Introduction:
Our last unit Freestyle was certainly bittersweet. It was really engaging to get to go back and apply skills that we’ve learned to more advanced projects. I was also super excited to work on Dreamweaver in Digital Media, a program that both mystified and intrigued me. In terms of Design, we worked on expanding our creative chops and creating our own designs. Finally, we examined different humorous works in English and dissected the humor techniques they used, culminating in a final project where we presented our own humorous work. Overall, it was a great send-off for me as I was able to both apply techniques that I’ve learned during the past two years and still have the chance to learn something new.
Humor in Digital Media:
jQuery Custom Landing Page and Flexbox
As stated above, Adobe Dreamweaver is an application that has both interested and confused me. It’s been sitting in my Applications folder for the past two years and I’ve never once had the need to use it. Until now! We started off with an introduction to the application’s language and created a simple flexbox webpage, tracking a fictional donation contest between various schools. From there, we got a bit more complicated and ended up making our own custom jQuery homepages for these websites! I had a really good time creating the many lines of code, going back and forth trying to fix tiny mistakes until everything functioned perfectly. To be honest, I sort of wish this project had been assigned earlier in the year, so I could have spent more time futzing around in Dreamweaver and creating my own webpages!
Personal Stationery Design
Our next project was to create our own set of personal stationary, creating a letterhead, a resume, and business cards. This was actually something that I had been looking forward to ever since it was brought up at the beginning of the semester, and it definitely lived up to my expectations. There were very few guidelines for the project: we had to use the official Freestyle address and phone number, and we needed to include our post-high school plans somewhere on our resume. Other than that, we had full creative freedom in terms of what we wanted to include. Obviously I felt a certain amount of pressure from the fact that Design students had the most experience creating something like this, but I think my final product demonstrates my growing skills in both Digital Media and Design.
Pro Tools Music Mixing:
This final project was a really great return to a program that we first learned how to use back in Junior Year. I found it very reminiscent of the first music-creating project that we completed during that year, albeit with Reason and Pro Tools as opposed to just Pro Tools. Again, I can definitely use this project to track the progress I’ve made since we first created music through audio-editing programs. It was also really cool to get to work with real musicians and their recordings! The fact that we had recordings from multiple instruments and live performers made working on this project really fun and satisfying. I definitely want to use these skills to mix my own/other’s music in the future.
Humor in English
The Importance of Being Earnest and Aestheticism
Introduction to Earnest:
Our first task in the Humor Unit was to read through Oscar Wilde’s famous satirical play, The Importance of Being Earnest. I had been meaning to take a look at Wilde’s work for a while, so I was grateful for the opportunity to read something of his in class. This play was a perfect introduction to the Humor unit: we took the time in-class to look at various humor techniques employed by the text, as well as humorous and satirical elements of each character and the themes Wilde had intended to demonstrate in the text (see an example below). We also made memes based on events in the text outside of class, showing how effective Wilde’s satire was even in the 21st century. This was a great introduction to the Humor unit, an engaging and humorous work on its own, and a great piece of inspiration for our final Humor project.
Relevant Chapter Analyses:
- Why does Cecily say she was engaged to “Ernest” (Algernon) before she ever met him in person?
- Cecily is saying that she has fallen in love with Ernest through Jack’s stories about him, ironically meant to make him out to be a reckless criminal. All the “gifts” from Ernest: the rings, the letters, etc, were created by Cecily as accessories to her childhood crush on the character that Jack has told her about.
- How does Cecily’s diary mirror Jack’s brother and Algernon’s invalid friend?
- Cecily keeps a diary in order to keep up appearances in the upper-class society she has been born into, though her diary shares very little of her actual thoughts and feelings (“Today I broke off my engagement with Ernest. I feel it is better to do so. The weather still continues charming”). This mirrors Algernon’s fictional invalid friend and Jack’s brother: fictional empathy in order to keep up appearances in a strict society.
- What is humorous about Algernon’s line “Half of the chaps who get into the Bankruptcy Court are called Algernon”?
- Algernon is an extremely uncommon name, so it’s funny that Algy would imply that it pops up frequently in the aristocracy.
