Strikethru: A vexing question for the typecasting hive mind

Friday, December 5, 2008

A vexing question for the typecasting hive mind

Actually I had my vexing question answered. Leaving only the clown.

6 comments:

mpclemens said...: In times like this, I substitute the phrase "hand-painted ceramic clowns" for "typewriters" in my head, to see how whatever-it-is I'm about to say will scan to the uninitiated. To wit:

"I have a burgeoning collection of hand-painted ceramic clowns about my home, almost more than I have room for. Even now and then I will pull out one of my hand-painted ceramic clowns and compose something with it, perhaps a poem or a novel. I regularly blog using my hand-painted ceramic clowns and am part of a number of like-minded people who enjoying buying, trading, and discussing them, as well as rescuing hand-painted ceramic clowns from thrift stores and eBay where they would not doubt fall into the hands of someone who does not appreciate hand-painted ceramic clowns in modern society. Please give me grant monies."

If it were me, I'd keep this little obsession safely buried in the "hobbies" section, though you could allude to it e.g. "I have been long interested in the many ways that technology has enabled the average person to create their own communication styles: the popularization of photography made possible by Kodak, the near-professional output of the typewriter at home allowed blah blah blah blah all the way to blogging and social networking/self publishing sites."

An assumed name may be in order, in case the admitting board is Google-aware.

Your secret love for hand-painted ceramic clowns is safe with us.; December 5, 2008 3:15 PM
Strikethru said...: Well, that's a sobering perspective.

I see your point about the hand-painted clowns. I don't think that knowledge of the hobby would have me shunned (it's a wacky creative kind of city, this), but probably best not to brag about it, as you point out...; December 5, 2008 3:28 PM
mpclemens said...: Didn't mean to be a downer (and I appreciate the clown.) Grad school was... interesting. Quite a lot of career academics, if you catch my meaning.

I don't think there's any harm in retrotech lovin' (obviously) but I wouldn't make it the foundation of your argument for admission into a program focused on digital media.

What we need is post-graduate schools that teach things like laying your own type. Mmmm. Is it any wonder that this was one of my favorite places during those sweltering hot family vacations?; December 5, 2008 5:14 PM
Monda said...: Looks like I came too late for this party.

I do know about academics and what happens when they go through those applications, though. It's ugly and petty for the most part, and pathologically competitive.

Additionally, many academics are quite tiresome. The egos gathered around those application-strewn tables, oh God . . . it's like sending a soldier into Iraq with a parka, a penknife, and a Japanese thesaurus.; December 6, 2008 4:41 AM
rad-tastic said...: Hahahahahaha clowns.; December 6, 2008 6:59 AM
Strikethru said...: I would definitely love to know your general tips on writing an essay, Monda.; December 7, 2008 9:05 PM