As writers are we overly critical of comedy? Page 2

Yes.

I do wonder how many people would be inclined to find fault in an Fawlty Towers script if it had been posted here first under some pseudonym for critique. I hope not many. But I can't be 100% sure I wouldn't have.

So, yes, I suspect I am guilty of being overly-critical. But at the same time, I want the right to be as critical as I like. And I want that as a viewer, more than anything else. Some people seem to think that unless you try to write comedy yourself then you don't know what's any good, so your opinions are discredited. To me, that's baloney. I like football, and I think I have the right to say - and understand - when a football team is not performing well. I don't have to be able to play like Ronaldo to know when he's having a good or bad game. Same with comedy. I like it, I watch a lot of it, so I trust my opinion. But as with football, it ain't the same opinion as everyone else's.

I have wandered off topic a bit, so.... the answer was "Yes".

I can not consider myself a writer until someone has paid me for some written work. My own son refused to buy one of my sketches for 2p.

Quote: Charley @ March 2, 2008, 11:32 PM

I can not consider myself a writer until someone has paid me for some written work. My own son refused to buy one of my sketches for 2p.

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i'll give you one.

Phwoar! Fankoo!

Quote: Badge @ March 2, 2008, 11:37 PM

i'll give you one.

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PENNY! ONE PENNY!

Oh

You know I am only playing like that cos you are married. Otherwise the numbers being given and taken would be negotiable.

Oh yeah, and the other issue being that you are a nutcase.

Quote: Badge @ March 2, 2008, 11:41 PM

PENNY! ONE PENNY!

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The desperation!

Now I've seen the Amelia Bulmore lookalike I need to re-assess everything.

I have no idea what she looks like.

Yes!

And there's the first sign of sanity from Chapman. In almost 6,500 posts.

The answer is yes. IMHO anyroad.

Everyone seems to think they know comedy. I think maybe the reason for this is because comedy is so subjective. For instance, someone earlier in this thread cited Bo' Selecta as a pile of shite. For me it was hysterically funny. So immediately, we have two comedy "experts" - each sitting on opposite sides of the fence, glowering at each other, certain in the knowledge that they're right. The truth is though, nobody's right.

As "writers" all we can do is fire off our crap into the inky void and hope that a half-decent percentage of people agree with us that our stuff is indeed funny. But even if 99% of the population think that we're comedy geniuses, (genii?) there's always that 1% that thinks we're utter, utter shit. The thing with comedy though, is that people get stupidly vocal about it.

Consider the club heckler for instance. I swear to sweet baby Jeebus, if I had the power to eradicate any species from existence, it'd be hecklers - with wasps coming a close second. I HATE those cowardly wankers, spouting their unfunny, spiteful drivel from the safety of the dark. Why do they do it? Would they do the same if they'd paid to see a band they didn't particularly like? Course not. How about if they were watching a play and didn't like the actor? Would they shout "Get off, you're shit!"? No way. But with comedy it's different.
These drunken arseholes are just an extension of our obsession with comedy. In fact the only other subject that whips us into debate faster is politics, which I suppose just goes to prove how important comedy and laughter is in society today.

I've forgot what my point is because I'm drunk.

And now I'm going to bed because it was my birthday today and I've drunk 4 cans of plutonium-grade tramp fuel lager.

<Insert belch smiley here>

I think to write you must know what you like and don't like and analyse existing comedies as a ritual, so of course you'll end-up being over-critical in comparison to the average viewer.

You'll end up watching more comedies than the average viewer, you'll be concentrating on different things, your palette will be more developed. Like wine-buffs are over-critical of wine, while the average person will go for the cheap red piss.

There is nothing wrong with it either as long as you use it to your advantage. I'm sure all modern comedies wouldn't exist if the writers had never watched a comedy before.

Quote: Badge @ March 2, 2008, 11:29 PM

I do wonder how many people would be inclined to find fault in an Fawlty Towers script if it had been posted here first under some pseudonym for critique.

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I must admit I thought exactly the same reading all the stuff recently on these forums about racism and political correctness. The episodes about the Germans and the deaf woman, for example, would have been crucified.