A THERAPIST IS TALKING TO A MAN ON A COUCH WE CAN'T SEE HIM,
THERAPIST
The Oedipus complex is one of the most common psychological states of mind. The sexualised feeling of guilt towards the mother, combined with ambivalence over how she stole your father's affection.
MAN
My mum ate my dad, then when she gave birth to me and my 10,000 siblings we ate her.
WE CAN NOW SEE IT'S SPIDERMAN.
THERAPIST
The Oedipus complex would be more intense for a mutant man/spider.
I'm don;t think I'm one for kneejerk reactions but... could someone ban sootyj from the critique forum?
Bo.
What on earthfor?
Maybe "ban" is too strong...
I may very well be wrong but,
I just feel that there are people (okay, yes, I'll admit I am one) who take a lot of time over sketches and that posting them here is a final step in gaining criticism on points that may be altered/improved.
I'm fairly sure that most people use the "recently posted" facility to monitor threads which have recently been created/updated.
I guess my point is that if someone has posted a sketch which they have spent considerable time on and which they would like opinon on but which falls off the "recently added" page due to numerous sketches which you have rattled off in a few minutes (something you have admitted to) then they may be ignored and I think this is inconsiderate.
I'm not a huge fan of your satirical songs and sketches. I'm not a fan of topical humour generally. But I think there is more to it than taking two news stories and banging them together like a toddler trying to get a cube in a round hole... and throwing Gordon Brown/Robert Mugabe or whoever is the name d'jour in for the punchline.
I know you have had considerable success with News Revue and the Treason Show and fair play to you. I envy your success but...
I just don't understand why you exercise such little measure of self-editing and post every single thing you write here.
I have read (and posted positive critiques of) material of yours which I have thought were well considered and had an original angle. I'd prefer to see more of that than some of the (in my opinion) hideous satirical creations that you post all to often.
This isn't intended as being offensive - hopefully it won't be taken as such.
Bo.
Some fair points.
First of all the critique forumn is a cruel mistress. Generally most sutff gets read by most people in my experience (the exeption being long sitcoms). if your not getting feedback, it's because people choose not to give it.
Ands we all write differently, in diferent ways. I'm not an especially confident writer, so when I post something up it's because i want the advice of my peers. I figure thats most useful at the every beginning, and the very end of the writing process. Duff ideas should be gotten ridden of early, it's why I like to put up quite early draughts. Focussing too much on self editing is to me a major way of relearning mistakes.
n.b. I don't print everything I write.
I also like to take on a challenge. So even though I suck at them I'm striving to get songs right. The maddening thing is these take huge amounts of comparative energy to skits. But as I don't get the form yet, I really appreciate support.
As for the topical skits being like a Toddler banging ideas together. That's actaully the guidance from the Mark Blake sketch course. It works, and TS/NR are good places to write to instruction.
n.b. I haven't put any satirical stuff in getting on for a week. It feels a little mean you're choosing my poor little neurotic Spiderman skit for this. (which sin't to say I haven't written any)
Bit like assassinating Thatcher at the moment.
Also iof your skits get knocked off. Why not just reedit, and push them back up?
Sooty. Maybe, (just maybe), you could post your 'Skits of the Day' in single post?
I quite liked this. It's a good idea, not fully worked out but worth persevering with.
I don't have any problem with Sooty posting loads. Obviously the quality is variable but it's fascinating to see him play with different ideas and it's an object lesson in how if you just keep writing, every so often you hit gold. I read almost all Sooty's stuff, but not everyone else's. Admittedly I like and write topical too.
I post much more rarely but when I do I find generally if something drops to the bottom of the page without a comment, there's a good reason.
Thanks, the maddening thing is this one actually had proportionally alot more of my time that most of my posts in terms of writing.
I prefer your other Spiderman gag to be honest. I can't see this working as a runner as it all depends on the reveal.
