Learning Experience 3: Dave Barry article

The Dave Barry article, “Tips for Women: How to Have a Relationship with a Guy”, was the funniest article I have read all semester. It was so funny, in fact, that I sent it to my mom to read, which of course as a journalism major and English teacher, she had already previously read. Needless to say, the humor in this article far outweighed my expectations, and after class today I found out it did for many other students as well.  

After reading the Nora Ephron article the class period prior, I was a little unsure of what to expect of Dave Barry’s article. In my opinion, the Nora Ephron article was not humorous. Although it was somewhat entertaining to read, it seemed more like a monologue of a girl undergoing puberty than comedy of the truth and pain of growing into a woman. In addition, Ephron’s article was undoubtedly more relatable to girls and minimally relatable to guys. However, the extreme exaggeration was even hard for me and the other girls at my table to relate to, which is why I struggled to find the humor in the article.

On the other hand, the Dave Barry article was relatable to both genders. Regardless of its exaggeration used to create the humor, it was still relevant to both sides. This is where I think the Nora Ephron article failed and thus lost most of people’s attention. Dave Barry did a good job of toeing the line when it came to exaggeration and playing on both gender’s stereotypes, versus isolating just one as seen in the Ephron article.

This article was also funny to me because I have grown up with brothers. Learning to communicate with them was task I was faced with every day for eighteen years. Don’t get me wrong, I had my flaws too, but there were just some tendencies covered in this article that rang true to a point.

Furthermore, many of my relationship problems with boys have been due to poor communication. This semester I had one such relationship, in which my mom, uncle, and even brothers guided me on how to handle. I think nearly every point they told me in how to communicate with this boy was covered in this article, so as I read this piece of writing I felt like I was reliving my relationship this semester and I couldn’t help but laugh.

In addition to relatability, humor is constructed through accurate diction and expressive metaphors. My favorite line was one that we discussed in class as Barry associated a guy in a relationship to an ant on top of a truck tire. Although this is an obvious exaggeration, this comparison added to the illustration Barry was creating in reference to the man’s comprehension of a relationship, supporting his focus of the article.

This article along with every day interactions serve as yet another reminder of the different communication strategies men and women have. While in some relationships I have learned this the hard way, Dave Barry does a good job of bringing humor to shed some light on the truths and common conflicts that can occur when men and women communicate.