Creative excuse-making 101: The internet ate my temp. Or something.

[shoebox2]

Cool random linkage of the week: From LJ-friend rpk  comes this lovely clever little time-waster, riffing off famous fantasy first lines. (In the inevitable guess-the-source game, I made about 75%.)

Speaking of random postings...when I chortled at that PBS strip below, I had no idea it would prove prophetic. I probably should have, given I was about to

Comments

You're welcome

[anonymous]

I missed a word in my response, but you got it. Your aunt is funny like you.

Re: You're welcome

[shoebox2]

[grin] Yeah, if you're going to aspire to write comedy it helps to have been raised that way. Shoemom's entire family are the most engaging combination of sweet looks and razor-sharp sarcastic streaks...I think this is where the Bob & Ray appreciation may have come from at least partly, the subtlety of it.

Re: You're welcome

[anonymous]

Indeed. most comics induce a kind of 'pain' quotient in their comedy, as the standard equation most touted being 'pain=comedy'. Or I guess tragedy can equal comedy... Sound's like Woody Allen's 'Crimes and Misdemeanors' where Alan Alda's pompous character was trying to define comedy as 'tragedy plus time'. I guess what I mean is most comics come from a painful upbringing of some sort. Writers too; it seems a lot of creative drive can be gotten from a, oh let's say 'challenging' upbringing. I hope this was not the case with you, but likely there is always something there to cull a story - or driving muse - from. Sorry to blather on, don't get to much opportunity to chat about the creative process. :)

Re: You're welcome

[shoebox2]

Hey, blathering's the whole point, around here. :) You might want also to check out some of the blogs on my friendslist - there's usually a decent discussion of the creative process going on somewhere.

I agree that there's very often a defensive element to comedy - if not against emotional pain, then at least against intellectual aggravation. The need to deflate pomposity - or just plain banality - and expose absurdity can be equally imperative.

As I mentioned above, I think I'm more about the latter. It is perhaps rooted at least partially in a strong aversion to pity, self- or otherwise. (As distinct from mercy, or compassion, which are two very different things.)

Really, though, not so much with the challenging upbringing myself. A bit rocky, perhaps; certainly nothing to write Oprah-worthy memoirs over. One of my particular struggles with the creative process, in fact, is trying to extract novelty and insight out of your basic suburban WASP childhood. Douglas Copeland seems to have that market about cornered. :)

Re: You're welcome

[anonymous]

Well, I certainly did not want you to think you were a wounded soul in search of outlet, but you are correct in the need to deflate pomposity. Sometimes the simple mediocrity of this world can get ones blood up, as what people accept as entertainment these days rivals Roman gladiator days and martyrdom of Christians. It's a sad commentary on society when 5 movies are made about how to torture people in the most despicable ways imaginable (of course I speak of the idiotic 'Saw' series.) Good comedy, good entertainment for that matter, is really a lost art. Vaudeville days were for the most part innocent things where all the performers could at least sing, dance, act, do comedy, etc. Now, we have Keanu Reeves raising a lazy eyebrow and mumbles "Wow" and he makes $10 million to do it. Sigh

Re: You're welcome

[shoebox2]

I agree completely re: mediocrity; it's disturbing on a lot of levels. Ray Bradbury nailed the worst-case scenario, in Fahrenheit 451; the flat refusal to think and the subsequent lack of braking power on the need to feel, until...well, look at the Britneys and the Parises of the world. I do believe we've nearly reached the point where the only 'sensation' left for them to provide is suicide.

Movies...I'm not sure if I can really pick a favourite from the three I mentioned at the outset. Were I forced to choose which one to take to a desert island, I think it would have to be Holiday, just because it resonates so closely with my own psyche. But I might try smuggling Singin' in the Rain as well, for the sheer pure entertainment value.

Re: You're welcome

[anonymous]

Yes, we are of the same mind about the mediocrity. It's rather sad, but when big business runs on the fickle massess of squirmy, too-young-too-dress-that-old teens, tweens and really immature 20 year olds, I guess we get Arm-ediocrity. (Is that a cool word, or just trying to hard??) Maybe Medi-megedon... :)

I love those old classics too. Frank Capra films too. Arsenic and Old Lace... so unsual in its tone, but crazy fun. Grant was genius. It really is hard to pinpoint a single film that totatlly says "Yep (sound of spitting into a spitoon), that's my psyche!" I guess it's not a fair question. Well, nice chatting with you. Sorry for the annonymous tag. Call me D. Just read that essay you did on Bob and Ray, who I never heard of until your essay. Nice work, btw. Very heady stuff. I definetly get the reverberations of Newhart and Letterman, et al from the few samples I heard. Take care.

Re: You're welcome

[shoebox2]

Arm-ediocrity...not bad, not bad at all.

It's been a lot of fun chatting with you too, D. Thanks again for the support, and most especially for the good conversation. Hope to see you around again sometime...:)

Re: You're welcome

[anonymous]

Oh, you are welcome. Not often does one find good convo and good writing to boot! Is there a way to give my email address to u without it being public? I am a nice guy, no shennanigans, and I am also a fellow JW (I will not be offended if you say no.) I just enjoy a good conversation now and then, and with one who obviously has a brain! : )

Re: You're welcome

[shoebox2]

Oh! By all means. The email addy in my profile (clik on 'about me' at the top) should do the trick.