Be warned. Some of these poems have spicy language in them. But hey, slam poetry & spoken word is kind of a Postmodernist thing!
This is Taylor Mali. He's one of the most famous slam poets in America. I bet you can't figure out why I love this poem so much! This is full of irony and a dash of paranoia.
Here is Rudy Francisco's spoken word performance of "Complainers." Consider his use of maximalism and fragmentation here when you watch his inspiring, energizing presentation!
Oh, come on. You knew there would be some Epic Rap Battles of History in here. I love the pastiche and historiographic metafiction elements of this one, combining historical events with Marvel comics. Perfect.
[Content Note in description below.]
This is spoken word called "Dear Anxiety" by Clayton Jennings. It is a powerful account of his overcoming anxiety, and it uses Postmodern elements of metafiction and intertextuality/pastiche. I tear up when I watch him. This one is heavier, so [CN - it addresses mental health issues, religion] skip this one if you think it's inappropriate for you.
So you sit down to watch a video called Dear Anxiety by Clayton Jennings and expect, what, a self-help talk? A little motivational speech about breathing in and breathing out? No. What you get instead is basically a slam poem having a panic attack on camera. It’s intense. It’s vulnerable. It’s raw enough to make your bones hurt.
Clayton starts by walking into what looks like a support group and then spirals — not just emotionally, but visually, poetically, spiritually. This is postmodernism in its most intimate form: mixing mediums (spoken word + cinematic storytelling), self-awareness (“I’m an actor who got really good at being ‘on’”), and pulling apart the very idea of what it means to perform healing when you’re still bleeding.
Which brings me to Euphoria. Rue, the main character? She is Clayton’s poem in human form. Both she and Clayton speak in monologues that make you feel like you’re drowning in a glittery ocean of pain. The lighting? Dramatic. The emotion? Violent and beautiful. The storytelling? Nonlinear and almost hallucinogenic. And the honesty? Almost too much. So much, in fact, that it hurts.
Both Anxiety and Euphoria tackle mental health in a way that’s poetic and cinematic, but they don’t sugarcoat it. Clayton’s “puddle of sweat” mirrors Rue’s cold-sweat detox scenes.
His “I can't get out of bed”
is Rue’s “I didn’t have a reason to get up” — just said differently. They both live in this world where trauma is loud, messy, and sometimes dressed in metaphor because the real thing is just too hard to look at.
And then there’s the hope — but not the cheesy kind. It’s rage-fueled hope. It’s “give me a torch and let’s light this up” kind of hope. That’s what makes it postmodern: neither of these stories believe in clean endings. They believe in chaos, relapse, stumbles, and still getting back up again. Whether it’s Rue climbing out of a bathtub after a breakdown or Clayton yelling at his demons, they both say: I’m still here. And that matters.
So yeah, Dear Anxiety and Euphoria might look different on the surface — one’s a spoken word film, the other’s an HBO drama soaked in neon lights — but they’re both screaming the same thing from the pit of their lungs:
“I’m not okay. But I’m still fighting.”
And honestly? That’s the most postmodern message of all.
I love that Epic Rap Battle, I thought it was absolutely hilarious. The one with Thanos and Oppenheimer is pretty clever with the words; they include lots of historiographic metafiction, black humor and magical realism by intertwining the MCU and modern society/historical events. I didn’t know who Oppenheimer was at first but I looked it up and he was the creator of the first atomic bomb and then It clicked. Super funny how they fought with each other to see who was more powerful/evil; Thanos: destroyer of planets, Oppenheimer: culprit of mass destruction. Who will win???
Taylor Mali's slam poetry was really enjoyable to listen too. Whenever I watch this video, once he shifts into the powerful and emotional tone, without fail it gives me goosebumps. You can tell by his body action that he is really invested and loves what he does and won't stand for slander of that. What's more, what he is saying is true. Teachers help shape future generations, and they should be treated with the respect that they deserve.
Sometimes the biggest burdens people have and deal with are the ones we cant see. Clayton Jennings describes the effects of anxiety in such a unique and impactful way in his poetry slam "Dear Anxiety". It was very insightful the way he chose to described it. He says that it kills you and he admits it almost killed him many times. It's constantly there and it always comes back stronger. As a person who doesn't suffer from sever anxiety I found it very eye opening. I didn't realize how soul crushing it can truly be and how some people dont want to admit that they need help because there embarrassed. It was truly impactful to me and I think we need to bring more awareness for the problem.
I lovedddd listening to Taylor Mali’s outlook on the teaching lifestyle. Teachers this day and age aren't given enough credit for what they go through daily and he shows this by using an ironic appeal to this. He brings up the idea that people who are rich bring up money, but with giving to those around you will make you only truly rich. He really does have an amazing speaking voice and words that can make you rethink anything.
I watch Epic Rap Battles of History like it's part of my religion. I've probably got 7 fully memorized raps under my belt. I've yet to use it but boy oh boy when that day comes I'll be more than ready.
A very notable Postmodernist element that can be seen in a lot of these rap battles is the combination of low-brow and high-brow genres. Both villains have their own moral code infused in their rhymes, which I consider a more high-brow genre. The infused moral code to fight for what one believes was right despite deadly repercussions... and then a penis joke here and there. I think this hybrid of maturity and proud immaturity is what draws in so many viewers, because it's a little something for everyone.
Also combining WW2 with the Marvel universe creates an awesome apocalyptic type of historiographic metafiction. If I were to answer the question, I do think Oppenheimer won that one. I thought the character's betrayal was so quietly brutal and just sunk in the jabs in so much deeper. Also Thanos killed Dr.Strange so he will lose every time in my eyes.
My favorite this week! Douglass just completley destroys Jefferson and the lyrics are just *chefs kiss*. Who knew Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence while inventing the swivel chair.
After watching the Epic Rap Battle between Thanos and Robert Oppenheimer, I realized that I had bias for Thanos because I know who he was. I never heard who Oppenheimer was, but I decided to research him and found out he was known as the "father of the atomic bomb" as he designed and built the atomic bomb. What's funny about this is that both of these people are destroyers of worlds, partly. Robert himself definitely didn't destroy worlds, but the creation could have. Thanos is, but even with his biased advantage, I still think Robert Oppenheimer had better comebacks and dropped the atomic bomb on Thanos and absolutely obliterated him.
I loved hearing Taylor Mali's poetry, because he used so much power with his volume, tone of voice, and facial expressions. He used irony and black humor to mock people who make fun of teacher's. While these teachers are making a difference in life, the people just making fun of them aren't doing anything to help others. However, even though so many students just hate teachers, the teachers continue to assist the kids in pursing their education and future. His speech expresses his anger over the situation and how ridiculous it is. His main message is that teachers aren't appreciated and recognized enough for what they do.
Taylor Mali's subversion of the question 'what do you make?' in his poetry makes for an interesting presentation on why teachers choose their profession. Being a teacher is a hard job that doesn't pay as well as other lines of work, but it is vital for the betterment of future generation. Mali explains that he teaches because he enjoys making a difference in his students' lives in a way that reflects the annoyance of having his work scrutinized constantly, his frustration is communicated perfectly when he turns the value of his work onto others when he asks what difference they make.
I really thought that Clayton Jennings' story is so powerful. The way he presents his life with anxiety is so moving. He uses temporal distortion when he initially talks about his experiences with anxiety as a 30 year-old adult, and then suddenly transitions to when he was a child and how it affected him then. Also, i think that the lyrical-and almost musical- way that he performed made it easier for him to convey the emotions that he was feeling to those listening. Overall, I really enjoyed it and I think I will look more into his poetry in the future.
I watched Clayton Jennings’s speech and one of the things that caught the most attention for me was the portrayal of his character. The fact that he comes in and leaves the same person with the same problems I think adds to the hopelessness of society. I think it also points to the fact that not all action is helpful because you can‘t help a person who doesn’t want help. At first you think this person is speaking his heart, but then you find the truth that it was only his imagination. I thought it was interesting that at one point in the monologue the room is empty. This was the first hint that the person was not speaking publicly but only thinking in his mind. He was lonely. The last transformation is the Anxiety Support Group into Anxiety Supportless Group. It’s a disappointing turn of events for what seemed like a promising group.
I listened to Rudy Francisco's performance "Complainers." He actively uses fragmentation when he tells stories of people who have had to face difficult realities in this world. He will abruptly shift to a new story without notice, yet still makes it clear to his audience that there is a new storyline. He uses maximalism by detailed descriptions of informative stories. By utilizing these stories to show how difficult situations make us stronger and to help us see that things could always be worse. It allows his audience to be grateful for provisions we are provided.
In Taylor Mali's poem slam he talks about someone asking him what he makes as an educator. Now most people would associate "make" with money or some form of a tangible item. Taylor didn't take it that way he told his audience that he made more than just some money he made a difference in peoples life. The whole poem is ironic because people would think, how much money does he make but he turns it into a difference he's made in those he has taught.
I really enjoyed the tone in Jennings voice during this performance. It helps you to feel how he feels about the words he is saying. I also liked how it was set at a support group and that in the end you learn he never even said anything and it was all in his head. The build up to him saying that God helped him through it was amazing. The beginning was all negative and felt so hopeless, but after he began talking about his religion and relationship with God it showed that he could be ok.
