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Just One More
Dois apresentadores de um podcast sobre televisão discutem se o cliffhanger é um truque ou uma arte.
Uma conversa de um podcast. Repara em como os dois extremam, matizam e no fim deslocam a sua posição — e em expressões como 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.
Um clique numa palavra procura-a no vocabulário deste sítio.
Mais frases sobre isto em «A língua em uso»: Inglês em séries e filmes
- Palavras
- 315
- Frases
- 31
- Palavras por frase
- 10,2
- no vocabulário
- 100 %
- nível medido
- B1
- Tempo de leitura
- 3 min
Gramática neste texto
Estas formas aparecem no texto em uso real. Com «Mostrar gramática», por cima do texto, ficam destacadas a cor.
is designed so that · is quietly taken away
Passiva com sentido de intenção: is designed so that, is quietly taken away from you. Formar a passiva →
stopped using
stopped using quer dizer «deixou de usar»; stopped to use quereria dizer «parou para usar». Verbos com -ing ou to →
Granted · That said
Matizar numa conversa: Granted., That said, … — primeiro concordar, depois objetar. Contraste e concessão →
As palavras a partir de C1 neste texto
Não as palavras difíceis em geral, mas as do teu nível: todas as 1 das 172 palavras deste texto estão em C1 ou acima. Tudo o resto já conheces quando chegas aqui.
verdict
o veredicto
C1
As listas de palavras deste texto
As palavras deste texto estão em 32 listas deste sítio; o número a seguir diz quantas vêm de cada lista. Quem leu o texto acabou de precisar precisamente destas palavras — e pode praticar exatamente essas.
Perguntas de compreensão
5 perguntas sobre o texto. A cada resposta aparece a frase em que ela está — uma pergunta cuja resposta não se encontra no texto não avalia nada.
1. Porque é que a ouvinte tem um pouco de vergonha?
A Ivy apresenta a pergunta no início.
Repara em «in one weekend».
watched a whole season in one weekend
2. Que exemplo histórico refere a Ivy?
Lê a segunda fala da Ivy.
Repara na palavra «newspapers».
The serial novels printed in newspapers
3. Para o Rafael, qual é a diferença mais importante em relação ao passado?
Lê a fala do Rafael com «Granted».
Repara em «by itself».
Now the next part starts by itself after five seconds
4. Como mostra o Rafael que o contraexemplo da Ivy não resulta totalmente?
Lê a pergunta curta depois da fala mais longa da Ivy.
Repara no verbo «stop».
And did you stop after that quiet moment?
5. A que veredicto chegam os dois no fim?
Lê a última fala do Rafael.
Repara em «remember».
If you finish a season and remember what it was about, it was art