Spoof

SPOOF TEXT

Definition and Social Function of Spoof

       Spoof is a text which tells factual story, happened in the past time with unpredictable and funny ending. Its social function is to entertain and share the story.

Generic Structure of Spoof

1. Orientation; is a opening part which tells us the issue or the problem that will be solved or told in the story. Orientation gives us the important thing about the characters and their problems.

2. Events; parts where the story explained into paragraphs that linked each other. Events are not limited into one or two scene or act. Events also adds more specific problems that happened, explains how the problems raise, and the dilema.

3. Twist; will be explained in the next page. Twist can only be found in spoof texts.

Language Feature of Spoof

1. Focusing on people, animals or certain things.

2. Using action verb; ate, ran, etc.

3. Using adverb of time and place.

4. Told in chronological order.

What is twist?

       This question is likely to answer what is the difference between narrative text and spoof. However, according to wikipedia, a twist ending is a plot twist occurring near or at the conclusion of a story, an unexpected conclusion to a work of fiction that causes the audience to reevaluate the narrative or characters.There are three common types of twisting ending.

Humorous Twist

       Many stories have twist with a happy, amusing, or heartwarming ending. It is funny and makes reade amused. Humorous twist ending sometime is called Lighthearted twist.

Ironic Twist

       Stories with a twist or surprise at the end do not necessarily have to have ahappy ending. Many have been written that have an ironic twist. This ironic twist ending often reveal something about the darker side of human nature. In other word ironic twist is tragic.

Misconception Twist

       A narrator who has incorrect information built around their own perception of events that they pass along can build an unpredictable ending. The ghost who doesn’t know he or she has died, the robot who feels human emotions, the narrator who does not know they are a mannequin in a store are some ways to create a twist based on faulty or withheld information.

       A spoof text is amusing. It is really entertaining as well as educating. A spoof text can be very simalar to NARRATIVE, RECOUNT or even NEWS ITEM. All are mostly composed in PAST TENSES mode. A spoof text is arranged in the generic structure of ORIENTATION, EVENTS, and TWIST. Because of this TWIST (an unpredictable ending), the story seems very funny. Take a look on the following example of spoof text!

Story 1. What time is it?

       A tramp lie down and sleep in the park. He had been sleeping for about 5 minutes when a couple walked by. The man stopped, woke the tramp up , and asked him, "Excuse me. Do you know what the time is?" The tramp replied, "I'm sorry - I don't have a watch, so I don't know the time."The man apologized for waking the tramp and the couple walked away.

       The tramp lay down again, and after a few minutes went back to sleep. Just then, a woman, who was out walking her dog, shook the tramp's shoulder until he woke up again.
The woman said, "I'm sorry to trouble you, but I'm afraid I've lost my watch - do you happen to know the time?" The tramp was a little annoyed at being woken up again, but he politely told the woman that he didn't have a watch and didn't know the time.

       After the woman had gone, the tramp had an idea. He opened the bag that contained all his possessions and got out a pen, a piece of paper and some string. On the paper, he wrote down, 'I do not have a watch. I do not know the time'. He then hung the paper round his neck and eventually dropped off again.

     After about 15 minutes, a policeman who was walking through the park noticed the tramp asleep on the bench, and the sign around his neck.

       He woke the tramp up and said, "I read your sign. I thought you'd like to know that it's2:30 p.m."

Generic Structure Analysis

            Orientation      : a tramp sleep in the park.

            Event 1            : a couple walk by and ask him the time, but he doesn’t know it                                           because he doesn’t have watch.

            Event 2            : a woman walk with her dog and ask him about the time, politely he                                  say that he doesn’t know it.

            Event 3            : the tramp get an idea to write down 'I do not have a watch. I do not                                 know the time'  so people will stop ask him about the time and won’t                                  disturb him.

            Twister            : a policeman was misunderstood, he wake up the tramp and then tell                                  him about the time.

       This is another example of spoof text. This story is funny, humorous, and twisting. The story has unpredictable ending through organizing the tricky plot. Take a look!

Story 2. The Perfect Husband?

       Several men are in the locker room of a golf club. A cell phone on a bench rings and a man engages the hands-free speaker function and begins to talk. Everyone else in the room stops to listen.

