Reading and Writing in a Digital Age

I felt that acts 1, 2, and 5 had humor, but no thought-provoking ideas, and that Act 6 was way too overdrawn to be interesting. I nearly fell asleep. It didn’t matter that the topic was humorous; I just couldn’t concentrate on it long enough to appreciate it.

Act 3

I identified very much with Alex’s dad. Doesn’t watch much TV? Check. Atheist? Check. Intrigued by science, philosophy, abstract ideas? Check. When he brought up the idea of coming out of the closet as a way for groups other than gay people to seek acceptance, I actually chuckled a little.

“Corporate personhood.” Usually when I think about it, I laugh and shake my head. “How could the Supreme Court make such a ludicrous ruling?”, I think, and that is that. But Alex Blumberg’s dad’s story in “Stories Pitched By Our Parents” made me think more about it. I’d never fully considered the implications of what NOT treating a corporation as a person could mean: for corporate rights, for the rights of people working for a corporation, etc. It hasn’t changed my view that corporations should not be treated as people, but I better understand why I feel that way.

Aside from the thought-provoking aspect of it, the story that went along with it was very entertaining and engaging, especially how calling the U.S. Chamber of Commerce sent him to a libertarian UCLA professor. The contact the Chamber of Commerce gave him was someone who very clearly did not represent the Chamber of Commerce- a bit of irony, as they were asking about representation.

The segue out of the story was great too. It drove home why they hadn’t done the story initially: there just wasn’t a good way to wrap it up! The story trails off because it has no true focus, and they portray that excellently in the segment.

Act 4

Act 4 was interesting, and reminded me a bit of my dad. My dad is also pretty innovative- he’s a computer programmer and has worked for Disney, EZ-Pass, Bell Labs, and the Olympics, among other things- and he used to do many projects that were pointless or overly complex, just to prove that they could be done that way.

I agree with the last thing Alex Blumberg said before they started Act 5: “Well, that worked so well, because it was about him. Like, it wasn’t outside of him. But not just that, but you made it not the story, but about the fact of it– yeah, that was cool.” The story was interesting, but the point wasn’t the story; the point was the way it was told. That time changes perception, that individuality and pride were what kept the story alive… that gave it depth. It made it human.

What Makes A Story Interesting… 

What really makes a story interesting for me is when it stimulates my intellect, my humor, and my curiosity. Act 3 was quirky and funny and thought-provoking, and I was able to listen intently the whole time. Act 4 was all of those things as well, but it provoked a more abstract type of thought. It had more room for artistic interpretation, which can be a negative thing for a radio show segment, as there’s no time to just sit and think, but actually worked out well, as I had the transcript to review and meditate on afterwards.