Calliope Is That Damn Good
7/6/2001 2:22 PM
Sometime I miss being in college. Believe it or not, I actually enjoyed writing papers. Rather than let it get me down and churn out some eight grade level crap, I had fun with it. I wrote one for a music class entitled "Is That A Guitar In Your Pocket Or Are You Just Happy To See Me?" which earned me an A+. Not just an A; notice that "+" on the end. In writing another paper, I referenced a comic book as one of my sources. Put it in the bibliography and everything. I like to think it spices up things for the professor who has to wade through all the papers.7/6/2001 2:22 PM
I keep getting ideas for papers, even though I'm long out of school. One idea I had was on the subject of how public sanitation has affected history. Mainly, I just wanted to use the cool title I came up with: "Before It Hit The Fan." Just last night, I came up with another idea where I would highlight the classic storytelling elements used by the World Wrestling Federation. Just of the top of my head, I came up with several examples, like how the announcers serve as the Greek chorus and how the championship belts are often used as MacGuffin devices. Or the recent Romeo and Juliet style romance between Spike Dudley and Molly Holly. And let's not forget how Linda McMahon often becomes the deus ex machina. A little too heady for your average WWF fan? Perhaps, but professors eat that shit up. Most of the time, at least.
I once took a creative writing course and got into an argument with the instructor over comic books. She refused to accept they were valid literature and dismissed them as childish claptrap. Pretty closed-minded, if you ask me. I ended up dropping the course because of her. She wasn't really a professor anyway.
If anyone wants to steal these ideas, you're welcome to them. I'll never write those papers.