Man                        : "Hello."

Woman                   : "Honey, it's me. Are you at the club?"

Man                        : "Yes."

Woman                   : "I'm at the mall now and found this beautiful leather coat. It's
                               only $1,000. Is it OK if I buy it?"

Man                        : "Sure, go ahead if you like it that much."

Woman                   : "I also stopped by the Mercedes dealership and saw the new 2007
                               models. I saw one I really liked."

Man                        : "How much?"

Woman                   : "$80,000."

Man                        : "OK, but for that price I want it with all the options."

Woman                   : "Great! Oh, and one more thing. The house we wanted last year is                                back on the market. They're asking $950,000."

Man                        : "Well, then go ahead and give them an offer, but just offer $900,000."

Woman                   : "OK. I'll see you later! I love you!"

Man                        : "Bye, I love you, too."
Understanding Types of Text

       The man hangs up. The other men in the locker room are looking at him in astonishment. Then he smiles and asks: "Anyone know whose phone is???!!!"

       Generic Structure Analysis

            Orientation      : a cell phone in the bench inside of the golf club’s locker room rings, a                               man engages the hands-free speaker function and begins to talk so that                           everyone else in the room stops to listen.

            Events             : conversation happened between the man and a woman in the phone,                                 the woman asks much money to spend for what she wants, and the man                                   just agreed her wishes.

            Twist               : at the end of their conversation, all man look at the “perfect” man in                                 astonishment, but the man smile and ask, “Anyone know whose phone                               is?”

      

          Reading a spoof text can be very interesting as it has an unpredictable plot of the story. There will be a tricky "arrangement". As we build understanding of the plot to certain condition, a spoof text will be ended with a special contradictory ending. Bellow is another example of spoof text.

Story 3. Honey, What's For Supper?

       An elderly gentleman of 85 feared his wife was getting hard of hearing. So one day he called her doctor to make an appointment to have her hearing checked. The Doctor made an appointment for a hearing test in two weeks, and meanwhile there's a simple informal test the husband could do to give the doctor some idea of the state of her problem.

       “Here's what you do,” said the doctor. “Start out about 40 feet away from her, and in a normal conversational speaking tone see if she hears you. If not, go to 30 feet, then 20 feet, and so on until you get a response.”

       That evening, the wife is in the kitchen cooking dinner, and he's in the living room. He says to himself, “I'm about 40 feet away, let's see what happens.” Then in a normal tone he asks, “Honey, what's for supper?”

            No response.
Understanding Types of Text

       So the husband moved to the other end of the room, about 30 feet from his wife and repeats, “Honey, what's for supper?”

            Still no response.

       Next he moves into the dining room where he is about 20 feet from his wife and asks, “Honey, what's for supper?”

            Again he gets no response.

            So he walks up to the kitchen door, only 10 feet away. “Honey, what's for supper?”

            Again there is no response.

            So he walks right up behind her. “Honey, what's for supper?”

            “Damn it Earl, for the fifth time, CHICKEN!”

Generic Structure Analysis

            Orientation      : An elderly gentleman feared his wife was getting hard of hearing so                                 he called her doctor to make an appointment to have her hearing                                              checked, and the doctor gave him a simple informal test.

            Events             : he did what the doctor told him, he ask his wife, “honey, what's for                                  supper?” from about 40 feet until 10 feet away. But he got no response.

            Twist               : until he came right behind her, finally he got answered, “Damn it                                      Earl, for the fifth time, CHICKEN!” how ironic that he’s the one who                                got the hearing problem.

Story 4. A Smart Potato Farmer

       A potato farmer was sent to to prison just at time when he should have been digging the ground for planting the new crop of potatoes.

       He realized that his wife would not be strong enough to do the digging by herself, but that she could manage to do the planting, and he also knew that he did not have any friends or neighbors who would be willing to do the digging for him. So he wrote a letter to his wife which said “Please do not dig the potato field. I hide the money and the gun there.”

       Ten days later, he got a letter from his wife. It said, “I think somebody is reading your letter before they go out of prison. Some policeman arrived here two days ago and dug up the whole field. What shall I do now?”

