Pop Culture 101 | Friday | Period 2

[whitedeathpod.livejournal.com]

"Welcome back from Hawaii everyone," John greeted as the students filed in and sat down. "I, unlike you, didn't get to go to Hawaii. I spent a week playing games with my kid. I'm pretty sure he thinks he rules the house now because I let him win so often. But anyway, let's get right back to it, shall we?"

To start that, John went over to the boombox sitting on his desk and played a snippet of a song. He even bopped his head along with the tune because it was a good song!

"Today, we're gonna talk about the Motown sound," he said once the song ended. "Motown comes from a music label that was founded by Berry Gordy and was the first record label to be owned by an African American man. It played an extremely popular role in the racial integration of popular music because it achieved both mainstream and crossover success."

John stopped talking and played another song. This one sounded a little different but was still good. "Simply put, Motown music is soul music with a distinct pop influence. And the reason Motown is so important is because it's still around today and so many other genres developed off from it. There are country artists, hip hop artists, jazz artists, rock artists and gospel artists that have all been Motown influenced. It's a very pervasive and expansive genre these days and today, you're going to become part of it."

Oh yes. "There's a list of songs on your desks. Your assignment? Pick one of those songs and sing it."

That boombox at the front of the room? Also a karaoke machine. Yep. "Your assignment is to pick one of those songs and sing it in a Motown style. Easy right? Let's get going."

How to Be a Really Famous Actor (And Other Acting Tips), Friday, Period 1

[nosefullofsnot.livejournal.com]

"Now that we're back in class, it's time to move on to our next session," Lucas said, kicking off the class. "Yeah yeah, no more action stuff, and probably no stuntmen being thrown around for a while, either."

"So now we're focusing on drama. Or, let's be honest, award bait. Because really, that's why people make dramas. There are other minor reasons, I guess. They're not funny or they look funny holding a gun. But if they're like me - and most actors are - they broke into drama for the awards and award shows. Nobody gave me an invite to Sundance until I made Let's Hope There's a Heaven and that baby scored some prizes. And all I did was kiss some chick and die for a couple hours! And that's the reason why LHTH did so well," Lucas said, and yes, he did say 'LHTH.' "It's because I hit the three biggest parts of drama. I cried, I gave a big monologue, and I died. We're going to start with that first one today."

"Crying in movies is shorthand for 'Hey. I can act.' If you can pull off a crying scene, people are going to give you a lot of credit. You don't even have to be great! You can just be pretty good and people will give you extra credit. But if you're terrible at it, everyone's going to laugh at you. And then you'll learn how to cry more realistically."

"Step one is to figure out how to force yourself to cry. Try to think of something sad, like a breakup or a parent dying or, I don't know, someone kicking your puppy. The more personal it is, the more realistic it is. If that doesn't work, try violence. Stub your toe or pinch yourself or have somebody punch you really hard. Or just be like me and be a really good actor."

"Okay, that's enough talking for me. I want everyone to cry today. I don't care how you do it, just cry. And then write up a quick explanation for how you made yourself cry and turn it in."

Because he hadn't done anything evil yet this class period, but demanding potential emotional blackmail made up for that.

How to Be a Proper Sea Dog [Friday, March 4, 2011]

[cunningkingfish.livejournal.com]

Hook was there before the class today, smirk on his face and a sword in his hand. Class had returned to the danger shop and to the familiar simulated sea vessel surroundings. Today, the props included a large white board, which looked a little out of place in the old timey sea vessel setting. There was also, for once, wooden chairs for the students to sit in while Hook lectured.

( An oddly morbid subject )

Class was in session. With yummy sea food.

[ooc: Plz wait for OCD. Open for class! Also, Hook's views on sea creatures are not my own.]

Dealing With Idiots | Friday | Period 4 (Session 8)

[prof_of_cunning]

The front row of desks was, oddly, taken up with wooden crates marked Farmers Market on the sides, filled with tomatoes, slightly overripe peaches, a few soggy apples and one plastic container full of pineapple chunks.

"Upon occasion," quoth Edmund Blackadder, who couldn't claim to be anything like tan after his return from Hawaii, but had at least managed slightly less pasty, "we do have the opportunity to make known our annoyance with the more public breed of imbecile. From a distance, granted, but that's actually one of the benefits: when you throw things from a crowd, it's hard for them to pin it on who exactly splatted the lead actor with a tomato." Pronounced, thank you, to-mah-to.

"Today, therefore, is all about target practice!" He walked over to the corner of the classroom to the left of his desk, where stood a familiarly short, familiarly whiffy figure covered by a white furniture dropcloth that didn't really help with the whiffiness. Especially when he yanked it off.

"Your prime target, though if the mood strikes you, throwing things at each other is also acceptable. Get any on me and your detention will involve an hour locked in the maintenance closet with him." Which hadn't stopped Edmund from bringing an umbrella, just in case. "I had planned to have Baldrick recite scenes from Titus Andronicus to get you in the theatrical mood, but--"

"I kept getting stuck at tit," said Baldrick helpfully.

"Tight," Edmund corrected. "Titus. But since memorizing Shakespeare requires the ability to read past the first syllable, we'll have to go with Plan B, which is where Baldrick sings little songs about turnips, and you throw fruits and vegetables at him to shut him up."

"I wrote this one myself! Well, not wrote, but... ♪♫ Little rosey-dumplin', in the veggie rack...♫"

Edmund picked up a tomato and lobbed it at his head. Squish...

[Open!]

Library [03/04/11]

[wesleynotponcy.livejournal.com]

Wesley was all too happy to have his library shift today. Still smug from his excursion to Los Angeles earlier in the week, he thought it fitting to spend the time reading books on empath demons. Since, you know, he'd just killed one. It was an evil demon, though. Very bad.

Also, he was trying to block out last night's mental images of Warren and Jono. Dear god, that was traumatizing. Fortunately, the smugness prevailed.

[[no OCD today!]]

Apathy Clwhatever, Frithisucks, Some Clablahblahblah, After Clawhocares, Whatthefuckever, Bleh

[onapalebicycle.livejournal.com]

George looked like she had just rolled out of bed, to come here. So what if she had? Don't judge her. Naps were awesome. And so was staying up until dawn and sleeping until midafternoon.

"I wanna go back to Hawaii," she grumbled. "This island sucks and the weather sucks and I didn't even get laid."

Not that she had been trying. It just seemed like something to say.

"What are you all looking at me for?" she added. It didn't matter if anyone was looking at her or not. She had her eyes closed, so it wasn't like she could tell. "Stare at Jono. He's the one that had some psycho sleepover in the common room last night. There was Miley Cyrus involved."

How kind of George to throw her roommate to the wolves like that!

"Leave me alone," she said, burying her head in her arms and trying her damnedest to go back to sleep.

It was fucking Apathy Club. Like she was going to put effort in or something. Please.