I agree Boh picked the wrong sketch to have a pop on, but I agree you need to self-edit more and put more work in before posting. I sometimes suspect I put more work into reviewing your sketches than you do into writing them. I actually like reviewing, as it makes me think about how problems can be solved and encourages me to try new things. But sometimes it does feel a bit like you are taking the piss. The idea of you posting your short topicals into a single thread is not a bad one, as it would actually make it easier to sort the wheat from the chaff.
Never sure what to make of it when sketches disappear of the bottom without comment. I have seen sketches about to drop off the bottom, then someone posts and then lots of others do. If a sketch sinks entirely without trace, a discreet bump is worthwhile. If no-one has posted then simply re-editing the original post should do the trick. I understand a feature of the new site will be a counter showing how many hits a thread has had. This should make it clear whether a thread has been overlooked or is simply being politely ignored.
If you drop off the bottom doesn't mean you stink.
Often it means it wasn't expetional.
As has all to often been the case with myself.
I'll bundle more of my skits, though I do find that leads to very generalised feed back,
Thinking about it, this skit probably lead to a much preffered skit not getting read at all.
I am the architect of my own misfortunes.
Skit not great to be honest.
Right that over, lets get ranting!
Bohannan that is an absurd post to make. I read almost ALL submissions in critique, those that I like get a comment, those That IMO I might be able to offer a suggestion to, get a comment. Those that do nothing for me (either positively or negatively), probably because I just dont relate to the humour get no comment at all.
That's just the way it is, get used to it. Sooty is a prolific poster on these forums both in critique and in more general threads, the fact that there is constant traffic on these boards keeps them vibrant and worth a visit.
Whether you choose just to aim one dart effectively to score a bullseye or throw a hundred all at once to see where they land, are just two different ways of achieving the same goal. We may all have our own opinion as to which method works best (and I think many of us have suggested this to Sootyj) but that is all it is, our own opinion.
You can offer advice, and others might choose to take it, but if they dont, thats just life.
I imagine that your response has been charged with disappointment and frustration that your hard work is not receiving the attention that it deseves in your opinion. I suggest you 'bump' them, I promise to re-read them and offer my opinion for what it's worth.
You know the annoying thing is this really is one of my favourite skits.
Yes I put work into it, and really liked it.
I suppose this is the thing with crtitique.
It lets you know what of your stuff works in other peoples views.
And if your skit drops off the bottom don't bump it, reedit it has the same effect.
The skit you leave on your hard disk drive may be your finest work, you just don't relaise it.
This maybe the only time I post this thought, but I honestly can't see how this skit could be imrpoved.
A THERAPIST IS TALKING TO A MAN ON A COUCH.
THERAPIST
Ok so we've established that you're not a homosexual. However these extended intense friendships with women, in which you can't even bring yourself to kiss them? I believe you may be suffering an extended latency period, often called Peter Pan syndrome. Tell me have you reached full physical maturity?
MAN
I'm 800 years old I should bloody hope so. I swore, I'm so sorry.
WE CAN NOW SEE IT'S DR WHO ON THE COUCH
Quote: sootyj @ August 4 2008, 11:00 AM BSTThis maybe the only time I post this thought, but I honestly can't see how this skit could be imrpoved.
A THERAPIST IS TALKING TO A MAN ON A COACH.
THERAPIST
Ok so we've established that you're not a homosexual. However these extended intense friendships with women, in which you can't even bring yourself to kiss them? I believe you may be suffering an extended latency period, often called Peter Pan syndrome. Tell me have you reached full physical maturity?
MAN
I'm 800 years old I should bloody hope so. I swore, I'm so sorry.
WE CAN NOW SEE IT'S THE DR ON THE COUCH
WTF? I've just finished defending you in this thread and then you go and post this up!
'A THERAPIST IS TALKING TO A MAN ON A COACH'
We all know you mean couch, I'll let that one go, but dosn't this line identify that the therapist is standing and a man is on the couch?
Is this supposed to be Doctor Who? Hence the 800yrs old? I am so confused. Even if it is 'The Doctor' it might help my understanding but I have clearly missed the joke. Whats going on here, Joel?
Shouldn't it be 'THE RAPIST'?
It's The Doctor... i.e. Doctor Who.