I think it's intriguing to compare these two personalities because many people have argued, supported, and debunked their acts and ideas. The parallel between Thanos and World War II events was fantastic. They are divisive because many people believe they were/are both vital to the globe today and during World War II. I also find it fascinating that superhero comics were created during and after World Wars 1 and 2 to provide people with inspiration and a sense of hope in something. And Thanos' entire world was formed based on the characters and events of the great wars; you could even argue that Thanos was based on the men who invented the atomic bomb, the men who wielded boundless power. This rap battle reminds me of Whitney Avalon's princess rap wars. Here's an example.
Taylor Mali is like the Eminem of the Slam Poetry world. The way he was calling people out and speaking truth and not being afraid to insult people because he knows that he's right. It's ironic how he turns the harsh comments that people make to him about being a teacher and flips it on them saying, "here's everything I do to change the world as a teacher!" "What have you done to change the world?" "What have you contributed to society?" Just ripping people apart for the things they insult him with.
Hearing Rudy Fransisco speak was like listening to a good preacher that does not make the lecture boring. I cannot count how many times my parents have said something similar to me or my siblings when we do not like our food at dinner. The explicit details of the anecdotes -especially the boulder and dehydration related deaths- he uses creates postmodern maximalism that makes the message more effective. The strength in his voice alone was enough to be compelling and to demand an audience. It really puts into perspective how much you are overreacting to a problem versus how serious it could have been. This reminds me of "The Giver" when the boy gets upset when his sister thinks she is angry when in fact she is mildly annoyed because she does not understand the true feeling of anger.
I watched the video about Clayton Jennings and I was overall captivated and proud with how it turned out to be. I'm religious, so hearing how he turned to God about dealing with anxiety and how he was saved from the demons made me very proud of him. I also throughly enjoyed that he talked about his past and discussed on going issues that our society deals with today, so the viewer can feel touched by his message and be able to relate easier. The tone of his voice really showed me how much his message means to not only him, but wanting it to get across to others. Although he embedded personal anecdotes into his story, he was able to successfully add parts in so the audience could also relate to this mental health issue. I was overall very pleased with this video's outcome and very interested into how much this message meant to him. Very great and inspirational video for those who are religious and those who aren't, I loved it.
John SMith, 7th says: I loved listening to Taylor Mali's slam poetry. He was spitting facts, teachers really help shape the future and they are not appreciated enough. Clever writing and great use of imagery. The use of irony is excellent and conveys such intense anger at being underappreciated for his teaching career. He expressed such anger in so many different ways. Through his writing, his methods, and his volume. SO impactful!
The amount of twists and turns this video took you through oh my goodness. When she said he didn't normally share, but then he literally emptied his heart out, when he stood up and suddenly the room was dark and he was alone, and when he came back down to reality and he hadn't shared anything, and when he left and the sign said "Anxiety Supportless Group". It was twist after twist and it was completely unexpected every time!
I saw metafiction because he's talking about the creation and the origins of his anxiety, along with maximalism because the absolute sheer amount of detailing that he put into his poetry was amazing. He was describing a feeling, but you could literally feel his anguish, his turmoil, his frustration, all through words alone. There was also intertextuality/pastiche because he said in a comment that the entire video had been based on Eminem's song "When I'm Gone". Good thing I checked the comments!
I really liked Rudy Francisco's “Complainers”, he begins his poetry slam by introducing several individuals' injuries and dark experiences. He then states that all of the individual's reaction to their experience was that “it could have been worse”. He then begins stating experiences we have all complained about and how most of us are dramatic about how horrible little things are. His fragmentation is shown within his switch of bad experiences. He is trying to tell us to stop complaining and think about how things could be worse. He pushes us to look at the good rather than the bad.
This one was deep... As I watched Clayton dive deeper and deeper into his message about his anxiety I began to better understand what he was going through. In Clayton Jennings's poem, "Dear Anxiety" he shows the rollercoaster of emotions most of us feel but never share. He changes his tone as he goes deeper into his poem. He also included elements of post-modernism such as temporal distortion and fragmentation as he switches from his first panic attack at age 10 to his mental health now at age 30. I liked how he also changed his audience in his poem and at one point the rest of the people in the room just disappeared. His emotions grow angry towards his audience when they transform into the voices and demons inside his head. Wow, this one was really good!
I listened to Taylor Mali's poetry slam on teachers. I loved all of the ironies he used to describe how teachers are treated. They really are unappreciated, underpaid, and undervalued. He was very passionate with his tone to get his point across. It is well-known teachers don't get paid much and he uses that to his advantage in his slam. He stresses his role as a teacher is not about what he "makes" but the difference he makes in each and every one of their lives.
I chose Rudy Francisco's performance of "Complainers" and it was eye opening to the things that everyone does on a day to day basis like complaining. Francisco uses multiple metaphors and comparisons to get his point across that "things could be worse" and to be grateful that our problems are "small enough to fit on the tip of our tongues". After watching, it makes think twice about complaining about the finals I have coming up or the people who cut me off on the road because in the grand scheme of things, these are so miniscule and I have never stopped to think about the opportunities I have or the things I have that others don't. He uses fragmentation throughout his whole performance by piecing together different examples of metaphors and similies and by mentioning the stories of people who do have it worse than us yet still don't complain. He also mentions his own experiences to back his claim of things could be worse and makes it known that even though the glass is half empty that there is still water to drink which was his way of saying to never take things for granted and that you will never encounter an issue that you can't overcome.
I’ve got to say, there were some major burns delivered in this rap battle. I watched the Thanos vs. J. Robert Oppenheimer Rap battle. In Big Nerds description it was mentioned that there is Historiographic meta fiction and I can completely see it. Thanos makes some serious digs to the real Oppenheimer and his work. but what sticks out to me the most is the Black humor.
It really had me going:
Knowing some backgroud information from both Oppenheimer and especially Thanos made it that much more jaw dropping. It was definitely something really fun to listen to listen to.
Clayton Jennings' performance of "Dear Anxiety" is amazing. The way he speaks explains a lot about how he really feels. He's pouring out his emotions. All the stress and anxiety and relentless pressure he felt were finally being relieved. I've never been diagnosed with anxiety, but I have felt it before. I understand what he means when he says nobody will listen and that he can't tell others because he's scared they'll see him differently. Instead of telling someone, he keeps it caged up, and eventually it overwhelms him and he pours out his heart like he did in that performance.
I thought The epic rap battles of history between Thanos and Oppenheimer was funny and entertaining. I like how epic rap battles always uses pastiche with the characters by comparing two opposite "characters " but have similarities in some ways ? And the historigraphic when talking about the bomb that oppenheimer never loved (shows some black humor too)
My absolute favorite performance was Rudy Francisco's! He begins by listing horrible things people have endured (AND SURVIVED!!!) and then comparing them to the daily "struggles" of our everyday lives. He really puts into perspective just how difficult things can be and isn't afraid to point out selfish behavior. I often complain about the "little stuff", so this was definitely eye-opening to say the least. The way that he weaves in stories to his poem really pulled me in, showing that things can always be worse. It was very uniquely written and I loved listening to his perspective on how at least there is water in the glass.
I automatically chose Dear Anxiety by Clayton Jennings, this instantly stood out to me as someone who often struggles with anxiety. I don't struggle severally with anxiety, but it still has a part in my everyday life and that's why I chose this one. Watching him speak shows me that a lot of people you would never expect to have anxiety, do. This makes me understand that people can be struggling with so many mental problems and not know how to get through them, which makes me upset that I don't know how to help. As Jennings speaks he uses intertextuality and metafiction that really helps bring everything together.
The spoken word "Dear Anxiety" by Clayton Jennings was a very powerful word that really brought attention to me because I struggle with anxiety. He explains how anxiety has followed him around as he has grown up. The use of his postmodern elements of intertextuality/pastiche is how he seems to tie everything in his whole life around anxiety and how much of it has really taken over who he really wants to be as a person. I love how he made me feel like I was in the circle group with all those people explaining how he feels. After hearing his powerful message I really can feel the emotions he is feeling. It really inspires me to want to relieve my anxiety by talking to a loved one because I really do feel a lot of my anxiety will be resolved by doing this.
Rudy Francisco uses others tragic experiences and compares it to the daily struggles of everyone else. Through giving these examples of horrific events the audience looks into themselves and sees how selfish they can be. You think your day was hard yet there are others who go through so much more and all they think is "it could have been worse." He pieces together all of these events of others lives to show how our struggle with traffic while getting to work or school was nothing compared to their struggle that day.
I watched the Epic Rap Battles of History video. I really enjoyed this new take on poetry in a more musical tone. It's interesting to see two different people collide and battle out their thoughts on one another. The pastiche of the Marvel Comics is well done as it puts multiple scenes and storylines together to make a bigger argument. I also like how they put some history into the rap where Oppenheimer talks about physics and how bombs were made. Although some of the information may not be clear to me, it is cool to see two opposite but very similar types of people share their thoughts to one another. I think by seeing a rap people can enjoy the music and visual parts of it and tend to want to see the outcome of the battle. It also helps with the understanding of how poetry can be so powerful hence the name poetry slams. The historiographic metafiction and pastiche elements of the battle were the cherry on top for the rap that was everything it needed.
Rudy Fransisco's slam poetry "Complainers", gave me a whole new perspective on my outlook of life. The phrase "it could be worse" is fragmented throughout his passionate presentation which constantly reminds his audience that you are still here, no matter the damage. When Fransisco brought up how 2 million die from dehydration and that it's not a glass half empty or glass half full, it's that there is water in the cup no matter what. This reminds me of when I was younger I would always complain about anything that made me feel as if my world was crashing down on me. My grandma (who I called Gamma) would always reassure me that I should be grateful for where I am and who is a part of my life. I've carried this statement throughout my life, especially in high school because you never know what the person sitting next to you is going through and to never take life for granted. There is light at the end of the tunnel and you can chose how you want to reach it with your mentality.
