Who, or What, Should be a Performer in the Performance Paradigm

Kathleen Roberts is adding to the narrative paradigm by using elements from the performance paradigm. It was my understanding from the reading that performers are people and not books, and the written account doesn’t hold the same weight as the spoken word when dealing with folklore. I think books, movies, and other mediums should be considered performers. While this is not traditionally how folklore was disseminated in the past, other mediums can serve the same functions as the individual performer.

The Bible is an example of a book that would count as an individual performer. One of the standards is “individuals must appropriate and continue to use the lore. Specifically, they must continue to tell the narrative, or at least return to the initial performer to hear it retold” pg 135. Individuals have done a good job of appropriating and continuing to use the lore of the Bible, the lore continues to be retold, and people go back to the Bible to be retold the narrative. Roberts continues by acknowledging, “Any individual is a performer who communicates folklore to others” pg 135. The Bible is an individual communicating folklore to others and people return to the Bible to be retold this folklore.

Roberts (pg 135) also talks about collaborative expectancy and how the audience is bound to the performer. The Bible is collaborative with the audience; they interpret the meanings and tell the lore in a distinctive way. A prime example of this would be in Genesis and the creation of earth, man, and animals.  There are some branches of Christianity that believe the earth was created in five 24-hour earth days and everything happened word for word. On the other end of the spectrum there are Christens that believe in evolution and take the five days interpretation very loosely, because no one knows how long five days is to God. Interpretations of Genesis and the creation of earth and man happen on a spectrum; there are a number of different beliefs falling between the two examples above. The audience is a collaborator with the Bible and the lore being told.

Another important point brought up by Roberts is how the individual performer is “stepping up to the plate in the process of rhetorical efficiency for [the] narrative, taking responsibility for the expressive activates that bind the group together” pg 135. The Bible binds groups together and even the same Bible, through interaction with the audience, can distinguish different types of Christens: Catholics, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Methodists, Baptists, etc.

The Bible is written folklore acting as an individual performer. While this is only one example, it does show different mediums can act as individual performers. This should be taken into account when adding the performances paradigm to the narrative paradigm, another expansion to add to the understanding of the narrative paradigm.  

Roberts, K. G. (2004). Texturing the narrative paradigm: Folklore and communication. Communication Quarterly, 52(2), 129-142.

How I ended up in the Ph.D. program

If you can’t beat them, join them

I’m a socialist. I am also now on an FBI watch list because I openly admitted to being a socialist on a public blog. But I’m not worried, because I’m also going to admit openly to selling my soul to capitalism. See, I’m playing for the right team… maybe.

I’m a socialist because I believe everyone has a right to healthcare… FREE healthcare, not this half-ass bullshit that’s about to be passed. Not only is the United States one of the richest countries in the world, we are also one of the only well-to-do developed countries that doesn’t have universal healthcare. Yep, I just used the words universal healthcare. I really am trying to get myself into trouble, aren’t I?

I do hope I know someone who will bail me out.

I also believe in fair taxation, 20 percent to everyone, loving your neighbors (globally), being nice to people because it’s the right thing to do, and being helpful to others. I don’t believe I’m better than the homeless, but I am better than people who think they are better than those who have real needs—food, shelter, love… healthcare. I advocate for those who can’t, and it breaks my heart when others only think of themselves.

I don’t believe in bag bans, because I am capable of making the right choice, or helmet laws. I do support bans on sugary sodas because they are as bad as cigarettes and other people are not capable of making good choices. You’re right; I’m a hypocrite. 

What this has to do with advertising -

When I was younger, I believed that advertising was an evil in the world that feeds the Corporate Consumer Capitalist machine (CCC machine) and I dreamed of a world where everyone was equal. In fact, I still dream of a world where everyone is equal.

I grew up and realized I couldn’t fight the CCC machine. Lack of organization, lack of people who cared, lack of people who have to time to care. Plus, I’ve always liked that saying, “If you can’t beat them, join them.” So I’ve joined the CCC machine.

I have two degrees in advertising and will have Ph.D. in advertising in a few more years. I’m interested in how to make advertising of Coke and Doritos more persuasive and likeable. I’m ready to help the CCC machine run efficiently. Yes, I’ve sold my soul and I didn’t feel a thing.

Maybe I’m being a little hard on myself. I want to help the advertising professionals by connecting them with understandable theories from academics. But in doing so, I will be feeding the machine. At the end of the day, I am following my passion. I kind of wish my passion was a little more noble, but it’s hard to be noble when you have 9 years of training in advertising.

If you're not behind, you're doing something wrong

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I should have started this blog last semester. In too deep though. I am not by training a researcher; I’m a bull-shitter, my degree says so—BS in Journalism. I’m pretty sure my MFA stands for Major Financial Ass-kicking. Good art schools cost money.

A BS in journalism, a MFA in advertising copywriting from an art school, and now a doctoral program at an R1 school. Seems like career change. It wasn’t. In my undergraduate program I said I wanted to teach at a university. I lost that idea during my masters program. Now I’m back on track.

Going from an art school to a research school has posed many challenges.

1.     What’s a method???

2.     What’s a theory?

3.     How do I use Google scholar?

4.     What the hell is going on?

5.     And—Why am I doing this?

If you ask yourself the last one at least once a week than you’re doing something wrong.

On the plus side, having a MFA gives me a different view on the world.

1.     I know the lingo of the advertising professionals

2.     I don’t see anything linearly. Makes it REALLY hard to talk to some people in the program.

3.     I know there are really questions, which need to be answered, and no one is looking at them.

4.     I can write my work up for lay people to read….

Actually, the blog is my test ground to make sure I don’t go academic on world. I want to stay grounded… If it’s possible after over education.

Cheers PhD world. Watch me make my own way.