            The prisoner wrote back at once. “Plant the potatoes, of course!”

Generic Structure Analysis

            Orientation      : A potato farmer was sent to to prison just at time when he should                                                 have been digging the ground for planting the new crop of potatoes.

            Event               : he realized that his wife would not be strong enough to do the digging                             by herself, but she could manage to do the planting. With no-one to                             help him digging, he wrote a letter that said “Please do not dig the                                              potato field. I hide the money and the gun there.”

            Twist               : he got a letter from his wife that told him that the police dug up the                                  whole field, he wrote back a letter that said “Plant the potatoes, of                                      course!”

Story 5. Penguin in the Park

       Once a man was walking in a park when he across a penguin. He took it to a policeman and said; "What should I do?" The policeman replied; "Take it to the zoo!".

       The next day, the policeman saw the man in the same park. The man was still carrying the penguin. The policeman was rather surprised and walked up to the man and asked; "Why are you still carrying the penguin? Didn't you take it to the zoo?"

       The man replied; "I certainly did. And it was a great idea because the penguin really enjoyed it. So, today I am taking it to the movie".

Analyzing the Text

Generic Structure Analysis

            Orientation      ; introducing participants: "He" and Penguin. They were in the park.

            Event 1            ; The man tended to take the penguin to the park.

            Event 2            ; The following day, the man were still carrying the penguin.

            Twist               ; Even, finally the man would take the penguin to the movies.

Language Feature Analysis

            Focusing on certain certain participants; He, penguin, policeman.

            Using action verb; carry, walk up.

            Using adverb of time and place; once, in the park.

            Told in chronological order; chronological order by days, the next day

Story 6. Private Conversation

       Last week I went to the theatre. I had a very good seat. The play was very interesting. I did not enjoy it. A young man and a young woman were sitting behind me. They were talking very loudly. I got very angry. I could not hear the actors. I turned around. I looked at the man and the young woman angrily. They did not pay any attention.

       In the end, I could not bear it. I turned around again. “I could not hear a word” I said angrily.

       “It’s none of your business” the young man said rudely. “This is a private conversation”

Generic Structure Analysis

            Orientation      : introducing a writes as point of view “I” which is in a theatre last                                      week.

            Event 1            : the other theatregoers, young man and young woman, were talking                                   noisily.

            Event 2            : the writer used physical language by turning around to the young man                              and young woman talk to not to make noisy.

            Event 3            : the writer used verbal language by saying “I could not hear a word”.

            Twister            : the young man misunderstood the writer’s word and said; “It’s none                                of your business. It’s a private conversation”.

Story 7. Nasreddin’s Coat

       One day Nasreddin had been invited to the dinner party. He went to the party by wearing old clothes.

       When he arrived in the party, nobody looked at him and nobody gave him a seat. He got no food in the party so he went home and change his clothes. Next he put on his best clothes. He wore his newest coat and went to the party again. The host at once got up and came to meet him. The host offered him the best table and gave him a good seat and served him the best food.

       Nasreddin sat and put off his coat. He put his coat and said; “Eat the food, Coat!” the hosts and guests were very surprised and asked Nareddin; “What are you doing?” Nasreddin replied calmly; “When I came here with my old clothes, nobody looked at me.

       Then I went home and put on my best clothes. I came back in my newest coat and you all give me this best food and drink. So, you give food to my coat instead of me”. Getting Nasreddin's answer, they just shook the head.

Generic Structure Analysis

            Orientation      : one day, Nasreddin was invited to a dinner party.

            Event 1            : He was in the party with his old cloth.

            Event 2            : He was in the party with his best newest coat.

            Twist               : Among the hosts and guests, he asked his coat to eat the served food.

Story 8. That Phone is Off

       Soon after he left college, Dave found one of his uncles who was very rich and had no children of his own died and left him a lot of money, so he decided to set up his own real estate agency.

       Dave found a nice office. He bought some new furniture and moved in. he had only been there for e few hours when he heard someone coming toward the door of his office.

“It must be my first customer,” Dave thought. He quickly picked up the telephone and pretended to be very busy answering an important call from someone in New York who wanted to buy a big and expensive house in the country.

