HIEC

Intermediate Conversation 2 (High Intermediate)

• Pukyong National University (Daeyeon Campus)
• Course #109819, Fall 2024
• Room: C25 - #522/530
• Instructional medium: This course will be conducted as live, in-person, face-to-face class sessions. If we need to make up a session, online recorded lectures will be used to make up lost class days.
• Textbook: A PDF version of th ebook will be available in the LMS
• Professor: Prof. Kent Lee
• Office: C25-1103; office hours: By appointment

1 Course description

This course deals with academic English for your college studies, including (1) better English learning strategies, and (2) basic academic English speaking skills for college life. This course is what we call English for academic purposes (EAP), and so this course will be quite different from your past high school and 학원 courses (at least in normal times, it would be quite different; the online format will affect this).

2 Assignments

2.1 Google Form assignments

Various online Google Form assignments will be posted in the LMS. These will typically be 10 points each, though some longer ones can be 20 points.

• Intro form: Some info about you and some survey questions.
• Reaction forms: You will watch a Youtube video (or a few) and react to them.
• Final self-evaluation form: You will evaluate yourself over the past semester.

2.2 Short video: Music genres

You may need to click on the Expand button on the right side of the page to view this section.

This assignment involves a number of various music genres and subgenres, their characteristics, and their origins. For the assignment, you will discuss your thoughts on the various examples of different styles below. For this assignment, you will hear examples of the following (though you do not need to listen to each video in its entirety):

• Pre-classical
• Classical
• Folk music / world (international) music
• Jazz, blues, R&B, & related styles
• Rock & pop
• Folk & international music
• (US) Country music (country & western)

Music genres and samples

Preclassical & classical

Period or genre	Examples (artist / piece)
Pre-classical
Medieval (popular / secular music)	[1] Street music from the 13th to 16th centuries
Medieval chant (church music)	[2] Gregorian chant; [3] Byzantine chant; [4] Greek chant
Renaissance	[5] Various pieces
Choral music (Renaissance)	[6] Allegri: Miserere (church music)
Madrigal music	[7] Hilliard Ensemble: Renaissance Madrigals; [8] The Cambridge Singers: 13 Famous English Madrigals
Classical music
Baroque	[9] Bach: Fuge in D Minor [10] Vivaldi: Four Seasons - Winter I, Allegro non molto [11] Bach: Harpsichord Concerto No.1 in D Minor BWV 1052 (Jean Rondeau)
Classical Era / Period (Classical proper, of the 18th/19th century classical period)	[12] Brahms: Symphony #3
Romanticism	[13] Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto #2
Impressionism	[14] Debussy: Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune
Modern classical
Expressionism	[15] Arnold Schoenberg: Verklärte Nacht [16] Charles Ives: The Unanswered Question
Modern classical: Minimalism (12-tone)	[17] Philip Glass: The Hours [18] Arvo Pärt: Spiegel im Spiegel for Cello and Piano
Experimentalism	[19] Edgard Varèse: Ionisation [20] John Cage: Sonata V

Folk, international, & country

Region or style	Examples (artist / piece)
Folk & world music
Celtic	[21] The Chieftains: O'Sullivan's March
Sea shanty	[22] Drunken Sailor [23] Wellerman
Carribean steel drum music	[24] Caribbean Connection Steel Drum Band
Andes (Chile, Argentina)	[25] Amor a los Andes
Georgia	[26] Ensemble Rustavi: Chakrulo
Bulgaria	[27] Bulgarian folklor: Kaval sviri
Latvia	[28] Tautumeitas: Raganu Nakts
Greece	[29] Doxa to theo (Athens Bouzouki Ensemble & Singers)
South Africa / Soweto	[30] Ladysmith Black Mambazo: Rain, Rain, Beautiful Rain [31] Compilation album / playlist: The Indestructibe Beat of Soweto (Just sample a few songs here.)
Mexico	[32] Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán - El Son De La Negra / Guadalajara (mariachi music)
Korea	[33] Haegeum Sanjo [34] Gayageum Sanjo (가야금 산조) Solo
China	[35] Erhu - Ballad of North Henan Province 豫北叙事曲; [36] (箏鼓和鳴)權御天下 Sun Quan The Emperor (Guzheng & Drum Ver.)
American Folk & Country (Country & Western)
American folk songs	[37] Oh Susanna [38] Oh My Darling, Clementine [39] She'll Be Coming 'Round The Mountain [40] Home on the Range
Bluegrass (Cajun – French Louisiana)	[41] Cajun Country Revival: You Won't Be Satisfied
Bluegrass (western)	[42] Southern Raised Bluegrass: Orange Blossom Special
Country (1940s-1960s)	[43] Gene Autry: Back in the Saddle Again; [44] Johnny Horton: North to Alaska; [45] Roger Miller: You Can't Roller Skate in a Buffalo Herd
Country (1970s-1980s)	[46] Charlie Daniels Band: The Devil Went Down to Georgia [47] Willie Nelson: On The Road Again
Country (1990s-present)	[48] Garth Brooks: Friends in low places [49] Zac Brown Band: Chicken Fried  [50] Turnpike Troubadours: Chipping Mill
New Country	[51] Nate Smith: Whiskey On You

