Blog Response #1

“Has the train arrived in Paddington yet?”

“I’m afraid it’s in Colchester.”

This clip is a rather humourous example of incidents where it seems communication (or miscommunication), is not gender-specific, which is why I chose it. Against the conventions of popular media, Mr Greyson seems to have no problem in engaging in complex layers of verbal conversation with his wife, including understanding and himself utilising euphemisms. While the clip does not explore sarcasm, it seems rather contradictory that while men are unable to grasp subtext in conversation with women, they are able to comprehend sarcasm and the use of euphemisms, though both involve indirect means of communication.

The reversal of traditionally ascribed gender roles in conversation is terribly ironic. Mr Greyson’s subtle attempts to persuade his wife to bed are met with extreme irritation at his interruptions. Given his failure (and her irritation), it may still be fair to suggest that sarcasm and euphemisms may be an aspect of communication we are trained to understand. In fact, through his continuous questions (with a rather sordid motive behind them) – one could perhaps suggest that Mr Greyson’s insensitivity to his wife’s feelings is a problem of empathy, a trait that popular culture classifies as distinctively male. This clip does not entirely shed popular conventions.