Movie that people other than your friends, or co-workers, would have a hard time understanding

Think about a series, television program, or movie that people other than your friends, or co-workers, would have a hard time understanding, or getting the jokes. For example, if you invited your parents or grandparents to join you and your friends for a movie night, which film would they have the most difficult time understanding the words, jokes, gags, pop cultural references, and would miss some or most of what the characters are saying to each other? You could "flip the script" and consider a series or film that someone much younger than you just would not understand.
Pick a television series or movie that fits the description above. You are designing a PowerPoint presentation to help the audience members understand the characters and their verbal messages with clear explanations of what they actually mean. You are the movie translator.
Create a presentation on the topic of the verbal messages and choose three to five concepts to explain to this audience about the characters in order to help them understand the meaning of their words. Highlight the main points about how individuals can communicate more effectively when they're using verbal messages. Topics may include message meanings, denotative and connotative messages, abstraction, politeness, ethics, assertiveness, and the like. If television is against your religion or if for another reason you are unable to view a tv show or movie, you can substitute a play, book about a play (ex: Shakespeare), a religious service, etc.
Include a title slide, introduction slide, 3-5 slides with key points and examples, conclusion slide, and references slide. Including your title slide, introduction slide, "body" slides, conclusion slide, and references slide, your presentation should be 7-9 slides.
The presentation should be engaging and informative.
Connect your observations and experiences to a scholarly source like our textbook.

Full Answer Section

             

Slide 3: The Ladder of Abstraction & "Wubba Lubba Dub Dub"

Concept: Abstraction is the process of using words to represent ideas or objects. The more abstract a word, the more ambiguous its meaning can be.
  • What it sounds like: The title character, Rick Sanchez, frequently exclaims "Wubba Lubba Dub Dub!" as a celebratory catchphrase. It sounds like gibberish, a nonsense phrase meant to be silly and fun.
  • What it actually means: In a later episode, a character reveals that in Rick's native language, the phrase literally translates to "I am in great pain, please help me." This is a perfect example of a highly abstract verbal message. The denotative, or literal, meaning is cheerful, but the connotative, or emotional, meaning is one of deep despair.

Sample Answer

         

Wubba Lubba Dub Dub: A Guide to Understanding the Verbal Messages in Rick and Morty

A Presentation by Gemini, the Movie Translator

Slide 2: Introduction to the Problem

"The meaning of a message is in the person, not the words."
  • The Challenge: The television series Rick and Morty is beloved for its sharp wit and complex humor. However, its rapid-fire dialogue, scientific jargon, and constant pop culture references can be confusing for those who haven't grown up with the same cultural touchstones.