Dark Knight Dramaturgy in Print!

The entry is a little out of date, but, hell, there we are on page 174! Thanks for the shout-out, Michael Mark Chemers. Clearly Ghost Light: An Introductory Handbook for Dramaturgy is a book every aspiring dramaturg should go out and buy presently. (In all seriousness, I hear it is an excellent book.)

Sweatshirt versus Jacket

On a lighter note: Rachel and I have been having this fight for the last ten years and I need to win it before we get married.

Sweatshirt v. Jacket

No. I’m not talking about preferences. I am talking about definitions.

This is a jacket!

This is not!

My argument: if it has a zipper all the way down the front, it’s a jacket.
Her argument: it is not about the structure, it is about the material.
My argument: you can modify the term jacket by saying sweatshirt jacket, but this does not detract from the fact that it is a jacket.
Her argument: if it’s fleece it’s a jacket, even if the zipper doesn’t go all the way down, because it is considered outerwear.
My argument: that’s stupid.
Her argument: you’re stupid.

Ambiguous modern definitions are little help. Clearly people do not care about this as much as they should:

sweat·shirt

Pronunciation: \-ˌshərt\

Function: noun

Date: 1925

: a loose collarless pullover or jacket usually of heavy cotton jersey

jack·et

Pronunciation: \ˈja-kət\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English jaket, from Anglo-French jackés, plural, diminutive of Middle French jaque short jacket, from jacques peasant, from the name Jacques James

Date: 15th century

1 a : a garment for the upper body usually having a front opening, collar, lapels, sleeves, and pockets b : something worn or fastened around the body but not for use as clothing

Or maybe there are people who care! “The 14th century: One of the first jacket-like garments was the doublet (pourpoint in French). Modern jackets can be said to have evolved from Renaissance doublets. The doublet was a close-fitting, short jacket worn by men beginning in the 14th century. Initially the doublet was a long sleeveless fitted garment with buttons worn without sleeves.”

Pourpoint doublet c.1650

Ahem. Note all those fasteners! That said, I am never too confident in a website with more spelling mistakes than a third grader’s homework assignment.

I encourage anyone (particularly Rachel) to do a google image search of the word “jacket.” You will note that the first several pages showcase garments with a fastener of some kind extending all the way from the neck to the waist. Garments of various materials, I will add. The same experiment with the word “sweatshirt” will show you that zippers only appear in the images if the phrase “zip up” (or the like) is attached, thus suggesting that without a modifier that a sweatshirt has no zipper.

My apologies to all of you not in the Bay Area: the whole idea of jackets or sweatshirts at this time of year is probably offensive to your frozen sensibilities. We did get a lot of rain today . . . if that makes you feel any better?

Thanksgiving: When Dramaturgy and Reality Collide

One of my favorite recent research projects was uncovering the truth about the presidential Thanksgiving turkey pardoning ceremony for David Mamet’s November, which (like both Prez. W. and President Clinton) gets the history wrong. Despite popular belief, the actual tradition of the president officially pardoning two turkeys (the National Turkey and the Alternate National Turkey) only goes back to the first President Bush. Folklore says that Lincoln spared his son’s pet turkey, Jack, and Kennedy apparently did suggest he would let live the turkey he was gifted (just days before his own assassination). There are some great photographs of a number of presidents with their Thanksgiving (or Christmas) turkeys, but they all ate them. Reagan was the first president to use the word “pardon” in reference to a Thanksgiving turkey, but he was making a joke to dodge more serious questions about the Iran-Contra affair. You can read all about it here: Turkey Pardoning.

I was very pleased to hear Obama get the history of turkey pardoning right yesterday, when he spared Courage and his substitute Carolina!

President Obama: Now, the National Turkey Federation has been bringing its finest turkeys to the White House for more than 50 years (True). I’m told Presidents Eisenhower and Johnson actually ate their turkeys (True). You can’t fault them for that; that’s a good-looking bird. President Kennedy was even given a turkey with a sign around its neck that said, “Good Eatin’, Mr. President” (True). But he showed mercy and he said, “Let’s keep him going.” (something like that) And 20 years ago this Thanksgiving, the first President Bush issued the first official presidential pardon for a turkey (True).

Today, I am pleased to announce that thanks to the interventions of Malia and Sasha — because I was planning to eat this sucker — “Courage” will also be spared this terrible and delicious fate. Later today, he’ll head to Disneyland, where he’ll be grand marshal of tomorrow’s parade. And just in case “Courage” can’t fulfill his responsibilities, Walter brought along another turkey, “Carolina,” as an alternate, the stand-in (True) . . .

You know, there are certain days that remind me of why I ran for this office. And then there are moments like this — (laughter) — where I pardon a turkey and send it to Disneyland (True). (Laughter.) But every single day, I am thankful for the extraordinary responsibility that the American people have placed in me. I am humbled by the privilege that it is to serve them, and the tremendous honor it is to serve as Commander-in-Chief of the finest military in the world — and I want to wish a Happy Thanksgiving to every service member at home or in harm’s way. We’re proud of you and we are thinking of you and we’re praying for you . . .

In more tranquil times, it’s easy to notice our many blessings. It’s even easier to take them for granted. But in times like these, they resonate a bit more powerfully. When President Lincoln set aside the National Day of Thanksgiving for the first time—to celebrate America’s “fruitful fields,” “healthful skies,” and the “strength and vigor” of the American people—it was in the midst of the Civil War, just when the future of our very union was most in doubt. So think about that. When times were darkest, President Lincoln understood that our American blessings shined brighter than ever. (Ok. Yes. But to give Washington his due, in 1789 our Union’s first president proclaimed that the people of the United States should observe Thursday, November 26, as “a day of public thanksgiving and prayer.” Granted, while Washington’s proclamation mandated a specific day of celebration, it did not establish a recurring annual holiday.) . . .

Now, before this turkey gets too nervous that Bo* will escape and screw up this pardon—or before I change my mind, I hereby pardon “Courage” so that he can live out the rest of his days in peace and tranquility in Disneyland. (* Interestingly, Bush the 1st mentioned his pet dog during the first turkey pardoning ceremony: “Millie has been put upstairs, looking wistfully out of the window, I’m sure. But let me assure you, and this fine tom turkey, that he will not end up on anyone’s dinner table, not this guy—he’s granted a presidential pardon as of right now—[he will] live out his days on a children’s farm not far from here.”)

And to every American, I want to wish you, on behalf of myself, Malia, Sasha, and Michelle, the happiest of Thanksgivings. Thank you very much, everybody.

Happy Thanksgiving!