I thought this poem was gonna make me feel bad about complaining, but honestly it was so inspirational. Rudy Francisco's use of the fragmented stories of people surviving crazy situations and the constant stream of stories had a big impact. It pushed his point that people can be more sucessful if people keep pushing on because "things could be worse." Francisco threw out tons of details which was a really good use of maximalism because it helped the audience imagine these true stories or the situations that he described. Which gave the audience a sense of urgency to stop complaining and move forward towards greater things. Overall, super inspiration and a great performance!!
I watched " Dear Anxiety" by Clayton Jennings. Dear Anxiety was an extremely powerful, moving speech. It helps stress how vulnerable being fearful to share your emotional struggles can make u feel. I was caught by this poem because I myslef deal with anxiety and sometimes im not very keen to sharing my feelings with others. Clayton uses the postmodernist element of temporal distortion. While Clayton is spilling all of his emotions that he has pent up we learn that it was actually in his head and truly he wasn't actually expressing his emotions. Clayton did a really good job at interpreting how hard it can be to be vulnerable about internal feelings to others.
Dear Anxiety was the spoken word that had the most effect on me. The emotion that Clayton Jennings poured out was incredible. Although I do not have severe anxiety, I know people who feel or have felt like Jennings did, but they kept it all bottled up. As he was sharing, he hardly took any breaths and I noticed it was as though his sentences had no punctuation whatsoever. It was inspiring to watch the cycle of thoughts that he had while he shared with his “support group”.
I watched Rudy Francisco's poetry slam "Complainers" and I found it super inspiring but also very passionate and it convinces in a way. He uses maximalism by coming up with a lot of examples about how "things could've been worse" and gave them to us in so much detail. The tone of his voice made us feel bad and rethink everything. He repeats and uses so much energy to inspire the listeners.
Wow, the more he kept talking the better he was able to deliver his point. He is not trying to tell us that our problems dont matter, he is trying to tell us that our problems could be worse. To stop complaining that your cup is half empty and be grateful that it has anything in it in the first place. Rudy is able to use maximilism when he talks about a boulder falling on a mans arm or a watermelon being sling shot into a womens face. And even with using this graphic extremism he is able to get his point across better, he explains the tragedys happening to these people but they still never complain because it could have been worse.
Rudy Francisco's poem "Complainers" is an extremely powerful poem that speaks into the real part of life that no one ever thinks anymore. "Someone always has it worse than you." Those are the words my grandfather told me when I thought I was having a rough day, when I thought my whole world was crumbling. When in all reality the only thing crumbling was my persistence to make things better. Rudy Francisco's words punch you in the mouth then the second you go to defend yourself and make an excuse he hits you right back in the mouth and says. You are going through a hard time, but remember it can always be worse. He then reaches out his hand and pulls you up to tell you. You're still alive. So make the best of it.
I chose to watch Clayton Jennings spoken word poetry because in my Health Science Theory class we recently finished our mental health unit. He kind of reminds me of Eminem. I noticed there was some fragmentation and temporal distortion because he kept jumping from previous thoughts and experiences to current thoughts. There was also metafiction because he kept talking about what he would say to anxiety and he kept talking about him talking directly to anxiety. I loved this video, I don't know if it's because he was practically yelling or because it rhymed but I loved it. He is referring to an illness as a person that caused all his problems and causes other's problems, like personification.
I really enjoyed listening to "Dear Anxiety" by Spoken Words. I liked this one because I related to the speaker finding his hope in God. The poem speaks out about the struggles that some go through in their lives, from this we gather a better understanding of what is going on inside their minds. But out of the whole poem/video, what stood out to me the most was the emotions presented. The emotions provided helps the audience really connect with what being said. Spoken Words was also able to create a sense of paranoia by incorporating the fight between good and evil, God and the devil.
I watched Rudy Fransico's spoken word performance of Complainers. The examples he gave of people who actually had a reason to complain contrasted with common things people complain about really gave a new prospective on how little our problems our. It made me think of all the things i complain of (like getting up in the morning) and how that is actually a blessing since so many people didn't wake up that morning. The fragmentation of different stories really place this prospective on me. so next time i find myself complaining, I'll think of one of those stories.
Taylor Mali's slam poetry about teachers was very powerful and very unique. His loud, intense, rough tone of voice seemed to contrast his morals and his message throughout the poem. He conveyed that he wants to help and improve students while simultaneously yelling ferociously. I think that he implemented the postmodernist element of maximalism by including details, imagery, and thoroughly described situations that he's been in, making the listener imagine a clear picture of what he describes and interpret his words in a clear way.
I also interpreted this slam poem as displaying paranoia, because he mentioned some questions that people ask teachers, like "how much do you make?" These type of questions stem from people being nosy, which is a result of the human need to blame something in order to distill prejudice or anxiety about the unknown.
Taylor Mali not only rhymes and combines postmodernist traits, but also creates decades of thought from the words of a second. Mali takes a scene of criticism and defamation and twists it. He creates a divide that not only diminishes foolishness but also expands upon the positivity in a situation seen as negatives. Sparse contrast of irony make a grand divide. And from this divide, Mali creates a space of acceptance and brutal positivity to separate from the negative generalizations of modern society.
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Taylor Mali’s poetry slam. His perfect use of sarcasm and fluctuating tone force the message into the open. Mali stresses the importance of genuinely making a difference in a student’s life, doing anything to guarantee their success. Mali conveys an intense tone by raising his voice to ensure his point is made. He notes that the amount of money you make does not define your ability to make a change, it is the amount of pure CARE you have that defines who you are as a successful individual.The irony included conveys Mali’s anger at being dismissed for being labeled as a teacher. He makes you truly learn to appreciate all educators and mentors.
I have no words. Clayton Jenningshas blown my mind. The way he describes the anxiety that is super common in society is just so powerful. He talks about his struggle and how he handles it, that being him bottling it up inside. He integrates so many different elements of real life and society and the effect anxiety has on every person that struggles with it. The emotion in his voice and his words are just powerful. He just captivated my attention and made me listen. Almost everyone can relate to this topic, and the way he took his own experience to make others feel the hopelessness he felt with this disease so that they don't feel alone. I am speechless.
The spoken word I'm commenting on is "Complainers". I enjoyed this very much. The line I liked the most was about the line about God being on the phone with you while you get punched in the esophagus. However, I disliked the line about one of his family members being sexually assaulted and how he breezes over it and tells you everyone should just be happy they're alive. Being alive is hard and complaining happens that's how life is. I think the point was lost in transit and just came off tone deaf because of the exception. He makes everyones problems seem so small when he doesn't know how all of them feel or what they've been through.
CyberSurfer 4th: Rudy Fransisco's words resonate with me because I am the person he is speaking to. I have a tendency to complain about the small things in life. When these little troubles happen, I let it ruin my day and sometimes my week. Even things that I have absolutely no say or control over, I stay upset for some time. I have a great life at home as well, and it gives me an incentive to let the small things go. There are so many people out in the world that have lives that are collapsing underneath them; I have no place to complain about the 85 I got on a quiz.
Taylor Mali's performance made poetry fun. He got the audience heated up, but when it was his time to talk they shut up. His performance reminded me a lot of The Rock when he was in the WWE. Teacher's are severely under-appreciated and his poem showed just how big of a difference they make in the world.
I really really enjoyed Taylor Mali's poetry slam because he expressed his emotions and thoughts about teaching through so much irony, but portrayed his voice so confidently and strongly to his audience. His volume and his facial expressions show how much thought he had about that certain topic and how clear he wanted to express his mind to his audience. He made the audience laugh but then he made them silent through his expression of thoughts. He effectively illustrates the common questions and assumptions teachers are faced with because of how much they make, how the world perceives them as, what they do in the classroom, and who they are as individuals. I just love how powerful his words were because he was so powerful in the way he emphasized his true message. I think it is also so amazing that he starts off his message with talking about the frequently asked question about what he makes as a teacher, but then at the end to pull everything back together, he said that he "makes a difference." Showing the audience that it doesn't matter what teachers make. They simply just want to make a change in kids and individuals around the world.
I watched the spoken word of Rudy Francisco called "Complainers" and that poem made me rethink my own mindset. The way he describes different harsh scenarios of people he mentions and then tells his audience to go ahead and tell me repeatedly of tiny annoying things like an alarm clock or your boss even though someone else got badly hurt or killed or suffered. The fragmentation in each different possible situation he describes just gives so many examples of what people could go through and it makes me think of when I go to church and my mom tells me to be grateful for what I have and how blessed I am. She tells me to see the good in things because someone in the world can have it worse while I am complaining about homework or anything that could not compare to what someone else truly suffers through.
I watched Taylor Mali’s slam poetry on teachers. It was interesting to see how he created an ironic world, mocking individuals who laugh at teachers for what they make/do. However, these scorners, in reality, do not make the same difference as teachers do. Mali juxtaposes these two phrases: “how much someone makes” and “the difference they make.” Teachers aid students in achieving their goals for life and not limiting themselves to others’ judgment or expectations. Mali was also able to create the element of paranoia by including an ordering system to each description of a teacher’s job. Overall, it was uniquely crafted and worth listening to.
