Reader's Group Discussion Guide for "Nothin' Doin'"
While Infant Tyrone's "Nothin' Doin'" post does not stand out as his best work, it is his most recent, and so the chances are better that anyone will remember it. Filled with haunting imagery, adept metaphors and preternaturally funny jokes, it's a good representation of his work. The following questions will give your group something to discuss, so you're not just sitting there, wondering "who are these people?"
1: The "restless American mood" Tyrone mentions in the beginning of the post is a pretty accusatory way to say he wanted to go shopping. Did he phrase it that way because he's a traitor and un-patriotic, or is it just a way to acknowledge his United States heritage and his people's traditional method for fighting ennui: buying stuff?
2: Describe your mental picture of Tyrone, considering his description of his patched clothes and "blown-out" shoes. Does this description of him match the way he has been portrayed by the media?
3: The list of items Tyrone considers buying are all fairly childlike things to want. Is he listing those items because he himself is childish, or is he pointing out the immature id-urge to buy toys and junk food that non-essential commerce is dependent on?
4: The different people Tyrone describes being in the K-Mart seem sort of generic, like if you sat at home on the couch and imagined that you went to the K-Mart at 9 pm on a Wednesday, you might imagine this kind of selection there. Do you think he really went to the K-Mart, or was he just sitting at home, pulling bongloads and ordering pizza, making the whole thing up? Does the cashier with the emery board support or detract from this theory?
5: "...our American merchandise orgies..." Dude, really? I mean c'mon. Give it a rest.
6: Tyrone's 'joke' about the warranty seems sort of pathetic and last-minute. Was he getting desperate for some sensationalism late in the entry? Did he realize how ponderous and dull it was, and attempt to add something 'funny'? And does he really think that kind of this makes anyone else laugh?
7: The conclusion of the entry seems to suffer from the Wim Wenders numerous-fake-out-endings syndrome. When he's trying to end the post, he can't seem to decide if he's unhappy because there is no adventure in his life, or because he doesn't have a girlfriend. Does the post seem to point at one more than the other? Or is it all a satirical take on U.S. citizens who's lives are just so comfortable that they've got to make up imaginary issues to be unhappy about?
8: Does Tyrone give you the impression that he would be a fun person to hang out with? Does he seem like he would always be complaining about little nothings, or would he keep it all in, like some stoic, hunky strong & silent type? Do you think he would be good in bed? Explain.
1: The "restless American mood" Tyrone mentions in the beginning of the post is a pretty accusatory way to say he wanted to go shopping. Did he phrase it that way because he's a traitor and un-patriotic, or is it just a way to acknowledge his United States heritage and his people's traditional method for fighting ennui: buying stuff?
2: Describe your mental picture of Tyrone, considering his description of his patched clothes and "blown-out" shoes. Does this description of him match the way he has been portrayed by the media?
3: The list of items Tyrone considers buying are all fairly childlike things to want. Is he listing those items because he himself is childish, or is he pointing out the immature id-urge to buy toys and junk food that non-essential commerce is dependent on?
4: The different people Tyrone describes being in the K-Mart seem sort of generic, like if you sat at home on the couch and imagined that you went to the K-Mart at 9 pm on a Wednesday, you might imagine this kind of selection there. Do you think he really went to the K-Mart, or was he just sitting at home, pulling bongloads and ordering pizza, making the whole thing up? Does the cashier with the emery board support or detract from this theory?
5: "...our American merchandise orgies..." Dude, really? I mean c'mon. Give it a rest.
6: Tyrone's 'joke' about the warranty seems sort of pathetic and last-minute. Was he getting desperate for some sensationalism late in the entry? Did he realize how ponderous and dull it was, and attempt to add something 'funny'? And does he really think that kind of this makes anyone else laugh?
7: The conclusion of the entry seems to suffer from the Wim Wenders numerous-fake-out-endings syndrome. When he's trying to end the post, he can't seem to decide if he's unhappy because there is no adventure in his life, or because he doesn't have a girlfriend. Does the post seem to point at one more than the other? Or is it all a satirical take on U.S. citizens who's lives are just so comfortable that they've got to make up imaginary issues to be unhappy about?
8: Does Tyrone give you the impression that he would be a fun person to hang out with? Does he seem like he would always be complaining about little nothings, or would he keep it all in, like some stoic, hunky strong & silent type? Do you think he would be good in bed? Explain.