Post-Thanksgiving Humor in the ...

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I suspect the recent Presidential election made for some spirited discussions around the Thanksgiving table this year.

Even a slice of pie worthy of Twin Peaks — “This must be where pies go when they die” — can only go so far in bridging the political gap.

Still, there’s something reaffirming in knowing that Thanksgiving has brought out the dysfunctionality of families for generations. With this in mind, I’ve resurrected a timeline called “Thanksgiving With My Family” by Scott Bateman.Thanksgiving chart timeline by Scott BatemanThis is a classic word visual. The power of the visual comes from the words.

It requires no design expertise. If you can draw a stick figure, you can create a timeline with a bar, a line and words.

Zeroing in on the words, “show, don’t tell” drives the storytelling. The adjectives and adverbs serve in a supporting role (If I were the editor, “stony” would not have made the final cut).

I also like the attention to detail. We don’t just learn that Dad is in love. He’s set his sights on “that one checker at Wal-Mart.”

Back to the big picture, for a company with the courage to insert some levity into its communications, this type of timeline offers the perfect platform.

Sidenote: For more on the topic of Word Visuals, check out “What the Heck Is a Word Visual?


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