WOW! This is what I needed to hear this week as I am reaching the end of junior year and the beginning of summer. This poem was about how as humans we always find some way to complain instead of just moving on and living our life. I find myself doing this all the time when I just need to push through and work hard this next week before school ends. I love how he uses fragmentation of events yet repetition to show how we constantly complain. He also uses maximalism to highlight our flaws in humanity and how we need to fix them. This poem is inspiring to how we can change our outlook on life and stop the continuous unnecessary complaints we always have.
The poem "Dear Anxiety" by Clayton Jennings was a super-powerful, moving piece that talked about the struggles of dealing with anxiety. He describes what it was like dealing with anxiety as a kid and how it still impacts him as an adult. It includes postmodernist elements of metafiction because he is describing what it's like to experience anxiety at a meeting for people who have it. The piece was so inspirational because it is a topic that I can relate to as a teenager, and I feel like others can too. He made the feeling of anxiety a tangible object so that it was easier to grasp. After listening to his poem I now understand that anxiety feels different for different people, and they experience it at different times than I do. He was able to describe how alone he was and that he felt as if he had to battle it on his own.
The poetry slam I decided to listen to was Rudy Fransisco and his poem, "Complainers". At the start, he tells his audience that even he has bad days and wants to complain, but stops and thinks about all the TRULY bad things that happen to others everyday. The examples start out unfortunate, but a little silly. For example kangaroos boxing, watermelons being slingshotted, and bungee jumping. Then, suddenly, his tone changes. The start of his poem made me smile a little bit, but when he made that serious tone shift, it made me feel ashamed. He starts to provide more close to home examples of true tragedy and it really makes his listeners think about the silly things we complain about when things like this are happening to someone right now.
The fragmentation is undeniable as he goes back and forth between the, in the grand scheme of things, small bumps we complain about: traffic jams, dead end job, bad grades, to the real serious topics that we're fortunate enough not to have.
After listening, I'm fortunate that the worst thing in my life right now are finals, but that doesn't go to say that we aren't allowed to have problems in our lives, I certainly do. That's the one aspect of his poem I didn't like. It's okay to have a bad day, it's okay to feel sad and upset sometimes. What's not okay is staying sad and comparing your problems to someone else because that is pathetic. As long as we're aware of how privileged we are, I think it's okay to have those bad days. It doesn't make anyone feel better to be told "your life could be way worse."
Overall, this piece was a reality check on the big picture. You can see his passion seeping out when he performs. It's very compelling! 💛
I really liked the tone shift in Rudy's performance as he went from a little annoyed to pressing how important life is. You could really see the personal stories and experiences that him and his family have been through impacted the way he feels about complaining. This reminds me of when we complain about dinner and our parents say people are starving in the world.
I complain A LOT, so watching Rudy Franciscos spoken word about Complaining. He explained the stories in so much detail. He made me think about complaining in another way. We always complain about the little things, but as he says "We are never given anything we can't handle", everything happens for a reason. Everything we go through always has a reason. He uses maximalism to talk about all the struggles people go through but still complain so little. It almost makes you feel guilty for complaining without a reason, because usually at the end everything turns out good.
My favorite was "Dear Anxiety" by Clayton Jennings because what he said about having a mental health problem and how God can help you through it, is absolutely correct. As someone who has had a Panic Attack in the past, it sucks- you can't breathe or think. This piece of art represents how it feels to really have anxiety.
I did “Complainers” and wow, that was so inspiring!! I love the way he used maximalism to detail relatable things people often complain about, not realizing that some people have it way worse than them. Moreover, the fragmented contrast of several people who had a reason to complain in comparison to many things people complain about without reason made the poem all the more stunning. This makes me feel guilty for every time that I have complained about little things like homework. What made the poem even better was the presentation. Francisco’s frantic tone and non-stop lists of complaints make listeners understand what they sound like when they complain about meaningless things. I absolutely love this breath-taking performance!!!
I love Rudy Franciscos Spoken word about Complainers. He gave great examples about people who didn’t complain when they had every right too. We shouldn’t complain about the simple things. “We are never given anything we can’t handle”- Francisco. I love that quote, it helps me remember that whatever im struggling with is happening for a reason, and I shouldn’t complain but instead appreciate the experience im being put through.
The Jimmy Fallon spoken poetry video, “Complainers” by Rudy Francisco, hooked me in when he began with the startling stories about people living through painful injuries. After he tells these stories he proclaims that they all said “it could have been worse”. Throughout his poem he utilizes “tell me” accompanied by statements overused by people complaining about things like traffic and alarm clocks that truly aren’t as horrible as we make them seem. He tells these stories and “tell me” statements in order to tell the audience to be more grateful. Rudy Francisco uses fragmentation when he goes in and out of telling the audience about other people's past traumatic stories to talking about the little things people complain about daily. This poetry is extremely powerful and effective in telling the lesson.
I really enjoyed listening to Taylor Mali's poetry slam because he just expressed so much power and authority through his facial expressions and volume levels. He was able to make the crowd laugh and then immediately shut them up because they were so in awe with what he had to see. I also liked how he started talking about what he "makes" by saying what he does and the ending it with "I make a difference"
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Taylor Mali's slam poetry because in all honesty, teachers aren't appreciated enough! His writing is clever and had me laughing because I was imagining Big Nerd acting this out in her head or in front of her Chihuahua audience! The use of irony is beautiful here and masterfully conveys Mali's anger at being discounted for his teaching career.
"He reminds the other dinner guests.." The antagonist in this poem really sounded like at least two specific family members of mine during Thanksgiving dinner, which made it even more vivid for me! I think his use of repetition during his "comeback" served to add a much stronger sense of cohesion to his argument, which was a smart choice because it turned the antagonist's words back against him instead!
I really loved the comparison between Thanos and world war 2 events . I think that its interesting to compare these two people because both of their actions and beliefs have been argued, defended, and torn down by many people. They are controversial because many people believed that they were/are both necessary to the world today and during the second world war. I also find it fascinating that superhero comics originally began during and after World War 1 and 2 to help people gain inspiration and to feel like they could have hope in something. So the whole world that Thanos was built on was created based on the people and events in the great wars, you could even argue that Thanos was based on the men that created the atomic bomb, the men who held infinite power in their hands. This battle reminds me of the princess rap battles written by Whitney Avalon. Here is one below.
This poem by Taylor Mali delivers a strong message of the importance of teachers while using sarcasm and heavy amounts of tone. Mali brings up his awkward dinner conversation through the use of sarcasm and irony. He explains that the importance of his job is the not the money, but the difference he makes with every single student he teaches and the knowledge he is able to spread. He uses his emotions and tone to truly convey his thoughts and perspective over this subject. He repeats the word "make", however, he never uses it as in a way of salary, but instead what he gains through his experiences and memories.
I thought the Epic Rap Battles of History between Thanos and J. Robert Oppenheimer was fantastic. The numerous subtle references and historical metafiction like Uranium-235, the bombing of Nagasaki, the Hadron Collider and the Manhattan project between the pastiche of a fictional character and historical personality were all great
I really enjoyed listening to Taylor Mali's poetry slam because of the way he tells a story leading up to his passionate discussion of what he “makes”, a phrase he repeats several times out of irony. As the poem progressed you could hear the passion rise in his tone which was super inspiring and I feel made the audience gain more respect for teachers and all they do. The way he began by narrating through the arrogant lawyer then switching over to himself really helps show his passion towards the subject of teaching and in all this poem was very eye opening.
Delivery is everything. I loved Taylor Mali's response to what was supposed to be shade. Most people let it get to them when someone obviously richer than them makes a comment about their income. Mali, though, reacted in a way that redefines the term rich. We may have money, but we are only truly rich when we give to those around us and make a difference in the world. It's not the make in terms of what you get, it's the make in terms of what you create. And Taylor Mali had the most amazing way of getting that across.
I used to watch Epic Rap Battles of History in 6th grade for the sick rhymes, but now I realize I should watch it because of the combination of pop culture references, making a mockery of the characters actual opinions while expressing the actors opinion through the character.
I began to LOVE Taylor Mali's poem the more I watched. He reminded me of Hulk because of how much power his voice had. I could relate to almost everything he said considering my mom is a teacher and I'm a student. I love how he really brought the audience into every scenario. Throughout the video I could't really put my finger on where he was going with "what he makes." Then once he said "I make a difference" it all came together.
So you sit down to watch a video called Dear Anxiety by Clayton Jennings and expect, what, a self-help talk? A little motivational speech about breathing in and breathing out? No. What you get instead is basically a slam poem having a panic attack on camera. It’s intense. It’s vulnerable. It’s raw enough to make your bones hurt.
Clayton starts by walking into what looks like a support group and then spirals — not just emotionally, but visually, poetically, spiritually. This is postmodernism in its most intimate form: mixing mediums (spoken word + cinematic storytelling), self-awareness (“I’m an actor who got really good at being ‘on’”), and pulling apart the very idea of what it means to perform healing when you’re still bleeding.
Which brings me to Euphoria. Rue, the main character? She is Clayton’s poem in human form. Both she and Clayton speak in monologues that make you feel like you’re drowning in a glittery ocean of pain. The lighting? Dramatic. The emotion? Violent and beautiful. The storytelling? Nonlinear and almost hallucinogenic. And the honesty? Almost too much. So much, in fact, that it hurts.
