Elvis would insult traditional songs, such as "Silent Night," but they also disliked the Rock and Roll songs written specially for the album, which seemed to show disrespect for the holiday. Evident on one of these, "Santa Bring My Baby Back To Me" is Elvis' typical "dirty" phrasing on the words, "I just need my baby's arms a-wound around me tight."
I don't need a lot of presents to make my Christmas bright, I just need my baby's arms a-wound around me tight, oh Santa, hear my plea, Santa bring my baby back to me.
Typical of Elvis' "dirty" way with a lyric is "Santa Claus Is Back in Town," a rare Christmas Blues. The way Elvis growls out the line, "You be a real good little girl" almost defines "dirty" singing. The suggestiveness of Elvis' vocal can still be felt today. No wonder mothers hated him! Yet now he's the most revered icon of pop culture, his image on a postage stamp, while heads of state visit his home, Graceland:
Well it's Christmas time, pretty baby, and the snow is falling on the ground. Well it's Christmas time pretty baby and the snow is falling down, well, you be a real good little girl, Santa Claus is back in town.
Rock soon developed from sexual suggestion to social message. Beatle, John Lennon's Christmas song, "Happy Xmas, War is Over," has become a standard, covered recently by Celine Dion, among others. For Bible students, the message goes back to the Letter of James, teaching that "love" without "works" is meaningless. So Lennon asks, "what have you done?"
So this is Christmas and what have you done, another year over, and a new one just begun.
But some people don't like a Christmas message at all. As America becomes a secular nation, many stores try to eliminate the word "Christmas," replacing it with "holiday" instead. This has offended some Christians who have called for a boycott of those stores. So this year, stores, fearful of losing money, are again saying, "Merry Christmas," instead of "Happy Holiday." But, should the need arise, this Irving Berlin song is perfect for a secular celebration of the season:
Happy holiday, happy holiday, while the merry bells keep ringing, happy holiday to you!
Regardless what one's prejudices about Christmas, new songs keep coming, from the earliest carols to the latest hip hop records by the likes of Snoop Dogg. Each music genre has its own style and a message to match. Johnny Mathis was one of the great balladeers of the 1950s. His two Christmas albums included great ballads, such as this "message" song, that, "Christmas Is a Feeling in Your Heart." This vocal is a model of great phrasing:
There are toys for girls and boys, silver bells make merry noise, yet you should remember from the start, Christmas is a feeling in your heart. Holly wreathes and mistletoe, carols while the candles glow, these are not the most important part, Christmas is a feeling in your heart.
Another recording by Mathis, "Marshmallow World" may also be included among the novelty songs, or as yet another hymn to the beauty of winter, seen as children's candy:
It's a marshmallow world in the winter when the snow comes to cover the ground, it's the time for play, it's a whipped cream day, I wait for it the whole year round.
In fact, a song about winter is one way to escape the concept of Christmas yet still observe the seasonal holiday. (In American schools the Christmas school break is now called the winter school break! The argument is that America was established on the principle of separation of church and state; therefore no public school can proclaim a religious holiday.) In this spirit, the seasonal classic, "Silver Bells," seems to walk a thin line between Christmas and winter:
City sidewalks, busy sidewalks, dressed in holiday style, in the air there's a feeling of Christmas.
Even when one mentions Christmas, there seems to be no limit to the style one can use. Yet one style of Christmas song seems rather rare. In fact, the lovely song, "Christmas Waltz" is the only Christmas waltz I know of:
Frosted window panes, candles gleaming inside, painted candy canes on the tree. Santa's on his way, he's filled his sleigh with things, things for you and for me. It's that time of year when the world falls in love, every song you hear seems to say, "Merry Christmas."
Even without a waltz rhythm, as we've heard, songs about winter can bring, ironically, a sense of warmth, as heard in another great winter song, "Let It Snow":
Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful, and since we've no place to go, let is snow, let it snow, let it snow.
Finally, what is a song if people can't sing along with it? This may be the most famous "sing along" Christmas song. Like most "sing along" songs, both melody and lyric are simple enough to remember and sing:
We wish you a merry Christmas, we wish you a merry Christmas, we wish you a merry Christmas, and a happy new year.
When a little boy saw his mom collapse, dialing 911 came as easy as 1, 2, 3.
Good afternoon, everyone. I'm Mia Lee.
And I'm Dave Gonzalez. Our top story here this afternoon at 2 o'clock.
He's being called a young hero today. Five-year-old Lloyd picks up the phone, calls 911 after his mom collapses on the floor.
With that, [pause] Michael Richards apologized again for a rant that shocked the country. Standing next to Reverend Jesse Jackson, Richards tried to explain why [pause] he went on a racially charged tirade [pause] and used the "n" word against two men [pause] who heckled him [pause] during a comedy show before Thanksgiving.
Richards appeared on Jackson's Keep Hope Alive radio program in Los Angeles, where he said he is not a racist.
"Did you say this before?"
"No. No, no, no. There's no justification for the things that I said. But I was in, in show mode and it was heightened. And at times I tried to turn it around and I used the words I said in my act."
Richards says he tried to talk to the two men after the show [pause] to apologize [pause] but they had already gone. After the program, Richards, Jackson, and comedian Paul Mooney [pause] talked about using this incident [pause] to help heal racial rifts [pause] in the country.
"The first step is to acknowledge your wrong. The second step is to become contrite about it, not arrogant. The third is it takes time to regain or earn trust. And that's where the healing process begins."
Jackson also took issue with blacks [pause] using the "n" word in songs [pause] or in reference to each other. Mooney said he's a changed man because of what happened.
"Michael has cured me. He's my Dr. Phil. I won't be using the word anymore. I won't be using it."
Jackson says he's calling on all artists, [pause] television [pause] and radio stations [pause] not to air the word in any songs [pause] or programs. He said the word is so steeped in negativity, it only brings pain. He thanked Richards for acknowledging what he did [pause] and for his willingness to get help.
The actor says,
"I've been a conduit to something that is quite meaningful. And the work begins outside and the work begins inside. Bless you."
Ed Donohue, [pause] the Associated Press.
I've tried to mark speech differences in the following way. Orange is the broadcaster; red is the quoted speech of John Legend; blue is a media clip. Bigger font is more emphatic speech; smaller font is run-on, more quickly-paced, speech. Underlined text is special emphasis. Italics has no significance here and simply identifies the name of Legend's Rock album.
Observe that one does not need to raise one's voice for emphasis; sometimes, as I remarked in class, emphasis is a matter of contrast, whether from low to high or from high to low. Observe especially, how her voice lowers on Kwan's delivery of the phrases, "Best New Artist," "at sixteen," and "Connie West."
Regarding content, Kwan starts with a subordinate clause, which draws the listener into the speech immediately. She focuses first on Legend's stage name, to get a handle on her subject: John Legend. What better way than by his name? That's called an angle or a "hook": hooking the audience in that way.
Naturally, Kwan supports her comment about Legend's name by having a clip where he speaks of choosing his name. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Which came first here, the quote or the opening sentence? I suspect Kwan had the clip and that inspired her to write an introduction that led up to the clip. (NOTE" Though I say "Kwan," Kwan may just be reading from written "copy" in front of her. But for convenience I'll use her name.)
This clip seamlessly leads to the next clip, fulfilling Legend's warning that "I'd better be good" (the next clip tells of him winning Best New Artist).
Kwan adds more confirmation in the next part of her speech, beginning, coherently, with the word, "Validation," as if to support Legend's previous claim that "I'd better be good."
The "validation" includes information on the success of Legend's first album. Since this album won several Grammys, the next clip coherently explains his and his family's presence at that awards show.
Another music clip follows. (These music clips should not be a problem, since they're not specific in content.)
But next Kwan must get to Legend's brief biography. The coherence is apparent, since one naturally seeks "present" success in "past" education or what led to that success.
Kwan focuses first on Legend's home schooling, using cataphora (pronoun before the noun) to add punch to the broadcast.
(Compare: "Stephens was home-schooled during some of his early years." Instead Kwan chose a cataphoric form: "Home-schooled during some of his early years," etc. In general, cataphora works well in media broadcasts.)
In terms of speech patterns, Kwan stresses Legend's early (precocious) education by first raising her pitch on an early year (twelve) then lowering her pitch (sixteen). For further emphasis she quickens her pace before saying "twelve," to insure double stress by both raising her pitch and slowing down her pace on that word telling of a youthful age.
Kwan next finds a relevant, if not inevitable, clip about making out with girls at that young age. If available, she might have used any clip about the problems or virtues of that age. The point is, the clip, though not logically necessary, doesn't weaken coherence but doesn't contradict it either.
Then Kwan jumps to the beginning of Legend's success: his meeting Connie West. She stresses West's importance not by raising her pitch but by lowering it. She also quickens the pace at the beginning, deciding what's important and what is not (a roommate at Penn who introduced him to West is not important, but only necessary transition information, so she quickens her pace).
The next media clip of Legend speaking coherently begins on "He," as a substitute reference to "Connie West," thus insuring coherence with Kwan's last presentation.
Kwan uses the same trick when she speaks again, starting off with "They," thus referring to both West and Legend, insuring coherence. Then she uses the topical aid, "comparison," to develop the relationship between Legend and West, another way to insure coherence. The comparison and contrast probably has more substance than any other part of the speech.
Kwan's next trick to insure coherence is the use of the conjunction, "But." There is no inevitable or necessary link between what went before and her next comment about the second record album. In fact, coherence throughout is arbitrary to a degree; it's imposed on the material rather than necessary to the material.
But a news broadcast, especially about an entertainment issue, does not require necessary coherence; arbitrary coherence is good enough. It's like a mother telling a child,
"First we'll shop for some toys, and then Mommy has to buy her school books, and then we'll sit down and have a nice milkshake."
This is a kind of arbitrary coherence in the telling rather than in the logic of it (for example, the child may not see any relationship between buying toys and buying the mother's books).
However, a political analysis would be different. The coherence would have to be more than arbitrary if one wished to prove that an official should be investigated for a crime. The coherence would have to be logical and convincing.
But if you notice, there is no necessary logical coherence between the spoken narration and the quoted media clips. The coherence is more superficial: it's imposed on the material. Still it works for its limited purpose.
(Remember, purpose is a big part of the communication triangle, linked to the Speaker.)
The final phrase, "once again," further imposes coherence by linking the end to the beginning: "John Legend as a singer worth talking about."
The final media clip again imposes coherence by making the viewer see a relationship between the success of the second album and the fact that John Legend is no longer an awkward twleve-year-old boy.
Again the question comes to mind: which came first, the content or the media clips. More likely it was a dialogue between a limited number of media clips and the writer's attempt to coherently tell a story with those few media clips,insuring coherence by a hint of cause-and-effect, comparison and contrast (Legend and West), and definition (the meaning of success=record sales). Note the writer leaves out a topic such as "division": dividing up Legend's talents into lyric writing, musician, singer, performer, MTV artist, etc. Obviously there wasn't time for all that. The writer had to be selective in the minute or so that she had for her broadcast.
(NOTE: I cannot figure out the phrase, "duty houser," which may be a name, like Doolie Hauser, perhaps someone famous for being home-schooled. But I've found no reference for someone with that or a related name. He may also be a popular film character. If you know, you can email me.)
When you choose John Legend as your stage name, you'd better be able to back it up.
"I said, you know, people are going to think this guy is very bold, this guy, he must think a lot of himself and he'd better be good. And so I said, 'You know what, I'd better be good.'"
[Media clip] "Best New Artist, John Legend."
Validation came last February when the singer-songwriter's debut album Get Lifted, earned him three Grammys, including Best New Artist.
"My parents were there. I had probably more family than anyone there. I had about eighteen family members coming from Ohio."
[Media clip]
Home-schooled during some of his early years, Stephens was a real-life duty houser. Starting high school when he was twelve and entering the University of Pennsylvania at sixteen.
"When you try to hit on girls when you're 12, 14, 15, it doesn't really work."
A roommate at Penn introduced him to his cousin, an aspiring hip hop artist and producer named [pause] Connie West.
"He used to loan me money when I was, when I was, when I was struggling as a musician, before I got a record deal."
[Media clip]
They're a study in contrasts, the soft-spoken Ivy League graduate and the outspoken college dropout. But with Legend's second album in stores, the producer and his protege are on their way to striking platinum [pause] once again.
"I'm no longer that awkward twelve year old."
In Hollywood, I'm Denise Kwan.
Jeff: Well, now look, now look
Lisa: If you're saying all this because you don't want to tell me the _____, because you're ______ something from me, then maybe I can understand.
Jeff: I'm not hiding anything! It's just that—
Lisa: It doesn't make sense! What's so _______ about it here from over there, or any place you go, that one person couldn't live in both places just as ______?
Jeff: Some people can. Now if you'll just let me explain—
Lisa: What is it but traveling from one place to another taking pictures? It's just like being a ______ on an endless ________.
Jeff: OK. Now that's your opinion. You're ______ to it. Now let me give you my side—
Lisa: It's _______ to say that it can only be done by a special, private little group of ______ people. . .
Jeff: I made a simple statement, a true statement, but I can _______ if you'll just _______ for a minute!
Lisa: If your opinion is as ______ as your manner, I don't think I care to hear it.
Jeff: Oh, come on now, simmer down.
Lisa: You—I can't ______ in here—you can't _____ in there. I mean, according to you, people should be _____, live and die on the same ____.
Jeff: SHUT UP! Did you ever eat fish ______ in rice?
Lisa: Of course not.
Jeff: Well, you might have to if you went with me. Did you ever try to keep warm on a C-54 at 15,000 feet, 20 degrees below zero?
Lisa: Oh, I do it all the time. Whenever I have a few minutes after lunch.
Jeff: Did you ever get shot at? Did you ever get run over? Did you ever get sandbagged at night because somebody got _______ publicity from your camera? Did you ever—those high-heels, they'll be great in the ______ and the nylons and those six ounce lingerie—
Lisa: Three!
Jeff: All right. Three! They'll make a big _____ in Finland just before you freeze to death?
Lisa: Well, if there's one thing I know, it's how to wear the ______ clothes.
Jeff: Yeah, yeah. Well try and find a ______ in _____, even when it isn't raining. Lisa. In this job, you carry one ______, your home is the available _______. You don't sleep very _____, you bathe less, and sometimes the food that you eat is made from ______ that you couldn't even _____ at when they're alive.
Lisa: Jeff, you don't have to be ________ repulsive just to _____ me I'm wrong.
Jeff: _________ _________! I'm just trying to make it sound good. You just have to face it, Lisa, you're not _______ for that kind of a life. Few people are.
Lisa: You're too stubborn to ______ with.
Jeff: I'm not stubborn—I'm just ______.
Lisa: I know, a _______ man would have told me it was one long
holiday—and I would have been awakened to a ______ disillusionment.
Jeff: Oh, well now, wait a minute. Now wait a minute. If you want to get ______ on this, I'll be very happy to _________ you.
Lisa: No, I don't _________ want that. So that's it. You won't stay here and I can't go with you.
Jeff: It would be the wrong thing.
Lisa: You don't think either one of us could ever ______?
Jeff: Right now, it doesn't ______ so.
Lisa: I'm in love with you. I don't care what you do for a _____. I'd just like to be ______ of it somehow. It's deflating to find out the only way I can be part of it is to take out a ________ to your _______. I guess I'm not the girl I thought I was.
Jeff: There's nothing wrong with you, Lisa. You've got this town in the _____ of your hand.
Lisa: Not quite it seems. Goodbye, Jeff.
Jeff: You mean, 'Good night.'
Lisa: I mean what I said.
Jeff: Well, Lisa, couldn't we just, uh, couldn't we just keep things ________?
Lisa: Without any _______?
Jeff: Well, when am I gonna see you again?
Lisa: Not for a _____ time. At least not _____ tomorrow night.
Words, in fact, may be a trap. Alfred Hitchcock's celebrated thriller, North by Northwest (1959) is a model study of the way speech can distort human relationships rather than enhance them. Its hero, Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant) finds his true self only when he stops speaking as he's learned to.
The film begins showing Thornhill's easy way with words. We hear his voice before we see him emerge from a crowded elevator, as if his voice might belong to anyone.
Thornhill is, in fact, Everyman, or, rather, Urban Everyman, who yet might live anywhere. As an espionage secretary later says, "Goodbye, Mr. Thornhill, wherever you are."
From the beginning, Hitchcock focuses on speech behavior. Even Thornhill's casual speaking sounds like official dictation, a habit in his advertising profession. His fluency is contrasted against a company employee, who, asked about his wife says, "We're not talking."
This at first suggests that not speaking is a sign of a failed relationship. Yet as the film progresses, the opposite seems true: speech is a way to disguise the failure of relationships.
Thornhill, though unmarried (divorced twice), has no trouble speaking. We see him sweet-talk himself into another's waiting taxi, by falsely saying his secretary is ill, then spout trade slogans to her to justify his lie: "In the world of advertising there's no such thing as a lie, there's only expedient exaggeration."
It is only later, when Thornhill exposes his real self in a romantic relationship, that he recognizes the difference between the truth and a lie, scolding an espionage agent for lying to him. In the meantime, to morally balance the taxi scene, in the convention of "poetic justice," Hitchcock later shows Thornhill desperately try to flag down a passing automobile to make his escape from a menacing crop-duster plane. But now, unable to rely on clever verbal persuasion, Thornhill is reduced to frantic gestures, as the car speeds by him.
Yet it's when speech fails him that Thornhill discovers his true self. Speech helps conceal our real needs, thus our real identity. Not only are words slippery: our misuse of them makes them more so.
At its best, speech is often used at cross-purposes. This occurs in the kidnapping sequence, when Thornhill is mistaken for George Kaplan, who doesn't even exist. The more Thornhill tries to rely on conventional speech to convince his kidnappers he is not Kaplan, the more convinced they become that he is. In a world where speech has been cheapened (as in Thornhill's profession), words cease to carry intended meanings.
In this sense, Thornhill is punished for his hollow way with words, such as when, early in the film, he dictates to his secretary a business letter, "Let the opposition have their high ratings while we cry about it all the way to the bank."
His dictated love notes are equally banal: "I count the days, the minutes, the hours. . . ." or, "Here's something for your sweet tooth, baby, and all your other sweet parts."
Later, after being made drunk by enemy spies, he spouts similar cliches, which at the same time reveal his life up till then as a social cipher.
"Don't worry about me, fellows: I'll take the bus."
"Thanks for the lift, fellows."
"Somebody call the police."
"We'll get 'em. We'll throw the book at them. Assault with a bourbon and a sports car."
The humor of the dialogue comes from its mismatch of words and reality, thus revealing those words as hollow. This criticism of language is not restricted to Thornhill. The enemy spies pour Thornhill a "libation," trying to make him drunk, then toast him, with "Cheers," thus mocking habitual social usage. The staff at the police station also use banal formal speech patterns, as when they intend to book the obviously drunken Thornhill "on suspicion of drunk driving," or the police examiner announces, "It is my opinion that you are definitely intoxicated."
This theme of the banality of language, hence of communication, is advanced on the political level too. For the CIA, FBI, and other government agencies are, in the words of one of their agents, "in the same alphabet soup"; that is, a soup of letters and words that mainly confuse and conceal, the aim of counterespionage work.
The link between Thornhill and these agents is made explicit when the "Professor" (the chief government agent) presents a shallow cause-effect argument why Thornhill should be sacrificed on behalf of the agency's schemes, which inadvertently implicate him. A secretary rejoins, "Aren't we being just a wee bit callous?"
But if Thornhill has hollow slogans ("Think thin"), the Professor has his too ("War is hell"). In the same vein, another agent recites the French slogan, "C'est la guerre!"
Hiding behind words, complex relationships are flattened out. In fact, the Professor's nickname (he is not otherwise named in the film) links him with academia and its futile parade of equally hollow terminologies, even more common in the half century since the film's release.
Thus whether a man who doesn't even exist (George Kaplan) is protected, or a man who does exist (Roger Thornhill) is sacrificed, is of no concern in a language game hollow at its core. This applies to advertising and romance, as much as to politics. Hitchcock's genius is to link them.
