Alvin Chipmunk Passes Away - sketch

NEWS READER
Alvin, of Alvin and the Chipmunks fame, has passed away in the last hour. Reports are coming in that he was involved in a boating accident in the Bahamas. Alvin of course, has a resort there and he is renowned for being a huge boat enthusiast. Let's go over to our entertainment correspondent, Mark Fresh. Mark; any word on what exactly happened? This is such a shocking and tragic story.

MARK
Well as you mentioned there, there has been some kind of accident. Some people are saying that the boat capsized and that Alvin Chipmunk was unable to fight back the strong current of the sea. Now we can't confirm anything at the moment, other than that, yes, Alvin Chipmunk has died in a boating accident. That's all we can confirm at this moment in time.

NEWS READER
Mark, you had a close friendship with Alvin, you attended the premiere of the Chipmunks movie back in 2007 and you were involved in several interviews with him over the years. He was a loose cannon to the some people; but to you and to his fans worldwide, there was much more to Alvin Chipmunk?

MARK
Oh most definitely. I spoke to Alvin a couple of months ago and he was in a really positive frame of mind. He took part in that American Celebrity Golf Tournament back in November 2008 and he was talking about how much he regretted that now infamous argument with Simon Chipmunk, his brother. But in recent years they did put aside that particular argument. Alvin also has that triple heart bypass all the way back in 2005. He was a heavy smoker, he liked his whiskey and he was renowned for being something of a playboy. 2005 was a really difficult time for Alvin; he had that surgery and then of course while Alvin was in hospital, David Seville passed away. David Seville played himself in the Chipmunks television series and I think that really hurt Alvin; he couldn't be there with David at the end of David Seville's life. After he came out of hospital, I asked him, 'where do you go from here?' He said very little and he just smiled his now infamous chipmunk smile; then he said, 'home'. He had a great sense of humour.

The original line up, all three of the Chipmunks, Alvin, Simon and Theodore; they reformed recently; they were in the Chipmunks movie back in 2007. There were even rumours that several record labels were interested in pursuing the Chipmunks, possibly to do a new album and even a tour. Fans are now gathering at his Beverly Hills mansion. This is of course, is a monumentally sad and tragic day. We will try and keep you posted on anything else that we hear.

NEWS READER
Mark thanks for your time. Well if you're just tuning in, the news has reached us in the last few minutes that Alvin Chipmunk has died. He was 67 years old.

It's nicely observed, lines such as this:

Quote: Adam Blaize @ July 3 2009, 3:16 PM BST

After he came out of hospital, I asked him, 'where do you go from here?' He said very little and he just smiled his now infamous chipmunk smile; then he said, 'home'. He had a great sense of humour.

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are dead on. However it could maybe do with a few more jokes. At the moment it's probably slightly too reliant on finding the premise of Alvin Chipmunk dying funny and getting the giggles at a fairly straight-forward, well observed and accurate rendition of what a tribute to his life might be like.

EDIT: Maybe some visual jokes, if you're thinking it may work in a visual medium. You could keep he tone that way without rupturing it with jarring gags while adding a new layer of jokes to keep the premise fresh throughout. Clips, pictures etc they're talking over. You've got a lot of leeway with the news studio setting. It'd lend itself well to animation

Hey, thanks for the feedback. Yeah, I wrote it in response to the media frenzy that followed Jackson's death. Feedback is always welcomed. I've written another one on here, called The Incredibly Vindictive House, if you'd like to read it.

Quote: evelynblake @ July 3 2009, 3:30 PM BST

At the moment it's probably slightly too reliant on finding the premise of Alvin Chipmunk dying funny

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Finding the premise of anyone dying is not funny - it is downright sick and distasteful.

Quote: Joseff @ July 3 2009, 4:11 PM BST

Finding the premise of anyone dying is not funny - it is downright sick and distasteful.

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It's a fictional chipmunk. I doubt the animators will be overcome with grief.

Quote: evelynblake @ July 3 2009, 6:50 PM BST

It's a fictional chipmunk. I doubt the animators will be overcome with grief.

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I was unaware that it was a fictional chipmunk.

Even so; to trivialise death is not funny.

I respect that reverence of life Joseff. But there are a lot of admired comedies out there that do deal with death: Big Train, Jam, The Day Today, I'm Alan Partridge, Seinfield, Absolutely, Monty Python etc. Woody Allen even included him in a film, not to mention Bill & Ted.

I'm not being flippant when I say I respect that reverence, death is perhaps trivalised too much now. I'm not really one to indulge in Jacko jokes just because he's passed away, I think it's fairly cheap. But if you choose to dismiss a sketch that makes light of death then you dismiss a lot of shows, which is fine. But I don't think you should dismiss aspiring comedy writers for writing sketches considering established comedy writers have forged the circumstances in which making fun of death is acceptable. If you disagree with what's being wrote it's probably better for you if you ignore it, as it would be immensly difficult to stem the tide now.

Quote: Joseff @ July 3 2009, 7:28 PM BST

I was unaware that it was a fictional chipmunk.

Even so; to trivialise death is not funny.

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It can be.

Quote: evelynblake @ July 3 2009, 7:40 PM BST

If you disagree with what's being wrote

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Wrote? Wrote? - written!!!

Forget that f**kin' useless unfunny dead chipmunk - and Bambi's Mother for that matter (she had it comin')!

For your 'what's being wrote' I'm throwing my principles right out the window - it's a slooooow and painful death for you, Evelyn Blake!!

Ha! I deserve all that's coming to me. I'm wroting a note now that in death I should be considered a martyr to the English language. Maybe if I had been thoroughly educated such a tragedy woulden't have occurred.

Quote: evelynblake @ July 3 2009, 8:11 PM BST

Ha! I deserve all that's coming to me. I'm wroting a note now that in death I should be considered a martyr to the English language. Maybe if I had been thoroughly educated such a tragedy woulden't have occurred.

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Muh - Wah! <3 You're a good sport Evelyn!!

I can't believe the fuss but I'm flattered. And no death isn't funny, but this is taking a stab at the media and the circus that follows someone like Jackson. It's not a personal thing and why am I explaining myself? It's a character, a chipmunk!!

Don't explain yourself.

Sorry - I just realised that I practically hijacked the thread!
So- my crit of 'Chipmunk':

It's extremely well written. So much so, that it gives the impression that Alvin actually lived - then died! I think that the Newsreader would have to read it absolutely deadpan (as I imagined) to get the required laughs. No funny faces, tongue-in-cheek stuff - otherwise it won't work.

I guess the intention here is that this is an accurately observed stylistic pastiche rendered absurd by the subject; it works at that level, but it is a single joke dragged out over a rather long sketch.