So, I'm in a communication criticism class this semester and it is fascinating.
To whoever doesn't know what that means, it means that I am learning different ways to critically analyze.
Want to know my most favorite thing about critical analysis?
THERE IS NO RIGHT OR WRONG ANSWERS!!!!!!
As long as you can support your argument, it is valid.
So the most recent one (and the one I did a group presentation on today) we learned about was generic analysis, or analyzing genres.
There are 3 different ways to generically analyze.
Genre Description
What is the genre?
Genre Application
Is this "artifact" a good example of the genre?
Genre Participation
Does this "artifact" fit in the genre?
For information sake, an artifact is whatever it is you are deciding to analyze. A poem, a commercial, a speech, etc.
As I mentioned about I just did a group presentation on this and my group decided to do the genre of "best man speeches" and we did genre participation, however today, I want to give you an artifact I've analyzed using Genre application.
Now, in order to define your genre you must first view several artifacts and find the commonalities. You break these up in substantive, stylistic and situation elements. After these you create an overall Organizing principle, which is the why of all the elements.
Substantive elements are what words are being used, what is the speech of the thing. Stylistic is pretty much everything else that is non-verbal and in the environment. Situation is what has to happen for this to happen. Not every speech will have ALL of EVERY element, but the elements you identify will be common things among many of the artifacts that you would consider part of the genre. Specifically common things you would find in a best man speech.
Examples.
The Substantive elements that we found for the genre we have created of "Best Man speeches" are as follows.
-Compliments to the bride.
-Tell embarrassing stories from past or childhood.
-Talk about their relationship to either the bride or the groom.
-Tell Jokes
-Congratulate the bride and groom
-Show excitement for the couple and the life they'll have together.
-Offer well-wishes
The Stylistic Elements we found
-They are usually wearing formal attire
-They are standing in close proximity to the couple
-It is spoken, and is presented live in front of the audience
-It is formal speech, but often also lighthearted
-Sincere and heartfelt near the end
And the Situation elements
-There has to be a wedding
-There has to be a best man offering the speech
-They need to have audience attention.
So with all of these common elements we came up with our organizing principle which is
"Acknowledges the past relationship with the groom or bride, and transition into a hopeful future for the newlyweds as a married couple."
So, with this in mind, understanding that this is how, in this blog post, best man speeches and categorized.
Now, as I mentioned before I want to do an application analysis, meaning is the artifact that I choose a good representation of a best man speech according to the genre I have defined. I decided I wanted to analyze my most favorite best man speech ever, it's from the BBC show Sherlock, where Sherlock is offering his best man speech for John Watsons wedding. Now, the entire episode is pretty much the speech, so I don't want to do that, but this clip is my favorite part and the part I'm focusing in on.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JfDRiV_Mkc
(sorry about the quality, it's the only clip on youtube I could find)
So, this speech is the best and worst best man speech possible, but I think that it ultimately is a good representation of a best man speech.
It fulfills all the situation requirements, there is a wedding, he is the best man offering a speech and he has the audiences attention.
Now when it comes to stylistic elements, he is standing, and he is standing next to John, the groom and on Johns other side is Mary, the bride. So close proximity to the couple. He is presenting his speech live to the audience, and is speaking formally. The arguments that start arising is that he doesn't exactly speak lightheartedly, but he does get more heartfelt and sincere at the end.
So, substantive elements. This one is interesting because at the very beginning he says that he can't congratulate John. He doesn't really tell embarrassing stories, but he does embarrass John in this clip. Now, early in the episode he is searching for an anecdote to tell, and after this clip he does go into some stories and some funny tales about John. He does say that John is his best friend, establishing their relationship, also making the argument stronger when Sherlock states that he never thought he would be anybodies best friend. He doesn't really tell any jokes, but Sherlock doesn't really know how to make jokes. Now, it's the end of the speech that gets me. The entire time he is talking about how he can't congratulate John, and then in a moment he realizes that he can. When he looks to Mary and says that she deserves John, he states that it is the "highest compliment of which he is capable." To me, that is a greater compliment than the obligatory "look how beautiful she is" That is one reason I would argue that this is an excellent best man speech, because everything in it is sincere and honest because Sherlock doesn't live by social norms. I think that little smile he gives when he realizes that he can congratulate John is the closest thing to excitement your going to get out of Sherlock in a situation like this.
His well wish at the end is when he stated that John was sitting between to two people who love him most and that he is never going to let them down.
So, now we go back to the organizing principle and if it falls into that category, than it is a good representation. As a reminder the organizing principle was "Acknowledges the past relationship with the groom or bride, and transition into a hopeful future for the newlyweds as a married couple."
Now, as we can see he did acknowledge the past relationships and he did transition into approval and promise that he would always be there for both of them. At the very end of the episode after playing a waltz for them, is when he promises to always protect the newly weds. I believe that that is Sherlocks way of transitioning into a hopeful future.
So there you go, my analysis of the Sherlocks best man speech and why it is a good representation of a best man speech, although unorthodox.
