Penguin in the park

Once a man was walking in a park when he across a penguin. He took it to a policeman and said; "What should I do?" The policeman replied; "Take it to the zoo!".
The next day, the policeman saw the man in the same park. The man was still carrying the penguin. The policeman was rather surprised and walked up to the man and asked; "Why are you still carrying the penguin? Didn't you take it to the zoo?" The man replied; "I certainly did. And it was a great idea because the penguin really enjoyed it. So, today I am taking it to the movie".

Analyzing the Text
Generic Structure Analysis
Orientation;introducing participants: "He" and Penguin. They were in the park
Event1; The man tended to take the penguin to the park
Event; The following day, the man were still carrying the penguin
Twist; Even, finally the man would take the penguin to the movies
Language Feature Analysis
Focusing on certain certain participants; He, penguin, policeman
Using action verb; carry, walk up
Using adverb of time and place; once, in the park
Told in chronological order; chronological order by days, the next day

Private Conversation

Last week I went to the theatre. I had a very good seat. The play was very interesting.I did not enjoy it. A young man and a young woman were sitting behind me. They were talking very loudly.I got very angry. I could not hear the actors. I turned around. I looked at the man and the young woman angrily. They did not pay any attention.In the end, I could not bear it. I turned around again. “I could not hear a word” I said angrily.“It’s none of your business” the young man said rudely. “This is a private conversation”

(From: English New Concept)

Generic Structure Analysis
Orientation: introducing a writes as point of view “I” which is in a theatre last week
Event 1: the other theatregoers, young man and young woman, were talking noisily.
Event 2: the writer used physical language by turning around to the young man and young woman talk to not to make noisy.
Event 3: the write used verbal language by saying “I could not hear a word”.
Twister: the young man misunderstood the writer’s word and said; “It’s none of your business. It’s a private conversation”.

That Phone Is Off

Soon after he left college, Dave found one of his uncles who was very rich and had no children of his own died and left him a lot of money, so he decided to set up his own real estate agency.

Dave found a nice office. He bought some new furniture and moved in. he had only been there for e few hours when he heard someone coming toward the door of his office.

“It must be my first customer” Dave thought. He quickly picked up the telephone and pretended to be very busy answering an important call from someone in New York who wanted to buy a big and expensive house in the country.

The man knocked at the door while this was going on. He came in and waited politely for Dave to finish his conversation on the phone. Then the man said to Dave; “I am from the telephone company and I was sent here to connect your telephone”

Notes on the Spoof’s Generic Structure

Orientation: Dave was a lucky man. He suddenly became a very rich man because of the death of his rich uncle who had no children. He inherited his uncle’s money.

Event 1: Being rich, he wanted to set up his estate company

Event 2: He had his new office. In his office, he pretended to be a very successful businessman. He acted as had an important client. He showed by making conversation on the phone.

Twist: The man whom he showed is a telephone technician. He came to Dave’s office to connect that phone.

Notice on Generic structure of spoof sample

Notice on Generic structure of spoof sample
Spoof text is very similar to recount text. Both spoof and recount tell about the past event with chronological order. Its purpose is to amuse reader with funny story. The story mostly is ended with an unpredictable event.
The above spoof sample has generic structure as follow:
Orientation: It is the introduction of the story. By giving the orientation, reader will recognize, for the first time, who involves in the story.The above story talks about a wife and his husband who loves money too much even up to his death.
Events: Several events are explored in chronological way which able to arrange the story read nicely.Promising with her money miser husband, Putting the box inside casket, locking and rolling the casket are the events which build the complete story.
Twist: This is the unpredictable event/thing/way which amuse the reader. Readers even did not predict before that it would be. When reading the above story, for the first, readers likely think that the wife would put all the money instead of just a check

Example of Spoof Text 3

The Clever Chauffer

There’s a story about how Albert Enstein was traveling to universities in a chauffer-driven car, delivering tectures on his theory if relativity.

One day while in transit, the chauffer remarked, “Dr. Einstein, I’ve heard you deliver that lecture about 30 times. I know it by heart ang bet I should give it myself.”

