British Comedy Guide

From us to them

I posted this in the sketch comp already but I'd like to offer it up for crit also. I see it as an animation (for reasons that will become apparent).

INT. RECORDING STUDIO

A TECHNICIAN IS SAT IN A CONTROL BOOTH. ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE GLASS, JACK ARRIVES. HE SHAKES OFF AN UMBRELLA.

TECHNICIAN:
Good morning, Jack. Everything okay?

JACK:
No, it isn’t. One of you jackass NASA freaks sideswiped me in the parking lot. What’s that gonna cost me? F**k!

TECHNICIAN:
I’m sorry to hear that, Jack.

JACK STEPS UP TO A MICROPHONE.

JACK:
Didn’t we do this message to space shit in the seventies already?

TECHNICIAN:
We sent it up on vinyl the first time.

JACK:
So what?

TECHNICIAN:
So what if they don’t have a record player?

JACK:
Okay, wise guy, just roll the tape.

TECHNICIAN:
We’re recording digital, Jack.

JACK:
You’re starting to piss me off, you know that?

TECHNICIAN:
Cool off, Jack, this is a goodwill message.

JACK:
I am cool!

TECHNICIAN:
Okay, okay! Listen, I have to step out for a leak. You good to go?

JACK:
Just get a move on.

TECHNICIAN:
Okay. And three, two, one…

HE PRESSES RECORD AND EXITS.

JACK:
(clears throat)
”This is a present from a small and distant word”. I mean world! F**k it!

HE PUNCHES THE MIC, CAUSING A SQUEAL OF FEEDBACK.

JACK:
You know what? You can go suck a bag of dicks, you stool-headed f**k! I’m not gonna stand here and eat shit for some gnome raping alien! I hope you hear this and come down here – I will throw you in a river and piss in your snorkel and when I’m done with that I’ll nail your wife like a f**king crucifix!

THE TECHNICIAN RETURNS TO THE CONTROL BOOTH.

TECHNICIAN:
We all done, Jack?

JACK:
Got it in one.

TECHNICIAN:
Great. Let’s just give it a quick listen.

JACK:
(menacing)
You calling me a liar?

TECHNICIAN:
No, you’re fine, Jack. I’ll send it straight to mission control.

EXT. SPACE

A NASA PROBE DRIFTS THROUGH THE COSMOS. A TRACTOR BEAM DRAWS IT INTO THE HATCH OF AN ALIEN SHIP. A MOMENT LATER:

ALIEN:
(O.S. and subbed)
Cock wizards!

INT. BACHELOR PAD

JACK IS SAT WATCHING A PLASMA SCREEN TV. THERE’S AN ENORMOUS EXPLOSION FROM OUTSIDE. HE RUSHES TO THE WINDOW. A LASER BEAM IS FIRING DOWN FROM THE HEAVENS.

EXT. SPACE

PLANET EARTH. CARVED INTO ITS SURFACE IN LETTERS A CONTINENT HIGH:

‘PWNED’

INT. BACHELOR PAD

JACK:
You missed me, you goddamn donut puncher!

ANOTHER BOLT FROM ABOVE. JACK’S HOUSE IS OBLITERATED.

EXT. SPACE

‘PWNED’ IS NOW SPELLED WITH A FULL STOP.

ALIEN:
(O.S. and subbed)
Suck it, f**ker.

Hahah, I'm not quite sure how that would actually work on TV, but I really enjoyed that, and it did make me lol. Good work! :)

Very good.

I didnt understand the PWNED bit.

Quote: Aaron @ March 24, 2008, 11:03 PM

Hahah, I'm not quite sure how that would actually work on TV, but I really enjoyed that, and it did make me lol. Good work! :)

Cheers, Aaron, we don't hear enough from you in these parts.

Quote: sootyj @ March 24, 2008, 11:08 PM

Very good.

Cheers also. We hear PLENTY from you in these parts.

Quote: Nigel Kelly @ March 25, 2008, 12:20 AM

I didnt understand the PWNED bit.

Anyone who uses the internet enough too much should get that expression, and this joke is for them.

I looked it up on wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pwn

Now I get it!!!

Yeah, this is a nicely made sketch. It's just a funny idea, isn't it?

Maybe the PWNED shouldn't make an appearance at the end though? If it's going to cause confusion (which it will) it's all well and good to have in the body of the sketch, but to include it in the finish might leave a lot of people thinking they've missed out on the punch.

I can see why this works and understand who it's aimed at. But as I'm not the target audience for stuff like this, it didn' tickle me. I think Jack's tirade was just a tad too angry. If all his swearing was masked by endless bleeping (a la Cartman in the South Park movie), I'd probably laugh my ass off. Sometimes, it's better to leave stuff to the viewer's imagination.

I'm starting to think you're right, James - the phrase PWNED is a pretty archiac one and there's no sense alienating (sorry) an audience when the word "OWNED" would do.

And you may well be right too, Antony. My intention would be to record the dialogue verbatim then see if bleeping works better after the fact.

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