British Comedy Guide

Diary of an Obsessive Compulsive

Already posted on my blog, but thoughts appreciated:

Closed the door.

Locked the door.

Opened the door.

Closed the door.

Locked the door.

Turned away from the door and turned back again to push the door to check if it was actually locked.

Took out a piece of paper and a pen from my pocket. Leaned the paper against the door and wrote "this door is locked" to prove to myself that the door was locked.

Walked away again, got half way down the street to the shops.

Panicked that the door might not be locked, and so turned around and walked back to the house to check if the door was locked.

The door seemed locked, but thought I'd better open it and shut it and lock it again to make sure.

Walked away. Walked back to the door and leaned the same scrap of paper against the door and wrote underneath my existing note "this door is now most definitely locked".

Walked away. Headed to the shops.

Got to the shops.

Purchased some bleach, window cleaner, surface wipes, surface cleaner, air freshener, new mop head, sponges, cloths, dusters, polish, toilet duck, toilet wipes.

Left the shop to go home to clean the house again.

Panicked that I had forgotten to put my wallet back into my trousers. Couldn't find wallet in trousers. Adrenaline flowing, rush of blood to the head.

Eventually found wallet in coat pocket.

Headed home.

Stopped half way. Panicked that I had forgottten to put debit card back into wallet and had left it in chip and pin. Got wallet out of my coat pocket and checked that debit card was present.

Debit card was present. Headed home.

Got home.

To my great suprise, as it had been haunting me in the shops, I found the door to be locked.

Crap! Forgot to get washing powder.

Closed the door.

Locked the door...

What's the joke?

Quote: sootyj @ January 16 2011, 9:29 PM GMT

What's the joke?

Well. Clearly there isn't a punchline...

But it's supposed to be about the general absudity of being an obsessive compulsive

If that's all, then you're kinda just mocking a disability?

Perhaps if you reframed it? The OCD serial killer or the OCD pimp?

Quote: sootyj @ January 16 2011, 9:58 PM GMT

If that's all, then you're kinda just mocking a disability?

Perhaps if you reframed it? The OCD serial killer or the OCD pimp?

Not really mocking it.

Just taking things that I've actually done myself...

Mild OCD

That a diagnosis is it?

Yep...

I diagnose you as a grumpy gus...

Quote: Bob Bedford @ January 16 2011, 9:59 PM GMT

Not really mocking it.

Just taking things that I've actually done myself...

Mild OCD

Errr I kind of think I know what you mean, some things don't translate into comedy so easily, a certain 'lightness of touch' is required here.
An expression of intelligence often can soften the 'disabability' segment of your presentation.

Problem is, that to you this might read as a funny story, but to a lot of people this reads as a true list of events. It could very easily be a serious observation.

Quote: Bob Bedford @ January 16 2011, 9:27 PM GMT

Already posted on my blog, but thoughts appreciated:

Closed the door.

Locked the door.

Opened the door.

Closed the door.

Locked the door.

Turned away from the door and turned back again to push the door to check if it was actually locked.

Took out a piece of paper and a pen from my pocket. Leaned the paper against the door and wrote "this door is locked" to prove to myself that the door was locked.

Walked away again, got half way down the street to the shops.

Panicked that the door might not be locked, and so turned around and walked back to the house to check if the door was locked.

The door seemed locked, but thought I'd better open it and shut it and lock it again to make sure.

Walked away. Walked back to the door and leaned the same scrap of paper against the door and wrote underneath my existing note "this door is now most definitely locked".

Walked away. Headed to the shops.

Got to the shops.

Purchased some bleach, window cleaner, surface wipes, surface cleaner, air freshener, new mop head, sponges, cloths, dusters, polish, toilet duck, toilet wipes.

Left the shop to go home to clean the house again.

Panicked that I had forgotten to put my wallet back into my trousers. Couldn't find wallet in trousers. Adrenaline flowing, rush of blood to the head.

Eventually found wallet in coat pocket.

Headed home.

Stopped half way. Panicked that I had forgottten to put debit card back into wallet and had left it in chip and pin. Got wallet out of my coat pocket and checked that debit card was present.

Debit card was present. Headed home.

Got home.

To my great suprise, as it had been haunting me in the shops, I found the door to be locked.

Crap! Forgot to get washing powder.

Closed the door.

Locked the door...

FWIW: As someone who used to suffer serious debility from obsessive compulsion...
I thought it was very funny.. at first. Personally, and it's just my opinion, I would have it more-or-less as follows:

Closed the door.

Locked the door.

Opened the door.

Closed the door.

Locked the door.

Turned away from the door and turned back again to push the door to check if it was actually locked.

Took out a piece of paper and a pen from my pocket. Put a post it note on the door and wrote "this door is locked" to prove to myself that the door was locked.

Walked away again, got half way down the street to the shops.

Panicked that the door might not be locked, and so turned around and walked back to the house to check if the door was locked.

The door seemed locked, but thought I'd better open it and shut it and lock it again to make sure.

Walked away. Walked back to the door and wrote underneath my existing note on another post it: "this door is now most definitely locked".

Walked away. Headed to the shops. Forgot my wallet. Turned back. Found my post-it notes on the floor. Couldn't be sure if they were from just now or I forgot to write them today and these were from yesterday.

Opened the door and locked it again.

FADE TO BLACK.

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