Spring Break Post

"O'Reilly Producer Interviews Spring Break Students on Obama: Hilarity Ensues"

This is the title to a video from the BIll O'Reilly show where the producer went to Florida to interview college students on what grade they would give Obama in certain areas of his presidency. The title is what captivates me. It drew me in. It was the combination of students plus spring break plus politics equals hilarity that made this work. The title covers so much. And the elements that the author chose to include seem to confirm that it will be funny like the it promises after the colon. If the title had just been something like "O'Reilly Producer Interviews Students on Obama" then it wouldn't have been so tempting. The video could be funny or could not be funny. Audiences wouldn't even know if the subject matter was supposed to be funny or not. Just by adding Spring Break" into the title, audiences would get a feel that they will see some crazy stuff since we all know what college students do during spring break in florida: drink. And being intoxicated while trying to answer serious questions is always comical. The bit "Hilarity Ensues" I think evokes suspense as well. Saying "Hilarious" wouldn't have been as formal, nor as suspenseful. Saying hilarity ensued conjures a visual of all hell breaking loose, like saying "chaos ensued." So I thought the author of this title was on his or her rhetorical game that day.

O'Reilly Producer Asks Spring Break Students to Grade Obama: Hilarity Ensues

In my imitation I just followed the rhetorical structure the author used; however, I thought pointing out that they were asked to grade him was more accurate than what the original title states. Using 'interview' seems too formal for this situation where he goes on the beach and selects students at random, asking them how they would grade Obama on gas prices. I think using 'asks' instead of 'interviews' would draw more readers in because it takes more of the formality out and gives it a more entertaining feel.