For in an obvious sense, Thornhill, a man of easy words but no real emotions, exists no more than Kaplan. In identifying himself as "Kaplan" over the phone, Thornhill symbolically accepts his non-existence as a fact.
At the same time, this begins a learning process: unable to use the easy words he's comfortable with, Thornhill rediscovers himself as a man of less ease but more substance. This new self expresses itself at first in hesitant speech.
The process of rediscovery is carefully plotted. After failing with routine excuses to convince his kidnappers he is not Kaplan ("I've got two tickets to the theatre this evening to a show I was looking forward to and I get, well, kind of unreasonable about things like that"), Thornhill hopes mere identity cards will prove his identity: "I've got a wallet full of identification cards, a driver's license, things like that."
Forcefully made drunk, Thornhill reverts to elementary language and introduces himself haltingly to his own mother: "This is your son, Roger Thornhill."
The social artifice of language, with which Roger is accustomed, mocks him when a woman, falsely claiming to be "Mrs. Townsend," pretends to be a friend, spouting social cliches: "It was a dull party. You didn't miss a thing" and "I knew I should have served drinks earlier."
When Roger tries to expose her as a fraud, she plays the game harder: "Oh, Roger! You didn't take Laurie's Mercedes!" In frustration, Thornhill shouts, "What a performance!"
As in advertising, big lies are more difficult to disprove than small ones. The knack is "expedient exaggeration," to use Roger's own words earlier in the film.
Thus Thornhill becomes victim of a manipulation of language he uses in his profession. In fact, he encourages his own mother to deceitfully obtain the pass to a hotel room, claiming: "You lend a certain air of respectability." Later, the spy, Phillip Vandamm (James Mason) tells him, "You make this very room a theatre!" mocking Thornhill's way with words.
At the United Nations, a symbol of dialogue, Thornhill aims to clear his identity, but, mistaken for an assassin, confuses it further. The high-angle image of a diminutive Thornhill, seen from the top of the United Nations building, is one of Hitchcock's signature shots. A multiple lap dissolve links the UN building to government agencies in Washington.
This lap dissolve suggests that Roger's plight is part of a global network of language manipulation. In these agencies, the relation between the image and the real, as in advertising, is blurred. The agents are willing to sacrifice a real person (Roger Thornhill) in order to protect an unreal person (George Kaplan). Thus Thornhill becomes a victim of a duplicitious use of language he has used himself.
This deceptive use of words marks the initial encounter between Thornhill and Eve Kendall (Eva Marie Saint) on the train. Even their embrace is equivocal, suggesting murder as well as love.
Thornhill, despite his now straitened circumstances, is still the confident advertising man, romancing Eve on the train as we imagine he has often done with women. Eve, for her part, recruited as a counterespionage agent, uses words, like Thornhill, to manipulate others.
It is only when they discover their real love for each other that words become difficult to speak. This allows Hitchcock to contrast the facile speech patterns of the couple early in their relationship, when they display false selves, against their later speech hesitancies, as they expose their true feelings.
Eve, for example, expresses her real emotions subsequently, not in speech, but in facial gestures, such as looking relieved when she realizes that Thornhill has not been killed in the crop-dusting crash. Her words become more measured when, in order to save Roger from further harm in her counterespionage work, she warns him their romance is over.
Similarly, as Roger becomes emotionally involved with Eve, he becomes less facile in speaking. In the celebrated crop-dusting sequence, communication with the man waiting for the bus is minimal and routine, mostly made up of sentence fragments:
"Hi. Hot day."
"Seen worst."
"Is your name Kaplan?"
"Can't say it is 'cause it ain't."
"Waiting for the bus. Due any minute."
"Right on time."
In this world of few words, Thornhill is most vulnerable. Subsequently, he runs for his life, staring silently at a plane trying to kill him, knowing words cannot help him.
In this view, the subsequent auction scene is a turning point in the film. For the first time, Thornhill purposely uses language to deconstruct language.
Instead of proper bidding, he bids to undermine the bidding process, thus call attention to himself. Language is used to mean the opposite of what is said.
For Thornhill is bidding for help from the police, not to purchase art. Yet from the point of view of his "audience," he is, as the woman says, "a genuine idiot," since his use of language makes sense only to himself.
But Hitchcock's film is not a dry study in language use. Ensconced in a police car with two policeman, Thornhill spouts newspaper slogans about the man he's supposed to be: "'The United Nations killer!' 'Dangerous assassin!' 'Mad killer on the loose!'"
In using these slogans for himself, with deliberate mockery,Thornhill suggests, for the first time, an awareness of the artifice of language. Whereas before he seemed to think that artifice was reality, here he shows he clearly knows the difference, no less than the officer who chastises him: "You ought to be ashamed of yourself!"
In the airport sequence, the Professor's vague explanation of how Thornhill was mistaken for Kaplan shows the tenuous link of words to reality. Pointedly, Hitchcock allows the sounds of airplane motors to cover the Professor's explanation, as if to show there was nothing of substance to explain anyway, except a vague reference to "government secrets."
True, this is part of Hitchcock's celebrated use of the "McGuffin": a plot element used to justify the story's action. Yet it fits the film's theme of language as a hollow instrument of deceit.
Language here does not reveal, but conceals. The Professor's words, like those of government officials and academics, are empty. Instead, by casting light on Thornhill's anguished face as he realizes Eve's life is in danger, Hitchcock shows that true feeling is beyond words.
The subsequent forest scene between Roger and Eve, following Thornhill's simulated death, is one of the most beautiful in Hitchcock's films and key to a study of the film's representation of language.
First, as critically noted, the scene represents a rebirth, as Thornhill emerges from the ambulance in which he is presumed dead. The woods develop this rebirth motif, contrasting green foliage against the urban jungle of New York and the dusty fields of the crop-dusting sequence.
The woods also suggest a fairy tale element in the plot ("Little Red Riding Hood," etc.), apparent when Thornhill climbs the beams of the home owned by the spies. During this sequence he resembles a little boy dwarfed by a big house.
As he climbs, Thornhill notices blood on his hand. The fairy tale boy is earning his manhood, with suggestion of a crucifixion (the bloodied hands of Jesus on the cross).
This fairy tale, however, is ironic, and works in reverse. For the "boy" was once a sophisticated urban resident of New York City, a hero to girlfriends and bartenders. It is only when he is reduced to nothing (outside the United Nations, in dusty fields and dangerous houses) that he becomes somebody.
The first woods sequence, following Thornhill's symbolic death and rebirth, is noteworthy for the hesitancy of Roger and Eve's spoken exchanges. Gone is the mutual wordplay of the couple on the train, when they spoke lies to manipulate each other. Now both sound hesitant and at a loss for words, even as they speak the truth about their feelings.
As the location suggests, they are born again. At first they were vulnerable children, passively following the orders of their symbolic father (the Professor). Love has made them adults, willing to defy the father's orders, plan their own future, suffer to achieve their goals, and finally marry.
The childlike way Eve snatches the figure with the microfilm from Vandamm's hands develops this fairy tale motif, as does the escape scene through the woods that follows. Words have no place in this scene.
Not only is the couple stripped of words they are used to. By the end of the film Roger has lost his suit jacket (after escaping from the Professor) while Eve has lost her shawl (after escaping in the woods).
The chase scene takes place on the famous American monument known as Mount Rushmore, in South Dakota, showing the faces of four American presidents. In this monument (simulated for the film) Hitchcock again links his couple to national politics.
It is important to the film's theme that neither Roger nor Eve chose their espionage work; rather Eve was recruited by the agents due to her romantic involvement with Vandamm, while Thornhill became accidentally involved.
Thus the government has implicated innocent people into its duplicitous speech acts (double speaking, role playing, etc.), using personal relationships to do so. This includes Eve's romantic involvement with the counteragent Phillip Vandamm and Roger's romance with Eve.
Yet in another sense, neither Thornhill nor Eve Kendall is innocent. Both can play duplicitous roles because they've become used to pretense. Eve saw "only the charm" in Vandamm and "decided to fall in love." Roger's initial involvement with Eve is mere infatuation. Only later does genuine love develop.
The Mount Rushmore presidents represent the weight of the national past, contemporized in public policy (patriotism, civic values, political slogans, and exploitative espionage work, etc.). Their faces are made of stone, and silent. The government speaks for them. Yet their size dwarfs the couple climbing the monument, trying to escape the current political intrigues the monument represents.
There is an implicit critique of such a monument, which can be used to justify dubious government ideals and actions. In fact, as Roger discovers, the monument is a trap, as he tells Eve: "This is no good: we're on top of the monument!" Desperately, the couple flee the tyranny of the monument for the freedom of romantic escape.
The comedy thriller genre requires the flippant exchange of words while the couple dangle from the monument. Roger explains: "My wives divorced me: they claimed I lived too dull a life." But these comic exchanges do not belie the fact that language is no longer being used as an instrument of deceit or manipulation.
Instead, what lingers in the memory is the look of agony on Thornhill's face as he pulls Eve up the mountain and (in a brilliant lap dissolve) to the train bunk. True love is beyond words, especially those of advertising and politics.
Action speaks louder than words, as is shown by the train entering the tunnel. Hitchcock admitted this shot was a phallic symbol, showing the couple's sexual consummation. Pointedly, the train seems to penetrate the obstruction of the Rushmore Monument, and thus national politics.
In a playful manner, Hitchcock's film deconstructs the meaning of speech in human relations. Speech is shown as a means of deception, such as in advertising or counterespionage work (for example, the dialogue between Thornhill and Vandamm preceding Thornhill's staged murder). People speak deviously or at cross-purposes (as in the kidnapping sequence).
If speech is successful, it deconstructs itself, as in the auction sequence. Otherwise, it speaks the truth, but haltingly, as in the first woods sequence.
This is true of the villains too. The relationship between the spy, Phillip Vandamm and his aid, Leonard (Martin Landau) is expressed in subtext and prop rather than text.
Leonard is coded as a homosexual in typical Hollywood style. His first comment upon seeing Thornhill is to compliment him on being "well-tailored." His interest in Thornhill seems more personal (sexual) than professional. His frequent pouts suggest sexual frustration rather than professional scheming.
His homosexuality gives him a "woman's intuition" about the truth, beyond the deceit of language. This allows an advantage over Vandamm, who, mastered by language, as he himself has mastered it, never suspects Eve's deception.
In fact, Vandamm gives a perfectly coherent defense, to Eve, of why she had to "murder" Thornhill. Relying on words, Vandamm becomes victim to words, something Leonard is immune to.
It is only when Leonard shoots Vandamm with blanks that Vandamm realizes he's been fooled. It is a dramatic demonstration of the limits of language.
First, the gun, with blanks, suggests Vandamm's sexual failure (he has proved a blank to a woman). Moreover, his grasping of his hand in agony after punching Leonard (below, left), suggests a displaced phallic wound.
Second, the shooting suggests Leonard's sexual ("phallic") assault of Vandamm, thus linking Leonard's sexuality (and his presumed impotence) with Vandamm's.
Thus, almost in sexual agony, Vandamm knocks down Leonard. This is not simply a matter of blaming the messenger for the message. It is a way for Vandamm to reassert sexual authority threatened when Leonard fired the gun.
The mise-en-scene (placement of the characters within the scene) flatters Vandamm's sense of power. Groggy, Leonard sits on a couch, as if put in his place; while Vandamm stands alone and gazes up in the direction of the woman who has betrayed him. His words, with Leonard now standing next to him, speak of power: "This matter is best disposed of from a great height, over water."
The pun on words is interesting: the "great height" belies Vandamm's sense of injured size, but also refers to the altitude of the airplane. Yet the high angle shot dwarfs both men, even as Vandamm utters his threat, confirming their sexual impotence.
Ironically, in this film about language, the soundtrack includes a major sound goof when Cary Grant mistakenly reads his line, "He's addressing the national assembly," as "He's assembling the National Assembly."
Another goof occurs in the restaurant scene when the little boy, expecting the gun to fire, puts his fingers in his ears before the fact.
Besides issues related to speech, Hitchcock's film is a textbook of film style, which can only be briefly mentioned here. Casting is one aspect of style.
Stars have been shown to be as much a part of film style as other elements of a movie. A star is not only an actor, but an image recycled in many movies as part of narrative economy (quickly getting a point across with assistance from the star's image). For stars insure presence and identification the way other actors don't.
Cary Grant was one of the greatest romantic stars of his era, so that the character of Roger Thornhill became convincing just by being played by Grant. His star image is comically referred to in a brief moment in the film when a young woman, awakened by Grant passing through her bedroom, decides he's the man of her dreams.
But Grant was not only a great star. He was an accomplished actor, with a repertoire of facial expressions and gestures for all occasions, as his performance in this film shows.
The supporting cast, including Eva Marie Saint as Eve and James Mason as Phillip Vandamm, add depth to the film's acting. Indeed, Mason's patristic demeanor and stuffy speech are a perfect foil for Grant's comic expressions.
The plot is a summary of most of Hitchcock's themes, including the transference of guilt, an ordinary man involved in extraordinary events, and the double chase motif (the hero chased by both the villains and the police).
Many sequences are not only typical of Hitchcock's work, but have become classics of their kind, including the kidnapping scene, the drunk driving scene, the United Nations murder, the crop-dusting scene, and the Mount Rushmore sequence.
The editing cleverly suggests action not actually shown, such as the moment when Vandamm punches Leonard, or when the spies manhandle Thornhill in the Townsend residence. Similarly, montage sequences of rapid editing generate excitement, such as following the United Nations murder. In another montage sequence, in Grand Central Station, as police look for for Thornhill, disguised in a red uniform cap, Hitchcock progressively increases scale (proximity of camera to figure) in each subsequent shot, falsely arousing the viewer's fear that Thornhill will be captured.
Especially noteworthy is the editing of the sequence when Eve steals the figure and escapes from Vandamm. The selective use of framing and duration of shots makes the escape convincing while extending the moment, and therefore the suspense, as much as possible.
Sound mixes are brilliantly stylized too, such as the editing of the voices of the bystanders following the United Nations murder or the staged Thornhill murder. Complex sound mixes are also used for the scene inside Vandamm's South Dakota residence.
The screenplay uses witty dialogue to advance serious themes, as common in Hitchcock's suspense thrillers. The plotting cleverly links characters in an intricate narrative.
Bernard Herrmann's music is one of his key film scores. Though not as memorable as his other Hitchcock scores (The Trouble with Harry, Vertigo and Psycho) it fulfills the requirements of great film music, to enhance the drama of the screenplay. The title music, reprised for the drunk driving and Mount Rushmore sequences, is justly famous. But it's the love theme, gently scored for clarinet and strings, that is the highlight of the score. It is this music that is reprised triumphantly, with timpani, at the end of the film, to accompany the famous shot of the train entering the tunnel.
Finally, no review of a Hitchcock film can omit locating the director's signature cameo. Here he's easy to spot, following his directing credit, missing a bus by seconds.
Since the number of cell phone users is the focus of the report, the number ("two billion") is stressed in the next sentence. Number, as percentage ("a third"), is stressed in the next sentence. Note that the second and third sentences give supporting details of the topic sentence ("staggering statistic"). The expletive ("There are") in the second sentence is a typical use of cataphora, leading up to an important fact later. In the third sentence, "That's" is a relative pronoun that links to the previous sentence, insuring coherence. "And" links the previous to the next sentence by a simple conjunction.
The phrase "can't live" uses one of the topics of invention (cause and effect) to show the cause of the topic sentence fact. Until this sentence, "cell phone" has only been used in the "denominative" form, as an adjective, not as a noun; only here is it used a noun, for the first time. In the next sentence, "Tompkins" replaces "people" by what is called hyponymy (that is, they belong to the larger class of people), and they in turn are replaced by the pronoun "them." All this insures coherence, by backward linking.
In the next sentence, "the couple" synonymically replaces "Tompkins" with the same effect of coherence. The pronoun "they" later also has the same aim.
Note that, "admitted" and "problem" use the topic of invention called "definition"; that is, the cell phone users are defined as having a problem, thus expanding the content of the text. In the next sentence,
"They" is another pronoun replacement for "Tompkins." "Intervene" is an example of a strong verb. (Compare: "They agreed to let Good Morning America videotape them.") "Behavior lab" develops, by collocation, the topic already defined as "problem." (Collocation is the way words commonly go together, such as "merry," "Christmas," "candy canes," "Christmas tree," "Santa," "holiday greetings," etc.)
"Here" is a cataphoric adverb, pointing forwards, inviting interest.
This was the introduction. The actual profile begins at this point.
Note the use of the strong verb, "gabbing" (instead of "talking") for emphasis. The paratactic series (using commas) ("in their cars, in the gym. . . .") follows the rule of three, a common rule in rhetoric ("government of the people, by the people, for the people"; "and so abideth, faith, hope, and charity").
Finally, the student can study how quoted speech is used. The first two quotes directly illustrate the fact of the couple's addiction. The next wuote illustrates the cost of their usage. The final quote illustrates the fact, stated just before, that the couple speak to each other even in their home.
The question for the student is which comes first, the chicken or the egg? Do the quotes come first and the writing added, or the writing and the quotes added. It's more likely a dialogue, whereby the writer organizes salient details, finds a pattern, sees if there's material to illustrate that pattern, adjusts the pattern a little to suit the details and quoted speakers, and then finds transitions to insure an already definied focus.
As for the spoken text, stressed words are shown by underline, quickening of pace is shown by smaller and italic font (type), while pauses are indicated in brackets. Quoted text is shown in green font.
Although this profile is not about a famous person, the principles outlined above are the same for profiles of famous people too. Good luck!
Here's a staggering statistic for you. There are more than two billion cell phone subscribers worldwide. That's a third of all people on the planet. And a recent study found that forty percent of people say they can't live without their cell phone. The Tompkins are among them. We met the couple recently when they first admitted they had a problem. They agreed to let Good Morning America intervene and conduct our own [pause] behavior lab. We took away their cell phones [pause] and here's what happened.
Courtney and Tyler are self-professed junkies [pause] addicted to their cell phones.
"I don't know what I would do if I didn't have it. I definitely need it."
"Yeah, the first thing I do when I wake up: use my phone."
Two months ago when we first introduced you to the newlyweds, they were at the peak of their gabbing problems, racking up more than four thousand minutes a month.
"This is my cell phone bill for one month."
They were on the phone constantly, in their cars, in the gym, [rising intonation] even calling each other from different rooms inside their house.
"Honey I'm upstairs."
Here are some methods I've discussed many times in class and in email handouts. But again I warn you: the method is not an end in itself. It's what works that counts. That's why I don't bother with devoting a whole semester to learning these. Because soon learning about methods replaces using them in an easy and casual manner. One doesn't take exams on going shopping; yet most people know how to make checklists before they go to a big department store to Hong Kong. Methods of invention are no different from common checklists. Here are some Methods of Invention (that is, ways of discovery).
One is the common newspaper method known as the 5 W's and H:
5 W's + H
TOPIC: Vacations.
What is a vacation?
Where should one go?
When is the best time to take a vacation?
Why go on vacations?
Who goes/should go on a vacation?
TOPICS OF INVENTION
DEFINITION.The meaning of a vacation. When we define something we put it into a larger class.
"Woman" belongs to the class of humankind. "Jazz" belongs to the class of music. We also isolate its traits: "music is enjoyed in terms of rhythm, melody, sound (timbre), harmony (blending of tones), etc.
ETYMOLOGY. (word origin).
Work on the word origin of "vacation" or a related word: "holiday" = holy day. Possible pun: "holy day" = "wholly day": a vacation belongs "wholly" to you. So it's a time to relax.
COMPARISON.
Different kinds of vacations. Comparing vacations and other remedies (pills, medical care, therapy, shopping, etc.).
CONTRARY (ANTITHESIS/OPPOSITES).
"If you feel sick working, you'll find your cure in a well-spent vacation. Instead of pressure, why not choose peace? Why kill yourself earning money when you can add years to your life by spending money instead?"
CONTRADITION.
