{"id":723,"date":"2017-10-21T22:56:33","date_gmt":"2017-10-21T22:56:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-jeffersoncc-introliterature\/?post_type=chapter&p=723"},"modified":"2017-11-20T18:05:23","modified_gmt":"2017-11-20T18:05:23","slug":"not-taking-sides-is-like-that-beetlejuice-waiting-room-scene","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-jeffersoncc-introliterature\/chapter\/not-taking-sides-is-like-that-beetlejuice-waiting-room-scene\/","title":{"raw":"Not Taking Sides is Like That Beetlejuice Waiting Room Scene. . .","rendered":"Not Taking Sides is Like That Beetlejuice Waiting Room Scene. . ."},"content":{"raw":"It is important that we recognize the benefits and limitations of methodology.\u00a0 Likely, you know your major discipline's approaches well.\u00a0 There are ways of being recognized or not.\u00a0 For instance, in Jeopardy<\/em> contests, one has to phrase the answer in the form of a question.\u00a0 In discussion postings, many instructors require the post subject to be in sentence form.\u00a0 In Fast Times at Ridgemont High<\/em>, Jeff Spicoli, the surfer doesn't recognize his little brother: \"Curtis, you know I don't hear you unless you knock. . . \" (Heckerling).\u00a0 In science, hypotheses have to be provable.\u00a0 In academic writing, thesis claims must be both provable and arguable.\r\n\r\nI'm reminded of the notion of Purgatory, an invention of Dante in his La Divina Commedia\u00a0<\/em>(Divine Comedy<\/em>).\u00a0 This gets played up famously in Beetlejuice<\/em> and its waiting room scene:\r\n\r\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ei-2xTsyL8w\r\n\r\nWhat's interesting is that this echoes Dante, who puts people who failed to distinguish themselves into Hell.\u00a0 For Dante's Italians, not choosing was worse than choosing an opposite side to one's preferred side.\u00a0 Strangely enough, we are often more knowledgeable of our opponents--more tolerant of them, even--than of those who never choose.\u00a0 He even puts the neutral angels into Hell.\u00a0 In that era (1300 Florence), he even put living people into Hell, claiming that these people were so bad that demons inhabited their bodies and they were already in hell.\r\n\r\nSo these ideas can receive dogmatic answers.\u00a0 They get recognized or not, but over time they accrete meaning, slow down, and become concrete.\u00a0 (No Dogma<\/em> references necessary. . . )\r\n\r\nWhat I find interesting is that we're often struggling with the miniscule rules of MLA style in the same way.\r\n
As with science, though, we can essentialize this a bit: We are always already entering ongoing conversations.\u00a0 We do have to be for or against something.\u00a0 Likely ways of being against something are going to lead to tone issues and assumptions about audience agreement.<\/div>\r\nAs the Beetlejuice <\/em>move states, \"Take a number!\" and \"It's showtime!\" (Burton).","rendered":"

It is important that we recognize the benefits and limitations of methodology.\u00a0 Likely, you know your major discipline’s approaches well.\u00a0 There are ways of being recognized or not.\u00a0 For instance, in Jeopardy<\/em> contests, one has to phrase the answer in the form of a question.\u00a0 In discussion postings, many instructors require the post subject to be in sentence form.\u00a0 In Fast Times at Ridgemont High<\/em>, Jeff Spicoli, the surfer doesn’t recognize his little brother: “Curtis, you know I don’t hear you unless you knock. . . ” (Heckerling).\u00a0 In science, hypotheses have to be provable.\u00a0 In academic writing, thesis claims must be both provable and arguable.<\/p>\n

I’m reminded of the notion of Purgatory, an invention of Dante in his La Divina Commedia\u00a0<\/em>(Divine Comedy<\/em>).\u00a0 This gets played up famously in Beetlejuice<\/em> and its waiting room scene:<\/p>\n