
Etiquette Lessons.
Written by the Neo Futurists.
Heather - "Clarification question?"
Greg - "Panicked [BLEEP] explanation. Quick meaningless comic non-sequitur."
Acting has been taught for years by the process of don’t just say it, do it. Well, what if the characters of your show only said what they were doing? I introduce you to Etiquette Lesson by The Neo-Futurists. The two characters Greg and Heather showcase what makes up every dynamic of a young couple, a little bit of conflict. Instead of hearing the direct words of the conversation go down we see a stereotype of every argument ever produced between a man and a women.
You’ve seen the memes of women winning the argument by not saying much and men continuously burying themselves deeper. Now, you see it again. There is a realization presented that even without the words or direct phrasing the action and how each individual responds is the crux of the problem.
After the first read of this scene you just laugh and smile to yourself because no matter where you are in life you know this scene has been seen before and it is 100% relatable. You feel for each individual character even without knowing exactly what the confrontation is about, this time. The woman was wronged and offended in some way and that’s good enough for all of her girlfriends to call Greg a jerk and be on her side. Greg has no true inclination of the severity of his actions and continues speaking out of confusion and in efforts to address the problem. The men in the audience I’m sure would relate to feeling truly perplexed with womankind’s unorthodox reaction to what was really just a small conversation.
The characters in this short show represent a comedic look into real life and they represent men and women on a larger scale. With an ambiguous scene the present a very relatable conflict one that no one wishes to be a part of but can find the humor in when looking at it from a third party.