Both Anxiety and Euphoria tackle mental health in a way that’s poetic and cinematic, but they don’t sugarcoat it. Clayton’s “puddle of sweat” mirrors Rue’s cold-sweat detox scenes.
His “I can't get out of bed”
is Rue’s “I didn’t have a reason to get up” — just said differently. They both live in this world where trauma is loud, messy, and sometimes dressed in metaphor because the real thing is just too hard to look at.
And then there’s the hope — but not the cheesy kind. It’s rage-fueled hope. It’s “give me a torch and let’s light this up” kind of hope. That’s what makes it postmodern: neither of these stories believe in clean endings. They believe in chaos, relapse, stumbles, and still getting back up again. Whether it’s Rue climbing out of a bathtub after a breakdown or Clayton yelling at his demons, they both say: I’m still here. And that matters.
So yeah, Dear Anxiety and Euphoria might look different on the surface — one’s a spoken word film, the other’s an HBO drama soaked in neon lights — but they’re both screaming the same thing from the pit of their lungs:
“I’m not okay. But I’m still fighting.”
And honestly? That’s the most postmodern message of all.
catsarecoolaswatermelon 7th Pd.
EPIC RAP BATTLES: THANOS VS. OPPENHEIMER
I love that Epic Rap Battle, I thought it was absolutely hilarious. The one with Thanos and Oppenheimer is pretty clever with the words; they include lots of historiographic metafiction, black humor and magical realism by intertwining the MCU and modern society/historical events. I didn’t know who Oppenheimer was at first but I looked it up and he was the creator of the first atomic bomb and then It clicked. Super funny how they fought with each other to see who was more powerful/evil; Thanos: destroyer of planets, Oppenheimer: culprit of mass destruction. Who will win???
Hailstorm 4th
Taylor Mali's slam poetry was really enjoyable to listen too. Whenever I watch this video, once he shifts into the powerful and emotional tone, without fail it gives me goosebumps. You can tell by his body action that he is really invested and loves what he does and won't stand for slander of that. What's more, what he is saying is true. Teachers help shape future generations, and they should be treated with the respect that they deserve.
Hero Brine 7th
Sometimes the biggest burdens people have and deal with are the ones we cant see. Clayton Jennings describes the effects of anxiety in such a unique and impactful way in his poetry slam "Dear Anxiety". It was very insightful the way he chose to described it. He says that it kills you and he admits it almost killed him many times. It's constantly there and it always comes back stronger. As a person who doesn't suffer from sever anxiety I found it very eye opening. I didn't realize how soul crushing it can truly be and how some people dont want to admit that they need help because there embarrassed. It was truly impactful to me and I think we need to bring more awareness for the problem.
BOB ROSS 3rd
I lovedddd listening to Taylor Mali’s outlook on the teaching lifestyle. Teachers this day and age aren't given enough credit for what they go through daily and he shows this by using an ironic appeal to this. He brings up the idea that people who are rich bring up money, but with giving to those around you will make you only truly rich. He really does have an amazing speaking voice and words that can make you rethink anything.
2ndThing
5th Period
I watch Epic Rap Battles of History like it's part of my religion. I've probably got 7 fully memorized raps under my belt. I've yet to use it but boy oh boy when that day comes I'll be more than ready.
A very notable Postmodernist element that can be seen in a lot of these rap battles is the combination of low-brow and high-brow genres. Both villains have their own moral code infused in their rhymes, which I consider a more high-brow genre. The infused moral code to fight for what one believes was right despite deadly repercussions... and then a penis joke here and there. I think this hybrid of maturity and proud immaturity is what draws in so many viewers, because it's a little something for everyone.
Also combining WW2 with the Marvel universe creates an awesome apocalyptic type of historiographic metafiction. If I were to answer the question, I do think Oppenheimer won that one. I thought the character's betrayal was so quietly brutal and just sunk in the jabs in so much deeper. Also Thanos killed Dr.Strange so he will lose every time in my eyes.
My favorite this week! Douglass just completley destroys Jefferson and the lyrics are just *chefs kiss*. Who knew Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence while inventing the swivel chair.
Thing 1 5th
Epic Rap Battles - Thanos Vs. Robert Oppenheimer
After watching the Epic Rap Battle between Thanos and Robert Oppenheimer, I realized that I had bias for Thanos because I know who he was. I never heard who Oppenheimer was, but I decided to research him and found out he was known as the "father of the atomic bomb" as he designed and built the atomic bomb. What's funny about this is that both of these people are destroyers of worlds, partly. Robert himself definitely didn't destroy worlds, but the creation could have. Thanos is, but even with his biased advantage, I still think Robert Oppenheimer had better comebacks and dropped the atomic bomb on Thanos and absolutely obliterated him.
Anonymoussmile05 p. 5
Taylor Mali
I loved hearing Taylor Mali's poetry, because he used so much power with his volume, tone of voice, and facial expressions. He used irony and black humor to mock people who make fun of teacher's. While these teachers are making a difference in life, the people just making fun of them aren't doing anything to help others. However, even though so many students just hate teachers, the teachers continue to assist the kids in pursing their education and future. His speech expresses his anger over the situation and how ridiculous it is. His main message is that teachers aren't appreciated and recognized enough for what they do.
Tamika Flynn 6th
Taylor Mali's subversion of the question 'what do you make?' in his poetry makes for an interesting presentation on why teachers choose their profession. Being a teacher is a hard job that doesn't pay as well as other lines of work, but it is vital for the betterment of future generation. Mali explains that he teaches because he enjoys making a difference in his students' lives in a way that reflects the annoyance of having his work scrutinized constantly, his frustration is communicated perfectly when he turns the value of his work onto others when he asks what difference they make.
porcifan234 p3
I really thought that Clayton Jennings' story is so powerful. The way he presents his life with anxiety is so moving. He uses temporal distortion when he initially talks about his experiences with anxiety as a 30 year-old adult, and then suddenly transitions to when he was a child and how it affected him then. Also, i think that the lyrical-and almost musical- way that he performed made it easier for him to convey the emotions that he was feeling to those listening. Overall, I really enjoyed it and I think I will look more into his poetry in the future.
Legolas 3rd
I watched Clayton Jennings’s speech and one of the things that caught the most attention for me was the portrayal of his character. The fact that he comes in and leaves the same person with the same problems I think adds to the hopelessness of society. I think it also points to the fact that not all action is helpful because you can‘t help a person who doesn’t want help. At first you think this person is speaking his heart, but then you find the truth that it was only his imagination. I thought it was interesting that at one point in the monologue the room is empty. This was the first hint that the person was not speaking publicly but only thinking in his mind. He was lonely. The last transformation is the Anxiety Support Group into Anxiety Supportless Group. It’s a disappointing turn of events for what seemed like a promising group.
I watched this video today and thought it fit in.
Darrel Barrel 2nd
I listened to Rudy Francisco's performance "Complainers." He actively uses fragmentation when he tells stories of people who have had to face difficult realities in this world. He will abruptly shift to a new story without notice, yet still makes it clear to his audience that there is a new storyline. He uses maximalism by detailed descriptions of informative stories. By utilizing these stories to show how difficult situations make us stronger and to help us see that things could always be worse. It allows his audience to be grateful for provisions we are provided.
Could be worse...
Noel Sawyer 6th Period
In Taylor Mali's poem slam he talks about someone asking him what he makes as an educator. Now most people would associate "make" with money or some form of a tangible item. Taylor didn't take it that way he told his audience that he made more than just some money he made a difference in peoples life. The whole poem is ironic because people would think, how much money does he make but he turns it into a difference he's made in those he has taught.
"Dear Anxiety" by Clayton Jennings 4th pd
I really enjoyed the tone in Jennings voice during this performance. It helps you to feel how he feels about the words he is saying. I also liked how it was set at a support group and that in the end you learn he never even said anything and it was all in his head. The build up to him saying that God helped him through it was amazing. The beginning was all negative and felt so hopeless, but after he began talking about his religion and relationship with God it showed that he could be ok.
King Midas 3rd
I think it's intriguing to compare these two personalities because many people have argued, supported, and debunked their acts and ideas. The parallel between Thanos and World War II events was fantastic. They are divisive because many people believe they were/are both vital to the globe today and during World War II. I also find it fascinating that superhero comics were created during and after World Wars 1 and 2 to provide people with inspiration and a sense of hope in something. And Thanos' entire world was formed based on the characters and events of the great wars; you could even argue that Thanos was based on the men who invented the atomic bomb, the men who wielded boundless power. This rap battle reminds me of Whitney Avalon's princess rap wars. Here's an example.
Here is the link to the video
the_freckle_face 7th
Taylor Mali is like the Eminem of the Slam Poetry world. The way he was calling people out and speaking truth and not being afraid to insult people because he knows that he's right. It's ironic how he turns the harsh comments that people make to him about being a teacher and flips it on them saying, "here's everything I do to change the world as a teacher!" "What have you done to change the world?" "What have you contributed to society?" Just ripping people apart for the things they insult him with.
Hansel pd. 3
Hearing Rudy Fransisco speak was like listening to a good preacher that does not make the lecture boring. I cannot count how many times my parents have said something similar to me or my siblings when we do not like our food at dinner. The explicit details of the anecdotes -especially the boulder and dehydration related deaths- he uses creates postmodern maximalism that makes the message more effective. The strength in his voice alone was enough to be compelling and to demand an audience. It really puts into perspective how much you are overreacting to a problem versus how serious it could have been. This reminds me of "The Giver" when the boy gets upset when his sister thinks she is angry when in fact she is mildly annoyed because she does not understand the true feeling of anger.