       The man knocked at the door while this was going on. He came in and waited politely for Dave to finish his conversation on the phone. Then the man said to Dave; “I am from the telephone company and I was sent here to connect your telephone.”

Notes on the Spoof’s Generic Structure

            Orientation      : Dave was a lucky man. He suddenly became a very rich man because                                of the death of his rich uncle who had no children. He inherited his                             uncle’s money.

            Event 1            : Being rich, he wanted to set up his estate company.

            Event 2            : He had his new office. In his office, he pretended to be a very                                          successful businessman. He acted as had an important client. He                                         showed by making conversation on the phone.

            Twist               : The man whom he showed is a telephone technician. He came to                                       Dave’s office to connect that phone.

Story 9. Loving Money Too Much

       There was a man who liked money very much. He worked all of his life and wanted to save all of his money for his own future. He was a real miser when it came to his money. He loved money more than just about anything.

       Even, just before he died, he said to his wife; "Now listen, when I die, I want you to take all my money and place it in the casket with me. I wanna take my money to the afterlife." So he asked his wife to promise him with all her heart that when he died, she would put all the money in the casket with him.

       Well, one day, he really died. Then he was stretched out in the casket. The wife was sitting there in black clothes next to her closest friend. When they finished the ceremony, just before the undertakers got ready to close the casket, the wife said "Wait just a minute!" She had a box in her hands. She came over with the box and placed it in the casket.

       After that the undertakers locked the casket down and rolled it away. Not long after that, her friend said, "I hope you were not crazy enough to put all that money in the casket." The wife turned to her friend and replied; "Yes, because I have promised." Then she continued; "I can't lie. I promised him that I was going to put that money in that casket with him."

       Feeling shocked, her friend said; "You mean that you have put every cent of his money in the casket with him?" Then the wife answered; "Surely I did. I got it all together, put all the money into my account and I just wrote him a check."

Notice on Generic structure of spoof sample

       Spoof text is very similar to recount text. Both spoof and recount tell about the past event with chronological order. Its purpose is to amuse reader with funny story. The story mostly is ended with an unpredictable event.

The above spoof sample has generic structure as follow:

            Orientation      : It is the introduction of the story. By giving the orientation,                                               reader will recognize, for the first time, who involves in the                                                 story.The above story talks about a wife and his husband who                                                loves money too much even up to his death.

            Events             : Several events are explored in chronological way which able                                              to arrange the      story read nicely.Promising with her money                                                   miser husband, Putting the box inside casket, locking and                                                            rolling the casket are the events which build the complete story.

            Twist               : This is the unpredictable event/thing/way which amuse the                                                 reader. Readers even did not predict before that it would be.                                               When reading the above story, for the first, readers likely think                                                 that the wife would put all the money instead of just a                                                           check.

Story 10. It’s Time to Go to School!

       Early one morning, a mother went in to wake up her son. "Wake up, son. It's time to go to school!"

            "But why, Mom? I don't want to go."

            "Give me two reasons why you don't want to go."

            "Well, the kids hate me for one, and the teachers hate me, too!"

            "Oh, that's no reason not to go to school. Come on now and get ready."

            "Give me two reasons why I should go to school."

            "Well, for one, you're 52 years old. And for another, you're the Principal!"

Generic Structure Analysis

            Orientation      : a mother wake up her son to go to school, but her son don’t want it.

            Events             : they are keep arguing each other, her son said that two reasons why                                  he don’t want to go, first the kids hate him and also the teacher.

            Twist               : her mother also give two reasons why he must go, first he’s 52 years                                 old and also he is the principal.

Note on Spoof Text

       A funny story is always interesting. It really amuses reader. This amusement is actually the main function of spoof text.

       How spoof text tries to amuse the reader is actually including in the way it is structured. We all know that SPOOF text is built with generic structure of ORIENTATION, EVENTS ant TWIST. Two phases in the first are commonly found in the other text genres.

       Recount text, for example, has the structures of orientation and events too to hold the reader’s interest. However the end of the story is what makes spoof text differ from recount text.

       From the above example, we see clearly that the end of the story is really amusing and that we call TWIST which is the heart of spoof text.