shaunblog

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IS2Ozgx-ih8 The prevalence of slapstick comedy in content spread across social media and other platforms is quite a dramatic shift from the more thoughtful laughter that ripened over prior generations. Comedy has evolved into more one-liners and funny events rather than the well-developed and subtle jokes of the past, possibly because of the cultural shift towards bluntness and openness.  I find an extremely apparent and powerful example of thoughtful laughter is the Office in the interactions between the characters Michael Scott, played by Steve Carell, and Stanley Hudson, played by Leslie David Baker. Throughout the show, Michael Scott, the regional manager of Dunder Mifflin, attempts to be inclusive and aware of his biases when interacting with the only black employee, Stanley. However, he often fails to do this professionally and makes several racially unaware comments and sometimes almost derogatory statements that Stanley gets triggered by. Eve...

I have always received a shocked reaction whenever I tell people I was born in and lived in India for 8 years before moving to the United States. “You don’t sound Indian,” or “your English is really good,” are common replies, and, every single time, I have to explain my family and my upbringing to alleviate the curious person’s confusion. What I often fail to mention is how I developed my English skills at such a young age in a country of primarily non-English speakers. From the ages of 3-12, I read quite literally every single book I could get my hands on. These books helped me grasp English at a young age; a skill that has helped me in every facet of my life. I find language to be the most impactful factor toward success. To be an effective leader, you must communicate using clear and concise language. To be an effective collaborator, you must learn to use empathetic but firm language. And to be an effective learner, you must be able to articulate your thoughts into questions that ca...