YOYO English Club

Without further ado, please watch the short video at Oscars 2022
Section-1
1. How do you feel about this incident at the first time? After knowing Jada’s Alopecia areata, do you support Will Smith’s behavior?
2. If this joke is a kind of violence, and many celebrities laughed loudly, do you think they are also assaulters? Or do you think public figures should accept the criticism of others because it’s a part of their job?
3. Do you think verbal violence is worse than physical violence? Are there any examples?
4. Although most of the media focus on Will Smith, actually Jada is the victim in the joke. Do you think Will Smith can represent for his wife? Or it’s kind of “Toxic Masculinity”?

Section-2
5. Draw a Triangle, Square, Circle, M-model and get your priorities straight.
6. Why is the media framing really different from America and Taiwan? Can you share more concrete cases in culture difference?
7. What does Will Smith’s slap cause? More violence or less? Is there any other better way to against excessive joke?
8. Do you have any experience of excessive joke (No matter which character you are)?

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Agenda:
6:45 ~ 7:00pm Greetings & Free Talk / Ordering Beverage or Meal / Getting Newcomer’s Information
7:00 ~ 7:10pm Opening Remarks / Newcomer’s Self-introduction / Grouping
(Session I)
7:10 ~ 7:45pm Discussion Session (35 mins)
7:45 ~ 8:00pm Summarization (15 mins)
8:00 ~ 8:05pm Regrouping / Instruction Giving / Taking a 5 Minutes Break (Intermission)
(Session II)
8:05 ~ 8:40pm Discussion Session (35 mins)
8:40 ~ 8:55pm Summarization (15 mins)
8:55 ~ 9:00pm Concluding Remarks / Announcements

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Meeting Date: As shown on the Subject Line
Meeting Time: 7:00pm – 9:00pm
Meeting Venue: 丹堤咖啡 Dante Coffee (Minimum Order $85)
Address: 台北市濟南路三段25號[MAP]-捷運忠孝新生站3號出口步行3分鐘

Important Notes:
1. We suggest that participants read the articles and think about the questions in advance.
2. Newcomers should prepare a two-to-three-minute self-introduction in English to deliver when called upon by the host before the start of the discussion.
3. We welcome newcomers and other guests to attend the meetings and join the discussion freely for three times. After that, we hope you will consider becoming a YoYo English Club member. We charge a NT$1000 lifetime membership fee, or NT$500 for students.

jerryozoz 寫: ↑

週三 4月 13, 2022 11:21 am

Section-2
1. Draw a Triangle, Square, Circle, M-model and get your priorities straight.

I don't understand this question. Can someone explain it for me?

I guess it is a reminder for people to calm down, do something else to distract yourself from the scenario, take control, and think about what to do rationally.

Sherry Liao 寫: ↑

週一 4月 18, 2022 4:47 pm

jerryozoz 寫: ↑

週三 4月 13, 2022 11:21 am

Section-2
1. Draw a Triangle, Square, Circle, M-model and get your priorities straight.

I don't understand this question. Can someone explain it for me?

I was told it's an activity and Jerry will explain it in the meeting. I guess he wants us to sit tight and wait for the instructions.

A few thoughts,
1) Many incidents cause certain feelings to each individual differently. We will understand how others feel only when we really put ourselves in their shoes. Judging others based on our own circumstances is hardly fair. Why Jada Smith rolled her eyes and how she felt about the jokes are not something we can fully comprehend.

2) Though we do not fully understand Jada Smith’s feelings, it does not justify Will Smith’s impulsive and reckless behavior. In my opinion, he should take a 10-day Vipassana meditation retreat and work on “fighting back without emotion”.

3) From a bystander’s perspective, I don’t feel the joke was so much cross the line, but it could have been communicated beforehand to avoid gaining an entertaining effect at the expense of hurting the feelings of someone else.

In general, verbal violence could be potentially more dangerous and more harmful. It’s because verbal abuse is hard to spot, but the damage could be very subtle and unseen.

When we use words intentionally or sometimes unintentionally to undermine, belittle, humiliate, or discredit someone else, we need to remember that it is very likely someone’s heart is in tears or even bleeding somewhere else. That’s no less pain than any physical violence.

When we feel hurt by other’s words, does it constitute “verbal violence” automatically? I am afraid not.

We normally have an overly exaggerated ego. When we feel our ego is violated, we want revenge and justification.
That is a process very difficult to compromise and see the truth clearly. It will take a lot of effort; sometimes, it’s a life-long process. Jada Smith and many of us all have the homework to do in this respect.

Thanks for your reply, Rock and Iris! Yesterday when I read this question, I thought it has something to do with Squid Game

Sherry Liao 寫: ↑

週一 4月 18, 2022 4:47 pm

jerryozoz 寫: ↑

週三 4月 13, 2022 11:21 am

Section-2
1. Draw a Triangle, Square, Circle, M-model and get your priorities straight.

I don't understand this question. Can someone explain it for me?

Sorry, I didn't explain it clearly. It a simple psychology test and it will show the statistic personality according to the order of figures you choose. I will show you in the meeting =)

1. The fact that Jada Smith rolled her eyes clearly showed that she despised the joke. It is not hard to comprehend. （Sorry for disagreeing with you, Iris, haha, feel free to rebute me, if you like.：）

2. Will Smith got the punishment of being banned from Oscars for 10 years. Some people say this is equal to no punishment. I don't agree. I think it is humiliating. Based on the fact that both Will and Chris did something wrong, this punishment is in line with the principle of proportionality.

3. As for “verbal violence”, I believe it happens in a lot of marriages, as well as in mine. When married couples have a big fight, the worst, the most terrible words you can imagine can come out of the mouth from each side. To me, I just ignore thoese words and respond with “yeah...right... whatever...”. However, if the other side gets physical, no matter it is harmful or not, I will regard it as provocative and get physical back. It is sort of animal instinct.

4. Cyberbully is one kind of “verbal violence”. I don't really get why some people even go to extreme to commit suicide because of it. We need to have a strong mind to ignore hurtful words so that our heart will not bleed.

5. Accidentally, I googled “excessive joke” and there in no result. It seems natives don't say it this way. Maybe we can say “insensitive joke” or “inappropriate joke”？