WEDS MAY 7, 2008
ENJOY THE LAST DAY OF CLASSES WITH
A FREE SCREENING OF
BEOWULF (2007)*

EVERYONE WELCOME

FREE PIZZA

ENA THOMPSON READING ROOM
CROOKSHANK 108

STARTING AT 12N

BONUS FEATURE: POMONA STUDENTS READING THEIR ORIGINAL VERSE TRANSLATIONS OF THEIR FAVORITE PASSAGES OF BEOWULF (the poem, not the movie)

RSVP: amanda.crowley@pomona.edu

*(in fabulous 2D! ‘DIRECTOR’S CUT WITH SCENES TOO INTENSE FOR THEATRES’!)

I’m tossing around an essay topic that has to do with the (non-)English of LOLcats, of “I can has cheezburger?” and “Im in ur fridge, eatin ur foodz” fame. For the unfamiliar, Wikipedia has a good general introduction, or you can check out the be-all and end-all of LOLcats, www.icanhascheezburger.com. LOLcat-speak, like leet/l33t/1337 (à la “w00t”, etc.), is an Internet phenomenon that has developed rules and trademark characteristics of its own. So I’m thinking about writing my paper on the rules, development, and humorous syntax of LOLcat English. I’m wondering if anyone has thoughts on this, has an idea about how I could narrow the topic, has an idea of what kind of question I could ask regarding it, thinks it’s a fabulous idea, or thinks I’m crazy (or all of the above).

On a more mundane note, I’m also toying with the idea of examining dialectical differences in household American and British English–”trunk” versus “boot,” etc. If the LOLcat topic seems impossible, I’ll probably end up with this one.

So, any votes?