Curated and contributed by: Kylie Bach (Set 1) and Mia Mercado (Set 2), TESOL, Hawaii Pacific University
Rachel: Hi, you guys.
Monica: Hey.
Joey: What's in the bag?
Rachel: Oh uh, you know how Emma started crawling? I realized that this place is very unsafe for a baby so I went to the store and I got some stuff to baby-proof the apartment.
Joey: Oh, God, baby-proofing. Why is it such a big deal now? You know, when I was a kid, it was like: "Whoops, Joey fell down the stairs." Or, "Whoops, Joey electrocuted himself again."
Monica: Anyway, um, are you going to get a handyman to install this stuff?
Rachel: No, I was just gonna do it myself.
Joey: You're gonna do it?
Rachel: Yeah. Why? You don't think a woman can do this?
Joey: Women can. You can't.
Rachel: Monica, will you please tell Joey that he is a pig.
Monica: You're a pig. And you can't do this.
Rachel: What? What? Come on, I found the hardware store all by myself.
Joey: The hardware store is right down the street.
Rachel: There is a hardware store right down the street?
Monica: Ross’ apartment is nice. How come we don’t hang out here more often?
Chandler: Maybe because it smells weird. It’s like old pumpkins or something.
Monica: That’s my pie.
Chandler: Which smells delicious.
Ross: (entering) Hey! (He’s wearing a costume as well.)
Rachel: Hey.
Monica: What are you supposed to be?
Ross: Remember the Russian satellite, Sputnik? (They all look at him.) Well, I’m a potato or a…spud. And these are my antennae. (Points to the colander with an old TV antenna glued on top that he’s wearing.) So Sputnik, becomes… (They’re still confused) Spud-nik. Spudnik!
Chandler: Wow! I don’t have the worst costume anymore!
Joey: (sees Ross) Hey all right, Ross came as doody.
Ross: No, I-I’m not doody.
Monica: No, space doody!
Ross: Okay, I'm Spud-nik. You know, like Sputnik.
Joey: What's a Sputnik, doody-man?
Have you ever insulted someone? Why did you do it?
Think about the times you have made fun of your friends/siblings. You most likely did this to be funny or because you were upset.
1. Watch the video clip again and underline the insults on the transcript.
Rachel: Hi, you guys.
Monica: Hey.
Joey: What's in the bag?
Rachel: Oh uh, you know how Emma started crawling? I realized that this place is very unsafe for a baby so I went to the store and I got some stuff to baby-proof the apartment.
Joey: Oh, God, baby-proofing. Why is it such a big deal now? You know, when I was a kid, it was like: "Whoops, Joey fell down the stairs." Or, "Whoops, Joey electrocuted himself again."
Monica: Anyway, um, are you going to get a handyman to install this stuff?
Rachel: No, I was just gonna do it myself.
Joey: You're gonna do it?
Rachel: Yeah.Why? You don't think a woman can do this?
Joey: Women can. You can't.
Rachel: Monica, will you please tell Joey that he is a pig.
Monica: You're a pig. And you can't do this.
Rachel: What? What? Come on, I found the hardware store all by myself.
Joey: The hardware store is right down the street.
Rachel: There is a hardware store right down the street?
2. What is the nature of the insults? How do you know that they are insults? Give examples
3. What can you decipher about the relationships between the characters in the video clip?
4. What feelings do the insults portray?
1. Watch the video clip again and underline or highlight the insults on the script.
2. What is the nature of the insult? How do you know that it was an insult?
3. What can you decipher about the characters or their relationship?
1. Watch the video clip again and underline or highlight the insults on the script.
2. How many insults did you find? What is the nature of the insult(s)? How do you know that these are insults?
1. Group discussion
What do you notice about the insults from all three video clips? How are they similar or different?
Do you think insulting is done for the sole purpose of being mean to someone?
Based on these clips, why do people insult others?
How do people react after being insulted?
2. Practice
Practice the scripts by role-playing.
Then write and perform your own skits in which you insult or make fun of someone. Keep in mind that you are only practicing and the insults should not be deliberately offensive.
1. Watch the video clip again and underline the insults.
Rachel: Hi, you guys.
Monica: Hey.
Joey: What's in the bag?
Rachel: Oh uh, you know how Emma started crawling? I realized that this place is very unsafe for a baby so I went to the store and I got some stuff to baby-proof the apartment.
Joey: Oh, God, baby-proofing. Why is it such a big deal now? You know, when I was a kid, it was like: "Whoops, Joey fell down the stairs." Or, "Whoops, Joey electrocuted himself again."
Monica: Anyway, um, are you going to get a handyman to install this stuff?
Rachel: No, I was just gonna do it myself.
Joey: You're gonna do it?
Rachel: Yeah.Why? You don't think a woman can do this?
Joey: Women can. You can't.
Rachel: Monica, will you please tell Joey that he is a pig.
Monica: You're a pig. And you can't do this.
Rachel: What? What? Come on, I found the hardware store all by myself.
Joey: The hardware store is right down the street.
Rachel: There is a hardware store right down the street?
2. What is the nature of the insults? How do you know that they are insults?
The insults are meant to be humorous. The insults are either direct or indirect. A direct insult is similar to the insults here:
Rachel: Monica, will you please tell Joey that he is a pig.
Monica: You're a pig. And you can't do this.
An indirect insult is when the insult is from the way it is said, not just what is being said. For example:
Rachel: No, I was just gonna do it myself.
Joey: You're gonna do it?
