Author Archives: Reed Moreno

Game

Nationality: Mexican, Norwegian
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: April 29, 2008
Primary Language: English

Game – Car Trip

The Shotgun Game

In 2006-2007, during my senior year of high school, whenever my friends and I went on a car ride, we would determine who would sit in the front right seat AKA shotgun by playing a game. The way one claimed the right to that most favored seat was by being the first person to yell shotgun after seeing the car. There were a few stipulations to the game-you could not call shotgun from indoors or before you could see the car. I am not exactly sure when I had learned this game, but all my friends and I knew of it independently. We played the game fairly religiously and quite intensly, but it rarely became a point of argument or contention. I had heard of a variation of the game where you must yell shotgun no joust to secure the seat. If a person yells joust after you say shotgun, but before you get no joust out, they play you in rock paper scissors for the seat.

The game is interesting because it sort of reveals a core dynamic of any group of boys. Generally the front seat isn’t that much more comfortable than the back and most of the trips we went on weren’t more than a few minutes. So really the front seat isn’t that much more comfortable than the other seats. And yet we competed for it. Admittedly the game and the competitive aspect of it were fun, but I think the major motivation for the game was status. The front seat represented, perhaps not consciously, dominance and status.

Rhyme

Nationality: White
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: March 28, 2008
Primary Language: English

Political Rhyme

No one died when Clinton lied.

The informant, Mike, saw this rhyme on a poster at an antiwar rally in his hometown of San Francisco in December of 2007. He cannot remember who was holding the sign. The rhyme stuck with him because he thought it was clever and paralleled his own political views. Mike interprets the rhyme to mean that George Bush lied to the American populace about the War in Iraq, which has killed many people. Whereas, when Bill Clinton lied about receiving a blowjob, no one was harmed, but Clinton was still impeached. In Mike’s opinion the rhyme makes a valid point about the current President.

The rhyme is a clever political jab. It expresses the widespread sentiment that the current president lied to the American populace. Further it compares the less popular current President to a former, more popular president. Obviously the rhyme is reactionary to the current political situation. A quick Internet search reveals that the rhyme is available for purchase as a bumper sticker at websites like http://www.cafepress.com/irregulargoods.6864032. The slogan is also referenced in many newspapers. For example the March 21, 2008 issue of the Rocky Mountain News contains an editorial about the slogan. The widespread nature of the rhyme suggests that in the current political climate the view espoused by it is widely held. It also suggest that the rhyme’s type of is popular among Americans.

Prank/Joke

Nationality: Mexican, Norwegian
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: April 29, 2008
Primary Language: English

A midget named midget is walking through the forest and he meets another midget named midget. So now we have midget, midget. They keep walking. They meet another midget named midget. So now we have midget, midget, midget. They keep walking through the forest. They meet another midget named midget. So now we have midget, midget, midget, midget. They keep walk onward through the forest. They meet another midget named midget. So now we have midget, midget, midget, midget, midget. They venture ever deeper into the forest and meet a giant named giant. So now we have midget, midget, midget, midget, midget, giant. The now more diverse group keeps going into the forest. They meet another giant named giant. So now we have midget, midget, midget, midget, midget, giant, giant.  The now even more diverse group continues onward. They meet another giant named giant. So now we have midget, midget, midget, midget, midget, giant, giant, giant.  The now fairly diverse group keeps walking. They meet another giant named giant. So now we have midget, midget, midget, midget, midget, giant, giant, giant, giant. The now quite diverse group keeps walking. They meet another giant named giant. So now we have midget, midget, midget, midget, midget, giant, giant, giant, giant, giant.  The now perfectly evenly diverse group keeps walking. And then they saunter while. Then they take a brief constitutional even deeper into the woods. Then jog for a bit. Then sprint for a bit. Then take a brief nap. Then walk further into the forest, when suddenly they come to a cliff. There is no way to get to the other side of the cliff except to jump. Giant goes first. He plummets to his death. So now we have midget, midget, midget, midget, midget, giant, giant, giant, giant. Giant goes next. He doesn’t even make it half way across. So now we have midget, midget, midget, midget, midget, giant, giant, giant. Giant goes next. He makes it across but a piece of the cliff breaks off and he falls to his death. So now we have midget, midget, midget, midget, midget, giant, giant. Giant goes next. He looks like he is gonna make it across, but mid jump an eagle flies into him and he plummets to his doom. So now we have midget, midget, midget, midget, midget, giant. The final giant steps up to the cliff and fails like the rest. So now we have midget, midget, midget, midget, midget. Midget gets a good running start, but can’t quite clear the cliff. So now we have midget, midget, midget, midget. Midget jumps well and grasp onto the other side of the cliff, but can’t pull himself up, so he too falls. So now we have midget, midget, midget. Midget is really athletic so everyone thinks he is gonna make it, but he trips on his shoelace as he is jumping and falls down into the cliff. So now we have midget and midget. Midget runs and almost makes it across, but comes up just a little short. So now we have only Midget. Midget runs with all his heart and jumps with all his strength and makes it safely to the other side of the cliff. And do you know why he made it?

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Because he had his Air Jordan’s on.

I first heard this prank joke on the busride back from a Rotary Youth Leadership awards conference I attended in 2006, during my junior year of high school. A random kid told the joke on the bus. His friend, who had heard the joke before enjoyed watching all of us listen to the joke. At the end of it I was pissed off I had listened to it, but a few weeks later a group of friends were telling jokes and I decided to try telling it to them. Some of them thought it was hilarious as a prank and others never wanted to hear it again. I tell it every once in a while when a group of friends is telling each other jokes.

The way you waste people time with this joke is what makes it funny. People listen to this long, repetitive story waiting for some punch line, but it never comes. Nothing happens in the entire course of the joke. This is what makes it in reality a prank. The person listening expects the tale to become humorous, but it never does. It just ends abruptly.

Proverb – Australia

Nationality: Mexican, Norwegian
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: April 29, 2008
Primary Language: English

Good, better, Best

Never let it rest

‘Till the good is better

and the better best.

My Aunt always said this to her own children and me when we were little kids. I have always thought it carried a good message, but I rarely use it around anyone except family. I like the way it advocates active improvement. I think it is very true that if you aren’t actively improving, then you are worsening yourself.  I think this is something I might one day say to my children. The poem conveys are hardworking attitude that is a benefit to anyone.

Proverb – India

Nationality: Indian
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: March 7, 2008
Primary Language: English

Never step on books.

The informant, Manoj learned this proverb from his parents while living in Bethesda Maryland. His parents are both from the Bhutan region of India, which is where he believes they learned it. Although this is an Indian proverb, his parents generally say it to him in English and he does not know its exact phrasing in Hindi. He reports that if one does accidentally step on a book, the proper way to rectify the situation is to touch the book and then touch your head and heart. Although the phrase is taken literally, it is generally understood to advocate the seeking out of knowledge. Manoj says his parents use it to tell him to actively seek out as much knowledge as possible. According to Manoj the message the proverb conveys is that you should never spurn knowledge. He believes the proverb carries an important message and says he will pass it on to his children.

I think this proverb expresses a respect for knowledge and I like that position. I think the presence of a proverb like this within a culture shows that culture has a respect for knowledge. It is interesting to note that if one breaks the rule about stepping on books there is a purification ritual to perform. There are many purification rituals in American superstition-if you tip over a salt shaker you throw salt over your shoulder.