Donald Duck 7th
Poetry Slam Comment- Dear Anxiety
I watched the video about Clayton Jennings and I was overall captivated and proud with how it turned out to be. I'm religious, so hearing how he turned to God about dealing with anxiety and how he was saved from the demons made me very proud of him. I also throughly enjoyed that he talked about his past and discussed on going issues that our society deals with today, so the viewer can feel touched by his message and be able to relate easier. The tone of his voice really showed me how much his message means to not only him, but wanting it to get across to others. Although he embedded personal anecdotes into his story, he was able to successfully add parts in so the audience could also relate to this mental health issue. I was overall very pleased with this video's outcome and very interested into how much this message meant to him. Very great and inspirational video for those who are religious and those who aren't, I loved it.
John SMith, 7th says: I loved listening to Taylor Mali's slam poetry. He was spitting facts, teachers really help shape the future and they are not appreciated enough. Clever writing and great use of imagery. The use of irony is excellent and conveys such intense anger at being underappreciated for his teaching career. He expressed such anger in so many different ways. Through his writing, his methods, and his volume. SO impactful!
"Dear Anxiety" by Clayton Jennings
Noah Lott 2nd
The amount of twists and turns this video took you through oh my goodness. When she said he didn't normally share, but then he literally emptied his heart out, when he stood up and suddenly the room was dark and he was alone, and when he came back down to reality and he hadn't shared anything, and when he left and the sign said "Anxiety Supportless Group". It was twist after twist and it was completely unexpected every time!
I saw metafiction because he's talking about the creation and the origins of his anxiety, along with maximalism because the absolute sheer amount of detailing that he put into his poetry was amazing. He was describing a feeling, but you could literally feel his anguish, his turmoil, his frustration, all through words alone. There was also intertextuality/pastiche because he said in a comment that the entire video had been based on Eminem's song "When I'm Gone". Good thing I checked the comments!
LotteryWinner04 -6th pd
I really liked Rudy Francisco's “Complainers”, he begins his poetry slam by introducing several individuals' injuries and dark experiences. He then states that all of the individual's reaction to their experience was that “it could have been worse”. He then begins stating experiences we have all complained about and how most of us are dramatic about how horrible little things are. His fragmentation is shown within his switch of bad experiences. He is trying to tell us to stop complaining and think about how things could be worse. He pushes us to look at the good rather than the bad.
This one was deep... As I watched Clayton dive deeper and deeper into his message about his anxiety I began to better understand what he was going through. In Clayton Jennings's poem, "Dear Anxiety" he shows the rollercoaster of emotions most of us feel but never share. He changes his tone as he goes deeper into his poem. He also included elements of post-modernism such as temporal distortion and fragmentation as he switches from his first panic attack at age 10 to his mental health now at age 30. I liked how he also changed his audience in his poem and at one point the rest of the people in the room just disappeared. His emotions grow angry towards his audience when they transform into the voices and demons inside his head. Wow, this one was really good!
lukecombsismyboyfriend 4th
I listened to Taylor Mali's poetry slam on teachers. I loved all of the ironies he used to describe how teachers are treated. They really are unappreciated, underpaid, and undervalued. He was very passionate with his tone to get his point across. It is well-known teachers don't get paid much and he uses that to his advantage in his slam. He stresses his role as a teacher is not about what he "makes" but the difference he makes in each and every one of their lives.
Super Fragmenter- 6th
I chose Rudy Francisco's performance of "Complainers" and it was eye opening to the things that everyone does on a day to day basis like complaining. Francisco uses multiple metaphors and comparisons to get his point across that "things could be worse" and to be grateful that our problems are "small enough to fit on the tip of our tongues". After watching, it makes think twice about complaining about the finals I have coming up or the people who cut me off on the road because in the grand scheme of things, these are so miniscule and I have never stopped to think about the opportunities I have or the things I have that others don't. He uses fragmentation throughout his whole performance by piecing together different examples of metaphors and similies and by mentioning the stories of people who do have it worse than us yet still don't complain. He also mentions his own experiences to back his claim of things could be worse and makes it known that even though the glass is half empty that there is still water to drink which was his way of saying to never take things for granted and that you will never encounter an issue that you can't overcome.
Crystal Shanda-Leer 3rd
I’ve got to say, there were some major burns delivered in this rap battle. I watched the Thanos vs. J. Robert Oppenheimer Rap battle. In Big Nerds description it was mentioned that there is Historiographic meta fiction and I can completely see it. Thanos makes some serious digs to the real Oppenheimer and his work. but what sticks out to me the most is the Black humor.
It really had me going:
Knowing some backgroud information from both Oppenheimer and especially Thanos made it that much more jaw dropping. It was definitely something really fun to listen to listen to.
5th Period
Clayton Jennings' performance of "Dear Anxiety" is amazing. The way he speaks explains a lot about how he really feels. He's pouring out his emotions. All the stress and anxiety and relentless pressure he felt were finally being relieved. I've never been diagnosed with anxiety, but I have felt it before. I understand what he means when he says nobody will listen and that he can't tell others because he's scared they'll see him differently. Instead of telling someone, he keeps it caged up, and eventually it overwhelms him and he pours out his heart like he did in that performance.
I thought The epic rap battles of history between Thanos and Oppenheimer was funny and entertaining. I like how epic rap battles always uses pastiche with the characters by comparing two opposite "characters " but have similarities in some ways ? And the historigraphic when talking about the bomb that oppenheimer never loved (shows some black humor too)
Silent Shark 6th
My absolute favorite performance was Rudy Francisco's! He begins by listing horrible things people have endured (AND SURVIVED!!!) and then comparing them to the daily "struggles" of our everyday lives. He really puts into perspective just how difficult things can be and isn't afraid to point out selfish behavior. I often complain about the "little stuff", so this was definitely eye-opening to say the least. The way that he weaves in stories to his poem really pulled me in, showing that things can always be worse. It was very uniquely written and I loved listening to his perspective on how at least there is water in the glass.
insertfunnyname pd.2
I automatically chose Dear Anxiety by Clayton Jennings, this instantly stood out to me as someone who often struggles with anxiety. I don't struggle severally with anxiety, but it still has a part in my everyday life and that's why I chose this one. Watching him speak shows me that a lot of people you would never expect to have anxiety, do. This makes me understand that people can be struggling with so many mental problems and not know how to get through them, which makes me upset that I don't know how to help. As Jennings speaks he uses intertextuality and metafiction that really helps bring everything together.
NikeLover4Life! 2nd Period
The spoken word "Dear Anxiety" by Clayton Jennings was a very powerful word that really brought attention to me because I struggle with anxiety. He explains how anxiety has followed him around as he has grown up. The use of his postmodern elements of intertextuality/pastiche is how he seems to tie everything in his whole life around anxiety and how much of it has really taken over who he really wants to be as a person. I love how he made me feel like I was in the circle group with all those people explaining how he feels. After hearing his powerful message I really can feel the emotions he is feeling. It really inspires me to want to relieve my anxiety by talking to a loved one because I really do feel a lot of my anxiety will be resolved by doing this.
Petunia 2nd
Rudy Francisco uses others tragic experiences and compares it to the daily struggles of everyone else. Through giving these examples of horrific events the audience looks into themselves and sees how selfish they can be. You think your day was hard yet there are others who go through so much more and all they think is "it could have been worse." He pieces together all of these events of others lives to show how our struggle with traffic while getting to work or school was nothing compared to their struggle that day.
Superpurplepoo 5th Period
I watched the Epic Rap Battles of History video. I really enjoyed this new take on poetry in a more musical tone. It's interesting to see two different people collide and battle out their thoughts on one another. The pastiche of the Marvel Comics is well done as it puts multiple scenes and storylines together to make a bigger argument. I also like how they put some history into the rap where Oppenheimer talks about physics and how bombs were made. Although some of the information may not be clear to me, it is cool to see two opposite but very similar types of people share their thoughts to one another. I think by seeing a rap people can enjoy the music and visual parts of it and tend to want to see the outcome of the battle. It also helps with the understanding of how poetry can be so powerful hence the name poetry slams. The historiographic metafiction and pastiche elements of the battle were the cherry on top for the rap that was everything it needed.
PostmodPrincess614 P3
Rudy Fransisco's slam poetry "Complainers", gave me a whole new perspective on my outlook of life. The phrase "it could be worse" is fragmented throughout his passionate presentation which constantly reminds his audience that you are still here, no matter the damage. When Fransisco brought up how 2 million die from dehydration and that it's not a glass half empty or glass half full, it's that there is water in the cup no matter what. This reminds me of when I was younger I would always complain about anything that made me feel as if my world was crashing down on me. My grandma (who I called Gamma) would always reassure me that I should be grateful for where I am and who is a part of my life. I've carried this statement throughout my life, especially in high school because you never know what the person sitting next to you is going through and to never take life for granted. There is light at the end of the tunnel and you can chose how you want to reach it with your mentality.
rosemary juniper lee 7th
I thought this poem was gonna make me feel bad about complaining, but honestly it was so inspirational. Rudy Francisco's use of the fragmented stories of people surviving crazy situations and the constant stream of stories had a big impact. It pushed his point that people can be more sucessful if people keep pushing on because "things could be worse." Francisco threw out tons of details which was a really good use of maximalism because it helped the audience imagine these true stories or the situations that he described. Which gave the audience a sense of urgency to stop complaining and move forward towards greater things. Overall, super inspiration and a great performance!!