Rachel: Yeah.Why? You don't think a woman can do this?
Joey’s question could just be honest inquiry, but because of the way he said it and Rachel’s response in the next line, we can see that it was taken as an insult.
Another indirect insult is like here:
Rachel: What? What? Come on, I found the hardware store all by myself.
Joey: The hardware store is right down the street.
Joey could just be stating a fact, but it is more of an insult because Rachel is trying to display her competence and Joey states this fact as a way to degrade her statement.
3. What can you decipher about the relationships between the characters in the video clip?
The characters in the clip must have a close relationship, since they are able to insult each other without getting seriously mad.
4. What feelings do the insults portray?
Shock, surprise, being upset, doubt.
1. Watch the video clip again and underline or highlight the insults on the script.
Monica: Ross’ apartment is nice. How come we don’t hang out here more often?
Chandler: Maybe because it smells weird. It’s like old pumpkins or something.
Monica: That’s my pie.
Chandler: Which smells delicious.
2. What is the nature of the insult? How do you know that it was an insult?
The insult appears to be accidental. Chandler accidentally insults Monica, and when he realized what he did he corrects himself by saying the pie smells delicious.
3. What can you decipher about the characters or their relationship?
Chandler must care about Monica’s feelings, which is why he corrects his initial insult.
1. Watch the video clip again and underline or highlight the insults on the script.
Ross: (entering) Hey! (He’s wearing a costume as well.)
Rachel: Hey.
Monica: What are you supposed to be?
Ross: Remember the Russian satellite, Sputnik? (They all look at him.) Well, I’m a potato or a…spud. And these are my antennae. (Points to the colander with an old TV antenna glued on top that he’s wearing.) So Sputnik, becomes… (They’re still confused) Spud-nik. Spudnik!
Chandler: Wow! I don’t have the worst costume anymore!
Joey: (sees Ross) Hey all right, Ross came as doody.
Ross: No, I-I’m not doody.
Monica: No, space doody!
Ross: Okay, I'm Spud-nik. You know, like Sputnik.
Joey: What's a Sputnik, doody-man?
2. How many insults did you find? What is the nature of the insult(s)? How do you know that these are insults?
4 insults, that are meant to be humorous. This type of insulting is called “making fun of someone.” You can tell they are insults by Ross’ reaction and response, as he continues to defend his costume and deny that he is “doody.”
She's The Man (2006)
Clip Synopsis: The girl's soccer team just got cut at Cornwall Academy due to the lack of participation. Viola and her friends decide to ask the boy's soccer coach if they can try out for the boy's team. The coach denies their request and proceeds to insult them.
Transcript:
Kia: Don't you think you'd get more playing time at a school like Michigan?
Viola: Yeah. Maybe, but it's always been about being a Tar Heel for me.
Yvonne: Hey guys wait up!
Viola: I'm gonna wear that Carolina blue.
Kia: Yeah.
Viola: Yeah, baby! OK, what is the lacrosse team doing on our field?
Kia: The school cut our team.
Viola: Wait, what?
Yvonne: Not enough girls signed up.
Viola: So they just cut us?
Kia: They can't do that.
Viola: OK. This is not over.
Coach: Hi, girls. I heard the bad news.
Viola: "Bad"? It's a disaster.
Kia: Now college scouts won't even get to see us play.
Coach: I know. If there's anything I can do, just say the word.
Viola: Matter of fact, there is. We wanna try out for the boys team.
Coach: Anything besides that.
Viola: Coach, come on! You know that we're good enough.
Coach: I don't know that that's a thing that I know.
Kia: What?
Viola: All we're asking for is one shot.
All: - Yeah.
Coach: Girls, we have two weeks before school starts. Then we open against Illyria. A rivalry game. We have to win.
Viola: And we can help you win.
Justin: Hey, baby.
Viola: Hey.
Justin: What's going on, coach?
Coach: The girls here want to try out for the team.
Justin: You're not serious.
Coach: All right, all right! You're all excellent players. But girls aren't as fast as boys.
Boy's Team: Right.
Viola: What?
Coach: Or as strong. Or as athletic. This is not me talking. It's a scientific fact. Girls can't beat boys. It's as simple as that.
Viola: OK. Justin, you're the team captain. What do you think about it?
Justin: I think the coach said it all.
Viola: Yesterday you told me that I was better than half the guys on your team.
Justin: What? I never said that.
Viola: What are you talking about? Why are you lying?!
Justin: Viola! End of discussion.
Boy's Team: Yeah, tell her, man.
Viola: Fine. End of relationship.
Classroom Activities:
Warm Up
Discuss with other students the following questions:
Have you ever insulted someone or been insulted by someone?
How do you think a person feels when being insulted?
Analyze
After watching the video and reading the script above, identify any insults.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Discussion
What are some context clues that allow you to indicate the insults (body language, emotions displayed, facial expressions, word choice etc)?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
How do you determine the meaning of the insult?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Remove any insults you found from the script– Does it give off the same impression as its intended meaning? Do you think this would change the outcome of the situation?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Creativity
In groups of 3, create an alternative script by removing the insults and replacing them with your own words of positivity. Assign each person to a character and act out your scenes. (Start from Line 17)
Reflection
Answer the following questions:
What is your understanding of insults? Are they good or bad?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Does the overall tone of the original script differ from the one you wrote? Explain.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What was the outcome of the situation with the rewritten script? How does it compare with the original scene?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Why is it important to understand the meaning of insults and is it important to bring awareness to them in our daily interaction?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________