blind repetition
Original ID : 71 Created On : 2002-11-24 Last Modified : 2005-05-01
The reliance by some teachers on the Monty Python Déja Vu sketch theory that repetition of something that isn’t funny (especially nicknames for students) follows a sort of sine wave of funniness. The 3rd, 7th, and 11th time you say something will be funny, albeit in an exasperating kind of way, no matter what. This does NOT work. However, the repetition of something that irritates a teacher will get steadily funnier with each repetition. This isn’t fair, but really, teachers shouldn’t even try.