What a vacation is not:
"A vacation should not be a time of stress; one should not go on a vacation just to escape from life; one should not go on a vacation just to make your neighbors or colleagues envious. Vacations should not be more stressful than one's regular life."
MORE AND LESS.
"If you're willing to spend thousands of dollars on medical checkups, how much more so should you be willing to spend far less on a brief vacation, which probably will be of greater medical aid."
CAUSE/EFFECT.
Why do people go/need to go on vacations? What are the benefits of a vacation?
PROVERBS.
Quote a proverb or a pop song: "As Frank Sinatra sang in one of his hit records, 'Let's Get Away From It All.'"
ANTECEDENT/CONSEQUENCE.
This covers probable cause and effect (not certain cause and effect), usually in the form of "if" clauses:
"If you don't take a vacation now, you're not likely to take a vacation ever. So stop planning to do it and do it. Why not pack up and leave today instead of always planning to do so sometime in the distant future?"
PAST FACT/FUTURE FACT.
"You took vacations ten years ago; there's no reason you cannot take them today."
POSSIBLE AND IMPOSSIBLE.
"If you were able to take time off to attend your child's birthday party, you're able to find time for a vacation."
"If you can take days off when you're sick, you can take days off when you're healthy too!"
TESTIMONY (QUOTES).
"People who return from vacations say they feel better, younger, healthier, more motivated," etc.
Or quote a famous writer.
EXAMPLE. Cite a famous movie; a scene from a movie. Give examples of what vacations are like in Paris, Vienna, Venice, Moon Lake, etc.
DIVISION.
Divide up the idea of "vacation" into different parts.
For example,
"A vacation need not be an expensive getaway to Paris nightclubs or the beaches of Nice. It can be as simple as a weekend hunting in the woods only miles away; or it can be a single day at home listening to music, with the phone turned off and the shades drawn down, etc. "There are many kinds of vacations. There are the obvious tours of Rome, Bangkok, Melbourne and so on. There are the ski trips to Colorado and the ocean cruises and the flights over the Grand Canyon or the gambling weekends in Las Vegas. But vacations need not take those obvious, and often expensive, forms. A vacation can be a day's barbecue in one's humble backyard."
CONTRAST.
"You're sitting in your office: the phones are ringing; your blood pressure is rising; your head is pounding; the voices of your colleagues are deafening; the second-hand smoke from your co-worker next to you is choking you. So instead of sitting you think of sailing. Instead of phones ringing you dream of birds chirping. Instead of your blood pressure rising, you imagine relaxing on a patio holding a gin and tonic in your hand. Instead of your head pounding, you wish you were pounding the beaches of Malibu or paddling the rapids in Michigan. Instead of the deafening voices of your colleagues, you prefer the softly informative voices of a tour guide in Helsinki, embroidering her tour lecture with details of the life of Finnish composer and patriot, Jean Sibelius."
And so on.
ANALOGY.
"A vacation is like taking a trip to the moon. It's difficult blasting off, but once you do there's nothing like it."
"A vacation is like a blood transfusion but without medical risks."
Or try the list method, as when one goes shopping. Just make a list of things one should buy/mention:
1. Why people go on vacation.
2. Who goes?
3. Name some places people go to.
4. Discuss why people go to those place.
5. Explain why people go to vacations in general.
6. Think of a memorable quote about holidays or vacations.
7. Compare vacations in different cultures.
8. When do people take vacations?
9. How do they feel after a vacation?
10. What are some fears peole may have about vacations?
11. Disadvantages: taking medical shots; passports; visas, hotel bookings, money problems.
12. Advantages: Getting away; relaxing; education; eating, etc.
And so on.
DIALOGUE METHOD
Become the listener/reader. Ask for information you would like.1. Why do people take vacations?
2. Why should I go on vacation?
3. Which places to go to?
4. What about people who don't have too much money?
5. What are some of the dangers? Robbery, theft, illness, etc.
6. What if someone is afraid of flying?
7. Which trains are best?
8. Is one place better than many?
9. Is the country better than the city?
10. Does one need to spend much money?
And so on.
Of course, all of this has to become a general and routine method of inventing ideas; that is, it should become automatic.
The shopper doesn't say, "Now I'm going to come up with ideas of what to buy in Shanghai." It becomes automatic.
So when you practice at home, you should instantly know how to use a method of inventing, then ordering, ideas with a beginning, middle, end, an introductory sentence or two and a memorable conclusion.
Flying Saucer (Parts 1 And 2)
(Break-In Script from Original 1950s Recording)
(Break-In Script from Original 1950s Recording)
Part 1
Instrumental opening--“Shake, Rattle, and Roll,” Joe Turner
(spoken) We interrupt this record to bring you a special bulletin. The reports of a flying saucer hovering over the city have been
"Too real when I feel what my heart can´t conceal...
(spoken) We switch you now to our on the spot reporter downtown.
"C´mon baby let´s go downtown...
(spoken) This is John Cameron Cameron downtown. Pardon me madam, would you
"Jump back in the alley..".
(spoken) Thank you and now that gentleman there.
"What I´m gonna do, is hard to tell..."--“I’m Walkin’” Fats Domino
(spoken) And the gentleman with the guitar, what would you do, sir.
"Just take a walk down lonely street..."--“Heartbreak Hotel,” Elvis Presley
(spoken) Thank you. We return you now...screech...This is Drak (?) your outer space disc jockey with a request for earth.
"Earth angel, earth angel..." --“Earth Angel,” The Penguins
(spoken) That was The Pelicans outer space recording, "Earth." I´ve just been handed a bulletin. The flying saucer has just
(spoken) Here we are again. We have with us Professor Sir Cedric Pentingmode (?) of the British Institute and the professor is
"I hear you knocking, but you can´t come in...
(spoken) That was Laughing Lewis´ record, Knocking. This is John Cameron Cameron on the spot. And now I believe we´re
"Womp bop a loo bop a womp bam boom..".--“Tutti Frutti,” Little Richard
(spoken) And now here are the ball scores. Four to three, six to two, and eight to one. The impact of seeing the first spaceman
"He
(spoken) This is John Cameron Cameron again downtown. The
"Still around...
Part 2
Scat Opening--“Band of Gold,” Don Cherry
(spoken) We are not going to interrupt this record. Yes, we are. The flying saucer has landed again. Washington: The Secretary
"Ain´t that a shame...
(spoken) This is John Cameron Cameron, part two. Gathered around me
"Don´t want the world to have and hold...
(spoken) Hey, why don´t you go back where ya came from?
"Don´t be angry and drive me away...
(spoken) We return you now to our studios. Here is a news item from Washington. The President has just issued a statement to
"You can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoes...
(spoken) We switch you again downtown. This is John Cameron Cameron downtown.
"The motor cooled down, the heat went down...
(spoken) This is John Cameron Cameron again. I believe the
"See ya later alligator...
(spoken) We return you now to our studios. The spacemen have gone again but look to the skies. The saucers will always be
"Always be there...
(spoken) Good bye earth people.
Sample Break-In Script
"Ah, the gentleman with the guitar: what would you do, Sir?" <Well, Just take a walk down Lonely Street.> (Elvis Presley record)
"Thank you. We return you now. . . ."
"This is your outer space disc jockey with a request for Earth."
<Earth Angel, Earth Angel.> (Pelicans record)
"That was the Pelicans' outer space recording. . . ."
"Earth! I've just been handed a bulletin. The flying saucer has just landed. We switch you again, downtown. We can see the monster now. He's wearing. . . ."
<A white sportscoat. . . .> (Marty Robbins record)
"I think the monster is about to speak."
<I wonder why nobody don't like me, or is the fact that I'm ugly?>
(Harry Belafonte Calypso record)
"There's only one person who can save these people now. Stepping out of the spaceship is Elvis. How do you feel about this situation?"
<I'm a little mixed up but I'm feeling fine.> (Elvis record)
"Do you think you can save Mars from the monster?"
<Yeah, yeah.> (Elvis record)
Christmas Medley
A medley is a collection of song excerpts. As a special holiday treat, we're going to study transition tactics through a twenty-two minute medley of Christmas melodies. Note that I had already mde a medley track with a rough musical coherence. But when I decided to introduce each medley segment, I found that a coherence that made sense musically (if only by contrast and variety) was more difficult to make sense of verbally. No matter. I had to make the best of a given order. If I had the patience, I would have regrouped the segments, keeping (for example) all winter songs together, etc. But faced with the tedium of recording another medley track, I imposed coherence on my material through suitable transition devices. So, if nothing else, this serves as an example of how even arbitrary sequences can be made to seem coherent with the help of transitional tactics. How much more so, then, if one could revise!
Christmas is as much a secular as a religious holiday. We begin with the most famous secular Christmas song, "Jingle Bells," whose three-note phrase is as famous as the four-note phrase of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra, the two greatest male pop singers of the 20th century recorded this song; and later, Broadway's pop diva, Barbra Streisand enlivened it by taking it at a faster pace, a lesson in how pace can change a spoken (sung) text:
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way, oh what fun it is to ride on a one-horse open sleigh. A medley is a collection of song excerpts. As a special holiday treat, we're going to study transition tactics through a twenty-two minute medley of Christmas melodies. Note that I had already mde a medley track with a rough musical coherence. But when I decided to introduce each medley segment, I found that a coherence that made sense musically (if only by contrast and variety) was more difficult to make sense of verbally. No matter. I had to make the best of a given order. If I had the patience, I would have regrouped the segments, keeping (for example) all winter songs together, etc. But faced with the tedium of recording another medley track, I imposed coherence on my material through suitable transition devices. So, if nothing else, this serves as an example of how even arbitrary sequences can be made to seem coherent with the help of transitional tactics. How much more so, then, if one could revise!
Christmas is as much a secular as a religious holiday. We begin with the most famous secular Christmas song, "Jingle Bells," whose three-note phrase is as famous as the four-note phrase of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra, the two greatest male pop singers of the 20th century recorded this song; and later, Broadway's pop diva, Barbra Streisand enlivened it by taking it at a faster pace, a lesson in how pace can change a spoken (sung) text:
Irving Berlin's White Christmas vies with Jingle Bells as the most universal of secular Christmas songs. This Oscar-winning song was featured in the 1942 movie, Holiday Inn, and included a verse, often omitted these days, but sung by Barbra Streisand on one of her Christmas albums.
{Verse} The sun is shining, the grass is green, the orange and palm trees sway, there's never been such a day in Beverly Hills, L.A. But it's December the 24th and I am longing to be up north. {Chorus} I'm dreaming of a white Christmas.
Bing Crosby's version of this song is by far the most famous and was once the biggest-selling single of all time. (Elton John's special version of "Candle in the Wind" now holds that distinction, but as a charity single.) Sinatra, the singer who surpassed Crosby as a song stylist, also recorded this song.
I'm dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones I used to know, where the tree tops glisten and children listen to hear sleigh bells in the snow.
In the Rock era, liberties were taken with the song. Elvis recorded an R&B version for his first Christmas album. Hard as it may be to believe today, Elvis' first Christmas album caused a furor when it was released, many DJs refusing to play it, deeming it an insult to the holiday. The song's composer, Irving Berlin, also was angered by this song version:
I'm dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones I used to know. May your days, may your days, may your days be merry and bright and may all your Christmases be white.
But teenagers loved the record! What most teenagers didn't know, however, was that Elvis copied his version from an earlier R&B version by the black doo-wop group, The Drifters, using the typical falsetto of the doo-wop style. Still, Elvis added his own distinctive vocal style to the arrangement.
I, I, I am dreaming of a white Christmas with every Christmas card I write, may your days, may your days, may your days be merry and bright and may all your Christmases be white. I, I, I, I'm dreaming of a white Christmas.
Like "White Christmas," "Have Yourself a Merry Christmas" is another Christmas song whose original context is often forgotten. It was introduced by Judy Garland during World War II for the movie, Meet Me in St. Louis. The lyric specifically addressed the issue of absent men fighting the war, while their loved ones can only have a "little Christmas" without them, hoping that, once the war is over, "our troubles will be out of sight." (In the movie, set at the turn of the century, the song's lyric had a different significance.) Besides Garland, Streisand also recorded this song. It was featured in the movie, The Godfather; and most recently Christina Aguilera included a more embellished version of the song on her Christmas album:
Have yourself a merry little Christmas, let your heart be light, from now on our troubles will be out of sight (next year all our troubles will be out of sight).
But what's a merry Christmas without a silent night? And "Silent Night" is the most famous of all Christmas songs, secular or religious. It was written on Christmas Eve by the Austrian organist, Johann Gruber, and played on an acoustic guitar because the organ had broken down. Barbra Streisand includes it on one Christmas album, and Elvis included it on his first Christmas album, singing it straight, obviously out of respect for the religious spirit of the song. (Elvis was raised in a southern Christian church, part of the "Bible Belt"states and said he learned Rock 'n' Roll by watching singers in black churches.) Mahalia Jackson was the most celebrated gospel singer of the twentieth century and she gave a powerful reading of the song.
Silent night, holy night, all is calm all is bright.
Christmas is more than religion; it's about the season too. And what would Christmas be without snow? For this reason, "Winter Wonderland" is one of the most popular (and one of the best) secular Christmas songs. The song is distinctive for its feminine rhymes (glistening/listening) and its simple metaphor of a winter landscape as a "wonderland." Pat Boone, one of many who recorded this song, was one of the clean-cut "pop hopes" expected to replace Elvis with a tamer (and safer) teenage appeal, especially since Elvis was in the army. Of course, that didn't happen: Boone never really sang good Rock 'n' Roll, though he was a good ballad singer, as his version of "Winter Wonderland" shows:
Sleigh bells ring, are you listening, in the lane snow is glistening, a beautiful sight we're happy tonight walking in the winter wonderland.
Besides snow, one thinks of children at Christmas; and what would children be without Santa Claus? Christmas has given the world many children's songs, many linked to Santa Claus. "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" is one of the most famous:
You'd better watch out, you'd better not cry, you'd better not pout, I'm telling you why (why?), Santa Claus is coming to town.
Along with children go novelty songs. "Novelty songs" are songs whose main distinction is something unusal or funny about them, rather than the melody or lyric. These novelty songs include the well-known Chipmunk records ("Christmas Time Is Here") as well as this song about "Mommy" kissing Santa Claus (who, of course, is really her husband).
I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus underneath the mistletoe last night.
The distinction between novelty songs and children's songs may not always be clear-cut. In any case, "Here Comes Santa Claus" is one of the more popular children's songs. Elvis recorded this for his first Christmas album.
Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus, riding down Santa Claus Lane. Vixen and Blitzen and all his reindeer pulling on the rein. Bells are ringing, children singing, all is merry and bright, hang your stockings and say your prayers cause Santa Claus comes tonight.
In the same vein, cowboy movie star, Gene Autry popularized "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," dramatizing the life of one of Santa's reindeer, made famous in the children's verse, "The Night Before Christmas."
Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer had a very shiny nose, and if you ever saw it, you would even say it glows.
With Rudolph's fame, it was only natural that Rock 'n' Roll would find a place for him, as in Chuck Berry's seasonal classic, "Run, Rudolph, Run!"
Out of all the reindeers*, you know you're the master mind, run, run, Rudolph, Randolph ain't too far behind. Run, run Rudolph, Santa's gotta make it to town. Santa make him hurry, tell him he can take the freeway down. Run, run Rudolph, cause I'm reeling like a merry-go-round.
*Note, "reindeer" is usually unmarked for plural, though Berry adds an "s."
Without mentioning Rudolph, "The Little Drummer Boy" became one of the better novelty songs and is heard in almost all versions. Famous pop pianist, Liberace recorded a typically flashy version of the song, without lyric.
All the songs we've heard so far were written by white composers, though one was performed by a black doo-wop group, The Drifters. A lot has changed, however, in the last several decades. Black influence on Christmas songs started at least as early as Bessie Smith's 1925 record, "At the Christmas Ball" (not strictly a Blues). But later Blues and R&B artists had greater influence. The Moonglows, famous for sentimental doo-wop ballads, also recorded this unusual R&B blues, a rarity:
Hey Santa Claus (repeat) Well Santa Claus bring my baby back to me, hey Santa Claus bring my baby back to me.
Influenced by black artists, white artists followed, as we saw with Elvis' cover of the Drifters' recording of "White Christmas." White teenage singer, Brenda Lee, had a 1950s hit with one of the first Rock Christmas songs, "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," still heard and covered today. (A hop, by the way, was a teenage dance venue.)
Rocking around the Xmas tree at the Xmas party hop, mistletoe hung where you can see every couple tries to stop. Rocking around the Xmas tree, let the Christmas spirit ring, later we'll have some pumpkin pie and we'll do some caroling.
"Jingle Bell Rock," a more inane song, and lacking Lee's ebullient and skilled vocal, followed soon after.
Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock. Jingle bells swing and jingle bells ring. Snowing and blowing and bushels of fun, now the jingle hop has begun.
Rock was not the only genre that sang seasonal greetings. Charles Brown's "Merry Christmas Baby" is one of the few Christmas Blues. Rock artist, Chuck Berry recorded a cover of this Blues, with a tinkling Blues-styled piano and Berry's variation on "White Christmas" featured in the guitar bridge. ( A "hi-fi" is a high fidelity record player.)
Merry Christmas, baby, you really did treat me nice. Merry Christmas baby, you really did treat me nice. You bought me a hi-fi for Christmas, now I'm living in Paradise. Well I'm feeling mighty fine, I've got good music on my radio. Well I feel so fine, I got good music on my radio. Yes, I wanna hug and kiss you baby, while you're standing beneath the mistletoe.
Besides Rock and Roll and the Blues there was disco, such as in this disco adaptation of a famous Handel tune called, "See the Conquering Hero." George Frederick Handel was a baroque composer (like Bach) who wrote many oratorios (operas without stage action and on religious subjects). One oratorio, Joshua, featured this song, which became an instant hit. "Zion's Daughter" borrows the tune and pumps it up for a good disco Christmas record. "Zion's daughter," by the way, means the Virgin Mary, that is, daughter of Jerusalem (=Zion).
Zion's daughter, now your heart is full of joy, in a cradle in the manger lies a holy boy. Zion's daughter with your sweet angelic smile, holding in your arms the Christ child resting for a while.
This record was a hit for the disco band, Boney M., who had an even bigger Christmas single with "Mary's Boy Child." As we've seen, Elvis started the trend of Christmas with a beat. But compared to current hip hop Christmas songs, Elvis' early Christmas hit, "Blue Christmas," might almost sound old-fashioned today. But Elvis' recording still packs a punch for those with ears to hear: listen to the way he attacks the opening phrase, "I'll have a. . . ." while a rhythmic bass pattern adds interest (and gloom) to the song. "Blue Christmas" is now a classic and has been recorded by many artists since, including pop singer, Dean Martin; country singer, Jim Reeves, and French-Canadian chanteuse, Celine Dion.
I'll have a blue Christmas without, I'll be so blue just thinking about you. Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree, won't be the same, dear, if you're not here with me. And when those blue snowflakes start falling, that's when those blue memories start calling, you'll be doing all right with your Christmas of white, but I'll have a blue, blue, blue, blue Christmas.
Christmas songs work in all kinds of styles, not only Rock and pop. Italian-American pop tenor, Mario Lanza, was especially noted for his sentimental versions of Christmas songs. "O Christmas Tree" is based on the German song, "O Tannebaum" (the melody is also Maryland's state song).
Oh Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, forever true your color.
"O Holy Night," written by the French ballet composer, Adolphe Adam, has Lanza's signature high note at the end:
O night, when Christ was born, O night, divine, O night, O night divine. O holy night!
But some people can't be home for that "holy night." "I'll Be Home for Christmas" is another World War II song whose sad significance is often forgotten. Written from the point of view of a soldier, it tells of his dream to celebrate Christmas at home. Written by Buck Ram, who managed and composed for The Platters ("Only You"), this song is now a standard. Elvis recorded a moving version of the song, successfully blending ballad and rhythmic phrasing (compare the title phrase and "where our love-light gleams" or "for Christmas, oh yes!"). But Elvis can color even a single word, like "mistletoe," with suggestive overtones:
I'll be home for Christmas, you can plan on me. Please have snow and mistletoe and presents on the tree. Christmas Eve will find me, where the love light gleams, I'll be home for Christmas, oh yes, if only in my dreams.
