What will it take to end "Slam" poetry?

Two possibilities: Something worse comes along that people latch onto, or slam poets realize that slam poetry is lame. Either way, poetry slams have been invented and therefore can’t be uninvented.

When people no longer enjoy it, and from what I understand some teachers are using it in the classroom. Slam poetry is like anything else, you either like it or you don’t.

Has anyone here been to one?

I think I would start cracking up.

@ skeh0138 ~ what is slam poetry and why don’t you like it?

I’ve been to a few in Philadelphia. Some slam poets are amazing, some, not. I don’t think it’s inherently lame, though. The concept is actually pretty amazing—it hearkens back to the Middle Ages and Renaissance, when poetry was performed by poet-composers either in the court or in the town square.

I don’t see anything lame about it. I actually find some slam poets to be inspiring and thought provoking. I have you ever watched def poetry jam? Youtube it and watch a few.

I’d never heard of this before so I watched a few videos on youtube and you know, I’ve seen much worse. Poetry can make my skin crawl – especially when recited by some pretentious flake. But, when someone recites it without being cliché and with some passion it can actually work. Though I didn’t watch too many videos, most of the ones I did watch weren’t nearly as contrived as some poetry I’ve heard in the past. This strikes me more as storytelling, actually.

@mcbealer I don’t recall voicing any opinion on the practice. I’m neutral, merely trying to pose an objective question. Though it is my personal belief that the resolution will only come when one poet “slams” all others in a winner -take-all “Slamfest: Highlander* ” and is named “King of Slams for All Time”-it IS a competition after all.

*hosted by Talib Kwali

@ skeh0138 ~ oh sorry, I thought the post below your question by MikeMcG was yours because of the repeating avatars. After reading some of the responses, I think I may have seen some slam poetry in a movie by Tyler Perry called Madea’s Family Reunion.

At first I was thinking that some kind of terrible tragedy involving most or all the slam poets would be the only way, then I realized that this sort of thing would only inspire a whole new generation of slam poets.