Jazz, R&B, & related forms

Genre / style	Examples (artist / piece)
Jazz, Blues & derivative forms
Early jazz	[52] Clarence Williams: I Need You; [53] Tiny Parham: Now That I've Found You
Ragtime	[54] Scott Joplin: The Entertainer [55] Scott Joplin: Maple Leaf Rag
Big Band & Swing	[56] Glenn Miller: In the Mood Bee-bop
Progressive jazz
Jazz (general / modal)	[57] Miles Davis: So What?
Jazz vocalists	[58] Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong: Dream a Little Dream of Me, or [59] Let's Call The Whole Thing Off [60] Diana Krall: Fly me to the Moon
Latin jazz	[61] Astrud Gilberto & Stan Getz: The Girl from Ipanema
Bossa nova
Blues	[62] B. B. King: The Thrill Is Gone [63] Stevie Ray Vaughan:Texas Flood
R & B / Soul	[64] Luther Vandross: Never Too Much [65] Stevie Wonder: Superstition [66] Sergio Mendes - Never Gonna Let You Go (1983)
Funk	[67] Mark Ronson (ft. Bruno Mars): Uptown Funk
Fusion	[68] Weather Report: Birdland [69] Spyro Gyra: Bob Goes to the Store
Acid jazz	[70] US3: Cantaloop
Reggae (traditional)	[71] Bob Marley: One Love
Reggae (modern / fusion)	[72] Shaggy: Bombastic
Reggaeton
Ska	[73] The Specials: Gangsters
Disco	[74] Boney M: Rasputin
Hip-hop

Pop & rock

Genre / style	Examples (artist / piece)
Rock (rock & roll) / pop
Rock (1950s)	[75] Bill Haley: Rock Around the Clock (1956; often considered the "first" rock & roll hit song); [76] Chubby Checker: The Twist
Rock (1960s)	[77] The Beatles: Hey Jude
Folk rock	[78] Bob Dylan: Subterranean Homesick Blues; [79] Bob Dylan: The Times They are A-changin' [80] Mumford & Sons: I Will Wait
Classic rock (1970s-1980s)	[81] Journey: Don't Stop Believin'
Progressive rock	Pink Floyd
Pop / rock (1980s-1990s)	[82] Phil Collins: In the Air Tonight (1981); [83] Cher: Believe (1998)
Punk	[84] Anti-Nowhere League: Streets of London
Punk / New Wave	[85] Devo: Whip It
New Wave / dance	[86] New Order: Blue Monday
Grunge	[87] Nirvana: Smells Like Teen Spirit
Electronic pop / rock (1980s)	[88] Eurythmics: Sweet Dreams [89] The Buggles: Video Killed the Radio Star [90] A-ha: Take On Me
Industrial / house / EBM	[91] Nitzer Ebb: Fun to be had
Alternative	[92] Muse: Starlight [93] My Chemical Romance: Welcome To The Black Parade
Alternative / dance	[94] Adam Lambert: If I Had You [95] Jonathan Bree: You're So Cool (indie pop / electronic)
Dream pop
Folk alternative / folk punk	[96] The Pogues: Tuesday Morning
R&B / Psychedelic / hard rock	[97] Jimi Hendrix: Purple Haze
Heavy metal (glam metal)	[98] Def Leppard: Photograph
Heavy metal / hard rock	[99] Nightwish: Élan Metallica
EDM	[100] Vinheteiro: 10 EDM Versions of Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (EDM = electronic dance music) [101] Skrillex: Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites (dubstep)
Parody / novelty hits	[102] "Weird Al" Yankovic: Smells Like Nirvana; [103] "Weird Al" Yankovic: Perform This Way
International pop & rock
Germany	[104] Nena: 99 Luftballons (99 Red Balloons)
France	[105] Patricia Kaas: Les hommes qui passent
South Africa	[106] Victony & Tempoe: Soweto
China / Hong Kong	[107] 張洪量 Chang Hung-Liang: 美麗的花蝴蝶 Beautiful Butterfly
Korea	[108] 최소리) Choi So-ri: Arirang Party 아리랑 파티 [109] SsingSsing: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert (folk rock / pop)
K-pop	G-Dragon