To whoever doesn't know what that means, it means that I am learning different ways to critically analyze.
Want to know my most favorite thing about critical analysis?
THERE IS NO RIGHT OR WRONG ANSWERS!!!!!!
As long as you can support your argument, it is valid.
So the most recent one (and the one I did a group presentation on today) we learned about was generic analysis, or analyzing genres.
There are 3 different ways to generically analyze.
Genre Description
What is the genre?
Genre Application
Is this "artifact" a good example of the genre?
Genre Participation
Does this "artifact" fit in the genre?
For information sake, an artifact is whatever it is you are deciding to analyze. A poem, a commercial, a speech, etc.
As I mentioned about I just did a group presentation on this and my group decided to do the genre of "best man speeches" and we did genre participation, however today, I want to give you an artifact I've analyzed using Genre application.
Now, in order to define your genre you must first view several artifacts and find the commonalities. You break these up in substantive, stylistic and situation elements. After these you create an overall Organizing principle, which is the why of all the elements.
Substantive elements are what words are being used, what is the speech of the thing. Stylistic is pretty much everything else that is non-verbal and in the environment. Situation is what has to happen for this to happen. Not every speech will have ALL of EVERY element, but the elements you identify will be common things among many of the artifacts that you would consider part of the genre. Specifically common things you would find in a best man speech.
Examples.
The Substantive elements that we found for the genre we have created of "Best Man speeches" are as follows.
-Compliments to the bride.
-Tell embarrassing stories from past or childhood.
-Talk about their relationship to either the bride or the groom.
-Tell Jokes
-Congratulate the bride and groom
-Show excitement for the couple and the life they'll have together.
-Offer well-wishes
The Stylistic Elements we found
-They are usually wearing formal attire
-They are standing in close proximity to the couple
-It is spoken, and is presented live in front of the audience
-It is formal speech, but often also lighthearted
-Sincere and heartfelt near the end
And the Situation elements
-There has to be a wedding
-There has to be a best man offering the speech
-They need to have audience attention.
So with all of these common elements we came up with our organizing principle which is
"Acknowledges the past relationship with the groom or bride, and transition into a hopeful future for the newlyweds as a married couple."
So, with this in mind, understanding that this is how, in this blog post, best man speeches and categorized.
Now, as I mentioned before I want to do an application analysis, meaning is the artifact that I choose a good representation of a best man speech according to the genre I have defined. I decided I wanted to analyze my most favorite best man speech ever, it's from the BBC show Sherlock, where Sherlock is offering his best man speech for John Watsons wedding. Now, the entire episode is pretty much the speech, so I don't want to do that, but this clip is my favorite part and the part I'm focusing in on.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JfDRiV_Mkc
(sorry about the quality, it's the only clip on youtube I could find)
So, this speech is the best and worst best man speech possible, but I think that it ultimately is a good representation of a best man speech.
It fulfills all the situation requirements, there is a wedding, he is the best man offering a speech and he has the audiences attention.
Now when it comes to stylistic elements, he is standing, and he is standing next to John, the groom and on Johns other side is Mary, the bride. So close proximity to the couple. He is presenting his speech live to the audience, and is speaking formally. The arguments that start arising is that he doesn't exactly speak lightheartedly, but he does get more heartfelt and sincere at the end.
So, substantive elements. This one is interesting because at the very beginning he says that he can't congratulate John. He doesn't really tell embarrassing stories, but he does embarrass John in this clip. Now, early in the episode he is searching for an anecdote to tell, and after this clip he does go into some stories and some funny tales about John. He does say that John is his best friend, establishing their relationship, also making the argument stronger when Sherlock states that he never thought he would be anybodies best friend. He doesn't really tell any jokes, but Sherlock doesn't really know how to make jokes. Now, it's the end of the speech that gets me. The entire time he is talking about how he can't congratulate John, and then in a moment he realizes that he can. When he looks to Mary and says that she deserves John, he states that it is the "highest compliment of which he is capable." To me, that is a greater compliment than the obligatory "look how beautiful she is" That is one reason I would argue that this is an excellent best man speech, because everything in it is sincere and honest because Sherlock doesn't live by social norms. I think that little smile he gives when he realizes that he can congratulate John is the closest thing to excitement your going to get out of Sherlock in a situation like this.
His well wish at the end is when he stated that John was sitting between to two people who love him most and that he is never going to let them down.
So, now we go back to the organizing principle and if it falls into that category, than it is a good representation. As a reminder the organizing principle was "Acknowledges the past relationship with the groom or bride, and transition into a hopeful future for the newlyweds as a married couple."
Now, as we can see he did acknowledge the past relationships and he did transition into approval and promise that he would always be there for both of them. At the very end of the episode after playing a waltz for them, is when he promises to always protect the newly weds. I believe that that is Sherlocks way of transitioning into a hopeful future.
So there you go, my analysis of the Sherlocks best man speech and why it is a good representation of a best man speech, although unorthodox.
