In my major project, I discussed how Phoebe Robinson uses comedic cultural references to further her goal of educating the reader on race. In one passage of my paper, I touched on how Robinson uses metatext, as Harris discussed in Rewriting: How to Do Things with Texts. Harris defines metatext as “Moments when a writer calls attention to the terms he is using or the moves he is making… Metatext lets you speak directly to your readers, to say to them, in effect, Here’s why I’m approaching this subject this way” (92). In my paper, I compared Robinson's use of metatext, in which she speaks directly to the reader, to another text in which there is direct dialogue with the consumer of the text: The Office.
In The Office, characters like Dwight talk directly to the audience about their feelings.
Robinson's use of metatext is especially interesting because it takes such a modern tone. Her use of metatext reminded me of television and movies, more than any writing. In film, talking directly to the audience is referred to as "breaking the fourth wall." Because Robinson includes so many allusions to pop culture, I would like to examine other meta-textual moments in popular culture that also "break the fourth wall," which Robinson may be indirectly forwarding or referencing in her comedy writing.
John Hughes classic Ferris Bueller's Day Off is a film that breaks the fourth wall. Like Robinson, Ferris talks directly to the audience, adding to the humor in the movie. Ferris gives the audience "insider" information, which makes the audience member feel like they are a part of the movie, just like Robinson makes the reader feel like they are a part of her text. Ferris tells the audience the pros and cons of his friends and their personalities, tidbits about his own personality, and often clues the audience in on his next move. In literature, we would call some of these moves direct characterization. This is particularly interesting in film, when we are used to being shown, not told.
A more recent film that also breaks the fourth wall, is Martin Scorcese's The Wolf of Wall Street. In this film, the protagonist Jordan, speaks directly to the audience, just like Ferris does. Jordan also uses this meta-textual element as an opportunity to further the comedic elements of the film.
However, Jordan also breaks the fourth wall in order to explain to the audience his complex financial scam, which otherwise might be confusing to understand. In this way, Jordan's direct dialogue with the audience is like Robinson's because he is educating them, although not in an ethical manner or toward an ethical end.
At first I think I was pretty overwhelmed at the prospect about writing about Phoebe Robinson. Her work is complex and because it is so recent, there weren't many sources available about her. However, I am really glad that I chose Robinson's book as my topic. Analyzing her writing and her use of metatext made me think about texts differently - it made me ponder the effects of breaking the fourth wall in film and in writing, and it really made me think about more than just books as "texts", which I know was a big goal of this class.
My understanding of popular culture became so much more interesting when I started regarding many things as "texts" that could be analyzed for their implications. Although I don't plan on analyzing every "text" that comes on the radio or every "text" I see when shopping at the mall, it's nice to remember that these things can be texts too. I think life and literature both become more interesting when you open up your definition of what can be textual, academic, or influential.
Are there any "texts" that you see as important in relation to this conversation? Drop me a line :)
I keep meaning to mention this to you all as a "text" worthy of your consideration (even if it isn't perfect): the movie _Late Night_, with Mindy Kaling and Emma Thompson. It is about women and comedy and after we left the theater, I told my friend, "All of my 372 students need to see this."
ReplyDeleteHi, Fiona! I enjoyed your post about breaking the fourth wall and metatext. The breaking of the fourth wall happens many times in Shakespearean dramas. Many Shakespearean characters have monologues and soliloquies that are spoken directly to the audience. Historically, this is because in the Elizabethan era, the stages had greater intimacy to the audience. Many film versions of Shakespeare’s works still approach this interpretation of the dialogue and direction this way. I have been watching a few movies that are based on Shakespearean dramas this semester, and most of them have the main characters speak directly to the camera.
ReplyDeleteWow, thank you Alexandra for bringing up the connection to Shakespeare! That is such a smart connection, but I had not thought of that in my analyzation. Although it is definitely not a new idea to suggest that Shakespeare was before his time, thinking about him in connection with the meta-textual element of Phoebe Robinson and The Office makes me see him as more modern. Of course, since Phoebe Robinson comes from a stand-up comedy background, the type of performance she does regularly is not completely different from the performance a Shakespearean actor must make. Therefore, it is really interesting to think of the effect her "performance" experience would give her writing. That's a whole thesis right there!
DeleteThis is cool Fiona! I can think of a lot of films they use the concept of breaking the fourth wall. I automatically thought of the movie Deadpool. How he constantly, turns to talk directly into the camera to give us updates or to explain a situation. Or sometimes just to be silly. They also do this a lot in cartoons and tv shows. Sometimes they do this in Family Guy where a character faces the camera and talk to the audience. Very interesting connection with Robinson and Harris's "metatext" technique!
ReplyDeleteLike Olivia, Deadpool was my first thought when I tried to think of media that broke the fourth wall. It does seem like a technique that is reserved for comedy, at least in modern media. It's interesting that while Robinson's book is definitely a comedy in a lot of ways, it's also very political, and many of her fourth wall breaks are to make political statements, such as when she writes, "Oh, you probably thought I was going to make a joke to lighten the moment. Not this time" (19). She's pointing out that she knows people expect her to lighten the mood when she talks about her struggles, but she's not going to do it in this instant. It increases her authenticity while also subtly criticizing the culture of making people feel comfortable when dealing with racism. Robinson is funny, but her writing techniques are definitely deliberate, and it's really cool you took the opportunity to analyze one of those techniques.
ReplyDeleteThis blog reminded me of Lizzie Mcguire! Her cartoon self always addresses the viewers whenever something silly or exciting happened in the show. Breaking the fourth wall does make things more personal for the audience. I think Robinson does this in order to connect to the audience better. If I had chosen to write the thesis paper, I think it would have been on Robinson too:)
ReplyDelete