Songs & videos with social messages or statements

Song & artist	Notes
[110] Pet Shop Boys: Twenty-Something.	The term refers to a person somewhere in their 20s in age, and the video starts at a correctional facility (a low-level local prison). This is a more recent song from the teens by a techno-pop band that was popular in the 80s and 90s. Questions: What do you think of the video? How does it make you feel? What kinds of issues does it raise? Or, what kind of message does it convey? Why do you think it focuses on a Latino (Hispanic-American) person or community? Why do you think it was shot in black and white?
Anti-Nowhere League: Streets of London (above).	See here for the lyrics, and think about the meaning of this song.
[111] Taylor Swift: You Need To Calm Down	Lyrics here
[112] Childish Gambino: This is America	Note: Contains depictions of violence

Bonus tracks

The following are extra, optional songs and videos that you might not like due to their contents, and you do not have to watch them, as they are a bit NSFW. If you are brave, you can try these, as these are rather interesting or well known.

• [113] Rob Zombie: Dragula (alternative / industrial metal). Not exactly NSFW, but some might consider the fast-paced imagery to be "demonic" or "satanic."
• [114] Electric Six: Gay Bar (alternative). Note: Slightly NSFW video & lyrics
• [115] Electric Six: Danger! High Voltage (alternative / dance). Warning: NSFW video & lyrics. Do not watch this if you are easily offended, or if your parents are around.

Topic

There are a number of links to Youtube videos here. Of course, you do not need listen to the entirety of each video -- just enough to get a taste of what each style and each sample is like. Discuss the following questions below. You should discuss these with classmates or friends in class and for the video assignment.

1. What is your impression of these genres? Do you like any of them? Do you dislike any of them? Why?
2. Where do you think some of these genres came from, or how did they develop?
3. For each genre, discuss some of the sample songs or pieces (discuss some, not all of them). Which ones did you like or not like, and why?
4. Among these categories, are there any styles or (sub)genres that you think I left out? Are there some particular styles, composers, singers / bands / artists, or represenative songs that you think I should include?
5. What do you think about music videos and songs with a social message, like those you saw for this assignment? Were these, or others with a social message, effective?
6. Do you feel like you learned anything from this exercise? Or do you have any questions or comments?

Assignment requirements

This video should be about 2-3 minutes long for each person speaking in the video. You can record this by yourself (solo, individually), but it will be better if you can record it with 1-3 other persons. If  you record it with other persons, it can be done by taking turns, in a question-answer style, or in a more conversational style, going back and forth among your group members, as long as each person speaks for an equal amount of time; each person should contribute equally. (See the LMS for details.)

Grading criteria

This will be graded based on the following criteria (based on the grading criteria in the book).

1. Uniqueness: Creative, worthwhile, interesting, or practical ideas (or ideas that have social value or commercial potential)
2. Clarity: Clear explanations
3. Contents: Sufficient overall contents; Equal work & contributions by each member (for pairs or groups)
4. Details: Sufficient explanations & details
5. Delivery: Clear speaking & vocal delivery; appropriate body language

Submission

You can record the video with any mobile device, camera, or software like Zoom, and upload the video in the assignment space below. Any common video file format is fine. If you do it as a group, since the LMS is sometimes buggy, I suggest that at least two of you submit the video (and others can simply enter the team members' names in the assignments space).

2.3 Short presentation: Youtube channel

Click on the 'Expand' applet on the right to see or collapse past assignments and materials.

This may be done as a short video assignment, or as a practice classs presentation (ICP) activity. Imagine you and your group members have the opportunity to set up your own Youtube channel. What kind of channel would you like to run? What kind of format would you like - i.e., the type(s) of content and video length? Here are some options to consider. Be ready to present your ideas to the class, as a short in-class presentation.

