The Parable of the Film Student

Josh lives.  Josh walks.  Josh breathes.  Josh speaks. 

One day while teaching, Josh was asked, ”Teacher, who do you want to win the Superbowl?”

Josh spoke thus:

A film student was given a series of video clips of a family of cheetahs and a gazelle herd.

“Create sympathy in the audience for the cheetah,” the film student was told.

The film student took the video and edited a story of a cheetah mother hunting to feed her cubs.  The film student showed the gazelle herd at a distance.  The film student showed the mother and her cubs.  The film student showed the gazelle herd alert in the tall savanna grass.  The film student showed the cubs pouncing on butterflies.  The film student showed the gazelle herd standing tall above the crouching cheetah.  The film student showed the cheetah’s ballistic acceleration.  The film student showed the elusiveness of the gazelle herd.  The film student showed the cheetah return with no food to the cubs.  The film student showed the cubs pouncing on butterflies.

The audience cheered the cheetah cubs pouncing on butterflies.

“Create sympathy in the audience for the gazelle heard,” the film student was told.

The film student took the video and edited a story of a yearling gazelle newly weened from its mother’s side.  The film student showed the cheetah at a distance.  The film student showed the mother and the yearling.  The film student showed the cheetah stalking in the tall savanna grass.  The film student showed the yearling playing at head butting with other yearlings.  The film student showed the cheetah crouching below the standing gazelle herd.  The film student showed the cheetah’s ballistic acceleration.  The film student showed the elusiveness of the gazelle herd.  The film student showed a fellow yearling downed by the cheetah.  The film student showed the yearling playing at head butting with other yearlings.

The audience cheered the yearlings playing at head butting.

“Remove all sentiment,” the film student was told.

The film student showed the cheetah stalking.  The film student showed the gazelle herd shying.  The film student showed a row of cubicles full of office workers staring at computer screens.  On half of the computer screens, cheetah cubs were pouncing on butterflies.  On half the computer screens, a yearling gazelle was playing at head butting other yearlings. 

The audience wept.