This Elvis record, like the others heard here, were all included on Elvis' first Christmas long-play album. That album offended all but the teenage market on its first release, for two opposite reasons. Adults were offended that Elvis would insult traditional songs, such as "Silent Night," but they also disliked the Rock and Roll songs written specially for the album, which seemed to show disrespect for the holiday. Evident on one of these, "Santa Bring My Baby Back To Me" is Elvis' typical "dirty" phrasing on the words, "I just need my baby's arms a-wound around me tight."
I don't need a lot of presents to make my Christmas bright, I just need my baby's arms a-wound around me tight, oh Santa, hear my plea, Santa bring my baby back to me.
Typical of Elvis' "dirty" way with a lyric is "Santa Claus Is Back in Town," a rare Christmas Blues. The way Elvis growls out the line, "You be a real good little girl" almost defines "dirty" singing. The suggestiveness of Elvis' vocal can still be felt today. No wonder mothers hated him! Yet now he's the most revered icon of pop culture, his image on a postage stamp, while heads of state visit his home, Graceland:
Well it's Christmas time, pretty baby, and the snow is falling on the ground. Well it's Christmas time pretty baby and the snow is falling down, well, you be a real good little girl, Santa Claus is back in town.
Rock soon developed from sexual suggestion to social message. Beatle, John Lennon's Christmas song, "Happy Xmas, War is Over," has become a standard, covered recently by Celine Dion, among others. For Bible students, the message goes back to the Letter of James, teaching that "love" without "works" is meaningless. So Lennon asks, "what have you done?"
So this is Christmas and what have you done, another year over, and a new one just begun.
But some people don't like a Christmas message at all. As America becomes a secular nation, many stores try to eliminate the word "Christmas," replacing it with "holiday" instead. This has offended some Christians who have called for a boycott of those stores. So this year, stores, fearful of losing money, are again saying, "Merry Christmas," instead of "Happy Holiday." But, should the need arise, this Irving Berlin song is perfect for a secular celebration of the season:
Happy holiday, happy holiday, while the merry bells keep ringing, happy holiday to you!
Regardless what one's prejudices about Christmas, new songs keep coming, from the earliest carols to the latest hip hop records by the likes of Snoop Dogg. Each music genre has its own style and a message to match. Johnny Mathis was one of the great balladeers of the 1950s. His two Christmas albums included great ballads, such as this "message" song, that, "Christmas Is a Feeling in Your Heart." This vocal is a model of great phrasing:
There are toys for girls and boys, silver bells make merry noise, yet you should remember from the start, Christmas is a feeling in your heart. Holly wreathes and mistletoe, carols while the candles glow, these are not the most important part, Christmas is a feeling in your heart.
Another recording by Mathis, "Marshmallow World" may also be included among the novelty songs, or as yet another hymn to the beauty of winter, seen as children's candy:
It's a marshmallow world in the winter when the snow comes to cover the ground, it's the time for play, it's a whipped cream day, I wait for it the whole year round.
In fact, a song about winter is one way to escape the concept of Christmas yet still observe the seasonal holiday. (In American schools the Christmas school break is now called the winter school break! The argument is that America was established on the principle of separation of church and state; therefore no public school can proclaim a religious holiday.) In this spirit, the seasonal classic, "Silver Bells," seems to walk a thin line between Christmas and winter:
City sidewalks, busy sidewalks, dressed in holiday style, in the air there's a feeling of Christmas.
Even when one mentions Christmas, there seems to be no limit to the style one can use. Yet one style of Christmas song seems rather rare. In fact, the lovely song, "Christmas Waltz" is the only Christmas waltz I know of:
Frosted window panes, candles gleaming inside, painted candy canes on the tree. Santa's on his way, he's filled his sleigh with things, things for you and for me. It's that time of year when the world falls in love, every song you hear seems to say, "Merry Christmas."
Even without a waltz rhythm, as we've heard, songs about winter can bring, ironically, a sense of warmth, as heard in another great winter song, "Let It Snow":
Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful, and since we've no place to go, let is snow, let it snow, let it snow.
Finally, what is a song if people can't sing along with it? This may be the most famous "sing along" Christmas song. Like most "sing along" songs, both melody and lyric are simple enough to remember and sing:
We wish you a merry Christmas, we wish you a merry Christmas, we wish you a merry Christmas, and a happy new year.
Following are edited parts from the Roger Ebert and Richard Roper show (now terminated). I kept only the main review of each, editing out the followup commentary and review by each partner. (The complete podcast is nearly 20 minutes long, and includes several film reviews and discussions.) So, for example, Roper's review was followed by Ebert's response, then some argument back and forth. Ebert's review was followed by Roper's response and argument back and forth. But this would be a confusing model to follow, since you're not doing the same thing. So I've kept only the main review. You can get an idea of how each of these critics sum up in a few words the "salient" parts of the movie, in their view, including cast, characters, plot summary, what's bad, what's good, etc. with a final judgment of thumbs up or thumbs down (like in the old Roman gladiator days). I can only give a summary here. You'll have to listen many times to imprint a model of how it's done.
Richard Roper's review: Name of film. Type of film: "Urban Drama." Evaluation of acting ("world -class performances" of Samuel Jackson and others). "Jackson does his best and most complex work in years." Julianne Moore "is just amazing." Describes character. Evaluates another performer (Edie Falco) as giving "Oscar-level" work, gives her brief acting background on a television series (The Sopranos) and describes her character. Mentions some directors. Judges some editing as bad. Gives example. Evaluates direction, script, and case. Thumbs up. Some short film clips.
Roger Ebert's review: Summary of film. Name of film. "We've seen this setup before." What's different ("new") is the "hijack plot." Defines genre (type) of film. Summary of plot. Includes cast in their roles. Short film clips. Sums up Harrison Ford's character. Evaluates acting ("Virginia Manson is excellent as Ford's wife. . . ."). Judges the film as similar but different ("I've seen this premise before, but. . . ."). Judgment: Thumbs up.
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A new beginning may be just what Mel Gibson got a month after his drunken driving arrest that culminated in a verbal attack on Jews. Despite predictions by some that his behavior would turn off moviegoers, Gibson's new movie, Apocalypto opened on top of the box office.
"There was so much baggage going into this film."
"There was a lot of baggage surrounding the release of this film. The Mel Gibson factor was huge, but I think Mel Gibson was the reason this film opened so well."
The Mayan epic earned 15 milion dollars. Not exactly blockbuster numbers, but impressive for these reasons: The film is in an obscure Mayan dialect and features unknown actors. Also impressive, Apocalypto bested new films this weekend from Leonardo di Caprio and Cameron Diaz.
"There was definitely a curiosity back of going into this film."
"And I think that translated into people going out to the movie theatre to see it so that they could talk at the water cooler about it."
Apocalypto's performance pales in comparison to Gibson's last film, The Passion of the Christ, which opened to more than 83 million dollars. But box-office analyst, Paul de Garibidian says the comparisons may not be fair.
"The Passion of the Christ was in a way a more mainstream movie than Apocalypto because it had a subject matter that many, many people could relate to."
The attention paid to Gibson's drunken outburst may in the end have benefitted his new movie.
"What does this opening say about Mel Gibson?"
"Well it says that Mel Gibson is an artist, he's a controversial artist, and controversy sells."
Richard Roper's review: Name of film. Type of film: "Urban Drama." Evaluation of acting ("world -class performances" of Samuel Jackson and others). "Jackson does his best and most complex work in years." Julianne Moore "is just amazing." Describes character. Evaluates another performer (Edie Falco) as giving "Oscar-level" work, gives her brief acting background on a television series (The Sopranos) and describes her character. Mentions some directors. Judges some editing as bad. Gives example. Evaluates direction, script, and case. Thumbs up. Some short film clips.
Roger Ebert's review: Summary of film. Name of film. "We've seen this setup before." What's different ("new") is the "hijack plot." Defines genre (type) of film. Summary of plot. Includes cast in their roles. Short film clips. Sums up Harrison Ford's character. Evaluates acting ("Virginia Manson is excellent as Ford's wife. . . ."). Judges the film as similar but different ("I've seen this premise before, but. . . ."). Judgment: Thumbs up.
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APOCALYPTO
Apocalypto means a new beginning. The following is not a perfect review, since its emphasis is on the box office success of the film, not the film's content. Still it can be helpful to study this review in terms of content. There are many ways to analyze content, but we'll use the 5 W & H model:
The review first answers the question what by giving the name of the film.
What is the film?
A new beginning?
Who has the new beginning?
Mel Gibson.
Why (does he need a new beginning)?
Because of his arrest and attack on Jews.
How was the movie a new beginning?
It opened on the top of the box office.
Why wasn't that expected?
Because of the baggage (negative publicity about Gibson).
Why did it succeed?
Because of Mel Gibson.
How (much) money did it make?
Fifteen million.
What kind of opening was this?
Impressive.
Why?
The film is in Mayan and with unknown actors. Also it competed against new movies starring Leonardo di Caprio and Cameron Diaz.
Why did it succeed?
Curiosity.
Why: so people could talk about it.
How does the box-office fail?
In comparison with The Passion of the Christ.
What is not fair? The comparison.
Why? The Passion of the Christ was a more mainstream movie.
What? Mel's outburst may have helped the box office.
Why? Mel Gibson is a controversial artist.
The review first answers the question what by giving the name of the film.
What is the film?
A new beginning?
Who has the new beginning?
Mel Gibson.
Why (does he need a new beginning)?
Because of his arrest and attack on Jews.
How was the movie a new beginning?
It opened on the top of the box office.
Why wasn't that expected?
Because of the baggage (negative publicity about Gibson).
Why did it succeed?
Because of Mel Gibson.
How (much) money did it make?
Fifteen million.
What kind of opening was this?
Impressive.
Why?
The film is in Mayan and with unknown actors. Also it competed against new movies starring Leonardo di Caprio and Cameron Diaz.
Why did it succeed?
Curiosity.
Why: so people could talk about it.
How does the box-office fail?
In comparison with The Passion of the Christ.
What is not fair? The comparison.
Why? The Passion of the Christ was a more mainstream movie.
What? Mel's outburst may have helped the box office.
Why? Mel Gibson is a controversial artist.
A new beginning may be just what Mel Gibson got a month after his drunken driving arrest that culminated in a verbal attack on Jews. Despite predictions by some that his behavior would turn off moviegoers, Gibson's new movie, Apocalypto opened on top of the box office.
"There was so much baggage going into this film."
"There was a lot of baggage surrounding the release of this film. The Mel Gibson factor was huge, but I think Mel Gibson was the reason this film opened so well."
The Mayan epic earned 15 milion dollars. Not exactly blockbuster numbers, but impressive for these reasons: The film is in an obscure Mayan dialect and features unknown actors. Also impressive, Apocalypto bested new films this weekend from Leonardo di Caprio and Cameron Diaz.
"There was definitely a curiosity back of going into this film."
"And I think that translated into people going out to the movie theatre to see it so that they could talk at the water cooler about it."
Apocalypto's performance pales in comparison to Gibson's last film, The Passion of the Christ, which opened to more than 83 million dollars. But box-office analyst, Paul de Garibidian says the comparisons may not be fair.
"The Passion of the Christ was in a way a more mainstream movie than Apocalypto because it had a subject matter that many, many people could relate to."
The attention paid to Gibson's drunken outburst may in the end have benefitted his new movie.
"What does this opening say about Mel Gibson?"
"Well it says that Mel Gibson is an artist, he's a controversial artist, and controversy sells."
Cataphoric Style in Broadcasts
He calls it a life-changing experience. Do you remember the story of Craig McCabe, the Orange County man who fell overboard off Long Beach last year and nearly drowned? Cataphora is a forward reference in speech or writing, so that the pronoun or noun phrase precedes the subject, insuring curiosity or suspense in the telling.
As can be seen here, this style is quite common in media broadcasts, adding immediacy and suspense. Below, the underlined words precede the actual referents or subject, shown in italics.
In the first broadcast, the pronoun "He" comes before, instead of after, the noun it replaces ("Craig McCabe"). The more usual arrangement of noun phrase and pronoun replacement follows McCabe's name, in the appositive ("the Orange County man") and the relative clause ("who fell overboard. . . .").
Similarly, in the second broadcast, "a little boy" cataphorically refers to "Lloyd," whose name appears only later. "His mom" will be defined later in the broadcast, so this is a cataphoric reference too.
The second announcer (Dave Gonzalez) repeats this cataphoric style by using "he's" and "a young hero" before naming the person involved, "Lloyd."
In the first broadcast, aother style element worth mentioning is the rhetorical question to the viewer ("Do you remember. . . . ?").
Style elements worth mentioning in the second broadcast include use of the parallel balance of 911 and 1, 2, 3, with a rhyming effect. The second announcer, Dave Gonzalez follows his greeting with an incomplete sentence ("Our top story. . . ."), which lacks a verb. (Incomplete sentences can be effective is used properly and sparingly. Like here.
Also, the final sentence uses the present instead of the past tense for dramatic immediacy.
As can be seen here, this style is quite common in media broadcasts, adding immediacy and suspense. Below, the underlined words precede the actual referents or subject, shown in italics.
In the first broadcast, the pronoun "He" comes before, instead of after, the noun it replaces ("Craig McCabe"). The more usual arrangement of noun phrase and pronoun replacement follows McCabe's name, in the appositive ("the Orange County man") and the relative clause ("who fell overboard. . . .").
Similarly, in the second broadcast, "a little boy" cataphorically refers to "Lloyd," whose name appears only later. "His mom" will be defined later in the broadcast, so this is a cataphoric reference too.
The second announcer (Dave Gonzalez) repeats this cataphoric style by using "he's" and "a young hero" before naming the person involved, "Lloyd."
In the first broadcast, aother style element worth mentioning is the rhetorical question to the viewer ("Do you remember. . . . ?").
Style elements worth mentioning in the second broadcast include use of the parallel balance of 911 and 1, 2, 3, with a rhyming effect. The second announcer, Dave Gonzalez follows his greeting with an incomplete sentence ("Our top story. . . ."), which lacks a verb. (Incomplete sentences can be effective is used properly and sparingly. Like here.
Also, the final sentence uses the present instead of the past tense for dramatic immediacy.
When a little boy saw his mom collapse, dialing 911 came as easy as 1, 2, 3.
Good afternoon, everyone. I'm Mia Lee.
And I'm Dave Gonzalez. Our top story here this afternoon at 2 o'clock.
He's being called a young hero today. Five-year-old Lloyd picks up the phone, calls 911 after his mom collapses on the floor.
Cataphora Between Sentences
The following is an(other) example of cataphora, or pronoun ("it") replacement before the referent rather than (as is more common) after the referent. These, as the attached file and transcript shows, are quite common in news broadcasts. The pronoun is underlined and the referents (what it refers to) are italicized below (the metaphor, "pill," and the sentence after). Actually, expletives ("It is," "There are") are the one cataphoric form common in daily speech: "It's unfortunate, but we missed the next movie show time."
It's a difficult pill for Susanne Aucoin to swallow. The Ontario Health Services Review Board has ruled she cannot be reimbursed for the thousands she spent on her cancer treatment. The following is an(other) example of cataphora, or pronoun ("it") replacement before the referent rather than (as is more common) after the referent. These, as the attached file and transcript shows, are quite common in news broadcasts. The pronoun is underlined and the referents (what it refers to) are italicized below (the metaphor, "pill," and the sentence after). Actually, expletives ("It is," "There are") are the one cataphoric form common in daily speech: "It's unfortunate, but we missed the next movie show time."
Michael Richards Apology
"I'm sorry. I'm very, very sorry to the African-American community for, for the upset." Our focus here will be mainly on using media and commentary in a broadcast.
The broadcast begins cataphorically with a quote before it's introduced. This is typical of newscasts, since it involves the viewer immediately in a current issue they're already familiar with. The commentary then refers back to that opening remark ("With that") by the conventional means of a pronoun substitute ("that" replacing the whole quote).
The topic of the commentary is then stated: Michael Richards' apology and the incident behind it ("a rant that shocked the country").
"Explain why" is a hypnonymic, or less generalized, substitute for "apology," insuring coherence by implicity referring back to the topic of apology.
More details of the original incident follow, which refers back to "rant," again insuring coherence; by using "cause-effect" (Richards was "heckled"), the commentary further develops the content.
The next paragraph ("Richards appeared") answers the 5-W-H question ("Where?": on the radio show). (5-W-H = who, where, when, what, why, how.)
The media clip illustrates Richards' comment that he is not a racist whle using cause-effect to explain why he said what he said (the "Why" W).
The next commentary is interesting since it uses what is called an exophoric reference; that is, a reference to something not mentioned in the narration ("the two men"); but this is assumed knowledged by the audience, like referring to the Mona Lisa painting, even though it has not been mentioned before: everybody is supposed to know the Mona Lisa. Exophoric reference is later used again when a speaker refers to "Dr. Phil," a well-known media psychologist. (However, that's in a media clip, not commentary.)
More cause-effect follows, quoting Jesse Jackson on the healing process (following the apology; hence "cause-effect," insuring coherence). The linking word, "also," insures coherence, linking what Richards said with what others continue to say (using the "n" word). Reference to Mooney replaces Jackson (also at the news conference), thus insuring coherence. Cause-effect (Mooney is "a changed man") further insures coherence and enlarges content, as well as justifying the media clip that follows (Mooney speaking).
Another proper noun substitute follows (from Mooney to Jackson, since both refer to the group at the news conference), with more cause-effect: Jackson calls on an end to usig the "n" word, the background to the topic: Richards used the "n" word.
Richards' apology prompts a thank you from Jackson, which motivates the next media clip, a quote from Richards, concluding the matter. The commentary ends with an identification of the announcer and his news organization.
The broadcast begins cataphorically with a quote before it's introduced. This is typical of newscasts, since it involves the viewer immediately in a current issue they're already familiar with. The commentary then refers back to that opening remark ("With that") by the conventional means of a pronoun substitute ("that" replacing the whole quote).
The topic of the commentary is then stated: Michael Richards' apology and the incident behind it ("a rant that shocked the country").
"Explain why" is a hypnonymic, or less generalized, substitute for "apology," insuring coherence by implicity referring back to the topic of apology.
More details of the original incident follow, which refers back to "rant," again insuring coherence; by using "cause-effect" (Richards was "heckled"), the commentary further develops the content.
The next paragraph ("Richards appeared") answers the 5-W-H question ("Where?": on the radio show). (5-W-H = who, where, when, what, why, how.)
The media clip illustrates Richards' comment that he is not a racist whle using cause-effect to explain why he said what he said (the "Why" W).
The next commentary is interesting since it uses what is called an exophoric reference; that is, a reference to something not mentioned in the narration ("the two men"); but this is assumed knowledged by the audience, like referring to the Mona Lisa painting, even though it has not been mentioned before: everybody is supposed to know the Mona Lisa. Exophoric reference is later used again when a speaker refers to "Dr. Phil," a well-known media psychologist. (However, that's in a media clip, not commentary.)
More cause-effect follows, quoting Jesse Jackson on the healing process (following the apology; hence "cause-effect," insuring coherence). The linking word, "also," insures coherence, linking what Richards said with what others continue to say (using the "n" word). Reference to Mooney replaces Jackson (also at the news conference), thus insuring coherence. Cause-effect (Mooney is "a changed man") further insures coherence and enlarges content, as well as justifying the media clip that follows (Mooney speaking).
Another proper noun substitute follows (from Mooney to Jackson, since both refer to the group at the news conference), with more cause-effect: Jackson calls on an end to usig the "n" word, the background to the topic: Richards used the "n" word.
Richards' apology prompts a thank you from Jackson, which motivates the next media clip, a quote from Richards, concluding the matter. The commentary ends with an identification of the announcer and his news organization.
With that, [pause] Michael Richards apologized again for a rant that shocked the country. Standing next to Reverend Jesse Jackson, Richards tried to explain why [pause] he went on a racially charged tirade [pause] and used the "n" word against two men [pause] who heckled him [pause] during a comedy show before Thanksgiving.