1. Purpose: What is the main purpose, topic(s)
2. Type of content: What type of content will you do? Will it all be one type of specific format and content, or multiple channel lists for different types of videos?
3. Target audience (e.g., demographics)
4. Format: Would these be short-form videos (regular videos under 10 mintues), long-form content (over 10 minutes), and/or Youtube shorts?
5. Production: How will videos be filmed – how will they be produced and edited?
6. What will you call your channel?
7. Sponsorhip: Would it be commercially sponsored or supported? How would the sponsors be chosen, and how would the sponsors be featured in your channel?

This video should be about 2-3 minutes long for each person speaking in the video. You can record this by yourself (solo, individually), but it will be better if you can record it with 1-3 other persons. If you record it with other persons, it can be done by taking turns, in a question-answer style, or in a more conversational style, going back and forth among your group members, as long as each person speaks for an equal amount of time.

2.4 Midterm video

Click on the 'Expand' applet on the right to see or collapse past assignments and materials.

Topic

For this assignment, your group will discuss a specific genre of music, film, TV, literature, or other creative medium, and you will do a genre analysis of the genre, including specific creative works as examples. This will be done as a recorded video presentation, which you will upload to the LMS.

Genre

Something like fiction or drama would be too broad and general, especially for a short video. You should discuss something fairly specific would be good, like romance, horror, science fiction, would be good. If you like, you can be even more specific and focus on a particular subgenre, like sci-fi horror, romantic comedy, or superhero films. You can draw from previous assignments or in-class discussions from this semester. As before, you can upload it here in any regular video format.

Main points to address

1. What are typical characteristics and elements of the genre? For example, what kinds of elements do people usually expect? What are typical types of plots / story lines, types of characters, character development, settings, tropes, film techniques, etc?
2. Discuss at least one good example of the genre. How / why was it done well? How are the different genre elements well done?
3. Discuss at least one bad example of the genre. Why was it not good? How / why were the genre elements poorly done? How would it be improved?
4. Discuss at least one unusual example of the genre, e.g., one that plays with the genre elements, or a subgenre that mixes elements of different genres.
5. For the genre or for your good examples, also discuss the production or production quality, e.g.:
   • The quality of the plots, acting, or other aspects
   • Social value or social aspects
   • Special effects (practical effects, computer effects)
   • Its impact or influence (on society, on the genre, etc.)

Examples

You can discuss examples of different media forms, e.g.:

• Some movies of a particular genre or subgenre
• Some TV shows or series of a particular genre or subgenre
• Some music videos from a particular artist or genre/subgenre
• Some Youtube channels of a particular category, topic, or genre

Video production aspects can include:

• How the video was produced
• The production quality - good or bad
• How practical effects were done

Social aspects can include:

• Positive or negative social messages that the video conveys
• Elements of sexism, gender bias, racism, xenophobia, elitism, or other social baises
• Other types of social or political messages or attitudes
• How the video promotes or exemplifies such attitudes, or
• How it challenges such attitudes

Optional question

• If you were to create your own creative work (e.g., your own film) in that genre, how would you do it? E.g., what kinds of tropes, plot, characters, tropes, or other elements would you use, or not use? How would you like for your work to affect viewers / listeners / readers? (audience engagement)?

Grading criteria

This will be graded a bit more strictly than the previous assignments. I will grade according to the following criteria, which are based on the criteria on p. 20 in the book for major presentations.

1. Rationale, goals, objectives
2. General contents (and for groups, equal participation of group members)
3. Specific details
4. Clarity
5. Organization
6. Speaking & vocal delivery
7. Interaction with audience
8. Value & effectiveness (e.g., persuasiveness; informativeness; the uniqueness, or potential artistic, social or commercial value of the project)

Requirements

• Length: About 4-5 minutes per person
• Due date: End of midterm week
• NOTE: There will be no class sessions during midterm week, since you are doing a midterm project on your own time.

I will not consider PPT, and you should not use PPT or other presentation media for this; 'interaction with audience' here would be basic eye contact with the camera / viewer, body language, etc. For pairs or groups, each person should participate equally, and everyone needs to introduce themselves at the beginning.

The following sites might be helpful for some terminology.

• https://www.enwiki.org/w/Plot_elements
• https://www.enwiki.org/w/Genre
• https://tvtropes.org/ An online wiki for TV and film tropes
• https://www.imdb.com Internet movie database: A reference source for various movies, TV shows, actors, etc.

