PowerPoint presentations usually drive people to drink, not the other way around.
A bunch of brainy lushes are picking up the pint glass and dropping some knowledge at an event called “TEDxxx: Ideas Worth Dreading” (that’s “xxx” like a jug of hooch, not a porno flick). The show, which will take place at Williamsburg bar Videology on Nov. 29, is a mash-up between the popular TED lecture series, where experts give brief talks on interesting science and culture topics (and which sports the slogan “Ideas Worth Spreading”), and the web series “Drunk History,” where historians get blasted and try to recount a historical events. But the event’s creator said he wants to sidestep the inaccuracies that plague “Drunk History,” and hopes people will walk away from “TEDxxx” smarter than when they came in.
“It’s a mix of spectacle and actual ideas — I don’t think this would work if it wasn’t both of those things,” said writer, funny-man, and Bushwickian Eric Thurm. “I hope people will come out of it having learned something — by accident.”
Liquored-up writers from the likes of Vice, Slate, and Jezebel will wax philosophical on tongue-in-cheek topics such as “Pigeon Culture: Empathy and Advocacy for NYC’s Most Imperiled Community,” “Unconscious Uncoupling: A Freudian Analysis of GOOP,” and “Get Off My D—: How Masculinist Fashion Trends Like Health Goth and Athleisure are Pillaging the Streets and Destroying America’s Youth.”
As with all good TED talks, the lecturers will be aided by public speakers’ second best friend (after booze) — PowerPoint presentations. Cheesy spinning text effects and glitter transitions are not only inherently funny, but the medium allows the speakers to insert a bunch of jokes into their presentations ahead of time — just in case they down a few too many pints to nail the actual delivery, Thurm said.
“They’re the most important thing I think — no matter what else happens, even if you’re not funny, the PowerPoint has built-in jokes,” he said.
“TEDxxx: Ideas Worth Dreading” at Videology [308 Bedford Ave, at S. First Street in Williamsburg, (718) 782–3468, www.videology.info]. Nov. 29 at 9:30 pm. Free.
