Summary & key points
On September 9, 2009, rapper and fashion icon interrupted Taylor Swift at the MTV Video Music Awards while she was giving her award acceptance speech for Best Female Video. Kanye grabbed the microphone and pronounced that Beyonce, another female music artist, had a better video. As Taylor Swift was giving a touching speech, Kanye hijacked the moment and began with "Yo Taylor ... Imma let you finish, but ..." Kanye West became an instant meme and Taylor Swift fans were not happy. Beyonce herself reacted with a shocked facial expression, as did many others. While the incident appears to showcase Kanye's utter inability to read the room, the context of the situation is important. Many award shows strive to entertain viewers through cheeky stunts, as these are part of American pop media culture. Kanye West, being an entertainer, recognized an opportunity to do the same, although it did not sit well with many viewers and critics in hindsight. Kanye West's ability to modify his behavior in the spirit of contributing to the award show, and subsequent inability to stop when he went too far, demonstrates a below-average example of the Apperception attribute.
Summary & key points
In the cult classic movie American Psycho (2000), Christian Bale portrays Patrick Bateman, a big-shot New York City investment banker who goes on a literal killing spree. After avoiding capture throughout the film, Patrick is sitting at the bar with his coworkers while the television is playing in the background. Bateman delivers the movie's closing with an intense monologue that describes the horrific things he has done, and how he has little remorse. Despite Bateman's cruel behavior, he discusses his feelings and those of others in vivid detail insofar as it matters to him. Bateman's comments about the emotional states of others demonstrate an average example of the Emotion attribute.
Summary & key points
In the hit movie Arrival (2016), linguist Dr. Banks has nightmares about her job of decoding an alien language, and presence, on earth. Dr. Banks' inability to differentiate a dream from reality while projecting novel dream content demonstrates an average example of the Inference attribute.
Summary & key points
In the first season of the hit show The Summer I Turned Pretty (2022), Isabel "Belly" Conklin discovers what happens when she gets attention from boys around her. In this clip, Belly is at a convenience store snacking when she notices the clerk admiring her from afar. She seems to feel both surprised and flattered.
Summary & key points
In season 3, episode 16 ("The One with the Morning After") of the hit TV show Friends (1997), Ross Geller is confronted for cheating by his romantic partner, Rachel. Ross insists on talking about it. Rachel asks him many penetrating questions about the encounter, and Ross is both open and honest. Rachel attacks him physically after many of his answers. Ross' habit of thoroughly and readily answering Rachel's "trap" questions demonstrate the Volubility attribute.
Summary & key points
In rock band Blondie's 1978 hit single called Heart of Glass, the lyrics tell us about the potential disappointment of romance. The entire song features a single example of colorful language: "... soon turned out to be a pain in the a**." This limited, tame use of colorful language exemplifies the Formality attribute.