Good luck.

2.5 Final presentation

Click on the 'Expand' applet on the right to see or collapse past assignments and materials.

Creative project - Film / TV proposal

For the final, you will present an idea for an original film or TV show, as in in-class presentation. You will present your project idea as if you are giving a pitch to investors to ask them to fund your project. Your idea can be based on your midterm video, or you can modify or change it.

Length (minimum - maximum):

• 1 person (solo): 6-10 minutes
• 2 persons (duo): 5-8 minutes per person
• 3-6 persons: 4-6 minutes per person

Grading criteria: This will be graded more strictly than the midterm or previous assignments. I will grade according to the following criteria in the textbook (section 1.3) for major presentations.

• Rationale, goals, objectives
• General contents
• Support & details - e.g., for the film / TV show itself
• Project details - for the whole project
• Clarity
• Organization
• Speaking & vocal delivery
• Interaction with audience
• Use of visual aids*
• Equal participation
• Value
• Reception & effectiveness

[*] This refers to how the visual aid is used in your presentation. Your PPT file (or other visual aid) will be submitted separately, in a separate assignment space in the LMS. This is the so-called pitch deck or presentation file, and it can be a PPT file, a Prezi, or a brochure (e.g., a document created in a word processor or publishing program and saved in PDF).

Please see the following sections in the book.

• Chapter 7: Video production & other terminology
• Chapter 9: Project details & guidelines
• Grading criteria in section 1.3 of the book
• A make-up lecture video in the LMS shows a sample solo presentation (for one of the class sessions missed due to holidays around Chuseok; attendance applies to Week 15)
• There is a sample write-up in §9.3 of the book; this is from past semesters, when I required a written essay for this assignment, but this is no longer required. The idea in this example is slightly different from the example in the lecture video example.

Date: Groups and individuals will give their presentations in class during the make-up days of Dec. 12 or 13. You can come on the day that you / your group is scheduled. For attendance purposes, this day will take the place of the final exam day (of the following week). We will assign groups and times a bit later.

2.5.1 Visual aids

The file should be uploaded in the LMS, or a link to it can be entered in the LMS assignments space. The file can be in one of the following formats.

• A PPT file (or similar format)
• A link to a shared Google Slide presentation (make sure it is fully shared, i.e., check the file permissions and make sure that the link works)
• A link to a Prezi file (make sure the link works)
• A brochure or handout in PDF, Word, or LibreOffice / ODT format

This will count as a minor ten-point assignment (like a Google Form assignment), and as one of the 10-12 grading criteria for the final presentation.

By the way, here is a link to the presentation slides for the demo presentation that I did (my fictional presentation for 'Warped'). https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1YTR_bAhXiawERIPcZHqX2tA65TYsVKJMzf5uoQV_N50/edit?usp=sharing

3 Pronunciation

3.1 Misheard song lyrics

Click on the 'Expand' applet on the right to see or collapse past assignments and materials.

You can listen to some of the following songs on Youtube, which are songs that have been famously misheard by some listeners. The time index is the time point in the song where the misheard lyrics first appear. You can also a video on the English Wiki Youtube channel with the relevant segments: EW: Misheard song lyrics

