Accolades From Graduation

Just posting a quick section of an article over at TheCobraPaper.com that talked about Matt and I’s speech at graduation. So, uh, here it is:

“Class speaker Chris Rebbert was the next to take the podium with a speech that began with a slightly shocking dose of negativity about the future of anyone hoping for a career in the arts, most especially film. There was an inkling of insincerity, however, within his words of premature expectations of absolute failure, that lead all of us to feel that something else was coming. As soon as fellow Dramatic Writer, Matt McRee started heckling his best friend from the audience, we knew that we were right. Chris was joined at the podium by McRee, Jack Daniels in hand and swigging, while the two dramatically enacted the debate that all of us students of the arts have with ourselves on a weekly, if not daily basis: To embark on an arts education or not, and is it worth it? Though our pursuit is very expensive, at times, almost impossibly difficult, and does not yield any guarantees on a future career, the guys asserted that their time at Tisch Asia has been some of the best of their lives. This sentiment, coming from a couple of hard-working, talented, yet self-branded screwballs, was especially effecting.

They found themselves as artists, a voice for their talent, a lot of joy and hope here, and most importantly, they found one another. But don’t think that all opportunity for cynicism was lost with these two. While celebrating the aspects that made Tisch Asia great for them, they also raised a bottle to the fact that we are now a part of NYU’s Global Network, to which Rebbert asked, “What does that even mean?”. The response from McRee echoed that of every member of the Tisch Asia community in the auditorium when he answered, “I have no idea.” Thank you Matt, for another priceless jab at… well, we don’t really know, do we?”

That’s it. Also, they messed up. I said, “We get to be part of a Global Network University.” Then Matt said, “What does that mean?” And I fucking followed with “I don’t know.” I know because I just copied that from the fucking script I wrote with Matt. So thank ME for that “priceless jab.” Just saying.

I’m writing my parting words for the same paper and they should be up this week, so fucking read them or else I’m doing all of this work for nothing for nothing. (That’s not a type-o, by the way. I mean, I’m not getting paid to write it, so if you don’t read it, I’m getting nothing for it monetarily – the first “for nothing” – and you’re not reading it, so it’s  done in vain – the second “for nothing”. So that sentence before these parentheses makes sense. I promise. Again, just saying. Fuck me for being this person).

All right. Bye or whatever.

-Chris

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