ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Rives - Performance poet, multimedia artist
Performance artist and storyteller Rives has been called "the first 2.0 poet," using images, video and technology to bring his words to life.

Why you should listen

Part poet, part storyteller, part philosopher, Rives is the co-host of TEDActive as well as a frequent TED speaker. On stage, his poems burst in many directions, exposing multiple layers and unexpected treats: childhood memories, grown-up humor, notions of love and lust, of what is lost forever and of what's still out there waiting to unfold. Chimborazo.

A regular on HBO's Def Poetry Jam, Rives also starred alongside model Bar Refaeli in the 2008 Bravo special Ironic Iconic America, touring the United States on a "roller coaster ride through the eye-popping panorama of American pop culture." Flat pages can't contain his storytelling, even when paper is his medium. The pop-up books he creates for children unfold with surprise: The Christmas Pop-Up Present expands to reveal moving parts, hidden areas and miniature booklets inside. 

His latest project—the Museum of Four in the Morning—is an ode to a time that may well be part of a global conspiracy. In a good way.  

More profile about the speaker
Rives | Speaker | TED.com
TED2008

Rives: A story of mixed emoticons

Rives raconte une histoire d’émoticônes contrariées

Filmed:
1,901,865 views

Rives — la vedette de l’émission spéciale « Ironic Iconic America » — nous raconte une fable typographique, courte et douce-amère.
- Performance poet, multimedia artist
Performance artist and storyteller Rives has been called "the first 2.0 poet," using images, video and technology to bring his words to life. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:21
This means, "I'm smiling."
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Ceci veut dire : « Je souris. »
00:24
So does that.
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Ainsi que ceci.
00:27
This means "mouse."
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Ceci veut dire « souris ».
00:29
"Cat."
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« Chat. »
00:32
Here we have a story.
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Ici nous avons une histoire.
00:34
The start of the story, where this means guy,
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Le début de l’histoire, où ceci veut dire « un gars »,
00:37
and that is a ponytail on a passer-by.
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et ceci est la queue de cheval d’une passante.
00:44
Here's where it happens.
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Voici où tout se déroule.
00:47
These are when.
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Ceux-ci vous disent quand.
00:49
This is a cassette tape the girl puts into her cassette-tape player.
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Ceci est une cassette que la fille met dans son baladeur.
00:52
She wears it every day.
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Elle le porte tous les jours.
00:54
It's not considered vintage --
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Il n’a aucune valeur « vintage » à ses yeux,
00:55
she just likes certain music to sound a certain way.
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mais elle aime le son qu’il donne à la musique.
00:57
Look at her posture; it's remarkable.
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Regardez sa démarche; c’est remarquable.
00:59
That's because she dances.
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C’est parce qu’elle danse.
01:01
Now he, the guy, takes all of this in, figuring,
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Alors le gars, lui, observe le tout et se dit :
01:03
"Honestly, geez, what are my chances?"
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« Honnêtement, quelles sont mes chances? »
01:07
(Laughter)
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(Rires)
01:08
And he could say, "Oh my God!"
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Et il pourrait dire : « Oh mon Dieu! »
01:11
or "I heart you!"
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ou « Je t’aime! »
01:13
"I'm laughing out loud."
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« Je suis mort de rire. »
01:15
"I want to give you a hug."
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« Je veux te serrer dans mes bras. »
01:17
But he comes up with that, you know.
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Mais il ne trouve que ceci, vous voyez.
01:19
He tells her, "I'd like to hand-paint your portrait on a coffee mug."
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Il lui dit : « Je voudrais peindre votre portrait sur une tasse de café. »
01:23
(Laughter)
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(Rires)
01:25
Put a crab inside it.
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Mettre un crabe dedans.
01:27
Add some water.
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Ajouter de l’eau.
01:29
Seven different salts.
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Sept sortes de sels.