Link	Song	Time index	Original lyrics	Misheard as ...
[116]	“Purple Haze,” Jimi Hendrix (1967)	0:49	Excuse me while I kiss the sky	Excuse me while I kiss this guy
[117]	“I’m A Believer,” The Monkeys (1967)	0:27	Then I saw her face, now I’m a believer	Then I saw her face, now I’m gonna leave her
[118]	“I Can See Clearly Now,” Johnny Nash (1972)	0:07	I can see clearly now, the rain is gone	I can see clearly now, Lorraine is gone
[119]	“Bad Moon Rising,” Creedance Clearwater Revival (1969)	0:34	There’s a bad moon on the rise	There’s a bathroom on the right
[120]	“Beast of Burden,” Rolling Stones (1978)	0:15	I’ll never be your beast of burden	I’ll never leave your pizza burnin’
[121]	“Dancing Queen,” Abba (1976)	0:30	See that girl, watch that scene, diggin’ the dancing queen	See that girl, watch her scream, kicking the dancing queen
[122]	“Sweet Dreams,” Eurythmics (1983)	0:08	Sweet dreams are made of these. Who am I to disagree. Travelled the world and the seven seas	Sweet cream is made of cheese, Who am I to disagree, Travelled the world in generic jeans
[123]	“Tiny Dancer,” Elton John (1973)	3:00	Hold me closer, tiny dancer	Hold me closer, Tony Danza
[124]	“Got my mind set on you,” George Harrison (1987)	0:05	Got my mind set on you	Thought my mom sat on you
[125]	“Another Brick in the Wall,” Pink Floyd (1979)	2:39	No dark sarcasm in the classroom	The ducks are hazards in the classroom.
[126]	“Blowin’ in the Wind,” Bob Dylan (1963)	0:42	The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind. The answer is blowin’ in the wind.	The ants are my friends, they’re blowin’ in the wind, The ants are a-blowin’ in the wind.
[127]	“Aquarius,” Fifth Dimension (1969)	0:36	This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius	This is the dawning of the age of asparagus
[128]	“Losing My Religion,” REM (1991)	1:03	That’s me in the corner, that’s me in the spotlight	Let’s pee in the corner, let’s pee in the spotlight
[129]	“My Heart Will Go On,” Celine Dion (1997)	1:07	I believe that the heart does go on	I believe that the hot dogs go on
[130]	“I Can’t Fight This Feeling,” REO Speedwagon (1984)	0:19	I can’t fight this feeling anymore.	I can’t climb this ceiling any more.
[131]	“Blinded By the Light,” Manfred Mann’s Earth Band (1976)	0:15	Revved up like a deuce, another runner in the night	Wrapped up like a douche, you know the rumor in the night
[132]	“Oh Canada,” Canadian National Anthem	0:52	Oh Canada, we stand on guard for thee.	Oh Canada, we stand on cars and freeze.

4 Genres

See also the page on genres and the page on plot elements.

4.1 Introduction: Visual arts genres

In your group, choose one particular visual arts genre (TV/film) or literary genre to discuss. For your genre, what are common genre elements? Discuss this, and write some notes or answers to these questions below.

• Defining features or typical features (“ingredients”)
• Typical elements (plot / plot elements, setting / scene, characters / actors, protagonists, antagonists, contents, film techniques)
• Audience: target audience, audience expectations
• Appeal: reasons for its appeal
• Important subgenres
• Social value - what is the social value or utility of this?
• Vocabulary - important terms that you need to know to discuss this genre

4.1.1 Other videos

You may watch a Youtube video or videos and react to them.

Reaction & discussion

1. Reaction form: Susan Boyle video
2. Reaction form: Pet Shop Boys: Twenty Something

The Pet Shop Boys is a British techno-pop / new wave band that was mainly famous in the 1980s. Notes: Correctional center / facility = low-security jail (for minor crimes). The term “20 something” refers to someone’s age that is roughly somewhere in their 20s (or 20대).  Discuss: Why did they make this video? Why was it set in the US, featuring members of an American minority group? What is your reaction to the video? How does it make you feel? What does it make you think about? Is it effective? Why did the Pet Shop Boys set this video in a Hispanic community in Los Angeles? How does the video style and production enhance the video’s message?

More music examples

1. KATICA ILLÉNYI - STAR TREK (theremin)
2. Phil Collins: In the Air Tonight
3. [133] Sergio Mendes - Never Gonna Let You Go (1983)

5 Pragmatics & communication

Conversational maxims and examples

1. TV / film excerpts (pragmatics)
   • Despicable Me
   • Big Bang Theory (at 0:16 to 3:00)
   • Big Bang Theory on Body Language  
2. Tom Scott: Implicature

5.1 Humor and humor genres

Humor can be classified into different genres based on the source or topic of humor, how it is delivered, or the context, i.e., when, where, or how it is delivered. Discuss the different genres or types of humor that you can think of. What are some typical examples? Which ones do you like or not like, and why? See the page on humor genres.

Sketches

1. Sketch videos
   1. Do you speak English?
   2. English study group
   3. BBC Iraqi insurgent subtitles sketch
   4. Scottish Elevator With Voice Recognition
   5. Gymnasty series - stunts

Parodies

Parody commercials

1. I asked AI to make a Donald trump orange juice commercial
2. Voters for Trump - SNL parody
3. [134] George Ryan: Nature documentary parody

Parody sketches

1. [135] Sesame Street: Grover Stars in "Smell Like A Monster."

