Me Talk Pretty One Day Significant Quotations
"After a few months in my parents' basement, I took an apartment near the state university, where I discovered both crystal methamphetamine and conceptual art. Either one of these things are dangerous, but in combination they have the potential to destroy entire civilizations" (Sedaris 44).
This quotation is a wonderful example of Sedaris' humor. This quote comes up at a point in the narrative where he is writing about "Twelve Moments in the Life of an Artist" and discussing the impact drugs have had on his life. He makes it a point to unabashedly discuss any and all aspects of his life. He has just as much ease telling how he had a lisp in school as he does telling the world he was a drug addict. This quotation is a testament to the humor he uses throughout the narrative. His ability to take something that other people may consider horribly negative and not the least bit funny, and making it into an absolutely hilarious moment in the story is remarkable.
This quote is significant to us because it demonstrates a different form of writing. Sedaris is extremely well known and respected and this quote exemplifies his character, making it clear that it is allowable to not follow the politically correct standards of today in order to become a successful author. However, the most relevant aspect of all is his amazing ability to self-deprecate, making fun of everyone and everything in the world, including himself. This is something that both Joe and Andy can relate to as each of us has a somewhat cynical outlook on the world, but make it a goal to laugh at all the absurdities. Each of us is full of laughter and thoroughly enjoy making fun of society, other people, and even ourselves (although not quite as much or as well as Sedaris does). And neither one of us is very good on the political correctness front.
“You could turn up your nose at the president or Coke or even God, but there were names for boys who didn't like sports. When the subject came up, I found it best to ask which team my questioner preferred. Then I'd say, "Really? Me, too!” (Sedaris 5).
This quote, from the “Go Carolina” section that begins the novel, sets the tone for the entire collection. At this point Sedaris announces to the reader that the content of this novel would be serious to some, but to him it is material to pervert into demented humor. By another author this youthful struggle may seem tragic, but Sedaris loads the account with irony before using his witty response as the punch line. This quote, along with a few others like it are effective in clearing the stage of drama and sympathy to allow for a sick and twisted sense of humor.
To us this quote brings great hilarity. We place too much importance on sports, but we also appreciate irony more than most, so reading this quote was very funny from a self-mocking standpoint. Also, we felt this quote, along with the sound of Sedaris' voice in mind, showed exactly who David Sedaris is. It explains that in this story, we’re not going to feel great sympathy for David who identifies with the name for boys who didn’t like sports, but instead, we are allowed to find ironical humor in his misfortune. This is something that many people might have difficulty finding humor in, but since we each share a similar sense of humor, we were very much able to laugh at a moment that is not necessarily funny to everyone.
“It turns out that I’m really stupid, practically an idiot. There are cats that weigh more than my IQ score. Were my number translated into dollars, it would buy you about three buckets of fried chicken. The fact that this surprises me only bespeaks the depths of my ignorance” (Sedaris 246).
Late in the novel, from the “Smart Guy” section, the IQ score proves to be another lost battle in the war between David Sedaris and the world. The quote is a dry summarization of his IQ score, riddled with purposefully stupid jokes and once again, an ironic punch line. In this passage Sedaris reiterates his lack of being good at anything at all, and true to the rest of the book, equips it with a reluctantly careless sense of humor, making it even more funny when even his boyfriend has trouble consoling him, mentioning vacuuming as one of the things he is good at, but to come up with more, he would need some time to think. A remark like this would normally be extremely insulting to someone, particularly coming from their significant other, but it is just another piece of the humor puzzle for Sedaris.
In our lives we hear about intelligence and standardized testing on an almost daily basis. In SPED 205, we have learned that IQ testing is not an appropriate means of defining whether or not a student has a learning disability. The fact that Sedaris fits IQ testing into his rant against the world relates nicely to our education. It is also amusing since each of us has wondered at one time or another about our IQ. The constant pop-ups when browsing the internet that question you to discover your IQ are an activity we both have thought about participating in, but for one reason or another (perhaps from a fear of discovering what Sedaris did), neither of us has ever actually taken one. But this quest for certainty about who you are and how you rank in the world of intelligence is certainly something both Andy and Joe can relate to.