Glitterunicornkitty p.5
I watched " Dear Anxiety" by Clayton Jennings. Dear Anxiety was an extremely powerful, moving speech. It helps stress how vulnerable being fearful to share your emotional struggles can make u feel. I was caught by this poem because I myslef deal with anxiety and sometimes im not very keen to sharing my feelings with others. Clayton uses the postmodernist element of temporal distortion. While Clayton is spilling all of his emotions that he has pent up we learn that it was actually in his head and truly he wasn't actually expressing his emotions. Clayton did a really good job at interpreting how hard it can be to be vulnerable about internal feelings to others.
Steve Rogers pd.5
Dear Anxiety was the spoken word that had the most effect on me. The emotion that Clayton Jennings poured out was incredible. Although I do not have severe anxiety, I know people who feel or have felt like Jennings did, but they kept it all bottled up. As he was sharing, he hardly took any breaths and I noticed it was as though his sentences had no punctuation whatsoever. It was inspiring to watch the cycle of thoughts that he had while he shared with his “support group”.
I watched Rudy Francisco's poetry slam "Complainers" and I found it super inspiring but also very passionate and it convinces in a way. He uses maximalism by coming up with a lot of examples about how "things could've been worse" and gave them to us in so much detail. The tone of his voice made us feel bad and rethink everything. He repeats and uses so much energy to inspire the listeners.
sally_1 6th period
Complainers
Wow, the more he kept talking the better he was able to deliver his point. He is not trying to tell us that our problems dont matter, he is trying to tell us that our problems could be worse. To stop complaining that your cup is half empty and be grateful that it has anything in it in the first place. Rudy is able to use maximilism when he talks about a boulder falling on a mans arm or a watermelon being sling shot into a womens face. And even with using this graphic extremism he is able to get his point across better, he explains the tragedys happening to these people but they still never complain because it could have been worse.
Rudy Francisco's poem "Complainers" is an extremely powerful poem that speaks into the real part of life that no one ever thinks anymore. "Someone always has it worse than you." Those are the words my grandfather told me when I thought I was having a rough day, when I thought my whole world was crumbling. When in all reality the only thing crumbling was my persistence to make things better. Rudy Francisco's words punch you in the mouth then the second you go to defend yourself and make an excuse he hits you right back in the mouth and says. You are going through a hard time, but remember it can always be worse. He then reaches out his hand and pulls you up to tell you. You're still alive. So make the best of it.
Cash23!! 6th
I chose to watch Clayton Jennings spoken word poetry because in my Health Science Theory class we recently finished our mental health unit. He kind of reminds me of Eminem. I noticed there was some fragmentation and temporal distortion because he kept jumping from previous thoughts and experiences to current thoughts. There was also metafiction because he kept talking about what he would say to anxiety and he kept talking about him talking directly to anxiety. I loved this video, I don't know if it's because he was practically yelling or because it rhymed but I loved it. He is referring to an illness as a person that caused all his problems and causes other's problems, like personification.
I really enjoyed listening to "Dear Anxiety" by Spoken Words. I liked this one because I related to the speaker finding his hope in God. The poem speaks out about the struggles that some go through in their lives, from this we gather a better understanding of what is going on inside their minds. But out of the whole poem/video, what stood out to me the most was the emotions presented. The emotions provided helps the audience really connect with what being said. Spoken Words was also able to create a sense of paranoia by incorporating the fight between good and evil, God and the devil.
Gray Puzzle-5th
I watched Rudy Fransico's spoken word performance of Complainers. The examples he gave of people who actually had a reason to complain contrasted with common things people complain about really gave a new prospective on how little our problems our. It made me think of all the things i complain of (like getting up in the morning) and how that is actually a blessing since so many people didn't wake up that morning. The fragmentation of different stories really place this prospective on me. so next time i find myself complaining, I'll think of one of those stories.
tayloralisonswift 5th
Taylor Mali's slam poetry about teachers was very powerful and very unique. His loud, intense, rough tone of voice seemed to contrast his morals and his message throughout the poem. He conveyed that he wants to help and improve students while simultaneously yelling ferociously. I think that he implemented the postmodernist element of maximalism by including details, imagery, and thoroughly described situations that he's been in, making the listener imagine a clear picture of what he describes and interpret his words in a clear way.
I also interpreted this slam poem as displaying paranoia, because he mentioned some questions that people ask teachers, like "how much do you make?" These type of questions stem from people being nosy, which is a result of the human need to blame something in order to distill prejudice or anxiety about the unknown.
Bartholomew Javontavious Dingle III 5th
Taylor Mali Poetry Slam
Taylor Mali not only rhymes and combines postmodernist traits, but also creates decades of thought from the words of a second. Mali takes a scene of criticism and defamation and twists it. He creates a divide that not only diminishes foolishness but also expands upon the positivity in a situation seen as negatives. Sparse contrast of irony make a grand divide. And from this divide, Mali creates a space of acceptance and brutal positivity to separate from the negative generalizations of modern society.
JerryTheGirrafe 5th
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Taylor Mali’s poetry slam. His perfect use of sarcasm and fluctuating tone force the message into the open. Mali stresses the importance of genuinely making a difference in a student’s life, doing anything to guarantee their success. Mali conveys an intense tone by raising his voice to ensure his point is made. He notes that the amount of money you make does not define your ability to make a change, it is the amount of pure CARE you have that defines who you are as a successful individual.The irony included conveys Mali’s anger at being dismissed for being labeled as a teacher. He makes you truly learn to appreciate all educators and mentors.
Rowdythecat. P.5
Poetry Slam Comment - "Dear Anxiety"
I have no words. Clayton Jennings has blown my mind. The way he describes the anxiety that is super common in society is just so powerful. He talks about his struggle and how he handles it, that being him bottling it up inside. He integrates so many different elements of real life and society and the effect anxiety has on every person that struggles with it. The emotion in his voice and his words are just powerful. He just captivated my attention and made me listen. Almost everyone can relate to this topic, and the way he took his own experience to make others feel the hopelessness he felt with this disease so that they don't feel alone. I am speechless.
LilTrenchCoat (Period 4)
The spoken word I'm commenting on is "Complainers". I enjoyed this very much. The line I liked the most was about the line about God being on the phone with you while you get punched in the esophagus. However, I disliked the line about one of his family members being sexually assaulted and how he breezes over it and tells you everyone should just be happy they're alive. Being alive is hard and complaining happens that's how life is. I think the point was lost in transit and just came off tone deaf because of the exception. He makes everyones problems seem so small when he doesn't know how all of them feel or what they've been through.
D.J. Libre 4th Period
(An ekphrastic poem in response to Dear Anxiety)
No One Knows What I Really Look Like
But you don’t need to know
Because then you’d be worried
And I know how far you’d go
So I’ll keep my face buried
Then you won’t have to see
Any more than you should
And you can leave on the waves
Sailing on your ship of driftwood
Away from my salty smear
Finally flowing free
No longer stranded here
On the island of me
Because I don’t want anyone
To find what I’m hiding here
Go back where you came from
Go sail the blue sphere
I know you’ll find someone
Who deserves your company
Because I can tell you now that anyone else
Would be better than me
You won’t find what’s beneath the dirt
No matter how hard you try
Go away before I get hurt
Trying to look at you in the eye
He doesn't want you talking to me
I can't tell if he's my friend or not
But I can trust him to be honest about me
I don't want to hear you lying again
No, I don't deserve to see sunlight again
Don’t look at me
Please
Stop
Go
Does it make you happy, seeing the tears I buried?
CyberSurfer 4th: Rudy Fransisco's words resonate with me because I am the person he is speaking to. I have a tendency to complain about the small things in life. When these little troubles happen, I let it ruin my day and sometimes my week. Even things that I have absolutely no say or control over, I stay upset for some time. I have a great life at home as well, and it gives me an incentive to let the small things go. There are so many people out in the world that have lives that are collapsing underneath them; I have no place to complain about the 85 I got on a quiz.
RJ Kilo 4th
Taylor Mali's performance made poetry fun. He got the audience heated up, but when it was his time to talk they shut up. His performance reminded me a lot of The Rock when he was in the WWE. Teacher's are severely under-appreciated and his poem showed just how big of a difference they make in the world.
I really really enjoyed Taylor Mali's poetry slam because he expressed his emotions and thoughts about teaching through so much irony, but portrayed his voice so confidently and strongly to his audience. His volume and his facial expressions show how much thought he had about that certain topic and how clear he wanted to express his mind to his audience. He made the audience laugh but then he made them silent through his expression of thoughts. He effectively illustrates the common questions and assumptions teachers are faced with because of how much they make, how the world perceives them as, what they do in the classroom, and who they are as individuals. I just love how powerful his words were because he was so powerful in the way he emphasized his true message. I think it is also so amazing that he starts off his message with talking about the frequently asked question about what he makes as a teacher, but then at the end to pull everything back together, he said that he "makes a difference." Showing the audience that it doesn't matter what teachers make. They simply just want to make a change in kids and individuals around the world.