5.2 Making pitches: Adverts

Emotional appeals

What kind of emotional appeals are used here? Do you think these adverts were effective? Why? (Note: #1-2 are classic Superbowl commercials.)

1. Apple Superbowl ad [136] (The scene is based on the George Orwell novel 1984.)
2. Volkswagen: The Force [137]
3. Your brain on drugs [138] - From a 1980s anti-drug campaign in the US.
4. World Wildlife Federation (print advert)

Humorous adverts

Are these effective adverts? Why / When does humor work?

1. Berlitz German Coast Guard [139]
2. Trunk monkey [140]
3. Bear fight (salmon advert) [141]
4. Got milk? [142] This refers to a trivia question about Aaron Burr, a minor figure in early American history. The advert is intended to get people to buy more milk.
5. Old Spice [143]
6. On the Fritz [144] Note: Fritz is a German male name (equivalent to Fred). But ‘on the fritz’ is an English colloquial expression, meaning that some device is not working properly, is broken, and/or needs to be repaired.
7. Nolan’s cheddar [145]

Strange, unusual, or annoying commercials

Do you think these commercials are effective? Why do companies make such adverts?

1. This was a local commercial for a bedding store in Texas in 2016. What were they trying to do? Do you think it was successful? How do you think the public reacted? (Twin Towers refers to the former World Trade Center in New York.) Twin tower mattress: [146]
2. Little Baby’s Ice Cream [147]
3. Quizno’s Spongemonkeys [148]
4. KFee Coffee: [149] (Warning: There is a jump scare near the end. The German slogan at the end means “You’ve never been so awake.”)

Gender bias and stereotypes

In what ways do these adverts use or play with (or subvert) gender stereotypes? Are they sexist? Offensive?

1. Old Spice: [150]
2. YT toy advert: [151]
3. Like a girl [152]

5.3 Pitches

How do you make a sales pitch?

• Target audience
• Establishing your “cred” (credibility)
• Clear goals
• Outline & rehearse
• Call to action

The outline should consist of 3-4 reasons - coherent, unique reasons and/or a USP (Unique Selling Point)

• why someone would need or want it
• ROI (return on investment)
• evidence / support

5.4 Body language

You might like to watch and discuss the following clip from Big Bang Theory on body language:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vicuZS0ChYQ

5.5 Using visual aids

What are the worst PowerPoint mistakes that you’ve ever seen? (This might be a problem in PPT design, or how presenters use PPT.) Watch the following video. What mistakes does he point out? Why do people make such mistakes? (Have you been guilty of any of these?) 

1. Death by PPT, 4 min. version [153] 
2. Death by PPT, long version [154] 

6 Video production

In your opinion, what movie, show, or music video shows a very high degree of production quality? How does it enhance the viewer’s experience?

Discuss the following.

1. Clip from an old sci-fi film.
2. The Room Discuss these clips from a film called The Room. What can you tell about the quality of the movie? What problems do you see with the production? 
3. News bloopers News bloopers: How about these bloopers from local TV news broadcasts? Why do these seem unprofessional? (Jump  2:24 to 6.12)

OK Go videos

Watch and react to the following videos.

1. I won’t let you down + lyrics
2. The writing’s on the wall + lyrics
3. Upside down & inside out + lyrics
4. This too shall pass (Rube Goldberg machine) + lyrics
5. The one moment + lyrics

Notes:

• "The writing's on the wall": This is an English idiom for when you see something as a sign that bad fortune is about to happen -- in this case, the singer addresses his girlfriend and explains how he sees bad signs that their relationship is headed for failure. (The idiom comes from a story in the fictional book of Daniel in the Jewish Bible or Christian Old Testament.)
• Rube Goldberg was a famous American cartoonist in the early to middle 20th century, who was famous for his cartoons that depicted extremely complicated “inventions” for doing simple, everyday tasks. Such a setup is known as a Rube Goldberg machine.

7 See also

7.2 EnWIki Links

1. Humor genres
2. Genres
3. Plot elements
4. Tropes

7.3 Youtube channels

1. Rick Beato: A music producer who analyzes pop and rock music, music theory, and the music industry 
2. Professor of Rock: Analysis of classic rock and pop songs from the 1970s to the 1990s 
3. Adam Neely: A music expert who teaches and discusses music theory and musicology

7.4 Other links

• http://www.imdb.com
• http://www.rottentomatoes.com
• http://www.tvtropes.org