Richards appeared on Jackson's Keep Hope Alive radio program in Los Angeles, where he said he is not a racist.
"Did you say this before?"
"No. No, no, no. There's no justification for the things that I said. But I was in, in show mode and it was heightened. And at times I tried to turn it around and I used the words I said in my act."
Richards says he tried to talk to the two men after the show [pause] to apologize [pause] but they had already gone. After the program, Richards, Jackson, and comedian Paul Mooney [pause] talked about using this incident [pause] to help heal racial rifts [pause] in the country.
"The first step is to acknowledge your wrong. The second step is to become contrite about it, not arrogant. The third is it takes time to regain or earn trust. And that's where the healing process begins."
Jackson also took issue with blacks [pause] using the "n" word in songs [pause] or in reference to each other. Mooney said he's a changed man because of what happened.
"Michael has cured me. He's my Dr. Phil. I won't be using the word anymore. I won't be using it."
Jackson says he's calling on all artists, [pause] television [pause] and radio stations [pause] not to air the word in any songs [pause] or programs. He said the word is so steeped in negativity, it only brings pain. He thanked Richards for acknowledging what he did [pause] and for his willingness to get help.
The actor says,
"I've been a conduit to something that is quite meaningful. And the work begins outside and the work begins inside. Bless you."
Ed Donohue, [pause] the Associated Press.
JOHN LEGEND
This is as good a brief model of your profile on Tuesday as I can think of. It's short, gets to the point, has a focus, is coherent, and juggles seamlessly the presentation, quoted speech, and media clips. I've tried to mark speech differences in the following way. Orange is the broadcaster; red is the quoted speech of John Legend; blue is a media clip. Bigger font is more emphatic speech; smaller font is run-on, more quickly-paced, speech. Underlined text is special emphasis. Italics has no significance here and simply identifies the name of Legend's Rock album.
Observe that one does not need to raise one's voice for emphasis; sometimes, as I remarked in class, emphasis is a matter of contrast, whether from low to high or from high to low. Observe especially, how her voice lowers on Kwan's delivery of the phrases, "Best New Artist," "at sixteen," and "Connie West."
Regarding content, Kwan starts with a subordinate clause, which draws the listener into the speech immediately. She focuses first on Legend's stage name, to get a handle on her subject: John Legend. What better way than by his name? That's called an angle or a "hook": hooking the audience in that way.
Naturally, Kwan supports her comment about Legend's name by having a clip where he speaks of choosing his name. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Which came first here, the quote or the opening sentence? I suspect Kwan had the clip and that inspired her to write an introduction that led up to the clip. (NOTE" Though I say "Kwan," Kwan may just be reading from written "copy" in front of her. But for convenience I'll use her name.)
This clip seamlessly leads to the next clip, fulfilling Legend's warning that "I'd better be good" (the next clip tells of him winning Best New Artist).
Kwan adds more confirmation in the next part of her speech, beginning, coherently, with the word, "Validation," as if to support Legend's previous claim that "I'd better be good."
The "validation" includes information on the success of Legend's first album. Since this album won several Grammys, the next clip coherently explains his and his family's presence at that awards show.
Another music clip follows. (These music clips should not be a problem, since they're not specific in content.)
But next Kwan must get to Legend's brief biography. The coherence is apparent, since one naturally seeks "present" success in "past" education or what led to that success.
Kwan focuses first on Legend's home schooling, using cataphora (pronoun before the noun) to add punch to the broadcast.
(Compare: "Stephens was home-schooled during some of his early years." Instead Kwan chose a cataphoric form: "Home-schooled during some of his early years," etc. In general, cataphora works well in media broadcasts.)
In terms of speech patterns, Kwan stresses Legend's early (precocious) education by first raising her pitch on an early year (twelve) then lowering her pitch (sixteen). For further emphasis she quickens her pace before saying "twelve," to insure double stress by both raising her pitch and slowing down her pace on that word telling of a youthful age.
Kwan next finds a relevant, if not inevitable, clip about making out with girls at that young age. If available, she might have used any clip about the problems or virtues of that age. The point is, the clip, though not logically necessary, doesn't weaken coherence but doesn't contradict it either.
Then Kwan jumps to the beginning of Legend's success: his meeting Connie West. She stresses West's importance not by raising her pitch but by lowering it. She also quickens the pace at the beginning, deciding what's important and what is not (a roommate at Penn who introduced him to West is not important, but only necessary transition information, so she quickens her pace).
The next media clip of Legend speaking coherently begins on "He," as a substitute reference to "Connie West," thus insuring coherence with Kwan's last presentation.
Kwan uses the same trick when she speaks again, starting off with "They," thus referring to both West and Legend, insuring coherence. Then she uses the topical aid, "comparison," to develop the relationship between Legend and West, another way to insure coherence. The comparison and contrast probably has more substance than any other part of the speech.
Kwan's next trick to insure coherence is the use of the conjunction, "But." There is no inevitable or necessary link between what went before and her next comment about the second record album. In fact, coherence throughout is arbitrary to a degree; it's imposed on the material rather than necessary to the material.
But a news broadcast, especially about an entertainment issue, does not require necessary coherence; arbitrary coherence is good enough. It's like a mother telling a child,
"First we'll shop for some toys, and then Mommy has to buy her school books, and then we'll sit down and have a nice milkshake."
This is a kind of arbitrary coherence in the telling rather than in the logic of it (for example, the child may not see any relationship between buying toys and buying the mother's books).
However, a political analysis would be different. The coherence would have to be more than arbitrary if one wished to prove that an official should be investigated for a crime. The coherence would have to be logical and convincing.
But if you notice, there is no necessary logical coherence between the spoken narration and the quoted media clips. The coherence is more superficial: it's imposed on the material. Still it works for its limited purpose.
(Remember, purpose is a big part of the communication triangle, linked to the Speaker.)
The final phrase, "once again," further imposes coherence by linking the end to the beginning: "John Legend as a singer worth talking about."
The final media clip again imposes coherence by making the viewer see a relationship between the success of the second album and the fact that John Legend is no longer an awkward twleve-year-old boy.
Again the question comes to mind: which came first, the content or the media clips. More likely it was a dialogue between a limited number of media clips and the writer's attempt to coherently tell a story with those few media clips,insuring coherence by a hint of cause-and-effect, comparison and contrast (Legend and West), and definition (the meaning of success=record sales). Note the writer leaves out a topic such as "division": dividing up Legend's talents into lyric writing, musician, singer, performer, MTV artist, etc. Obviously there wasn't time for all that. The writer had to be selective in the minute or so that she had for her broadcast.
(NOTE: I cannot figure out the phrase, "duty houser," which may be a name, like Doolie Hauser, perhaps someone famous for being home-schooled. But I've found no reference for someone with that or a related name. He may also be a popular film character. If you know, you can email me.)
When you choose John Legend as your stage name, you'd better be able to back it up.
"I said, you know, people are going to think this guy is very bold, this guy, he must think a lot of himself and he'd better be good. And so I said, 'You know what, I'd better be good.'"
[Media clip] "Best New Artist, John Legend."
Validation came last February when the singer-songwriter's debut album Get Lifted, earned him three Grammys, including Best New Artist.
"My parents were there. I had probably more family than anyone there. I had about eighteen family members coming from Ohio."
[Media clip]
Home-schooled during some of his early years, Stephens was a real-life duty houser. Starting high school when he was twelve and entering the University of Pennsylvania at sixteen.
"When you try to hit on girls when you're 12, 14, 15, it doesn't really work."
A roommate at Penn introduced him to his cousin, an aspiring hip hop artist and producer named [pause] Connie West.
"He used to loan me money when I was, when I was, when I was struggling as a musician, before I got a record deal."
[Media clip]
They're a study in contrasts, the soft-spoken Ivy League graduate and the outspoken college dropout. But with Legend's second album in stores, the producer and his protege are on their way to striking platinum [pause] once again.
"I'm no longer that awkward twelve year old."
In Hollywood, I'm Denise Kwan.
MAN-WOMAN DIALOGUE
For Week of 28 November 2006
Lisa: There can't be that much difference between people and the way they ______. We all eat, talk, _____, laugh, wear clothes—For Week of 28 November 2006
Jeff: Well, now look, now look
Lisa: If you're saying all this because you don't want to tell me the _____, because you're ______ something from me, then maybe I can understand.
Jeff: I'm not hiding anything! It's just that—
Lisa: It doesn't make sense! What's so _______ about it here from over there, or any place you go, that one person couldn't live in both places just as ______?
Jeff: Some people can. Now if you'll just let me explain—
Lisa: What is it but traveling from one place to another taking pictures? It's just like being a ______ on an endless ________.
Jeff: OK. Now that's your opinion. You're ______ to it. Now let me give you my side—
Lisa: It's _______ to say that it can only be done by a special, private little group of ______ people. . .
Jeff: I made a simple statement, a true statement, but I can _______ if you'll just _______ for a minute!
Lisa: If your opinion is as ______ as your manner, I don't think I care to hear it.
Jeff: Oh, come on now, simmer down.
Lisa: You—I can't ______ in here—you can't _____ in there. I mean, according to you, people should be _____, live and die on the same ____.
Jeff: SHUT UP! Did you ever eat fish ______ in rice?
Lisa: Of course not.
Jeff: Well, you might have to if you went with me. Did you ever try to keep warm on a C-54 at 15,000 feet, 20 degrees below zero?
Lisa: Oh, I do it all the time. Whenever I have a few minutes after lunch.
Jeff: Did you ever get shot at? Did you ever get run over? Did you ever get sandbagged at night because somebody got _______ publicity from your camera? Did you ever—those high-heels, they'll be great in the ______ and the nylons and those six ounce lingerie—
Lisa: Three!
Jeff: All right. Three! They'll make a big _____ in Finland just before you freeze to death?
Lisa: Well, if there's one thing I know, it's how to wear the ______ clothes.
Jeff: Yeah, yeah. Well try and find a ______ in _____, even when it isn't raining. Lisa. In this job, you carry one ______, your home is the available _______. You don't sleep very _____, you bathe less, and sometimes the food that you eat is made from ______ that you couldn't even _____ at when they're alive.
Lisa: Jeff, you don't have to be ________ repulsive just to _____ me I'm wrong.
Jeff: _________ _________! I'm just trying to make it sound good. You just have to face it, Lisa, you're not _______ for that kind of a life. Few people are.
Lisa: You're too stubborn to ______ with.
Jeff: I'm not stubborn—I'm just ______.
Lisa: I know, a _______ man would have told me it was one long
holiday—and I would have been awakened to a ______ disillusionment.
Jeff: Oh, well now, wait a minute. Now wait a minute. If you want to get ______ on this, I'll be very happy to _________ you.
Lisa: No, I don't _________ want that. So that's it. You won't stay here and I can't go with you.
Jeff: It would be the wrong thing.
Lisa: You don't think either one of us could ever ______?
Jeff: Right now, it doesn't ______ so.
Lisa: I'm in love with you. I don't care what you do for a _____. I'd just like to be ______ of it somehow. It's deflating to find out the only way I can be part of it is to take out a ________ to your _______. I guess I'm not the girl I thought I was.
Jeff: There's nothing wrong with you, Lisa. You've got this town in the _____ of your hand.
Lisa: Not quite it seems. Goodbye, Jeff.
Jeff: You mean, 'Good night.'
Lisa: I mean what I said.
Jeff: Well, Lisa, couldn't we just, uh, couldn't we just keep things ________?
Lisa: Without any _______?
Jeff: Well, when am I gonna see you again?
Lisa: Not for a _____ time. At least not _____ tomorrow night.
Urban Everyman:
Speech Behavior in North by Northwest
Richard de Canio
Speaking is as basic among humans as biological needs such as eating or sleeping. Yet we not only speak to express our needs, but often to conceal or deny them. For this reason, some monastics, such as Trappists, take vows of silence; as if silence spoke more truly than words.Speech Behavior in North by Northwest
Richard de Canio
Words, in fact, may be a trap. Alfred Hitchcock's celebrated thriller, North by Northwest (1959) is a model study of the way speech can distort human relationships rather than enhance them. Its hero, Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant) finds his true self only when he stops speaking as he's learned to.
The film begins showing Thornhill's easy way with words. We hear his voice before we see him emerge from a crowded elevator, as if his voice might belong to anyone.
Thornhill is, in fact, Everyman, or, rather, Urban Everyman, who yet might live anywhere. As an espionage secretary later says, "Goodbye, Mr. Thornhill, wherever you are."
From the beginning, Hitchcock focuses on speech behavior. Even Thornhill's casual speaking sounds like official dictation, a habit in his advertising profession. His fluency is contrasted against a company employee, who, asked about his wife says, "We're not talking."
This at first suggests that not speaking is a sign of a failed relationship. Yet as the film progresses, the opposite seems true: speech is a way to disguise the failure of relationships.
Thornhill, though unmarried (divorced twice), has no trouble speaking. We see him sweet-talk himself into another's waiting taxi, by falsely saying his secretary is ill, then spout trade slogans to her to justify his lie: "In the world of advertising there's no such thing as a lie, there's only expedient exaggeration."
It is only later, when Thornhill exposes his real self in a romantic relationship, that he recognizes the difference between the truth and a lie, scolding an espionage agent for lying to him. In the meantime, to morally balance the taxi scene, in the convention of "poetic justice," Hitchcock later shows Thornhill desperately try to flag down a passing automobile to make his escape from a menacing crop-duster plane. But now, unable to rely on clever verbal persuasion, Thornhill is reduced to frantic gestures, as the car speeds by him.
Yet it's when speech fails him that Thornhill discovers his true self. Speech helps conceal our real needs, thus our real identity. Not only are words slippery: our misuse of them makes them more so.
At its best, speech is often used at cross-purposes. This occurs in the kidnapping sequence, when Thornhill is mistaken for George Kaplan, who doesn't even exist. The more Thornhill tries to rely on conventional speech to convince his kidnappers he is not Kaplan, the more convinced they become that he is. In a world where speech has been cheapened (as in Thornhill's profession), words cease to carry intended meanings.
In this sense, Thornhill is punished for his hollow way with words, such as when, early in the film, he dictates to his secretary a business letter, "Let the opposition have their high ratings while we cry about it all the way to the bank."
His dictated love notes are equally banal: "I count the days, the minutes, the hours. . . ." or, "Here's something for your sweet tooth, baby, and all your other sweet parts."
Later, after being made drunk by enemy spies, he spouts similar cliches, which at the same time reveal his life up till then as a social cipher.
"Don't worry about me, fellows: I'll take the bus."
"Thanks for the lift, fellows."
"Somebody call the police."
"We'll get 'em. We'll throw the book at them. Assault with a bourbon and a sports car."
The humor of the dialogue comes from its mismatch of words and reality, thus revealing those words as hollow. This criticism of language is not restricted to Thornhill. The enemy spies pour Thornhill a "libation," trying to make him drunk, then toast him, with "Cheers," thus mocking habitual social usage. The staff at the police station also use banal formal speech patterns, as when they intend to book the obviously drunken Thornhill "on suspicion of drunk driving," or the police examiner announces, "It is my opinion that you are definitely intoxicated."
This theme of the banality of language, hence of communication, is advanced on the political level too. For the CIA, FBI, and other government agencies are, in the words of one of their agents, "in the same alphabet soup"; that is, a soup of letters and words that mainly confuse and conceal, the aim of counterespionage work.
The link between Thornhill and these agents is made explicit when the "Professor" (the chief government agent) presents a shallow cause-effect argument why Thornhill should be sacrificed on behalf of the agency's schemes, which inadvertently implicate him. A secretary rejoins, "Aren't we being just a wee bit callous?"
But if Thornhill has hollow slogans ("Think thin"), the Professor has his too ("War is hell"). In the same vein, another agent recites the French slogan, "C'est la guerre!"
Hiding behind words, complex relationships are flattened out. In fact, the Professor's nickname (he is not otherwise named in the film) links him with academia and its futile parade of equally hollow terminologies, even more common in the half century since the film's release.
Thus whether a man who doesn't even exist (George Kaplan) is protected, or a man who does exist (Roger Thornhill) is sacrificed, is of no concern in a language game hollow at its core. This applies to advertising and romance, as much as to politics. Hitchcock's genius is to link them.
For in an obvious sense, Thornhill, a man of easy words but no real emotions, exists no more than Kaplan. In identifying himself as "Kaplan" over the phone, Thornhill symbolically accepts his non-existence as a fact.
At the same time, this begins a learning process: unable to use the easy words he's comfortable with, Thornhill rediscovers himself as a man of less ease but more substance. This new self expresses itself at first in hesitant speech.
The process of rediscovery is carefully plotted. After failing with routine excuses to convince his kidnappers he is not Kaplan ("I've got two tickets to the theatre this evening to a show I was looking forward to and I get, well, kind of unreasonable about things like that"), Thornhill hopes mere identity cards will prove his identity: "I've got a wallet full of identification cards, a driver's license, things like that."
Forcefully made drunk, Thornhill reverts to elementary language and introduces himself haltingly to his own mother: "This is your son, Roger Thornhill."
The social artifice of language, with which Roger is accustomed, mocks him when a woman, falsely claiming to be "Mrs. Townsend," pretends to be a friend, spouting social cliches: "It was a dull party. You didn't miss a thing" and "I knew I should have served drinks earlier."
When Roger tries to expose her as a fraud, she plays the game harder: "Oh, Roger! You didn't take Laurie's Mercedes!" In frustration, Thornhill shouts, "What a performance!"
As in advertising, big lies are more difficult to disprove than small ones. The knack is "expedient exaggeration," to use Roger's own words earlier in the film.
Thus Thornhill becomes victim of a manipulation of language he uses in his profession. In fact, he encourages his own mother to deceitfully obtain the pass to a hotel room, claiming: "You lend a certain air of respectability." Later, the spy, Phillip Vandamm (James Mason) tells him, "You make this very room a theatre!" mocking Thornhill's way with words.
At the United Nations, a symbol of dialogue, Thornhill aims to clear his identity, but, mistaken for an assassin, confuses it further. The high-angle image of a diminutive Thornhill, seen from the top of the United Nations building, is one of Hitchcock's signature shots. A multiple lap dissolve links the UN building to government agencies in Washington.
This lap dissolve suggests that Roger's plight is part of a global network of language manipulation. In these agencies, the relation between the image and the real, as in advertising, is blurred. The agents are willing to sacrifice a real person (Roger Thornhill) in order to protect an unreal person (George Kaplan). Thus Thornhill becomes a victim of a duplicitious use of language he has used himself.
This deceptive use of words marks the initial encounter between Thornhill and Eve Kendall (Eva Marie Saint) on the train. Even their embrace is equivocal, suggesting murder as well as love.
Thornhill, despite his now straitened circumstances, is still the confident advertising man, romancing Eve on the train as we imagine he has often done with women. Eve, for her part, recruited as a counterespionage agent, uses words, like Thornhill, to manipulate others.
It is only when they discover their real love for each other that words become difficult to speak. This allows Hitchcock to contrast the facile speech patterns of the couple early in their relationship, when they display false selves, against their later speech hesitancies, as they expose their true feelings.
Eve, for example, expresses her real emotions subsequently, not in speech, but in facial gestures, such as looking relieved when she realizes that Thornhill has not been killed in the crop-dusting crash. Her words become more measured when, in order to save Roger from further harm in her counterespionage work, she warns him their romance is over.
Similarly, as Roger becomes emotionally involved with Eve, he becomes less facile in speaking. In the celebrated crop-dusting sequence, communication with the man waiting for the bus is minimal and routine, mostly made up of sentence fragments:
"Hi. Hot day."
"Seen worst."
"Is your name Kaplan?"
"Can't say it is 'cause it ain't."
"Waiting for the bus. Due any minute."
"Right on time."
In this world of few words, Thornhill is most vulnerable. Subsequently, he runs for his life, staring silently at a plane trying to kill him, knowing words cannot help him.