- Why do Gwendolen and Cecily want to marry an “Ernest”?
- Both Gwendolen and Cecily cite a childhood dream of marrying someone named Ernest, believing that it creates an image of “absolute confidence.”
- What is Wilde’s view of formal education?
- Wilde believes that formal education makes one short-sighted and reductive, shown absurdly literally when Gwendolen asks to look at Cecily through her glasses.
- Why do Cecily and Gwendolen keep diaries? What’s the purpose of a diary for young women during this time?
- The purpose of a diary for young women during the time when the play is set seems to be to create a version of their life that exemplifies their traditional values and creates a source of entertainment, rather than track their inner thoughts and feelings (ie what we think of as the purpose of a diary today).
- How does the tea scene between Cecily and Gwendolen exemplify the Comedy of Manners genre?
- Both Cecily and Gwendolen are being extremely polite to each other, despite the fact that they believe the other is engaged to their beau, and launch barbs at each other through the guise of hospitality. This exemplifies the Comedy of Manners through their witty dialogue, critique of their petty natures, and the contrast between Gwendolen’s conservative upbringing and Cecily’s rural ideology as well.
- After Jack and Algernon’s lies are revealed, how does Wilde use triviality to keep the play from becoming too “serious”?
- Jack and Algernon, after having their lies revealed and their respective lovers reject them, begin arguing about Algernon eating muffins and the fact that they both want to be christened as Ernest. Triviality is at play here, since both characters are focusing on insignificant details, rather than the fact that they have been lying to others about their true identities.
- Use the glossary to look up 3 unfamiliar words or terms. Write down the following: The word/term, its definition, and a brief description of its context.
- True lover’s knot (pg 32): a variety of knots associated with love or affection – Cecily has created a ring showing “Ernest’s” devotion to her
- Lorgnette (pg 35): a pair of spectacles with a handle instead of stems – Gwendolen is looking at Cecily through her glasses
- Machinations (pg 38): complicated and secret plans, especially in obtaining or using power – Cecily is accusing Gwendolen of manipulating Ernest into marrying her
- Use the to correctly identify 2 different humor techniques Wilde uses in the play so far.
- Dramatic Irony: the conflict of Gwendolen and Cecily both believing that they are engaged to the same person (the fictional Ernest) is a clear example of this
- Wit: Both Gwendolen and Cecily weaponize British upper-class hospitality to take pot-shots at each other during their interaction on pages 37-38
Slaughterhouse-Five and Satire
Introduction to Slaughterhouse-Five:
Up next was another author that I’ve been meaning to read: Kurt Vonnegut and his most famous novel, Slaughterhouse-Five. This was probably the book I enjoyed reading the most this year – it had a unique and engaging format, complex characters, and a depressingly impactful story that I thought about for days after finishing it. The novel was also a wonderfully effective use of satire and anti-war sentiments, which we had the chance to analyze throughout the unit (see below). This was another great source of inspiration for our final Humor project. I really enjoyed Vonnegut’s nihilistic outlook and deceptively complex writing style, to the point where I’ll be looking into reading other novels from him in the near future.
Relevant Chapter Analyses:
- What does the way Tralfamadorians view the universe and Earthlings tell us about their concept of time?
- The Tralfamadorians view time as a vast desert, where they can pick and choose what to look at as they please. They believe that Earthlings are stuck on a track looking at the desert through a pinhole, unable to choose which space in time they inhabit.
- Is there a similarity between the format of Vonnegut’s novel and the description of Tralfamadorian novels? Explain.
- Tralfamadorian novels were described earlier as spanning across time, not taking a linear look at someone’s life as an Earthling book might. I would say that Slaughterhouse Five takes inspiration from this style; however, there is still a linear story structure at the heart of the novel (eg Valencia is introduced in Chapter 5, giving us new information about Billy’s life).
- Describe the English POWs that Billy and the Americans encounter.
- The English POWs are smart, fit, and well-spoken. They were able to stockpile food and amenities thanks to a shipping mishap, and they’re friends with both the German and Russian soldiers they encounter at the camp. They also find the Americans repulsive and sniveling, leading to altercations with Billy and Lazzaro.