“Well, I’ll give you the chance, “said Einstein, “They don’t know me at the next school, so when we get there I’ll put on your cap, and you introduce yourself as and give the lecture.”

The chauffer delivered Einstein’s lecture flawlessly. When he finished, he started to leave, but one of the proffesors stopped him and asked a complex question filled with mathematical equations and formulas. The chauffer thought fast.

“The solution to that problem is so simple,” he said, “I’m surprise you have to ask me. In fact, to show you just how simple it is, I’m going to ask my chauffer to come up here and answer your question.”

(Taken from : http://hikaridesu.multiply.com/journal/item/25/Spoof_Text_XD)

Example of Spoof Text 2

Potato Farmer

Potato farmer was sent to to prison just at time when he should have been digging the ground for planting the new crop of potatoes. He knew that his wife would not be strong enough to do the digging by herself, but that she could manage to do the planting, and he also knew that he did not have any friends or neighbors who would be willing to do the digging for him. So he wrote a letter to his wife which said “Please do not dig the potato field. I hide the money and the gun there.”

Ten days later, he got a letter from his wife. It said, “I think somebody is reading your letter before they go out of prison. Some policeman arrived here two days ago and dug up the whole field. What shall I do now?”

The prisoner wrote back at once. “Plant the potatoes, of course!”

(Taken from : http://hikaridesu.multiply.com/journal/item/25/Spoof_Text_XD)

Example of Spoof Text

General and New Soldier

A man recently appointed general in the army was sitting in his new office when a new soldier walked in. Wishing to impress the new soldier, the general picked up the telephone and said, “Yes, Mr. President. I’m glad you like my suggestions. I’ll come by and give you a more detailed report at the White House a little later this week.” After hanging up the telephone the general asked, “Now, soldier, what can I do for you?”

“Nothing much, sir,” said the soldier. I just came in to connect your telephone.”

(Taken from : http://hikaridesu.multiply.com/journal/item/25/Spoof_Text_XD)

Spoof vs Anecdote

Commonly we define spoof and anecdote are similar, even both are same. Spoof and anecdote tend to be defined as text which relate to funny story and unusual incidents. Well it can be true as both bring the function mostly to entertain and share to readers. However, is spoof text like anecdote? If not, then what is the difference between spoof text and anecdote? Actually what is spoof text? and what is anecdote text? Well, let's go on. I have some comment which are identical. The point of the comments are asking what is the difference between spoof and anecdote text, or how to differ spoof from anecdote. From that view, this post tries to go on.
We often find understanding about the funny story in our society life. Every funny story is often defined as anecdote. In this term, anecdote is pointing to "cerita lelucon" or "konyol". Most the story are funny because they have unpredictable funny things in the end. All those types of story are often socially called anecdote and they are going on. However, the unpredictable thing in the end of story which is often funny is called TWIST. This Twist, in term of text type, belongs to spoof. While in the generic structure of anecdote, we can not find the twist. So it might be the funny story which we often hear in our social life and defined as anecdote story is not the the anecdote text in term of text types we are learning.
In text types discussion, Anecdote text has generic structure on how it is composed and the generic structures of anecdote are abstract, orientation, crisis, reaction and coda. while we know that the generic structure of spoof text is orientation, events, and twist. So the point is there are different generic structures between spoof text and anecdote text. Spoof ends with twist while anecdote is accomplished by coda. That is the point, how to differ easily between spoof and anecdote text

(taken from http://understandingtext.blogspot.com/search/label/Spoof)

Spoof Text

Spoof Text

Definition and Social Function of Spoof
Spoof is a text which tells factual story, happened in the past time with unpredictable and funny ending. Its social function is to entertain and share the story.

Generic Structure of Spoof
1. Orientation
2. Events
3. Twist

Language Feature of Spoof
1. Focusing on people, animals or certain things
2. Using action verb; ate, ran, etc
3. Using adverb of time and place
4. Told in chronological order

(taken from http://understandingtext.blogspot.com/search/label/Spoof)