This quotation is a wonderful example of Sedaris' humor. This quote comes up at a point in the narrative where he is writing about "Twelve Moments in the Life of an Artist" and discussing the impact drugs have had on his life. He makes it a point to unabashedly discuss any and all aspects of his life. He has just as much ease telling how he had a lisp in school as he does telling the world he was a drug addict. This quotation is a testament to the humor he uses throughout the narrative. His ability to take something that other people may consider horribly negative and not the least bit funny, and making it into an absolutely hilarious moment in the story is remarkable.
This quote is significant to us because it demonstrates a different form of writing. Sedaris is extremely well known and respected and this quote exemplifies his character, making it clear that it is allowable to not follow the politically correct standards of today in order to become a successful author. However, the most relevant aspect of all is his amazing ability to self-deprecate, making fun of everyone and everything in the world, including himself. This is something that both Joe and Andy can relate to as each of us has a somewhat cynical outlook on the world, but make it a goal to laugh at all the absurdities. Each of us is full of laughter and thoroughly enjoy making fun of society, other people, and even ourselves (although not quite as much or as well as Sedaris does). And neither one of us is very good on the political correctness front.
“You could turn up your nose at the president or Coke or even God, but there were names for boys who didn't like sports. When the subject came up, I found it best to ask which team my questioner preferred. Then I'd say, "Really? Me, too!” (Sedaris 5).
This quote, from the “Go Carolina” section that begins the novel, sets the tone for the entire collection. At this point Sedaris announces to the reader that the content of this novel would be serious to some, but to him it is material to pervert into demented humor. By another author this youthful struggle may seem tragic, but Sedaris loads the account with irony before using his witty response as the punch line. This quote, along with a few others like it are effective in clearing the stage of drama and sympathy to allow for a sick and twisted sense of humor.
To us this quote brings great hilarity. We place too much importance on sports, but we also appreciate irony more than most, so reading this quote was very funny from a self-mocking standpoint. Also, we felt this quote, along with the sound of Sedaris' voice in mind, showed exactly who David Sedaris is. It explains that in this story, we’re not going to feel great sympathy for David who identifies with the name for boys who didn’t like sports, but instead, we are allowed to find ironical humor in his misfortune. This is something that many people might have difficulty finding humor in, but since we each share a similar sense of humor, we were very much able to laugh at a moment that is not necessarily funny to everyone.
“It turns out that I’m really stupid, practically an idiot. There are cats that weigh more than my IQ score. Were my number translated into dollars, it would buy you about three buckets of fried chicken. The fact that this surprises me only bespeaks the depths of my ignorance” (Sedaris 246).
Late in the novel, from the “Smart Guy” section, the IQ score proves to be another lost battle in the war between David Sedaris and the world. The quote is a dry summarization of his IQ score, riddled with purposefully stupid jokes and once again, an ironic punch line. In this passage Sedaris reiterates his lack of being good at anything at all, and true to the rest of the book, equips it with a reluctantly careless sense of humor, making it even more funny when even his boyfriend has trouble consoling him, mentioning vacuuming as one of the things he is good at, but to come up with more, he would need some time to think. A remark like this would normally be extremely insulting to someone, particularly coming from their significant other, but it is just another piece of the humor puzzle for Sedaris.
In our lives we hear about intelligence and standardized testing on an almost daily basis. In SPED 205, we have learned that IQ testing is not an appropriate means of defining whether or not a student has a learning disability. The fact that Sedaris fits IQ testing into his rant against the world relates nicely to our education. It is also amusing since each of us has wondered at one time or another about our IQ. The constant pop-ups when browsing the internet that question you to discover your IQ are an activity we both have thought about participating in, but for one reason or another (perhaps from a fear of discovering what Sedaris did), neither of us has ever actually taken one. But this quest for certainty about who you are and how you rank in the world of intelligence is certainly something both Andy and Joe can relate to.