Anne Teak 4th
I watched the spoken word of Rudy Francisco called "Complainers" and that poem made me rethink my own mindset. The way he describes different harsh scenarios of people he mentions and then tells his audience to go ahead and tell me repeatedly of tiny annoying things like an alarm clock or your boss even though someone else got badly hurt or killed or suffered. The fragmentation in each different possible situation he describes just gives so many examples of what people could go through and it makes me think of when I go to church and my mom tells me to be grateful for what I have and how blessed I am. She tells me to see the good in things because someone in the world can have it worse while I am complaining about homework or anything that could not compare to what someone else truly suffers through.
Grape-Vine 4th
I watched Taylor Mali’s slam poetry on teachers. It was interesting to see how he created an ironic world, mocking individuals who laugh at teachers for what they make/do. However, these scorners, in reality, do not make the same difference as teachers do. Mali juxtaposes these two phrases: “how much someone makes” and “the difference they make.” Teachers aid students in achieving their goals for life and not limiting themselves to others’ judgment or expectations. Mali was also able to create the element of paranoia by including an ordering system to each description of a teacher’s job. Overall, it was uniquely crafted and worth listening to.
WOW! This is what I needed to hear this week as I am reaching the end of junior year and the beginning of summer. This poem was about how as humans we always find some way to complain instead of just moving on and living our life. I find myself doing this all the time when I just need to push through and work hard this next week before school ends. I love how he uses fragmentation of events yet repetition to show how we constantly complain. He also uses maximalism to highlight our flaws in humanity and how we need to fix them. This poem is inspiring to how we can change our outlook on life and stop the continuous unnecessary complaints we always have.
Bandit the pug 4th
The poem "Dear Anxiety" by Clayton Jennings was a super-powerful, moving piece that talked about the struggles of dealing with anxiety. He describes what it was like dealing with anxiety as a kid and how it still impacts him as an adult. It includes postmodernist elements of metafiction because he is describing what it's like to experience anxiety at a meeting for people who have it. The piece was so inspirational because it is a topic that I can relate to as a teenager, and I feel like others can too. He made the feeling of anxiety a tangible object so that it was easier to grasp. After listening to his poem I now understand that anxiety feels different for different people, and they experience it at different times than I do. He was able to describe how alone he was and that he felt as if he had to battle it on his own.
Mildred 6th
The poetry slam I decided to listen to was Rudy Fransisco and his poem, "Complainers". At the start, he tells his audience that even he has bad days and wants to complain, but stops and thinks about all the TRULY bad things that happen to others everyday. The examples start out unfortunate, but a little silly. For example kangaroos boxing, watermelons being slingshotted, and bungee jumping. Then, suddenly, his tone changes. The start of his poem made me smile a little bit, but when he made that serious tone shift, it made me feel ashamed. He starts to provide more close to home examples of true tragedy and it really makes his listeners think about the silly things we complain about when things like this are happening to someone right now.
The fragmentation is undeniable as he goes back and forth between the, in the grand scheme of things, small bumps we complain about: traffic jams, dead end job, bad grades, to the real serious topics that we're fortunate enough not to have.
After listening, I'm fortunate that the worst thing in my life right now are finals, but that doesn't go to say that we aren't allowed to have problems in our lives, I certainly do. That's the one aspect of his poem I didn't like. It's okay to have a bad day, it's okay to feel sad and upset sometimes. What's not okay is staying sad and comparing your problems to someone else because that is pathetic. As long as we're aware of how privileged we are, I think it's okay to have those bad days. It doesn't make anyone feel better to be told "your life could be way worse."
Overall, this piece was a reality check on the big picture. You can see his passion seeping out when he performs. It's very compelling! 💛
Gretel pd.3
I really liked the tone shift in Rudy's performance as he went from a little annoyed to pressing how important life is. You could really see the personal stories and experiences that him and his family have been through impacted the way he feels about complaining. This reminds me of when we complain about dinner and our parents say people are starving in the world.
Billyyerd Pd.2
I complain A LOT, so watching Rudy Franciscos spoken word about Complaining. He explained the stories in so much detail. He made me think about complaining in another way. We always complain about the little things, but as he says "We are never given anything we can't handle", everything happens for a reason. Everything we go through always has a reason. He uses maximalism to talk about all the struggles people go through but still complain so little. It almost makes you feel guilty for complaining without a reason, because usually at the end everything turns out good.
DarkBloom 2pd
My favorite was "Dear Anxiety" by Clayton Jennings because what he said about having a mental health problem and how God can help you through it, is absolutely correct. As someone who has had a Panic Attack in the past, it sucks- you can't breathe or think. This piece of art represents how it feels to really have anxiety.
By: McKella Sawyer
Panda
3rd pd.
I did “Complainers” and wow, that was so inspiring!! I love the way he used maximalism to detail relatable things people often complain about, not realizing that some people have it way worse than them. Moreover, the fragmented contrast of several people who had a reason to complain in comparison to many things people complain about without reason made the poem all the more stunning. This makes me feel guilty for every time that I have complained about little things like homework. What made the poem even better was the presentation. Francisco’s frantic tone and non-stop lists of complaints make listeners understand what they sound like when they complain about meaningless things. I absolutely love this breath-taking performance!!!
Kaylee Allen Period 3
I love Rudy Franciscos Spoken word about Complainers. He gave great examples about people who didn’t complain when they had every right too. We shouldn’t complain about the simple things. “We are never given anything we can’t handle”- Francisco. I love that quote, it helps me remember that whatever im struggling with is happening for a reason, and I shouldn’t complain but instead appreciate the experience im being put through.
M&M P.2
The Jimmy Fallon spoken poetry video, “Complainers” by Rudy Francisco, hooked me in when he began with the startling stories about people living through painful injuries. After he tells these stories he proclaims that they all said “it could have been worse”. Throughout his poem he utilizes “tell me” accompanied by statements overused by people complaining about things like traffic and alarm clocks that truly aren’t as horrible as we make them seem. He tells these stories and “tell me” statements in order to tell the audience to be more grateful. Rudy Francisco uses fragmentation when he goes in and out of telling the audience about other people's past traumatic stories to talking about the little things people complain about daily. This poetry is extremely powerful and effective in telling the lesson.
I really enjoyed listening to Taylor Mali's poetry slam because he just expressed so much power and authority through his facial expressions and volume levels. He was able to make the crowd laugh and then immediately shut them up because they were so in awe with what he had to see. I also liked how he started talking about what he "makes" by saying what he does and the ending it with "I make a difference"
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Taylor Mali's slam poetry because in all honesty, teachers aren't appreciated enough! His writing is clever and had me laughing because I was imagining Big Nerd acting this out in her head or in front of her Chihuahua audience! The use of irony is beautiful here and masterfully conveys Mali's anger at being discounted for his teaching career.
"He reminds the other dinner guests.." The antagonist in this poem really sounded like at least two specific family members of mine during Thanksgiving dinner, which made it even more vivid for me! I think his use of repetition during his "comeback" served to add a much stronger sense of cohesion to his argument, which was a smart choice because it turned the antagonist's words back against him instead!
I really loved the comparison between Thanos and world war 2 events . I think that its interesting to compare these two people because both of their actions and beliefs have been argued, defended, and torn down by many people. They are controversial because many people believed that they were/are both necessary to the world today and during the second world war. I also find it fascinating that superhero comics originally began during and after World War 1 and 2 to help people gain inspiration and to feel like they could have hope in something. So the whole world that Thanos was built on was created based on the people and events in the great wars, you could even argue that Thanos was based on the men that created the atomic bomb, the men who held infinite power in their hands. This battle reminds me of the princess rap battles written by Whitney Avalon. Here is one below.
🤓
This poem by Taylor Mali delivers a strong message of the importance of teachers while using sarcasm and heavy amounts of tone. Mali brings up his awkward dinner conversation through the use of sarcasm and irony. He explains that the importance of his job is the not the money, but the difference he makes with every single student he teaches and the knowledge he is able to spread. He uses his emotions and tone to truly convey his thoughts and perspective over this subject. He repeats the word "make", however, he never uses it as in a way of salary, but instead what he gains through his experiences and memories.
I thought the Epic Rap Battles of History between Thanos and J. Robert Oppenheimer was fantastic. The numerous subtle references and historical metafiction like Uranium-235, the bombing of Nagasaki, the Hadron Collider and the Manhattan project between the pastiche of a fictional character and historical personality were all great
I really enjoyed listening to Taylor Mali's poetry slam because of the way he tells a story leading up to his passionate discussion of what he “makes”, a phrase he repeats several times out of irony. As the poem progressed you could hear the passion rise in his tone which was super inspiring and I feel made the audience gain more respect for teachers and all they do. The way he began by narrating through the arrogant lawyer then switching over to himself really helps show his passion towards the subject of teaching and in all this poem was very eye opening.
Delivery is everything. I loved Taylor Mali's response to what was supposed to be shade. Most people let it get to them when someone obviously richer than them makes a comment about their income. Mali, though, reacted in a way that redefines the term rich. We may have money, but we are only truly rich when we give to those around us and make a difference in the world. It's not the make in terms of what you get, it's the make in terms of what you create. And Taylor Mali had the most amazing way of getting that across.
I used to watch Epic Rap Battles of History in 6th grade for the sick rhymes, but now I realize I should watch it because of the combination of pop culture references, making a mockery of the characters actual opinions while expressing the actors opinion through the character.
I began to LOVE Taylor Mali's poem the more I watched. He reminded me of Hulk because of how much power his voice had. I could relate to almost everything he said considering my mom is a teacher and I'm a student. I love how he really brought the audience into every scenario. Throughout the video I could't really put my finger on where he was going with "what he makes." Then once he said "I make a difference" it all came together.