- Why does science fiction appeal to Billy and Eliot Rosewater?
- Science fiction appeals to Billy and Rosewater because they have become so disillusioned with the real world around them. The idea of, according to Trout’s books, a fourth dimension where vampires and other mythical creatures exist would be interesting to someone who’s given up hope for the dimension he lives in now.
- In his novel, The Gospel from Outer Space, what does Kilgore Trout say is the message of the gospels? How do the aliens change that message?
- Trout says that the message of the gospels is to make sure whoever you’re killing doesn’t have good connections (i.e. the rich and powerful). The aliens in his novel change that by making Jesus a poor nobody, adding the subtext that even those with “poor connections” are worthy of living.
- What do the Tralfamadorians suggest Earthlings should learn to do?
- The Tralfamadorians suggest that Earthlings ignore the bad times in their lives and appreciate the good times.
- What does Campbell write about American POWs in Germany?
- Campbell writes that American POWs are disrespectful, self-hating, and cowardly, wearing ill-fitting uniforms and talking back to their superiors.
- What is the source of the animal magnetism Billy feels in the prison hospital shed?
- The “animal magnetism” Billy feels is a result of the diamond and dentures hidden in the lining of the coat issued to him by the Germans.
- What does Lazzaro say is the sweetest thing in life? What story does he tell to prove his point?
- Lazzaro says that revenge is the sweetest thing in life, telling the (super disturbing) story of when he fed a dog bits of metal spring after the dog bit him.
- How does Billy die?
- Billy dies after Lazzaro reads about his press tour and hires a hitman to assassinate him.
- What positive attributes of Dresden does the Englishman share with the American POWs?
- The Englishman shares that Dresden is unprotected, and contains no war industries, so it’s very unlikely that they will be attacked.
- To what does the author compare his first view of Dresden?
- The author compares his first view of Dresden to Oz.
- Describe the Americans’ “home away from home.”
- The Americans’ “home away from home” is a former slaughterhouse, with bunks and stoves and a big number 5 on the outside wall.
- Write at least one question for group discussion in response to Ch. 5 or 6.
- What is the significance of the denture and the diamond? Will they pop up later in the story? If yes, how and when?
The Humor Project
Introduction/Humor Project Pitch:
For the finale of the Humor unit, inspired by the texts we had read in class and other comedic works, we chose to write a satirical comedic narrative, targeting the actions of performative Activism, “SJWs”, and theatre kids. We chose these groups because they all take themselves very seriously and that relentless moral posturing, despite the fact that they contribute very little to the causes that they champion, is funny to us. We planned on utilizing the humor techniques of satire, irony, and black humor. We’re making fun of a specific group by parodying their method of activism, discussing taboo topics in a humorous way, and displaying the blinders that our characters have about the way that their actions affect others. We’ve all been quoting the sketch the project inspired, “Student High School Theatre Showcase”, for years, and we think it’s really funny. With those ideas in mind, we set out to write our script.
Analysis of Favorite Comedic Work:
The first humorist I’d like to focus on is Kyle Mooney – specifically his live work done on SNL. It’s usually said of Mooney that he’s one of the most talented performers on SNL, specifically because he knows how to act well in order to comedically perform in the dry and deadpan way that he does. In sketches like “Jason” and “The Last Fry”, Mooney utilizes the wacky aesthetic of the late 80s and early 90s, especially in music, to elevate his deadpan punchlines. His long-running series of skits that parody sitcoms from the same era also rely on this style to deliver an absurd or darkly humorous joke. For example, at the end of the sketch “Beers”, a character played by Larry David stabs Mooney as a result of his alcoholism. Another character played by Beck Bennett calls him out (with very little inflection), saying “You’re addicted. Admit it.” David responds with “You’re right, I admit it, I need help.” Mooney’s character seems to instantly recover and pulls out a six-pack of beers with the dry punchline: “Great, let’s drink.”
