This is incredible. If it were on ManifestoWriting.com, this chant would be the shortest complete script by a mile. But even more remarkable — it’s a J Shape.
Listen, short J Shape scripts are almost impossible.
If you don’t know, the structure starts completely blind. You don’t know where it’s going or why you’re being told this stuff.
Think Puma’s “After Hours Athlete”
Or PlayStations “Double Life”
Or PlayStations “Double Life”
No hard edges at the beginning. Just feeling, details, texture, emotion.
Most writers need lots of space to pull that off.
Incredibly, MD Ahnaf Hossain did in 12 words.
Incredibly, MD Ahnaf Hossain did in 12 words.
Let’s break it down step by step:
STEP 1: HOOK
All great manifestos have tension, and starting a chant with “My mayor Muslim” is fantastic.
Pretty much any time you can reference something that’s polarizing, groundbreaking, admired and unifying like Zohran Mamdani, you’re sure to perk people’s ears up.
But also, the phrasing is captivatingly awkward. It’s almost like an Emily Dickinson poem. It makes us curious if there‘s more like that.
This takes us to step two, the fun part.
STEP TWO: SPECTACLE
The goal here is pure entertainment. You’ve gotten us invested, now you need to reward our attention.
This chant crushes this step.
The triple variation on the theme is hypnotizing. Plus, he breaks the third example. Rather than naming another cultural thing that’s Christian, he flips it with a reference to Pop Smoke and talks about a fashion brand.
Every line adds more depth to the point of the J Shape script, and we don’t know where this is all headed. That keeps us engaged until step three.
STEP THREE: REVEAL
Now that we’ve been delighted and dazzled, it’s time for the missing piece.
This is crucial part of a J Shape script. Miss this, and people will be left stranded on an island.
The chant brings it home with “Knicks in four!”
Sure, this is about basketball, but it’s about something bigger than that.
It’s celebrating the soul of New York.
Each line was adding depth toward the feeling of what it’s like to be part of the city right now.
This isn’t just about one thing. It covers politics, culture, fashion, sports. All with the energy of winning a championship.
The energy is incredible and you can feel the excitement of the crowd when it ends.
Now -
Is this over analyzing?
Am I reading too much into something that‘s just fun?
I don’t think so.
After this was shouted live on CNN, it caught fire. It was repeated, shared, sang, and imitated.
I don’t think that’s an accident. I think it’s because the structure and content resonated with the hearts of the people it was for. That’s exactly the point of great manifestos.
I’ve read and dissected hundreds of great scripts over the last decade. For my money, this is among the best there is.
And he did it in 12 words.