The technology that we have access
to in modern day allows new inventions to come out on a daily basis. One of the
most ragingly popular of these inventions is the hoverboard. A sort-of
motorized skateboard, the hoverboard became almost instantly, the new mode of
transportation in America. Endorsed by popular music stars such as Wiz Khalifa,
it is safe to say that this unsafe vehicle (they are known to occasionally
catch on fire), is quite the rage. In his article Is the Hoverboard Cool?, Michael Christie, long-time “opinionator”
for the New York Times, anecdotally and humorously gives an example of a time
when technology failed him, a rare sighting in the world we live in today.
Michael Christie was a skateboarder
for the better part of his life, so naturally he became curious when
hoverboards rose in popularity. So, one day, he went to an electronics store
and decided to try one out—but to no avail. Within minutes of stepping on the
hoverboard, he fell. His anecdotal summary of this experience allows the reader
to follow his thought process and the necessary steps it took for him to
realize that sometimes new technology is not necessary, no matter how “cool” it
is—and hopefully, will allow them to come to the same conclusion (and save
themselves from the embarrassment that he experienced). In addition to the
anecdotal nature of his article, Christie incorporates humor into his story.
Instead of wallowing in self-pity when he fell in the middle of the store,
Christie simply embraces the embarrassment with an eloquent statement that he “limped toward the doors and the safety of the past.” This statement and
others like it give his failure a humorous edge, which allows Christie to make
an example of himself. This tactic successfully shows his readers what NOT to
do because they will remember that they do not want to be laughed at like they
laughed at Michael Christie.
Overall,
Christie’s humorous tone when relaying an anecdote allows him to successfully
communicate the message not only that sometimes technology will fail us, but
also that new is not always better.
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