Another humorist I’d like to analyze is Bo Burnham and his usage of black and absurd humor. Burnham is well-known now for his work directing and writing “Eighth Grade”, but he started his career writing and performing comedic songs online. Songs like “My Whole Family…”, “Left Brain, Right Brain”, and “Repeat Stuff” gained massive Internet acclaim as Burnham began touring and released his two specials, “what.” and “MAKE HAPPY”. There’s a worryingly depressing undercurrent to both of these specials, which Burnham has spoken about in retrospect as the reason why he took a break from the comedic scene. He channeled this energy into songs, starting them off comedic and usually devolving into dark chaos by the bridge. With lyrics like “No one entertains the thought that maybe God does not believe in you” or an entire song called “Kill Yourself”, it’s clear that Burnham’s style of comedy relies on comedically satirizing taboo subjects like death, religion, and pop music.
The main ideas that I want to take from both of these comedians are their dry sense of humor, deadpan delivery, and approach to hard-to-discuss topics. Since the main inspiration for my humor project comes directly from a sketch on SNL that Kyle Mooney wrote, his style shouldn’t be too difficult to draw from. I enjoy both comedian’s expertise in being able to draw an audience back after taking on a difficult topic, or injecting humor into otherwise awful situations. Making a joke about the Holocaust is never okay under any circumstances, but a joke from “High School Theatre Showcase”, a sketch that my partners and I are drawing a lot of our inspiration from, where a character starts off a segment by saying “Okay Jews, let’s go” and another laments the “rules of the Holocaust”, manages to make me laugh every time I hear it.
Humor Product:
Humor Script:
Student 1: Welcome to the first annual Freestyle Academy End-of-Year Showcase!! Conceived and created by the senior class of 2021. We made it, you guys!
Student 2: Before our program begins, we’d like to let you know that some content may be disturbing. Disturbing to the status quo! *point made hand gestures*
Student 3: So without further ado, get ready to open your hearts, your minds, and your souls as we perform America Divided -Ideology in Crisis. David, hit the lights!
*scene shift one – move chairs only to put them back where they were before*
Mom: Hey honey, what are you doing?
Kid: Nothing, Mom!
Mom: We’re having dinner downstairs. It’s your favorite – spaghetti!
Kid: I hate spaghetti and I hate you! I’m gonna chat on Discord with my real family – my online friends!
Mom: You’re so distant and addicted to screens now. I miss our relationship!
All: How did this happen?
*overexaggerated rewind*
Mom: Happy 12th birthday, honey!
Kid: Woah, thanks, Mom! I love you so much. Before I go to play outside, what did you get me?
Mom: It’s – *looks to audience* an iPhone.
All: *super serious woah moment* Supriiiise!
*scene shift 2*
TikToker: Hey guys! Here’s a dance I made.
Mean commenter 1: This is lame!
Mean commenter 2: This is problematic.
Mean commenter 1: You’re –
Mean commenters: Cancelled!
TikToker: Hung out with my friends today! We had a lot of fun at the movies!
Mean commenter 1: Where are your masks?
Mean commenter 2: You’re not allowed to have fun!
Mean commenter 1: You’re –
Mean commenters: Cancelled!
TikToker: Wait a minute! Instead of cancelling each other why don’t we –
All: cancel cancel culture?
*scene shift 3*
Baby boomer: In the 1950s, we got rock and roll and poodle skirts!
Gen X: In the 1980s, we had flashdance and leg warmers!
Gen Z: In 2020, we have…activism and mass protesting.
All: *another serious moment* Wooow.
*scene shift 4*
Depressed person: I used to be just like you. I had friends, did my homework, and had tons of fun. But then, I started feeling pretty bummed out. That’s right: I had depression. They tried to give me drugs for my depression. They tried to tamp me down, to sedate me with chemicals, when all I really needed was a helping hand and a good book. So before it’s too late, take a walk. Ride your bike. Don’t buy into what they try to prescribe to you. And…
All: Don’t do drugs!
*scene shift 5*
Bully 1: That’s the girl who wants to be the company president!
Bully 2: Who does she think she is? She’ll be a temp forever!
Bully 1: She’ll never amount to anything.
*fancy flash-forward into the future*
Bully 1: Look, there’s that weird girl again!
Bully 2: What do you mean? That’s…the company president.