In this view, the subsequent auction scene is a turning point in the film. For the first time, Thornhill purposely uses language to deconstruct language.
Instead of proper bidding, he bids to undermine the bidding process, thus call attention to himself. Language is used to mean the opposite of what is said.
For Thornhill is bidding for help from the police, not to purchase art. Yet from the point of view of his "audience," he is, as the woman says, "a genuine idiot," since his use of language makes sense only to himself.
But Hitchcock's film is not a dry study in language use. Ensconced in a police car with two policeman, Thornhill spouts newspaper slogans about the man he's supposed to be: "'The United Nations killer!' 'Dangerous assassin!' 'Mad killer on the loose!'"
In using these slogans for himself, with deliberate mockery,Thornhill suggests, for the first time, an awareness of the artifice of language. Whereas before he seemed to think that artifice was reality, here he shows he clearly knows the difference, no less than the officer who chastises him: "You ought to be ashamed of yourself!"
In the airport sequence, the Professor's vague explanation of how Thornhill was mistaken for Kaplan shows the tenuous link of words to reality. Pointedly, Hitchcock allows the sounds of airplane motors to cover the Professor's explanation, as if to show there was nothing of substance to explain anyway, except a vague reference to "government secrets."
True, this is part of Hitchcock's celebrated use of the "McGuffin": a plot element used to justify the story's action. Yet it fits the film's theme of language as a hollow instrument of deceit.
Language here does not reveal, but conceals. The Professor's words, like those of government officials and academics, are empty. Instead, by casting light on Thornhill's anguished face as he realizes Eve's life is in danger, Hitchcock shows that true feeling is beyond words.
The subsequent forest scene between Roger and Eve, following Thornhill's simulated death, is one of the most beautiful in Hitchcock's films and key to a study of the film's representation of language.
First, as critically noted, the scene represents a rebirth, as Thornhill emerges from the ambulance in which he is presumed dead. The woods develop this rebirth motif, contrasting green foliage against the urban jungle of New York and the dusty fields of the crop-dusting sequence.
The woods also suggest a fairy tale element in the plot ("Little Red Riding Hood," etc.), apparent when Thornhill climbs the beams of the home owned by the spies. During this sequence he resembles a little boy dwarfed by a big house.
As he climbs, Thornhill notices blood on his hand. The fairy tale boy is earning his manhood, with suggestion of a crucifixion (the bloodied hands of Jesus on the cross).
This fairy tale, however, is ironic, and works in reverse. For the "boy" was once a sophisticated urban resident of New York City, a hero to girlfriends and bartenders. It is only when he is reduced to nothing (outside the United Nations, in dusty fields and dangerous houses) that he becomes somebody.
The first woods sequence, following Thornhill's symbolic death and rebirth, is noteworthy for the hesitancy of Roger and Eve's spoken exchanges. Gone is the mutual wordplay of the couple on the train, when they spoke lies to manipulate each other. Now both sound hesitant and at a loss for words, even as they speak the truth about their feelings.
As the location suggests, they are born again. At first they were vulnerable children, passively following the orders of their symbolic father (the Professor). Love has made them adults, willing to defy the father's orders, plan their own future, suffer to achieve their goals, and finally marry.
The childlike way Eve snatches the figure with the microfilm from Vandamm's hands develops this fairy tale motif, as does the escape scene through the woods that follows. Words have no place in this scene.
Not only is the couple stripped of words they are used to. By the end of the film Roger has lost his suit jacket (after escaping from the Professor) while Eve has lost her shawl (after escaping in the woods).
The chase scene takes place on the famous American monument known as Mount Rushmore, in South Dakota, showing the faces of four American presidents. In this monument (simulated for the film) Hitchcock again links his couple to national politics.
It is important to the film's theme that neither Roger nor Eve chose their espionage work; rather Eve was recruited by the agents due to her romantic involvement with Vandamm, while Thornhill became accidentally involved.
Thus the government has implicated innocent people into its duplicitous speech acts (double speaking, role playing, etc.), using personal relationships to do so. This includes Eve's romantic involvement with the counteragent Phillip Vandamm and Roger's romance with Eve.
Yet in another sense, neither Thornhill nor Eve Kendall is innocent. Both can play duplicitous roles because they've become used to pretense. Eve saw "only the charm" in Vandamm and "decided to fall in love." Roger's initial involvement with Eve is mere infatuation. Only later does genuine love develop.
The Mount Rushmore presidents represent the weight of the national past, contemporized in public policy (patriotism, civic values, political slogans, and exploitative espionage work, etc.). Their faces are made of stone, and silent. The government speaks for them. Yet their size dwarfs the couple climbing the monument, trying to escape the current political intrigues the monument represents.
There is an implicit critique of such a monument, which can be used to justify dubious government ideals and actions. In fact, as Roger discovers, the monument is a trap, as he tells Eve: "This is no good: we're on top of the monument!" Desperately, the couple flee the tyranny of the monument for the freedom of romantic escape.
The comedy thriller genre requires the flippant exchange of words while the couple dangle from the monument. Roger explains: "My wives divorced me: they claimed I lived too dull a life." But these comic exchanges do not belie the fact that language is no longer being used as an instrument of deceit or manipulation.
Instead, what lingers in the memory is the look of agony on Thornhill's face as he pulls Eve up the mountain and (in a brilliant lap dissolve) to the train bunk. True love is beyond words, especially those of advertising and politics.
Action speaks louder than words, as is shown by the train entering the tunnel. Hitchcock admitted this shot was a phallic symbol, showing the couple's sexual consummation. Pointedly, the train seems to penetrate the obstruction of the Rushmore Monument, and thus national politics.
In a playful manner, Hitchcock's film deconstructs the meaning of speech in human relations. Speech is shown as a means of deception, such as in advertising or counterespionage work (for example, the dialogue between Thornhill and Vandamm preceding Thornhill's staged murder). People speak deviously or at cross-purposes (as in the kidnapping sequence).
If speech is successful, it deconstructs itself, as in the auction sequence. Otherwise, it speaks the truth, but haltingly, as in the first woods sequence.
This is true of the villains too. The relationship between the spy, Phillip Vandamm and his aid, Leonard (Martin Landau) is expressed in subtext and prop rather than text.
Leonard is coded as a homosexual in typical Hollywood style. His first comment upon seeing Thornhill is to compliment him on being "well-tailored." His interest in Thornhill seems more personal (sexual) than professional. His frequent pouts suggest sexual frustration rather than professional scheming.
His homosexuality gives him a "woman's intuition" about the truth, beyond the deceit of language. This allows an advantage over Vandamm, who, mastered by language, as he himself has mastered it, never suspects Eve's deception.
In fact, Vandamm gives a perfectly coherent defense, to Eve, of why she had to "murder" Thornhill. Relying on words, Vandamm becomes victim to words, something Leonard is immune to.
It is only when Leonard shoots Vandamm with blanks that Vandamm realizes he's been fooled. It is a dramatic demonstration of the limits of language.
First, the gun, with blanks, suggests Vandamm's sexual failure (he has proved a blank to a woman). Moreover, his grasping of his hand in agony after punching Leonard (below, left), suggests a displaced phallic wound.
Second, the shooting suggests Leonard's sexual ("phallic") assault of Vandamm, thus linking Leonard's sexuality (and his presumed impotence) with Vandamm's.
Thus, almost in sexual agony, Vandamm knocks down Leonard. This is not simply a matter of blaming the messenger for the message. It is a way for Vandamm to reassert sexual authority threatened when Leonard fired the gun.
The mise-en-scene (placement of the characters within the scene) flatters Vandamm's sense of power. Groggy, Leonard sits on a couch, as if put in his place; while Vandamm stands alone and gazes up in the direction of the woman who has betrayed him. His words, with Leonard now standing next to him, speak of power: "This matter is best disposed of from a great height, over water."
The pun on words is interesting: the "great height" belies Vandamm's sense of injured size, but also refers to the altitude of the airplane. Yet the high angle shot dwarfs both men, even as Vandamm utters his threat, confirming their sexual impotence.
Ironically, in this film about language, the soundtrack includes a major sound goof when Cary Grant mistakenly reads his line, "He's addressing the national assembly," as "He's assembling the National Assembly."
Another goof occurs in the restaurant scene when the little boy, expecting the gun to fire, puts his fingers in his ears before the fact.
Besides issues related to speech, Hitchcock's film is a textbook of film style, which can only be briefly mentioned here. Casting is one aspect of style.
Stars have been shown to be as much a part of film style as other elements of a movie. A star is not only an actor, but an image recycled in many movies as part of narrative economy (quickly getting a point across with assistance from the star's image). For stars insure presence and identification the way other actors don't.
Cary Grant was one of the greatest romantic stars of his era, so that the character of Roger Thornhill became convincing just by being played by Grant. His star image is comically referred to in a brief moment in the film when a young woman, awakened by Grant passing through her bedroom, decides he's the man of her dreams.
But Grant was not only a great star. He was an accomplished actor, with a repertoire of facial expressions and gestures for all occasions, as his performance in this film shows.
The supporting cast, including Eva Marie Saint as Eve and James Mason as Phillip Vandamm, add depth to the film's acting. Indeed, Mason's patristic demeanor and stuffy speech are a perfect foil for Grant's comic expressions.
The plot is a summary of most of Hitchcock's themes, including the transference of guilt, an ordinary man involved in extraordinary events, and the double chase motif (the hero chased by both the villains and the police).
Many sequences are not only typical of Hitchcock's work, but have become classics of their kind, including the kidnapping scene, the drunk driving scene, the United Nations murder, the crop-dusting scene, and the Mount Rushmore sequence.
The editing cleverly suggests action not actually shown, such as the moment when Vandamm punches Leonard, or when the spies manhandle Thornhill in the Townsend residence. Similarly, montage sequences of rapid editing generate excitement, such as following the United Nations murder. In another montage sequence, in Grand Central Station, as police look for for Thornhill, disguised in a red uniform cap, Hitchcock progressively increases scale (proximity of camera to figure) in each subsequent shot, falsely arousing the viewer's fear that Thornhill will be captured.
Especially noteworthy is the editing of the sequence when Eve steals the figure and escapes from Vandamm. The selective use of framing and duration of shots makes the escape convincing while extending the moment, and therefore the suspense, as much as possible.
Sound mixes are brilliantly stylized too, such as the editing of the voices of the bystanders following the United Nations murder or the staged Thornhill murder. Complex sound mixes are also used for the scene inside Vandamm's South Dakota residence.
The screenplay uses witty dialogue to advance serious themes, as common in Hitchcock's suspense thrillers. The plotting cleverly links characters in an intricate narrative.
Bernard Herrmann's music is one of his key film scores. Though not as memorable as his other Hitchcock scores (The Trouble with Harry, Vertigo and Psycho) it fulfills the requirements of great film music, to enhance the drama of the screenplay. The title music, reprised for the drunk driving and Mount Rushmore sequences, is justly famous. But it's the love theme, gently scored for clarinet and strings, that is the highlight of the score. It is this music that is reprised triumphantly, with timpani, at the end of the film, to accompany the famous shot of the train entering the tunnel.
Finally, no review of a Hitchcock film can omit locating the director's signature cameo. Here he's easy to spot, following his directing credit, missing a bus by seconds.
CELL PHONE ADDICTION
This handout allows you to study not only speech patterns but the selective inclusion of quoted speech at appropriate places. The stressed word in the first sentence ("staggering") makes the news item important, whether it is or not. Media make the news as well as broadcast it. (But that's another matter.) Also, the cataphoric use of "here" invites the viewer into the story ahead.Since the number of cell phone users is the focus of the report, the number ("two billion") is stressed in the next sentence. Number, as percentage ("a third"), is stressed in the next sentence. Note that the second and third sentences give supporting details of the topic sentence ("staggering statistic"). The expletive ("There are") in the second sentence is a typical use of cataphora, leading up to an important fact later. In the third sentence, "That's" is a relative pronoun that links to the previous sentence, insuring coherence. "And" links the previous to the next sentence by a simple conjunction.
The phrase "can't live" uses one of the topics of invention (cause and effect) to show the cause of the topic sentence fact. Until this sentence, "cell phone" has only been used in the "denominative" form, as an adjective, not as a noun; only here is it used a noun, for the first time. In the next sentence, "Tompkins" replaces "people" by what is called hyponymy (that is, they belong to the larger class of people), and they in turn are replaced by the pronoun "them." All this insures coherence, by backward linking.
In the next sentence, "the couple" synonymically replaces "Tompkins" with the same effect of coherence. The pronoun "they" later also has the same aim.
Note that, "admitted" and "problem" use the topic of invention called "definition"; that is, the cell phone users are defined as having a problem, thus expanding the content of the text. In the next sentence,
"They" is another pronoun replacement for "Tompkins." "Intervene" is an example of a strong verb. (Compare: "They agreed to let Good Morning America videotape them.") "Behavior lab" develops, by collocation, the topic already defined as "problem." (Collocation is the way words commonly go together, such as "merry," "Christmas," "candy canes," "Christmas tree," "Santa," "holiday greetings," etc.)
"Here" is a cataphoric adverb, pointing forwards, inviting interest.
This was the introduction. The actual profile begins at this point.
Note the use of the strong verb, "gabbing" (instead of "talking") for emphasis. The paratactic series (using commas) ("in their cars, in the gym. . . .") follows the rule of three, a common rule in rhetoric ("government of the people, by the people, for the people"; "and so abideth, faith, hope, and charity").
Finally, the student can study how quoted speech is used. The first two quotes directly illustrate the fact of the couple's addiction. The next wuote illustrates the cost of their usage. The final quote illustrates the fact, stated just before, that the couple speak to each other even in their home.
The question for the student is which comes first, the chicken or the egg? Do the quotes come first and the writing added, or the writing and the quotes added. It's more likely a dialogue, whereby the writer organizes salient details, finds a pattern, sees if there's material to illustrate that pattern, adjusts the pattern a little to suit the details and quoted speakers, and then finds transitions to insure an already definied focus.
As for the spoken text, stressed words are shown by underline, quickening of pace is shown by smaller and italic font (type), while pauses are indicated in brackets. Quoted text is shown in green font.
Although this profile is not about a famous person, the principles outlined above are the same for profiles of famous people too. Good luck!
Here's a staggering statistic for you. There are more than two billion cell phone subscribers worldwide. That's a third of all people on the planet. And a recent study found that forty percent of people say they can't live without their cell phone. The Tompkins are among them. We met the couple recently when they first admitted they had a problem. They agreed to let Good Morning America intervene and conduct our own [pause] behavior lab. We took away their cell phones [pause] and here's what happened.
Courtney and Tyler are self-professed junkies [pause] addicted to their cell phones.
"I don't know what I would do if I didn't have it. I definitely need it."
"Yeah, the first thing I do when I wake up: use my phone."
Two months ago when we first introduced you to the newlyweds, they were at the peak of their gabbing problems, racking up more than four thousand minutes a month.
"This is my cell phone bill for one month."
They were on the phone constantly, in their cars, in the gym, [rising intonation] even calling each other from different rooms inside their house.
"Honey I'm upstairs."
Students,
Try to work on your speeches; if you send them, show (without being too elaborate) important speech pauses.
Here are some rules of thumb:
1. Sentence variety (short and long);
2. Incomplete sentences work well in speaking: "Not really!" "Never mind!" "Going out to dinner this weekend? Here's a tip for the college student!"
3. Short sentences when possible.
4. Cataphora (placing the noun after the pronoun). Don't overdo this, of course; but it can be effective when used at the right time.
Let's combine 3 & 4 for a good introductory speech:
"He shocked you in Misery. She made you laugh in Rome Date! Now they're together! Hal Smart and Jill White. June Wedding! It's a movie you will not forget!" (I made up all the names, but you get the idea.)
5. Be selective! Learn to separate the important from the unimportant.
This is always a matter of judgment. There are no rules for this. Sometimes a birth date is important, sometimes it's not. The names of 3 movies may be too much or too little information, depending on
a. focus,
b. length of speech,
c. the movies themselves (obviously if an actor played in Titanic that would be worth mentioning; but not if he played in an unknown or unimportant movie, say, Waiting on Line for My Meal.
6. Rule of 3: Limit your content to 3 main points. The rule of 3 also includes the rule of lists! Always list or divide your content.
7. Purpose. Know what your purpose is: to incite, enrage, mollify (calm), educate, warn, inform, entertain, humor, apologize, etc.
8. Audience. Always know what your audience will be: college-educated? grade-school? television viewers?
9. Tone. Find a tone and stick to it, though some variation is possible: serious, comic, satirical, witty, flippant, somber, etc.
(As can be seen the last 3 [7, 8, 9] fit into the communication triangle: Speaker (purpose), audience, and text (tone).
10. Strategic pauses (these, as my handouts shows, can be very "subliminal" unless analyzed, as I do).
11. Pace (when speaking).
12. Vocabulary: strong verbs, variation of short and long words.
Of course, all the other aspects of speaking, such as on your chart, are also important to consider.
Her son died only three days after the former Playboy Playmate gave birth to a new baby girl.
Her son had come to see her in her Bahamas hospital room, [pause] then, [pause] suddenly died. It was reportedly caused by a lethal and accidental combination of antidepressants and methadone.
This morning the thirty-eight year old is back in that same hospital suffering from pneumonia, having just undergone surgery to drain fluid from a partially collapsed lung.
Students,
I suggest you COPY this chart or print up your own version with many rows to fit the number of students in our class. Bring it to class on Tuesday and hand it in at the end of the class.
Each row will have another student's name, with columns of blank spaces where you can insert letter or number grades (1-10).
As for the categories, I'll explain each one simply:
1. Content, or the material of the presentation. This itself can have its own chart, of course; but for now we'll keep it simple. Content, then, covers coherence, organization, beginning, middle, end, strong opening and conclusion, vivid examples or illustrations, etc.
2. Vocabulary, or choice of words: simple, too simple, not right, etc.
3. Intonation, or melody or proper accent of a sentence, its rise or fall.
4. Volume, or voice projection.
5. Pace, or fast and slow.
6. Articulation, or clear separation of words or syllables.
7. Pronunication, or proper vowel sounds and accent.
8. Fluency, or flow of words.
9. Variation, or effective contrast of volume, pace, etc.
10. Poise, or correct movement, relaxed delivery, eye contact, etc.
11. Memory, or a sense of mental command over one's material.
The idiom, "What a relief!" extends the joke and sets up the next punchline after the bunched words at lower volume ("you can buy a three-ounce tube at the airport for 162") leading to the stressed word, "dollars."
Notice in the final joke about Nicole Richie, Jay lowers his volume, so varies the pitch yet adds emphasis to the joke by speaking softly instead of loudly. (Opposites meet in the rhetorical trope, or figure, called "antiphrasis," or saying one thing by its opposite; as when Othello calls Iago "honest, honest Iago." It's like catching someone stealing from your house and saying, "It's good to know you're honest.") Or, instead of yelling at someone to get out of one's house, one whispers: "Get out."
Well here's some good news! the Transportation Security Administration has partially lifted the ban on carry-on liquids [pause] for air flights. They say, you can bring liquids on, you can bring liquids on the plane as long as they are purchased from secure [pause] airport [pause] stores.
Well what a relief! See now instead of bringing your own hair gel, you can buy a three-ounce tube at the airport for 162 dollars.
Thank you very much. You sound like Nicole Richie when she heard about Paris Hilton. What a crowd!
That's the big story in Hollywood. Paris Hilton arrested last night for suspicion of driving under the influence.
President Bush announced today we are now safer [pause] than we were five years ago. [pause] Well, sure, now that Paris Hilton is off the road. Yeah!
I guess you know that story. Paris Hilton arrested for a DUI*, which stands for, of course, Diva under the Influence. ("DUI" normally means "driving under the influence.")
You know something, this whole thing: There was a good chance for her and Nicole Richie to reconcile. Do you know what happened? I guess while Paris was sitting in her cell, Nicole Richie went down to the jail, slipped between the bars, and then sat and talked. . . . I thought that was very nice.
