NYU DC VIOLETS I MEDIA I American Small Talk

“How was your day?” “Nice weather, huh?” These all-too-familiar phrases may pass by an American ear without much notice, but to a foreigner, it asks an important question: Why do Americans talk so much?

 

American Small Talk is a short hand-drawn animation made for a writing class at NYU DC. The animation was originally based on an essay that explored small talk, a phenomenon seen much more in the United States than anywhere else in the world. American Small Talk chronicles a foreigner’s experience with American Small Talk in Washington DC, and his journey to embrace it. The animation is a satirical and highly exaggerated portrayal of the United States and is not representative of reality — the intent was not to offend, but to provide foreign insight, as well as entertain.