Girlboss: I do not gaslight!
Girlboss: I do not gatekeep!
Girlboss: But I am A GIRLBOSS!
*scene shift 6*
Republican: I’m a Republican!
Democrat: I’m a Democrat!
Republican: But I’m also…a dog owner.
Democrat: I’m a painter.
Republican: I love going to museums.
Democrat: I like to ride my bike.
Republican: Even though our moral beliefs are fundamentally different, we’re both just people!
Democrat: So why can’t we all just get along?
*they both hug/shake hands*
*Bows*
Humor in Design:
Movie Poster
Introduction to Movie Poster:
Technically we did this project during the Narrative 2 unit. However, we haven’t had the chance to properly display it on our website and as most of our time in Design was spent working on our Zenith projects (which we will be featured on a separate page), I’ve chosen to include it here. This was a really cool fusion of my past elective choice, Film, and my current elective. Creating my own original plot, style, color scheme, and final poster design was a difficult but engaging process, and definitely solidified in my mind that Design is something I want to pursue in the future, either recreationally or as a career. Overall, I had a lot of fun building something completely from the ground up and I’d love to continue working on projects like this after Freestyle.
Movie Poster Pitch:
- Which genre are you choosing?
- Espionage
- Write a synopsis of your plot.
- Frankie Lin is a down-on-her-luck pickpocket who stumbles into an elite group of time-traveling gentlemen thieves. Together, they travel through time to con the world’s greatest minds and deepest pockets, despite growing tensions in the group and the threat of permanently changing history for the worse.
- Describe what your movie poster will look like.
- My plan is a “pillar” of famous portraits (Marie Antoinette, Isaac Newton, etc) emerging from a cloud of purple smoke at the top of the poster. At the bottom, in front of the pillar, there’ll be a femme fatale-type woman (lounge singer dress, red lipstick, etc) with her eyes in shadow and a smirk on her face. The background would probably be a purple and blue gradient with stars to indicate the idea of space. Hopefully the red in the woman’s lipstick wouldn’t clash too much with the purple and blue. An alternative plan is to show a hand stealing a diamond necklace from around a fancy Rococo-era lady’s neck or a coat pocket. I realized it may take too many stock photos to create my original design, so if I can’t come up with a way to do Plan A, this is my backup plan.
Movie Poster Moodboard:
Movie Poster:
Movie Poster Photoshop Screenshot:
Movie Poster Artist Statement:
My film, “Out of Time”, is a time-travel heist movie set across time and space. Frankie is a down-on-her-luck pickpocket who stumbles into an elite group of time-traveling gentlemen thieves. Together, they travel through time to con the world’s greatest minds and deepest pockets, despite growing tensions in the group and the threat of permanently changing history for the worse. I wanted to write a heist movie inspired by the Ocean’s 11 trilogy, but with a different twist on the genre that creates a unique style and helps the movie to stand out. The poster doesn’t depict a specific scene from the movie, but I wanted to display the power and control that Frankie steps into when she joins the secret society: she’s smoking a cigarette expelling smoke with the heads of famous opulent historical figures. I also wanted this to be a visual representation of the dangerous, yet enticing world that she finds herself being drawn into. For my Zenith project, I plan on writing a full script for this movie, so I wanted to create a clear theme just from the poster.
I mostly used Photoshop to create my poster, with an emphasis on solid color blended layers and a burnt orange color palette. I blended in images of the historical figures from their time periods in order to create a sense of dissonance between the different illustrations and photographs. It was suggested that I use brown font for both my credits block and the various logos, which I think ties in really well with the rest of the poster, where black font would stand out and clash with the rest of the color scheme. I wanted to emulate a femme fatale with the painted red nails holding a cigarette on the bottom of the poster, something very reminiscent of the heist and espionage thriller movies I want to emulate. I chose the Iowan Old Style font for my tagline since it has a vintage, yet timeless feel. Finally, since Ocean’s 11 was distributed by Warner Brothers, I used their logo at the bottom above the PG-13 rating.
I will be expanding on this poster (and the movie it advertises) during my Zenith Project, so stay tuned for that! 🙂