In a World of Foucault, I am Far Too Complex?

I am still planning on a note on Sidney Chaplin for today, but I have to share with you the tragic story of my ritual studies presentation first. If for no other reason than to get it off my chest. Otherwise, there’s no chance of sleeping tonight.

Well, the Power Point looked wonderful, the clip was great, and I thought I did beautifully. I mean, I was a little nervous, and I think I rushed a few things, but overall I was very pleased. And the other students were fairly complimentary and I think they enjoyed it. They seemed impressed and engaged.

Then, after my classmate did his presentation, the proverbial shite hit the proverbial fan. Dr. G must not have taken his brain meds today or something, because he then proceeded to dedicate the final hour of class to berating us in front of the group! Wanna know why?

First problem: There were too many words on our slides.

Second problem: It wasn’t simple enough and contained too many complex concepts.

Yes — and that was worth at least 45 minutes of bitching. I’m a PhD student. My classmate is a PhD student. The class is a graduate-level course. We got bitched at because our presentations were too academic… Does anyone know what the hell that means?

By means of illustration: It seems I should have braced the class by telling them that the Marx Brothers were a comedy troupe who appeared in several old, black & white films. Yes, he wanted it that simple, apparently.

And it also seems that smart-ass, hot-shot young academics like my classmate and I are what’s wrong in scholarship today. We go over peoples’ heads! We don’t stick to “the basics,” whatever on earth those are.

OK. To put this in perspective, here is an outline of my presentation:

1) My question: How is Groucho (in his movies) seen as Jewish when he doesn’t come out and say he is?
2) Performance of Jewishness from a performance studies approach can help us
3) Vaudeville has a history of ethnic comedy
4) The Marx Brothers started out in Vaudeville
5) (Show clip)
6) Groucho is read as Jewish because he shows several signs of Jewishness (i.e. accent, dress, etc.) which he gained from Vaudeville training
7) Conclusions: COMPLETE REITERATION of everything I said in the last twenty minutes!

I did not think this was too complex. I still don’t. In fact, on Tuesday I was worried that it was too simple for a class on ritual and performance studies… It seems that was not the directions in which my worry should have gone. It turns out that I am some sort of idiot savant (or mad-with-power-expert) who completely lost my audience… I don’t know whether this should please, stun, or shame me, frankly.

However, this was not the problem that really irked me. (Actually the wordy Power Point slides may be a valid point.)

My problem with it was the fact that he went on for 45 minutes about it. The presentation was over. I couldn’t re-do it. Still he went on, and on… and on. I was happy my talk was over and how well I had done. And then he pooped on me. For 45 minutes. It got to the point that I just wanted to either pack up and leave or plant my foot up his back passage.

The students tried to cheer me up afterwards, but it has still ruined what I thought was a hella good presentation.

And now I get the joy of delivering an 80 minute talk for his undergrad class in three weeks. Goody!

Suffice it to say that I will not be using Power Point in front of him. Ever. In fact, the thought makes me want to vomit.

You know? I really should have planted my boot in his ass.

Ah, missed opportunities.