在线英语听力室

美国国家公共电台 NPR Movie 'Eighth Grade' Dares You To Relive Those Teenage Years

时间:2018-07-25 08:02:03

搜索关注在线英语听力室公众号:tingroom,领取免费英语资料大礼包。

(单词翻译)

 

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

OK, if I say eighth grade, what comes to mind - Drama? awkwardness? Please let me think about anything but that? A new film out this week dares you to walk those halls once again, but this time in the age of Instagram. The film is called "Eighth Grade," and it tells the story of Kayla, a shy 13-year-old girl in the last weeks of eighth grade navigating1 the turbulent waters of pool parties, school dances, awkward romantic advances and underappreciated video blog. And, unlike previous generations, she has to do all of this in a sea of social media.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "EIGHTH GRADE")

ELSIE FISHER: (As Kayla) Hey, guys. It's Kayla, back with another video. So the topic of today's video is being yourself. Being yourself can be hard, and it's, like, aren't I always being myself? And, yeah, for sure. But being yourself is, like, not changing yourself to impress someone else.

MARTIN: The film was written and directed by comedian2 Bo Burnham. And, like the film's protagonist3, Burnam spent some of his teen years posting to YouTube.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

BO BURNHAM: (Singing) 'Cause I'm Bo, yo. I'm the greatest rapper ever, and whether you - whether - whether you think you're better or not - you're better, you're not - don't need a sweater - I'm hot. If I can't think of another rhyme, then I ought to think of one.

MARTIN: But, unlike Kayla, Burnham's comedy videos went viral and launched his career as a stand-up comedian. Now, 10 years and many millions of views later, Burnham has made his directorial debut4 with "Eighth Grade." The film is already generating a lot of buzz and some excellent reviews. And so we're really glad that Bo Burnham is with us now from our studios at NPR West in Culver City, Calif., to tell us more.

Bo Burnham, congratulations. Thanks so much for talking with us.

BURNHAM: Thanks for having me. I appreciate it.

MARTIN: So let me just get this out of the way for people who are wondering. You are a grown man now. You're...

BURNHAM: I am, yes. I am growing - but, yes, 27.

MARTIN: Growing, 27, got your driver's license5 and...

BURNHAM: Yes.

MARTIN: ...All of that good stuff. So what made you decide to tell a story through the eyes of a 13-year-old girl for your first feature?

BURNHAM: You know, I was just really setting out to try to tell a story about what I was feeling at the time, which is I was feeling anxious, and I feel like it was linked to the Internet somehow. And, you know, I wanted to talk about what it felt like to be alive right now. And, to me, that felt confusing and weird6 and strange and anxious and unsure. And so I realized that I was describing "Eighth Grade" at a certain point.

So I went online to watch a bunch of videos of young people talking about themselves. And the boys tended to talk about videogames, and the girls tended to talk about their souls. So it was, like, OK. I think it's probably (laughter) going to be about a girl. And I also wanted to make a movie about this age that didn't feel nostalgic and wasn't a memory. I like nostalgic movies, but I wanted this to be visceral and present. And it being a girl sort of forced me to not be able to project my own experience on this. This isn't a story about my younger self.

MARTIN: Well, I confess that I have an in-house focus group. I have two people in my house who just finished eighth grade...

(LAUGHTER)

MARTIN: And one of them is a girl. And I...

BURNHAM: In-house focus group - I like that.

MARTIN: And I took her to see the film - the screening. And I asked her if it rang true. Like, there was a particular moment when the principal was dabbing7, you know, trying to be cool. And I said, gee8, that seems kind of corny. And she said, but so very accurate (laughter).

BURNHAM: Yeah. Yeah. The corny is intentional9. There's - the cringe is meant to - yeah. We're trying to honestly portray10 kids and then honestly portray how adults have no idea what kids are going through (laughter).

MARTIN: Let me just play this scene from the film where Kayla is shadowing a group of older high school kids at the mall. She's hanging with them, both studying them and wanting very much to be a part of them, which is also something that very - rings very true at that age. And I just want to play a clip from where the older kids are talking about the differences even in their age group from what they saw when they were in eighth grade. Let me just play that. Here it is.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "EIGHTH GRADE")

DANIEL ZOLGHADRI: (As Riley) She's a different generation than us. She's...

EMILY ROBINSON: (As Olivia) She's not a different generation.

ZOLGHADRI: (As Riley) Yeah, she is.

ROBINSON: (As Olivia) She's four years younger than us. I mean...

ZOLGHADRI: (As Riley) OK. But people who were, like, four years older than us felt like [expletive] 50 years old.

ROBINSON: (As Olivia) That's, like, blatantly11 not true.

ZOLGHADRI: (As Riley) Your sister?

ROBINSON: (As Olivia) My sister just sucks.

ZOLGHADRI: (As Riley) OK. But, like, on top of that, she didn't have Twitter in middle school, and we did. That made us different.

ROBINSON: (As Olivia) Kayla, you're not different than us.