Here in the rolling farmland outside Zanesville in Ohio's largest congressional district, {pause} Republican Joy Padgett is campaigning to succeed Bob Ney {pause} who pleaded guilty in the Jack Abramoff scandal. {Long pause} She acknowledges this and other Republican scandals in Ohio {pause} have taken their toll on voters.
By bringing thirteen-month-old David Banda from Africa to England to become part of her family, Madonna insisted she's done nothing wrong {pause} and the controversy the adoption's attracted has shocked her, according to members of the audience on the Oprah Winfrey Show, {pause} who sat in while an interview with the singer was being taped.
This was on the news yesterday: Paris Hilton gave a homeless guy a hundred bucks and actually talked with him for a while. I guess the guy didn't have a job, didn't have any specific skills, didn't have much of an education, so apparently they had a lot in common.
featured-on-her- world-tour and that's drawing worldwide protests.
ANALYSIS: The speaker kicks off her introduction with a strong first word and another emphasis on a key word "nothing"; for variety, and to lead up to stress aftewards, she bunches the words, "nothing that Madonna hasn't," landing strongly on another key word, "done."
"Surprises" and "again" are two more key words that receive stress. So the key words make up a kind of banner headline, like this: "Nothing done! Surprises again!"
(Notice that the name, "Madonna," receives no special stress; that's a matter of judgment; the idea seems to be that people know who Madonna is or whom the report is about. In fact, the replacement noun phrase ("The one-time material girl") is bunched together too. One might say that the report is not about Madonna, but about the specifically Catholic Church controvery involved.
But even the reference to the "mock crucifixion" is bunched together in the speaker's delivery. In fact, an analysis of the speaker's vocal delivery seems to show that the speaker is not interested in substance or issues, but in simply reporting a controversy, regardless of the issues involved.
This is a matter of stress and focus, using the same material. For those in my composition class, consider the different headlines that might be placed over this news item, each one compelling a difference focus, forcing the material to be organized in different ways, with different details, choice of words, etc.
So writing (like speaking) always has a purpose and audience; these in fact come before the other point of the communication triangle composed of Speaker/Writer, Audience, and content (material: text).
MADONNA'S TELEVISION SPECIAL CENSURED!
MADONNA EMBROILED IN CONTROVERSY!
PROTESTS GREET MADONNA!
MADONNA SURPRISES FANS!
MADONNA'S CONCERT DRAWS ANGER!
MADONNA IN THE NEWS AGAIN!
MADONNA STILL A CONTROVERSIAL FORCE!
MADONNA DEFIES CRITICS!
MADONNA EXERCISES ARTISTIC FREEDOM!
And so on.
Try to work on your speeches; if you send them, show (without being too elaborate) important speech pauses.
Here are some rules of thumb:
1. Sentence variety (short and long);
2. Incomplete sentences work well in speaking: "Not really!" "Never mind!" "Going out to dinner this weekend? Here's a tip for the college student!"
3. Short sentences when possible.
4. Cataphora (placing the noun after the pronoun). Don't overdo this, of course; but it can be effective when used at the right time.
Let's combine 3 & 4 for a good introductory speech:
"He shocked you in Misery. She made you laugh in Rome Date! Now they're together! Hal Smart and Jill White. June Wedding! It's a movie you will not forget!" (I made up all the names, but you get the idea.)
5. Be selective! Learn to separate the important from the unimportant.
This is always a matter of judgment. There are no rules for this. Sometimes a birth date is important, sometimes it's not. The names of 3 movies may be too much or too little information, depending on
a. focus,
b. length of speech,
c. the movies themselves (obviously if an actor played in Titanic that would be worth mentioning; but not if he played in an unknown or unimportant movie, say, Waiting on Line for My Meal.
6. Rule of 3: Limit your content to 3 main points. The rule of 3 also includes the rule of lists! Always list or divide your content.
7. Purpose. Know what your purpose is: to incite, enrage, mollify (calm), educate, warn, inform, entertain, humor, apologize, etc.
8. Audience. Always know what your audience will be: college-educated? grade-school? television viewers?
9. Tone. Find a tone and stick to it, though some variation is possible: serious, comic, satirical, witty, flippant, somber, etc.
(As can be seen the last 3 [7, 8, 9] fit into the communication triangle: Speaker (purpose), audience, and text (tone).
10. Strategic pauses (these, as my handouts shows, can be very "subliminal" unless analyzed, as I do).
11. Pace (when speaking).
12. Vocabulary: strong verbs, variation of short and long words.
Of course, all the other aspects of speaking, such as on your chart, are also important to consider.
ANNA NICOLE SMITH
For students who wish to improve their listening and modeling experience, here's another example related to your previous introduction exercise. Note how the speaker uses pace and stress variation: stressed words are indicated by underlined type; faster pace and bunched phrasing is indicated by smaller type and italics; pauses are indicated in brackets.
For the first time since the mysterious death of her twenty-year-old son, Daniel, [pause] Anna Nicole Smith is finally speaking out. In an interview scheduled to air tonight, she tells the Insider on Entertainment Tonight [pause] how she struggled to pull herself together after her son's unexpected death. She said she'll never accept that he's gone. For students who wish to improve their listening and modeling experience, here's another example related to your previous introduction exercise. Note how the speaker uses pace and stress variation: stressed words are indicated by underlined type; faster pace and bunched phrasing is indicated by smaller type and italics; pauses are indicated in brackets.
Her son died only three days after the former Playboy Playmate gave birth to a new baby girl.
Her son had come to see her in her Bahamas hospital room, [pause] then, [pause] suddenly died. It was reportedly caused by a lethal and accidental combination of antidepressants and methadone.
This morning the thirty-eight year old is back in that same hospital suffering from pneumonia, having just undergone surgery to drain fluid from a partially collapsed lung.
PINK FLAMINGOES
The writer uses what is called cataphoric reference; that is, using a noun phrase replacement before the noun has been named. This adds emphasis to the content. Compare: "The pink flamingo has gone extinct." Not interesting. Also personification ("extinct") adds interest by treating the manufactured bird as real. That personified word gets a stress at the end of the sentence. Note, in this culture item, the business end is not as strongly stressed as the product; so the speaker bunches the reference to "[t]he Massachusetts company which originally made those" birds. Strong premodification, both of delivery (stress) and language (=adjectival modifiers) is used in the long noun phrase, "terrifically tacky, long flamingoes" (instead of just using the noun, "flamingoes"). Again, to emphasis the icon, the flamingoes themselves, and not the business part of the news, the speaker stresses another personified phrase ("flying the coop"), once again as if the toy was a real bird. Again notice how the business end is understressed in the words, "because of rising business costs." This item, as intonation and stress make apparent, is intended for enterainment, not for information: its impace is on culture and nostalgia, rather than daily living. The conclusion again stresses the culture phenomen (250,000 sold every year) rather than the company, and even the product at the end is understressed, since the focus is now on production and consumption that what was produced or consumed (purchased). Of course, the student should be aware that the same basic facts could be completely rearranged to focus on another area of concern, say the laid-off employees, a sagging economy, or whatever. In that case, both content and intonation (including word stress) would change.
A famous pink bird has gone extinct. The Masschusetts company which originally made those terrifically [pause] tacky, [pause] long flamingoes closed its doors Wednesday, flying the coop because of rising business costs. The company made two hundred and fifty thousand pink flamingoes every year. The writer uses what is called cataphoric reference; that is, using a noun phrase replacement before the noun has been named. This adds emphasis to the content. Compare: "The pink flamingo has gone extinct." Not interesting. Also personification ("extinct") adds interest by treating the manufactured bird as real. That personified word gets a stress at the end of the sentence. Note, in this culture item, the business end is not as strongly stressed as the product; so the speaker bunches the reference to "[t]he Massachusetts company which originally made those" birds. Strong premodification, both of delivery (stress) and language (=adjectival modifiers) is used in the long noun phrase, "terrifically tacky, long flamingoes" (instead of just using the noun, "flamingoes"). Again, to emphasis the icon, the flamingoes themselves, and not the business part of the news, the speaker stresses another personified phrase ("flying the coop"), once again as if the toy was a real bird. Again notice how the business end is understressed in the words, "because of rising business costs." This item, as intonation and stress make apparent, is intended for enterainment, not for information: its impace is on culture and nostalgia, rather than daily living. The conclusion again stresses the culture phenomen (250,000 sold every year) rather than the company, and even the product at the end is understressed, since the focus is now on production and consumption that what was produced or consumed (purchased). Of course, the student should be aware that the same basic facts could be completely rearranged to focus on another area of concern, say the laid-off employees, a sagging economy, or whatever. In that case, both content and intonation (including word stress) would change.
Jay Leno Halloween Joke
Here Leno needs a colloquial or casual style to lead to the punchline of the joke. Stress falls on "course" and "programs," while variation in pace follows with a throwaway line before Leno changes pace again to mention two famous horror movies, putting repetitive stress on the adverbial particle, "on." These are called function words and usually receive no stress; but here Leno stresses them for repetitive effect, as if lulling the audience for the punchline that follows. The parallel structure (title of movie + adverbial particle said twice) adds to the lulling or repetitive effect. Then, by a final variation of pace, Leno delivers the punchline, not with expected emphasis, but as a throwaway line. This is an example of where opposites meet: saying something softly can be as effective as saying it loudly; lack of emphasis (as here) can be as strong as emphasis, provided it's part of a planned variation pattern.
And of course [pause] tonight they're-playing-a-lot-of-scary programs. That's the big thing, you always play the scary programs. I guess they got the Nightmare on Elm Street is on. Texas Chainsaw Massacre is on. Though in Detroit to scare people they're just rerunning the World Series, yeah.Here Leno needs a colloquial or casual style to lead to the punchline of the joke. Stress falls on "course" and "programs," while variation in pace follows with a throwaway line before Leno changes pace again to mention two famous horror movies, putting repetitive stress on the adverbial particle, "on." These are called function words and usually receive no stress; but here Leno stresses them for repetitive effect, as if lulling the audience for the punchline that follows. The parallel structure (title of movie + adverbial particle said twice) adds to the lulling or repetitive effect. Then, by a final variation of pace, Leno delivers the punchline, not with expected emphasis, but as a throwaway line. This is an example of where opposites meet: saying something softly can be as effective as saying it loudly; lack of emphasis (as here) can be as strong as emphasis, provided it's part of a planned variation pattern.
| NAME | Content | Vocabulary | Intonation | Volume | Pace | Articulation | Pronunciation | Fluency | Variation | Poise | Memory |
| CHEN | B | C | A | D | C | C | B | A | C | B | C |
I suggest you COPY this chart or print up your own version with many rows to fit the number of students in our class. Bring it to class on Tuesday and hand it in at the end of the class.
Each row will have another student's name, with columns of blank spaces where you can insert letter or number grades (1-10).
As for the categories, I'll explain each one simply:
1. Content, or the material of the presentation. This itself can have its own chart, of course; but for now we'll keep it simple. Content, then, covers coherence, organization, beginning, middle, end, strong opening and conclusion, vivid examples or illustrations, etc.
2. Vocabulary, or choice of words: simple, too simple, not right, etc.
3. Intonation, or melody or proper accent of a sentence, its rise or fall.
4. Volume, or voice projection.
5. Pace, or fast and slow.
6. Articulation, or clear separation of words or syllables.
7. Pronunication, or proper vowel sounds and accent.
8. Fluency, or flow of words.
9. Variation, or effective contrast of volume, pace, etc.
10. Poise, or correct movement, relaxed delivery, eye contact, etc.
11. Memory, or a sense of mental command over one's material.
Comic Monologue by Jay Leno
We may do comedy later in the year; but for now observe the variation in inflection, intonation, pace, and volume in a comic monologue. The speaking task in a comic monologue is to mix real news with a comic spin; so a lot of familiar news has to be bunched together in order to get to the punchline as quickly as possible. Note how Jay bunches unimportant words together ("Transportation Security Administration"), stressing others that are key to the joke ("ban"), then slows his pace for key stresses ("secure," "aiport," "stores"), in the punchline of the joke. The idiom, "What a relief!" extends the joke and sets up the next punchline after the bunched words at lower volume ("you can buy a three-ounce tube at the airport for 162") leading to the stressed word, "dollars."
Notice in the final joke about Nicole Richie, Jay lowers his volume, so varies the pitch yet adds emphasis to the joke by speaking softly instead of loudly. (Opposites meet in the rhetorical trope, or figure, called "antiphrasis," or saying one thing by its opposite; as when Othello calls Iago "honest, honest Iago." It's like catching someone stealing from your house and saying, "It's good to know you're honest.") Or, instead of yelling at someone to get out of one's house, one whispers: "Get out."
Well here's some good news! the Transportation Security Administration has partially lifted the ban on carry-on liquids [pause] for air flights. They say, you can bring liquids on, you can bring liquids on the plane as long as they are purchased from secure [pause] airport [pause] stores.
Well what a relief! See now instead of bringing your own hair gel, you can buy a three-ounce tube at the airport for 162 dollars.
Thank you very much. You sound like Nicole Richie when she heard about Paris Hilton. What a crowd!
That's the big story in Hollywood. Paris Hilton arrested last night for suspicion of driving under the influence.
President Bush announced today we are now safer [pause] than we were five years ago. [pause] Well, sure, now that Paris Hilton is off the road. Yeah!
I guess you know that story. Paris Hilton arrested for a DUI*, which stands for, of course, Diva under the Influence. ("DUI" normally means "driving under the influence.")
You know something, this whole thing: There was a good chance for her and Nicole Richie to reconcile. Do you know what happened? I guess while Paris was sitting in her cell, Nicole Richie went down to the jail, slipped between the bars, and then sat and talked. . . . I thought that was very nice.
Male Voice
Note how the speaker places all vocal stresses on ideas related to voting and political scandals, while the actual candidate (Joy Padgett) involved in the election is minimized. Instead the emphasis is on the political misconduct of a previous official (Bob Ney), the state of Ohio, and the voters. Here in the rolling farmland outside Zanesville in Ohio's largest congressional district, {pause} Republican Joy Padgett is campaigning to succeed Bob Ney {pause} who pleaded guilty in the Jack Abramoff scandal. {Long pause} She acknowledges this and other Republican scandals in Ohio {pause} have taken their toll on voters.
MADONNA'S ADOPTION
There are two introductions here, one female, the other male. Emphasis is shown by underlined text, while bunched words are shown in lower font (type) size; pauses are indicated by angled brackets. One can see great variation of pitch, pace, and intonation in these two introductions. In speaking, as in music, pauses (called "rests" in music) are part of the melody (without its pauses, the lyric that goes, "near, far, wherever you are" would not sound romantic). Note how the male speaker, Richard Roth's commentary uses only one sentence. Normally one would discourage this. But in speaking, it's not punctuation that matters but delivery; and Roth delivers that long sentence (including several prepositional phrases, an independent clause, and a relative clause) with professional control and variation, using emphasis, pauses, bunching, variation of pitch and pace, for clear communication of the substance of his message.
Pop star Madonna is speaking out publicly for the first time {pause} about her efforts to adopt an African boy. {Pause} Facing complaints from several child welfare groups {pause} about her actions, {pause} Madonna defended herself Tuesday {pause} in an interview with talk show host, {pause} Oprah Winfrey. {Pause} CBS News correspondent, Richard Roth, reports. There are two introductions here, one female, the other male. Emphasis is shown by underlined text, while bunched words are shown in lower font (type) size; pauses are indicated by angled brackets. One can see great variation of pitch, pace, and intonation in these two introductions. In speaking, as in music, pauses (called "rests" in music) are part of the melody (without its pauses, the lyric that goes, "near, far, wherever you are" would not sound romantic). Note how the male speaker, Richard Roth's commentary uses only one sentence. Normally one would discourage this. But in speaking, it's not punctuation that matters but delivery; and Roth delivers that long sentence (including several prepositional phrases, an independent clause, and a relative clause) with professional control and variation, using emphasis, pauses, bunching, variation of pitch and pace, for clear communication of the substance of his message.
By bringing thirteen-month-old David Banda from Africa to England to become part of her family, Madonna insisted she's done nothing wrong {pause} and the controversy the adoption's attracted has shocked her, according to members of the audience on the Oprah Winfrey Show, {pause} who sat in while an interview with the singer was being taped.
Condoleeza Rice
As National Security Adviser and now {slight pause} Secretary of State,{pause} Condoleeza Rice is {slight pause} one of the chief architects of American foreign policy: {pause} a foreign policy as bold and far-reaching as any in recent times. She's become the central figure at the president's side {pause} in defending the war in Iraq {pause} and the war on terror {pause} and she's not just towing the line.{pause} Condi Rice is a true believer. What we learned in a series of interviews is that this smart, tough, deeply religious woman, sees-the-struggle-against-the enemies-of-the United-States {pause} as a fight of good versus evil, a lot like the struggle she experienced as a child growing up in segregated Birmingham, Alabama.Jay Leno on Madonna
This is another example of a joke from a standup comic. First Leno refers to a well-known news item, followed by a false relative clause ("the woman who will raise him"), which seems at first to refer to Madonna, but actually, in the punchline (preceded by a pause), refers to a nanny, thus making fun of rich people who pay for others to raise this children:
Yesterday, in London, the little boy from Africa finally arrived at Madonna's house to meet the woman who will raise him: {Pause} Maria, the nanny, from Guatemala.This is another example of a joke from a standup comic. First Leno refers to a well-known news item, followed by a false relative clause ("the woman who will raise him"), which seems at first to refer to Madonna, but actually, in the punchline (preceded by a pause), refers to a nanny, thus making fun of rich people who pay for others to raise this children:
Leno on Paris Hilton
Leno stresses key words but bunches a lot of the straight news (in italics) to get to the punchline quickly.
Hey, what do you think of this? Paris Hiton said in an interview that she was recently paid one hundred thousand dollars {Pause} to go to a sixteen-year-old girl's birthday party because the girl idolized her. {Pause} Now here's my question. {Pause} I mean, if you have a daughter who idolizes Paris Hilton, do you pay a hundred thousand dollars to bring Paris to the party, or do you use the money to get your daughter the help she so desperately needs?Leno stresses key words but bunches a lot of the straight news (in italics) to get to the punchline quickly.
PARIS HILTON
The following is a Paris Hilton joke as told by Jay Leno. Notice how a joke is constructed towards a "punch line," or the "payoff" (usually the final line of the joke). A regular news item is referred to ("This was on the news yesterday"), a familiar person is referred to ("Paris Hilton"), a series is stated (separated by commas), then the punch line follows, because the listener assumes the series refers to the "homeless guy," but it actually refers to Paris Hilton as well. That's the "payoff" of the joke.This was on the news yesterday: Paris Hilton gave a homeless guy a hundred bucks and actually talked with him for a while. I guess the guy didn't have a job, didn't have any specific skills, didn't have much of an education, so apparently they had a lot in common.
VEGETABLES
(Introducing a senior clinical nutritionist.)
In terms of content, the speaker uses two conditional clauses ("if"), followed by a parenthesis ("who doesn't?") leading to the main noun phrase as a climax ("a new study finds"), then the object of that phrase, "vegetables"), also the subject of a relative clause (by omitting "that" in the relative clause, the speaker puts special stress on "vegetables"). Then she mentions the results of the study, leading to the introduction of her guest. So she answers the W-H questions: Why? To have a better brain. Who? Everyone. What? A new study. How? By eating vegetables. A metaphor ("secret weapon") is used as a complement of the subject to stress its importance in terms of power.
For her delivery, the speaker's pace is even at first, with no pauses. Her first stress is on "sharper," then she throws away the parenthesis, reserving her first pause for the main topic of discussion: vegetables (which also receives emphasis) followed by another pause and more emphasis on "secret weapon." "Big" receives dramatic stress. Smaller font size shows bunched words that are almost thrown away to offset more important ideas.
If you want a healthier, younger brain, if you want a sharper younger memory, (who doesn't?) a new study finds {pause} vegetables {pause} are the secret weapon. It's a big new study. And researchers found that people who eat more vegetables lose about 40 percent less memory over-the-course-of-about six years. And that's like being five years younger in terms of the suppleness of your brain. And-joining-us now-to-tell-us which vegetables, how much, Samantha Heller, clinical, senior clinical nutritionist at the NYU Medical Center, contributor-to-Health Magazine-and-it's great-to-see-you.(Introducing a senior clinical nutritionist.)
