Did I lose you already? Stay with me; I promise to make it worth your while. First, the boring bits. Ekphrasis is a term that 90% of American students were forced to learn by reading the John Keats poem "Ode on a Grecian Urn," which is a very dull title for a poem that is actually about ravishing pliant young maidens in a pastoral setting. Ekphrasis, although the definition has become sort of plasticky over the years, basically refers to any art that is intended to describe or depict another work of art (usually visual) thus illuminating and explicating the meaning of both works. So you might have a character in a novel describing a painting that is somehow significant to the plot of the book, like Oscar Wilde's Dorian Gray. A poem might discuss the scenes depicted on a Grecian urn. You get the idea.
Or. OR. You might have a group of highly trained actors performing in the style of Oscar Wilde depict actual scenes from Jersey Shore. Now before we go on just let me say that if Jersey Shore is art then so is the Port-O-Potty area at a Gathering of the Juggalos. But if anything can make the greased farm animals of Jersey Shore sound charming and witty, it's a bunch of actors from the cast of The Importance of Being Earnest.
Enjoy. You can watch the rest here. Be aware that since this is actually words from the mouths of Jersey trash, some of it is rather profane. But hilarious nonetheless.
And that, Dear Reader, is ekphrasis.
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