C1DialogoSerie TV3 min
Just One More
Due conduttori di un podcast sulla televisione discutono se il cliffhanger sia un trucco o un’arte.
Una conversazione tratta da un podcast. Fai attenzione a come entrambi radicalizzano, sfumano e alla fine spostano la propria posizione — e a espressioni come granted, that said e the thing is.
So, today’s question comes from a listener who watched a whole season in one weekend and now feels, in her words, slightly ashamed. Rafael, is the cliffhanger a form of art or a form of control?
Control, obviously. The ending of almost every part is designed so that you cannot stop. That is not telling a story, that is a slot machine with a story attached.
That is a bit hard. Stories have always ended chapters at the most important moment. The serial novels printed in newspapers did exactly the same thing two hundred years ago.
Granted. But a reader in those days had to wait a week for the next part. The waiting was part of the experience. Now the next part starts by itself after five seconds, and the decision to stop is quietly taken away from you.
So your problem is not the cliffhanger but the button.
In part, yes. The thing is, a good cliffhanger asks a question you really care about. A cheap one just cuts the scene in half. And the cheap ones have multiplied since the waiting disappeared.
I would argue the opposite, actually. Because people can watch everything at once, some shows have stopped using cliffhangers at all. The best shows I have seen recently end each part with a quiet moment that makes you want to think, not to click.
And did you stop after that quiet moment?
No. I watched four more.
There you go.
That said, I did not feel controlled. I felt like I was reading a book I could not put down, which is supposed to be a compliment.
Fine. Let us give our listener a verdict, then. If you finish a season and remember what it was about, it was art. If you finish it and only remember that it was late, it was the button.
I can live with that.
Today’s question comes from a listener. She watched a whole season in one weekend, and now she feels a little ashamed. Rafael, is the cliffhanger art or a way to control us?
Control, of course. Almost every part ends so that you cannot stop. That is not telling a story. That is a game machine.
That is a bit hard. Stories have always stopped at the most important moment. Novels in newspapers did the same thing two hundred years ago.
True. But then readers had to wait a week for the next part. Now the next part starts by itself after five seconds. You do not really decide to continue.
So your problem is not the cliffhanger. It is the button.
Partly. A good cliffhanger asks a question you care about. A cheap one just cuts the scene in half. And there are more cheap ones now.
I think the opposite. Some shows do not use cliffhangers at all any more. The best shows I have seen end each part with a quiet moment that makes you think.
And did you stop after that quiet moment?
No. I watched four more.
You see?
But I did not feel controlled. It was like a good book that you cannot stop reading.
All right. Here is our answer, then. If you finish a season and remember what it was about, it was art. If you only remember that it was late, it was the button.
I agree.
Un clic su una parola la cerca nel lessico di questo sito.
Altre frasi sul tema in «La lingua in azione»: Inglese in serie e film
- Parole
- 315
- Frasi
- 31
- Parole per frase
- 10,2
- nel lessico
- 100 %
- livello misurato
- B1
- Tempo di lettura
- 3 min
Grammatica in questo testo
Queste forme compaiono nel testo in un uso reale. Con «Mostra la grammatica», sopra il testo, vengono evidenziate.
is designed so that · is quietly taken away
Passivo con sfumatura di intenzione: is designed so that, is quietly taken away from you. Formare il passivo →
stopped using
stopped using vuol dire «smise di usare»; stopped to use vorrebbe dire «si fermò per usare». Verbi con -ing o to: stop, remember →
Granted · That said
Sfumare in una conversazione: Granted., That said, … — prima concedere, poi obiettare. Contrasto e concessione →
Le parole da C1 in su in questo testo
Non le parole difficili in assoluto, ma quelle del tuo livello: tutte le 1 delle 172 parole di questo testo sono di livello C1 o superiore. Tutto il resto lo conosci già, se sei arrivato fin qui.
verdict
il verdetto
C1
Le liste di parole di questo testo
Le parole di questo testo si trovano in 32 liste di questo sito; il numero accanto dice quante vengono da ciascuna lista. Chi ha letto il testo ha appena avuto bisogno proprio di queste parole — e può ripassare esattamente quelle.
Domande di comprensione
5 domande sul testo. A ogni risposta compare la frase in cui si trova — una domanda la cui risposta non si ritrova nel testo non verifica niente.
1. Perché l’ascoltatrice si vergogna un po’?
Ivy presenta la domanda all’inizio.
Fai attenzione a «in one weekend».
watched a whole season in one weekend
2. Quale esempio storico cita Ivy?
Leggi la seconda battuta di Ivy.
Fai attenzione alla parola «newspapers».
The serial novels printed in newspapers
3. Per Rafael, qual è la differenza più importante rispetto al passato?
Leggi la battuta di Rafael con «Granted».
Fai attenzione a «by itself».
Now the next part starts by itself after five seconds
4. Come mostra Rafael che il controesempio di Ivy non regge del tutto?
Leggi la breve domanda dopo la battuta più lunga di Ivy.
Fai attenzione al verbo «stop».
And did you stop after that quiet moment?
5. A quale verdetto arrivano i due alla fine?
Leggi l’ultima battuta di Rafael.
Fai attenzione a «remember».
If you finish a season and remember what it was about, it was art