1030ClassGroup1


 * __George Carlin - "Stuff"__**

In Carlin's sketch on stuff, a rhetorical situation comes into play in the form of situational comedy. Carlin discusses the idea of our "stuff", or our personal belongings, as something that we have built our lives around. He says that we like to bring some of our stuff with us to surround us where ever we go, such as luggage on a trip. He suggests that houses are just piles of stuff with a covering over it, and that without stuff we wouldn't need to have homes. He even talks about other peoples stuff, saying that "their stuff is shit, and your shit is stuff." (Carlin) Something worth nothing is he only swears in reference to stuff. Now Stephen Fry, in his video, states that swearing adds variety and makes things more interesting. By Carlin's use of "shit" he draws attention to his "stuff" theme making his act more enjoyable.

The rhetor of the situation is George Carlin, because he is the one delivering the message, although it can be argued that in his usage of "you" in the sketch, he can be trying to make the audience feel like they are a rhetor as well. Though, the role the audience plays as the rhetor is passive, more as an ethos to support George Carlin's idea of "stuff." Like George Carlin's example of the nasal spray. Not everyone has a nasal spray but the majority of his audience is older and might be suffering from other age related ailments that take a bit of medication to sooth. So in the mind of the audience they replace the word "nasal spray" with "aspirin" or "Tylenol." George Carlin as the rhetor relies heavily on the audience to take the ambiguous word "stuff" and turn into their "own stuff." Almost as if there is a blank space between the quotations. This creates an effective personal connection between rhetor and audience.

The intended audience is everyone who had a ticket to be at the show he delivered that sketch at, while another audience can include anyone who may have bought a DVD of his comedy routine from the night, and anyone else who watches the video on youtube. As we go along from a live audience to an audience who bought the DVD to the youtube audience we can say that their reactions change. A live audience feels the atmosphere of the comedy. Carlin's movements and mannerisms affect them a lot more. As well as their conscience telling them not to be the only one not laughing in the crowd might incline a laughter or two. A DVD audience bought it knowing that this performance was good, since most DVDs are not bought without prior knowledge. There is a lot more attachment to the DVD showing and the youtube showing seeing how intangible youtube videos are. Everyone who owns "stuff" can be an audience, which lends the message to everyone in the world. The only issue is how he plays out the usage of our stuff. For example, using storage facilities, trips to Hawaii, and even having a house can exclude a lot of people from his audience. Some people don't even have any "stuff!" Also, he targeted his audience by naming specific stuff that a select group would have. For example, he names french nail clippers, odoreaters, and nasil spray which would target an audience at a more middle age.

His main exigence in delivering that comedic speech was probably just that - to be funny and to make people laugh. He could as well be playing off the situation that everyone has stuff and everyone seems just a little bit too attached to it. So a deeper exigence could be how people feel about their "stuff." Their constant need to have stuff could be considered obsessive when Carlin presents it. His constraints in the situation include the positive constraint that everyone likes their stuff and everyone can relate in one way or another to what he said, thus making his argument a little bit more acceptable. A negative constraint could be that some people may have been offended by his argument, thinking that he is implying that everyone is conceited and obsessed with their own belongings. Overall the constraints any comedian faces is the audience's sense of humor. Whether they will get the joke or take a serious attitude and think everything is just insulting. George Carlin shys away from most of these issues by just giving very true facts. Certain things people just can not deny about their "stuff."

Bryce Hodges Logan Butler Katelyn Crist//**
 * //Juan Carlo Cervera