Thursday, March 12, 2009

My English Professor Has Banished Me To The Land Of B-List Misfits......


I'm currently under attack from an onslaught of Killer B's.
Does it sting?
Oh yes, does it ever.
Sadly, I don't think there's any sort of exterminating spray on the market to make it go away either.
My Professor, Professor Meso Smart, may not have ever listed the position of "Professional Head Shrinker" on his resume, but he does indeed possess an amazing knack for shrinking a Jolly Green Giant-sized ego down to miniature pea status using nothing more than a scribbly wave of his red pen.
You know, I didn't even get the benefit of receiving a nifty little dangling shrunken ego keychain to carry around with me afterwards. Is it too much to expect that Professor Meso Smart at least enshrine my deflated little speck of ego into a glass display box so I can pimp it out like a freaky side show spectacle and maybe make a little ka-ching?
I ran a little experiment to test the boundaries of Professor Meso Smart's sinister grading pen.
The rought draft for my assigned opinion essay consisted of nothing more than the blandest of facts and statistics. I then proceeded to sprinkle it with some milquetoast regurgitations of wholly uninspired data to support my opinion. Pure, unadulterated drudgery.
That effort won an emphatic "A+" from Professor Meso Smart.
I labored and agonized over the final copy of the essay for a week. I passionately employed brilliant personification and mixed it with sharply pointed verbage designed to evoke an unforgettable landscape of mental imagery in the reader's head. If you can't unleash the searing fire burning in your soul within the confines of an opinion paper, then where can you?
Professor Meso Smart read my final copy and chose to sting me with yet another Killer B.
While he declared my paper to have achieved "the highest plane of critical thinking as evidenced by my argumentation and reasoning" he also said that my "exceedingly excellent paper was marred by the usage of turgid wording."
Yes, "TURGID" as in wildly exaggerated or embellished.
Other words used to describe my masterpiece: "bombastic" and "florid."
I may have tumbled off the A-list bar stool like the uncoordinated Shirley Temple-drinking lush that I am, but last week's class set the scene for my ultimate vindication.
While reading aloud to the class from a featured article in The Houston Chronicle, Professor Meso Smart stopped to slobber and praise the writer's stuffed-full-of-adjectives style as "magnificent!" He then inquired of the class: "Who in here can write like this?"
Without hesitation, my hand rocketed straight into the air as I blurted out "ME! I write exactly like that."
Stunned, Professor Meso Smart paused, momentarily closed his eyes, and then, after a brief interlude of reflection, quietly admitted "Yes, Elastic, it's true. You DO write like this."
Victory is mine!
It's not as sweet as a warrior team of A's bursting into the classroom to vanquish the Killer B's back into the realm of scholastic injustice from whence they sprang, but just instigating a moment of stark epiphany in Professor Meso Smart made the moment so very worthwhile.

Special thanks to my flappy friend, clean counter confidant, and Vicodin muse, Carrot Jello who assures me that Professor Meso Smart refuses to award me an "A" because he's so insanely jealous of my genius. I'm convinced that's the real reason.

13 comments:

Jami said...

Jealousy probably is the real reason. For the attack of the killer Bs. I know I'm crazy jealous of your incredible vim, vigor and vehemence. But I'd have given you an A because I can rise above my envy.

Anyway, how could anyone think of you as wildly exaggerated or embellished? Normally you are the dullest of dull sticks. :P

Hilary said...

I'm totally convinced. :)

Lisa said...

For sure! Emily's English teacher last year didn't like her and we had several meetings to discuss different issues going on in that class. This year? Complete opposite. The teacher even asked her to write a quiz for the class.

Carrot Jello said...

I wasn't joking my friend.

Carrot Jello said...

You've got a gift, my friend. Don't hide it under a flap...er...bushel basket.

Science Teacher Mommy said...

Remember that email I sent you? I guess you decided to say true to your voice eh? Good on ya'.

Nancy Face said...

I totally agree with Carrot Jello!

Nancy Face said...

I had no idea what the heck "turgid" meant. I was just about to look it up when I found the definition you so thoughtfully included for the benefit of goobie fish such as me...thanks! :)

Rick Rockhill said...

hee hee this was fun EWBL.

Jean Knee said...

oh hell yeah that's the reason. I hate boring writing bring on the turgid!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Christy said...

Next semester you really need to go on rate my professor BEFORE your register. Or tell me what you need to take and I could tell you who to take or who NOT to take.

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