In terms of content, the speaker uses two conditional clauses ("if"), followed by a parenthesis ("who doesn't?") leading to the main noun phrase as a climax ("a new study finds"), then the object of that phrase, "vegetables"), also the subject of a relative clause (by omitting "that" in the relative clause, the speaker puts special stress on "vegetables"). Then she mentions the results of the study, leading to the introduction of her guest. So she answers the W-H questions: Why? To have a better brain. Who? Everyone. What? A new study. How? By eating vegetables. A metaphor ("secret weapon") is used as a complement of the subject to stress its importance in terms of power.
For her delivery, the speaker's pace is even at first, with no pauses. Her first stress is on "sharper," then she throws away the parenthesis, reserving her first pause for the main topic of discussion: vegetables (which also receives emphasis) followed by another pause and more emphasis on "secret weapon." "Big" receives dramatic stress. Smaller font size shows bunched words that are almost thrown away to offset more important ideas.
MASSACHUSETTS GOVERNOR
In terms of content, correlative or linked conjunctions (either-or) create a coherent relationship between the two candidates. Another conjunction (like) links this race to the larger politics of the country, thus giving it its due importance. The main subject ("rough politics") in introduced as well as the city (Boston) that is the main focus of the discussion. In terms of delivery, only the first part of the correlative conjunction ("either") receives stress, while "or" is thrown away. Instead the stress is on "female" and "African-American," though the real stress is on "American." "So many" receives the next stress, linking the state's race to other races in the nation. The pause adds greater stress to "very rough," which is the focus of the content. The introduction of the local newsman is thrown away, since he is not the focus of the broadcast and, besides, viewers are expected to know who he is anyway.
Massachusetts will either have its first elected female governor or its first {pause} African-American governor. The race in the final days, {pause} like so many races around the country, is getting {pause} very rough and-ABC's-John Berman-is-with me {pause} here-in Boston. In terms of content, correlative or linked conjunctions (either-or) create a coherent relationship between the two candidates. Another conjunction (like) links this race to the larger politics of the country, thus giving it its due importance. The main subject ("rough politics") in introduced as well as the city (Boston) that is the main focus of the discussion. In terms of delivery, only the first part of the correlative conjunction ("either") receives stress, while "or" is thrown away. Instead the stress is on "female" and "African-American," though the real stress is on "American." "So many" receives the next stress, linking the state's race to other races in the nation. The pause adds greater stress to "very rough," which is the focus of the content. The introduction of the local newsman is thrown away, since he is not the focus of the broadcast and, besides, viewers are expected to know who he is anyway.
Introducing the Material Girl
Just when you think there's nothing that Madonna-hasn't-done, she surprises once again. The-one-time-material-girl is the subject of not one but two controversies in the same week. NBC is now saying it'll-remove-footage-of-Madonna's-mock-crucifixion when the network airs her concert special. The crucifixion routine is featured-on-her- world-tour and that's drawing worldwide protests.
ANALYSIS: The speaker kicks off her introduction with a strong first word and another emphasis on a key word "nothing"; for variety, and to lead up to stress aftewards, she bunches the words, "nothing that Madonna hasn't," landing strongly on another key word, "done."
"Surprises" and "again" are two more key words that receive stress. So the key words make up a kind of banner headline, like this: "Nothing done! Surprises again!"
(Notice that the name, "Madonna," receives no special stress; that's a matter of judgment; the idea seems to be that people know who Madonna is or whom the report is about. In fact, the replacement noun phrase ("The one-time material girl") is bunched together too. One might say that the report is not about Madonna, but about the specifically Catholic Church controvery involved.
But even the reference to the "mock crucifixion" is bunched together in the speaker's delivery. In fact, an analysis of the speaker's vocal delivery seems to show that the speaker is not interested in substance or issues, but in simply reporting a controversy, regardless of the issues involved.
This is a matter of stress and focus, using the same material. For those in my composition class, consider the different headlines that might be placed over this news item, each one compelling a difference focus, forcing the material to be organized in different ways, with different details, choice of words, etc.
So writing (like speaking) always has a purpose and audience; these in fact come before the other point of the communication triangle composed of Speaker/Writer, Audience, and content (material: text).
MADONNA'S TELEVISION SPECIAL CENSURED!
MADONNA EMBROILED IN CONTROVERSY!
PROTESTS GREET MADONNA!
MADONNA SURPRISES FANS!
MADONNA'S CONCERT DRAWS ANGER!
MADONNA IN THE NEWS AGAIN!
MADONNA STILL A CONTROVERSIAL FORCE!
MADONNA DEFIES CRITICS!
MADONNA EXERCISES ARTISTIC FREEDOM!
And so on.
Students,
Next week all students will REPEAT their assignment, IMPROVING their presentation from the week before. Those who did not make it this week will be first up next week.
Try to make a real effort to IMITATE the speaking styles of established speakers. Simply reading from your paper or presenting a lot of facts is not what you're supposed to do. (And by now you should start presenting without much glancing at the paper. LEARN TO USE INDEX CARDS with one or two words that will stir your memory.)
You should come out of this class with a different speaking style than you came in. But the main work is outside the class; the in-class work simply proves that you worked outside the class. A two-hour class means four hours of homework. You probably don't have to spend that much time, either, but it's a good idea to plan to; part of the time should be spent carefully listening to a SHORT presentation by an established speaker. There's no substitute for that exercise (see picture).
Of course, delivery has a lot to do with making even a lot of facts interesting. As the common saying goes of great singers, "He (She) can make the telephone directory sound interesting."
Still, as a general rule of course one should be SELECTIVE in everything: only the milestones among the CDs, movies, books, etc. "First" is one such milestone; "latest" is also a milestone; a Grammy winner is another milestone (unless there's too many, but if there's one or two then keep that in:
"Sally Jones made a splash with her second album, SONGS IN SEASON, released in 1977. She won the Grammy in 1983 for her breakthrough album, LOST SOULS, then won again in 2001 for her collection of movie songs called HOLLYWOOD FOREVER. Right now she's busy with her latest concert tour across America to promote her most recent release, HITTING BACK, a collection of her greatest hits. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Sally Jones!"
(There's no such artist; I made her up.) Note how I was selective in what I included (the first album that people noticed, her two Grammy-winning albums, her latest album, and her recent tour.
Next week all students will REPEAT their assignment, IMPROVING their presentation from the week before. Those who did not make it this week will be first up next week.
Try to make a real effort to IMITATE the speaking styles of established speakers. Simply reading from your paper or presenting a lot of facts is not what you're supposed to do. (And by now you should start presenting without much glancing at the paper. LEARN TO USE INDEX CARDS with one or two words that will stir your memory.)
You should come out of this class with a different speaking style than you came in. But the main work is outside the class; the in-class work simply proves that you worked outside the class. A two-hour class means four hours of homework. You probably don't have to spend that much time, either, but it's a good idea to plan to; part of the time should be spent carefully listening to a SHORT presentation by an established speaker. There's no substitute for that exercise (see picture).
Of course, delivery has a lot to do with making even a lot of facts interesting. As the common saying goes of great singers, "He (She) can make the telephone directory sound interesting."
Still, as a general rule of course one should be SELECTIVE in everything: only the milestones among the CDs, movies, books, etc. "First" is one such milestone; "latest" is also a milestone; a Grammy winner is another milestone (unless there's too many, but if there's one or two then keep that in:
"Sally Jones made a splash with her second album, SONGS IN SEASON, released in 1977. She won the Grammy in 1983 for her breakthrough album, LOST SOULS, then won again in 2001 for her collection of movie songs called HOLLYWOOD FOREVER. Right now she's busy with her latest concert tour across America to promote her most recent release, HITTING BACK, a collection of her greatest hits. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Sally Jones!"
(There's no such artist; I made her up.) Note how I was selective in what I included (the first album that people noticed, her two Grammy-winning albums, her latest album, and her recent tour.
It was never the designation she sought: but she was known as the most powerful woman in American business: Carly Fiorina: head of Hewlett-Packard: a hundred and fifty thousand people under her command. Well you're going to hear about the drama of what happened to her. But Carly Fiorina has written a book about all of this. It is a memoir called Tough Choices: a rise and fall that is really straight out of something you see on TV.
"OUR next guest is a man I'm sure you all know. He's starred in many movies, among the most popular of our time, and movies that are also ranked among our modern classics. Where can we start? One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Five Easy Pieces, The Shining, As Good As It Gets, Terms of Endearment and so many others. He's won three Academy Awards for his acting and has received more Oscar nominations than any other male actor. He's now starring in his latest movie, Martin Scorsese's The Departed. Ladies and gentlemen, let's give a great round of applause to--Mr. Jack Nicholson!!!!"
SAMPLE of introducing a movie star. But you can introduce any famous person, whether celebrity, singer, writer, director, etc. Let's all try to keep within the strict rules this time. It's unfair to others when some decide to do something a bit different; moreover it prevents that different exercise at a later time.
1. The person must be well known (this will allow others to try to guess who it is, based on the ability of the speaker to select salient, or important/key, facts).
2. The person must be alive. (Not an important rule perhaps; but that's the only way we can judge how effective the introduction is. Introducing Abraham Lincoln or Moses might add confusion to the introduction and be difficult to compare against those who choose contemporary figures.)
3. It should be about one-minute in length. This is an exercise in economy; at the same time it will give us time, perhaps, to play back the "speech."
4. Try modeling it on a talk-show host's introductions. I don't have a TV but I'm sure you can access a late night talk show host like David Letterman, Jay Leno, or daytime host Oprah, among others (Larry King is another possibility). Usually you can tune in at the beginning of the show and, after the comic monologue, the first guest will be introduced.
Any questions feel free to ask with clear subject line.
SAMPLE of introducing a movie star. But you can introduce any famous person, whether celebrity, singer, writer, director, etc. Let's all try to keep within the strict rules this time. It's unfair to others when some decide to do something a bit different; moreover it prevents that different exercise at a later time.
1. The person must be well known (this will allow others to try to guess who it is, based on the ability of the speaker to select salient, or important/key, facts).
2. The person must be alive. (Not an important rule perhaps; but that's the only way we can judge how effective the introduction is. Introducing Abraham Lincoln or Moses might add confusion to the introduction and be difficult to compare against those who choose contemporary figures.)
3. It should be about one-minute in length. This is an exercise in economy; at the same time it will give us time, perhaps, to play back the "speech."
4. Try modeling it on a talk-show host's introductions. I don't have a TV but I'm sure you can access a late night talk show host like David Letterman, Jay Leno, or daytime host Oprah, among others (Larry King is another possibility). Usually you can tune in at the beginning of the show and, after the comic monologue, the first guest will be introduced.
Any questions feel free to ask with clear subject line.
Students,
The following are two transcribed speeches (attached in MP3 format). I chose one female model and one male model speaker (you can choose either one regardless of your sex). I tried to make them of relatively equal length and find both topics and voices suitable for imitation. Try to model your delivery as closely as possible on the original, including emphasis of words, pauses, pace (speed), contrast/variation, intonation, pitch variation, and of course the more obvious criteria such as pronunication, accent, etc. A student should remember to bring in a stick-speaker system in case we wish to check the original or play back the imitation, which I may record with a stick recorder.
Women: Whether it's shopping for a home, buying a car or starting a business, if you plan to finance your purchase with a loan there is one crucial report banks will check: your credit score. The score ranges from 300 to 850 and represents credit risk. The higher the number the less risky the lender considers the loan and that means lower interest rates and lower rates translate into lower monthly payments.
Men: President Bush's annual UN visit centers on a General assembly speech that will proclaim the promotion of democracy and the turbulent Middle East a central goal of US foreign policy. But a central goal of Bush's UN trip is reining in Iran's nuclear program. The UN deadline is past for Tehran to halt uranium enrichment and the president thinks it's time the Security Council applies sanctions lest Tehran's start building bombs.
(1) Lovely Sandra Dee: Look at her soft shiny hair. Yet notice how much body it has, how every wave behaves. "After driving with the top down too. But actually, my hair is easy to manage thanks to [pause] rich liquid Lustre Creme Shampoo. If you're unhappy with your shampoo: [pause] if your hair seems dry, dull and hard to mangage, then [pause] try mine. There's no harsh detergent cream action [pause] in liquid Lustre Creme Shampoo.
Note the short sentences here; some are incomplete sentences, which, though ungrammatical in written English, work well in spoken English. "Lovely Sandra Dee." An imperative (command) follows with special admiring intonation: "Look at her soft shiny hair." Then the speaker repeats the word "how," creating a musical rhythm ("how much body it has, how every wave behaves"). Notice the details are selective (the listener can absorb only several items at most: the rule of three). Then Dee contrasts the more serious sell of the male speaker with a more girlish nonchalance for contrast: "After driving with the top down too." (She means the top of her convertible automobile.) Notice too how Dee effectively pauses to vary her spoken line, such as after "If you're unhappy with your shampoo" or "dry, dull, and hard to manage then [pause] try mine." Then she varies the line again, pausing effectively after every word of her "sell" (product): "There's no harsh detergent cream action in Liquid / Lustre / Creme / Shampoo."
(2) Here is Sandra Dee [pause] of Universal-International's Portrait in Black. "And this [pause] is wonderful new liquid Lustre Creme Shampoo: a rich lanolin-based liquid that makes [changed intonation] any hairstyle easy to set with just plain water. Try new liquid Lustre Creme [pause] for lovely [pause, change of tone] natural-looking curls.
Notice the way Dee varies her intonation in the examples underlined above, first for drama, then to help the listener (a girl like herself) identify with her girlish pleasure (almost purring the words, "natural-looking," with a further variation on the final, barely audible, word, "curls.").
(3) Here's the lovely young star of Universal-International's Portrait in Black, [pause] Sandra Dee. "Hi, [pause] I'm going away on location. [pause] So I'm trying to decide what I'm going to take. But [pause] here's something I know I want: new liquid Lustre Creme Shampoo. [pause] Terrific! That rich lather is Heaven! It keeps my hair shiny and clean and leaves it easier to manage and [pause] well it makes any hairstyle easy to set. That's important for you girls who [slight pause] shampoo and set your own hair too. Watch this film and see. [pause] With rich lanolin-based liquid Lustre Creme you just shampoo, [pause] set with plain water [pause] and have [change of intonation] lively [pause] natural looking [another change of intonation] curls. See how springy mine are? Try New liquid Lustre Creme [pause] and you'll comb out natural-looking curls too." Get new Lustre Creme Shampoo. Now in rich liquid, [pause] foamy lotion, [pause] satiny cream. All have a none-drying formula for shinier, easier-to-manage hair.
The basic principle is the same: short sentences, varied intonation, strategic pauses, with variation in the line being the general rule (including variation of sentence type, such as imperative, question, etc.).
(4) "Hi, [pause] I'm Sandra Dee [pause] and this is new liquid Lustre Creme Shampoo. It makes any hairstyle [pause] easy to set. Like this one [pause] I wear in my new picture, Portrait in Black for Universal-International. Try new Liquid Lustre Creme. Now!" Now only 79 cents for the regular dollar size.
The following are two transcribed speeches (attached in MP3 format). I chose one female model and one male model speaker (you can choose either one regardless of your sex). I tried to make them of relatively equal length and find both topics and voices suitable for imitation. Try to model your delivery as closely as possible on the original, including emphasis of words, pauses, pace (speed), contrast/variation, intonation, pitch variation, and of course the more obvious criteria such as pronunication, accent, etc. A student should remember to bring in a stick-speaker system in case we wish to check the original or play back the imitation, which I may record with a stick recorder.
Women: Whether it's shopping for a home, buying a car or starting a business, if you plan to finance your purchase with a loan there is one crucial report banks will check: your credit score. The score ranges from 300 to 850 and represents credit risk. The higher the number the less risky the lender considers the loan and that means lower interest rates and lower rates translate into lower monthly payments.
Men: President Bush's annual UN visit centers on a General assembly speech that will proclaim the promotion of democracy and the turbulent Middle East a central goal of US foreign policy. But a central goal of Bush's UN trip is reining in Iran's nuclear program. The UN deadline is past for Tehran to halt uranium enrichment and the president thinks it's time the Security Council applies sanctions lest Tehran's start building bombs.
*Sandra Dee's Commercials for Lustre Creme*
These commercials for a shampoo are roughly dated to the late 1950s. Below is a transcript and brief analysis of the readings. Sandra Dee was one of Universal-International's young stars at the time. She never blossomed as an adult star, but her teenage stardom was huge. Probably her greatest film role was as the teenage Susie in Douglas Sirk's classic tearjerker, Imitation of Life (1959) (available in our library). The four commercials (total time: 2:30) appear in sequence, with slight pauses between each one and a longer pause between the second and third. (Be patient.)(1) Lovely Sandra Dee: Look at her soft shiny hair. Yet notice how much body it has, how every wave behaves. "After driving with the top down too. But actually, my hair is easy to manage thanks to [pause] rich liquid Lustre Creme Shampoo. If you're unhappy with your shampoo: [pause] if your hair seems dry, dull and hard to mangage, then [pause] try mine. There's no harsh detergent cream action [pause] in liquid Lustre Creme Shampoo.
Note the short sentences here; some are incomplete sentences, which, though ungrammatical in written English, work well in spoken English. "Lovely Sandra Dee." An imperative (command) follows with special admiring intonation: "Look at her soft shiny hair." Then the speaker repeats the word "how," creating a musical rhythm ("how much body it has, how every wave behaves"). Notice the details are selective (the listener can absorb only several items at most: the rule of three). Then Dee contrasts the more serious sell of the male speaker with a more girlish nonchalance for contrast: "After driving with the top down too." (She means the top of her convertible automobile.) Notice too how Dee effectively pauses to vary her spoken line, such as after "If you're unhappy with your shampoo" or "dry, dull, and hard to manage then [pause] try mine." Then she varies the line again, pausing effectively after every word of her "sell" (product): "There's no harsh detergent cream action in Liquid / Lustre / Creme / Shampoo."
(2) Here is Sandra Dee [pause] of Universal-International's Portrait in Black. "And this [pause] is wonderful new liquid Lustre Creme Shampoo: a rich lanolin-based liquid that makes [changed intonation] any hairstyle easy to set with just plain water. Try new liquid Lustre Creme [pause] for lovely [pause, change of tone] natural-looking curls.
Notice the way Dee varies her intonation in the examples underlined above, first for drama, then to help the listener (a girl like herself) identify with her girlish pleasure (almost purring the words, "natural-looking," with a further variation on the final, barely audible, word, "curls.").
(3) Here's the lovely young star of Universal-International's Portrait in Black, [pause] Sandra Dee. "Hi, [pause] I'm going away on location. [pause] So I'm trying to decide what I'm going to take. But [pause] here's something I know I want: new liquid Lustre Creme Shampoo. [pause] Terrific! That rich lather is Heaven! It keeps my hair shiny and clean and leaves it easier to manage and [pause] well it makes any hairstyle easy to set. That's important for you girls who [slight pause] shampoo and set your own hair too. Watch this film and see. [pause] With rich lanolin-based liquid Lustre Creme you just shampoo, [pause] set with plain water [pause] and have [change of intonation] lively [pause] natural looking [another change of intonation] curls. See how springy mine are? Try New liquid Lustre Creme [pause] and you'll comb out natural-looking curls too." Get new Lustre Creme Shampoo. Now in rich liquid, [pause] foamy lotion, [pause] satiny cream. All have a none-drying formula for shinier, easier-to-manage hair.
The basic principle is the same: short sentences, varied intonation, strategic pauses, with variation in the line being the general rule (including variation of sentence type, such as imperative, question, etc.).
(4) "Hi, [pause] I'm Sandra Dee [pause] and this is new liquid Lustre Creme Shampoo. It makes any hairstyle [pause] easy to set. Like this one [pause] I wear in my new picture, Portrait in Black for Universal-International. Try new Liquid Lustre Creme. Now!" Now only 79 cents for the regular dollar size.
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