ZOLGHADRI: (As Riley) Well, yeah - when did you get Snapchat, what grade?

FISHER: (As Kayla) Fifth grade.

ZOLGHADRI: (As Riley) Fifth grade?

IMANI LEWIS: (As Aniyah) Jesus.

ZOLGHADRI: (As Riley) What?

MARTIN: OK, tell me about that scene.

BURNHAM: I had felt a disconnect from people - you know, I had felt as close to people 10 years older than me as I did to people three years younger than me because I realized that, like, these once-in-a-generation sort of social innovations were happening every six to eight months. So it was, like, you know, if generations were defined by, I don't know, a Walkman, and then, like, vinyl, now these new, radical12 changes were happening every, you know, eight, 12 months. And so my thought was, maybe they still are happening once a generation, and the generations (laughter) are - gaps are just shrinking.

When I was on social media, it was, like, MySpace, which was, like, OK, post a profile picture of yourself, and list some of your interests, and list your friends. And now it's Instagram, Twitter. What do you look like? What are you thinking? What do you look like? What are you thinking? Those are really baser, deeper, stranger questions. And the way kids interface13 with it, I think, changes the way they feel about the world and themselves. So I'm just interested in that. I don't think these things are decorative14 and trends. I think that - I think they'll reach much deeper than that.

MARTIN: What is motivating your interest in this? I mean, because, on the one hand - I'll just be honest. Looking at this as a parent, I'm thinking, OK. What do I do? What do I do about this? Like, what do I do about this? And I don't think that's your motivation. But I don't feel like your motivation is simply let me just record and document this. I feel like, as an artist, you're pointing us in a certain direction of concern. Does that fair to - is that...

BURNHAM: Yeah, well...

MARTIN: Is that fair? So what would that be?

BURNHAM: I think - so - well, I think I want to subjectively15 document it, which is different than, like, objectively documenting it like a, you know, anthropologist16 or anything. I think I'm trying to describe honestly what it feels like for me. And that's the truth. I'm doing this on behalf of really myself.

I mean, I felt like the Internet wasn't being represented correctly. There's so much commentary on the Internet. There's so much commentary about the Internet. And, for me, we're just not at a place where we've even gathered the information to have those conversations, so I just kind of wanted to do some emotional inventory17 and say, this is what it feels like personally, on a personal level. So we can maybe have a conversation about the Internet that's a little more subtle than Russia, you know, or cyberbullying.

You know, because that's, like, how we talk about the Internet, and there's a much, much subtler conversation about, you know, how it makes us feel in our tummy, you know, and the weird choice we have at the end of the night between every piece of information in the history of the world on our phones and the back of our eyelids18. That's a really intense, weird sort of thing to be swinging between.

MARTIN: And it's interesting, too, because your experience with the Internet is that it - you get the best of it and the worst of it in some ways. I mean, you got this marvelous exposure for something that just started out as kind of a fun personal project, and yet, it did kind of change your life, right?

BURNHAM: Yes. I mean, I wouldn't be here without it. And that's the thing about the Internet. It'd be so much easier to address if it was just bad. If it was just bad, we'd just tell the kids and everybody to get off their phones. But the truth is, it is - it just deepens every possible thing, the good and the bad. It's giving exposure to voices that would not be heard. It's giving visibility to people that wouldn't be heard. And it's setting the country on fire. We're connected more than ever, and we're lonelier, and we're numb19, and we're stimulated20. You know, we're self-expressing and we're self-objectifying. So it's all of the things, which is confusing to me and why I felt like I just wanted to explore it subjectively from emotional standpoint.

MARTIN: That's Bo Burnham. He's a comedian, screenwriter and director. His new film, "Eighth Grade," is in theaters now. He was kind enough to join us from our studios at NPR West in Culver City, Calif.

Bo Burnham, thanks so much for talking with us.

BURNHAM: Thank you, Michel. Appreciate it.


分享到:


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 navigating 7b03ffaa93948a9ae00f8802b1000da5     
v.给(船舶、飞机等)引航,导航( navigate的现在分词 );(从海上、空中等)横越;横渡;飞跃
参考例句:
  • These can also be very useful when navigating time-based documents, such as video and audio. 它对于和时间有关的文档非常有用,比如视频和音频文档。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
  • Vehicles slowed to a crawl on city roads, navigating slushy snow. 汽车在市区路上行驶缓慢,穿越泥泞的雪地。 来自互联网
2 comedian jWfyW     
n.喜剧演员;滑稽演员
参考例句:
  • The comedian tickled the crowd with his jokes.喜剧演员的笑话把人们逗乐了。
  • The comedian enjoyed great popularity during the 30's.那位喜剧演员在三十年代非常走红。
3 protagonist mBVyN     
n.(思想观念的)倡导者;主角,主人公
参考例句:
  • The protagonist reforms in the end and avoids his proper punishment.戏剧主角最后改过自新并避免了他应受的惩罚。
  • He is the model for the protagonist in the play.剧本中的主人公就是以他为模特儿创作的!
4 debut IxGxy     
n.首次演出,初次露面
参考例句:
  • That same year he made his Broadway debut, playing a suave radio journalist.在那同一年里,他初次在百老汇登台,扮演一个温文而雅的电台记者。
  • The actress made her debut in the new comedy.这位演员在那出新喜剧中首次登台演出。
5 license B9TzU     
n.执照,许可证,特许;v.许可,特许
参考例句:
  • The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
  • The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。
6 weird bghw8     
adj.古怪的,离奇的;怪诞的,神秘而可怕的
参考例句:
  • From his weird behaviour,he seems a bit of an oddity.从他不寻常的行为看来,他好像有点怪。
  • His weird clothes really gas me.他的怪衣裳简直笑死人。
7 dabbing 0af3ac3dccf99cc3a3e030e7d8b1143a     
石面凿毛,灰泥抛毛
参考例句:
  • She was crying and dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief. 她一边哭一边用手绢轻按眼睛。
  • Huei-fang was leaning against a willow, dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief. 四小姐蕙芳正靠在一棵杨柳树上用手帕揉眼睛。 来自子夜部分
8 gee ZsfzIu     
n.马;int.向右!前进!,惊讶时所发声音;v.向右转
参考例句:
  • Their success last week will gee the team up.上星期的胜利将激励这支队伍继续前进。
  • Gee,We're going to make a lot of money.哇!我们会赚好多钱啦!
9 intentional 65Axb     
adj.故意的,有意(识)的
参考例句:
  • Let me assure you that it was not intentional.我向你保证那不是故意的。
  • His insult was intentional.他的侮辱是有意的。
10 portray mPLxy     
v.描写,描述;画(人物、景象等)
参考例句:
  • It is difficult to portray feelings in words.感情很难用言语来描写。
  • Can you portray the best and worst aspects of this job?您能描述一下这份工作最好与最坏的方面吗?
11 blatantly rxkztU     
ad.公开地
参考例句:
  • Safety guidelines had been blatantly ignored. 安全规章被公然置之不顾。
  • They walked grandly through the lobby, blatantly arm in arm, pretending they were not defeated. 他们大大方方地穿过门厅,故意炫耀地挎着胳膊,假装他们没有被打败。
12 radical hA8zu     
n.激进份子,原子团,根号;adj.根本的,激进的,彻底的
参考例句:
  • The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
  • She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。
13 interface e5Wx1     
n.接合部位,分界面;v.(使)互相联系
参考例句:
  • My computer has a network interface,which allows me to get to other computers.我的计算机有网络接口可以与其它计算机连在一起。
  • This program has perspicuous interface and extensive application. 该程序界面明了,适用范围广。
14 decorative bxtxc     
adj.装饰的,可作装饰的
参考例句:
  • This ware is suitable for decorative purpose but unsuitable for utility.这种器皿中看不中用。
  • The style is ornate and highly decorative.这种风格很华丽,而且装饰效果很好。
15 subjectively 9ceb3293ef1b7663322bbb60c958e15f     
主观地; 臆
参考例句:
  • Subjectively, the demand of interest is the desire of human being. 荀子所说的对利的需要从主观上说就是人的欲望。
  • A sound also has an amplitude, a property subjectively heard as loudness. 声音有振幅,振幅的主观感觉是声音的大小。
16 anthropologist YzgzPk     
n.人类学家,人类学者
参考例句:
  • The lecturer is an anthropologist.这位讲师是人类学家。
  • The anthropologist unearthed the skull of an ancient human at the site.人类学家在这个遗址挖掘出那块古人类的颅骨。
17 inventory 04xx7     
n.详细目录,存货清单
参考例句:
  • Some stores inventory their stock once a week.有些商店每周清点存货一次。
  • We will need to call on our supplier to get more inventory.我们必须请供应商送来更多存货。
18 eyelids 86ece0ca18a95664f58bda5de252f4e7     
n.眼睑( eyelid的名词复数 );眼睛也不眨一下;不露声色;面不改色
参考例句:
  • She was so tired, her eyelids were beginning to droop. 她太疲倦了,眼睑开始往下垂。
  • Her eyelids drooped as if she were on the verge of sleep. 她眼睑低垂好像快要睡着的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
19 numb 0RIzK     
adj.麻木的,失去感觉的;v.使麻木
参考例句:
  • His fingers were numb with cold.他的手冻得发麻。
  • Numb with cold,we urged the weary horses forward.我们冻得发僵,催着疲惫的马继续往前走。
20 stimulated Rhrz78     
a.刺激的
参考例句:
  • The exhibition has stimulated interest in her work. 展览增进了人们对她作品的兴趣。
  • The award has stimulated her into working still harder. 奖金促使她更加努力地工作。

本文本内容来源于互联网抓取和网友提交,仅供参考,部分栏目没有内容,如果您有更合适的内容,欢迎 点击提交 分享给大家。