01:31
He means he's got this sudden notion to stand on dry land,
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Il voudrait lui dire qu’il a la soudaine impression de se trouver sur la terre ferme,
01:34
but just panhandle at the ocean.
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mais au bord de l’océan.
01:36
He says, "You look like a mermaid, but you walk like a waltz."
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Il lui dit : « Vous ressemblez à une sirène, mais vous marchez telle une valse. »
01:42
And the girl goes, "Wha'?"
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Et la fille dit : « Quoi? »
01:47
So, the guy replies, "Yeah, I know, I know.
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Alors, le gars répond : « Ouais, je sais, je sais.
01:49
I think my heartbeat might be the Morse code for inappropriate.
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Je crois que mon cœur bat le code morse pour « inapproprié ».
01:52
At least, that's how it seems.
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Du moins, c’est ce qu’il me semble.
01:54
I'm like a junior varsity cheerleader sometimes --
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Je suis parfois comme une meneuse de claque à l’université :
01:58
for swearing, awkward silences, and very simple rhyme schemes.
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pour les jurons, les silences malaisés, et les rimes enfantines.
02:03
Right now, talking to you, I'm not even really a guy.
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En ce moment même où je te parle, je ne suis vraiment pas un homme.
02:08
I'm a monkey --
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Je suis un singe,
02:10
(Laughter) --
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(Rires)
02:11
blowing kisses
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lançant des baisers
02:13
at a butterfly.
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à un papillon.
02:15
But I'm still suggesting you and I should meet.
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Mais je suggère quand même que nous nous rencontrions.
02:18
First, soon, and then a lot.
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Prochainement d’abord, et plus souvent ensuite.
02:23
I'm thinking the southwest corner of 5th and 42nd at noon tomorrow,
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Peut-être au coin sud-ouest de la 5e et de la 42e rue demain midi,
02:27
but I'll stay until you show up, ponytail or not.
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mais je resterai jusqu’à ce que tu arrives, queue de cheval ou pas.
02:31
Hell, ponytail alone.
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Allez, queue de cheval,
02:33
I don't know what else to tell you.
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je ne sais pas quoi te dire d’autre.
02:35
I got a pencil you can borrow.
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J’ai un crayon que tu peux utiliser.
02:37
You can put it in your phone."
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Tu peux le mettre dans ton téléphone. »
02:40
But the girl does not budge, does not smile, does not frown.
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Mais la fille ne bouge pas, ne sourit pas, ne fronce même pas les sourcils.
02:48
She just says, "No thank you."
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Elle dit simplement : « Non merci. »
02:52
You know?
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Vous savez?
02:56
[ "i don't need 2 write it down." ]
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[« Je n’ai pas besoin de l’écrire. »]
03:02
(Applause)
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(Applaudissements)
Translated by Ronan Lefol
Reviewed by Julie Lespourcy

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Rives - Performance poet, multimedia artist
Performance artist and storyteller Rives has been called "the first 2.0 poet," using images, video and technology to bring his words to life.

Why you should listen

Part poet, part storyteller, part philosopher, Rives is the co-host of TEDActive as well as a frequent TED speaker. On stage, his poems burst in many directions, exposing multiple layers and unexpected treats: childhood memories, grown-up humor, notions of love and lust, of what is lost forever and of what's still out there waiting to unfold. Chimborazo.

A regular on HBO's Def Poetry Jam, Rives also starred alongside model Bar Refaeli in the 2008 Bravo special Ironic Iconic America, touring the United States on a "roller coaster ride through the eye-popping panorama of American pop culture." Flat pages can't contain his storytelling, even when paper is his medium. The pop-up books he creates for children unfold with surprise: The Christmas Pop-Up Present expands to reveal moving parts, hidden areas and miniature booklets inside. 

His latest project—the Museum of Four in the Morning—is an ode to a time that may well be part of a global conspiracy. In a good way.  

More profile about the speaker
Rives | Speaker | TED.com

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