that's what she said! Sorry, couldn't resist it.
I heard on the radio this evening that if Leeds were in the US then we would be experiencing a hurricane of sorts. However the weather person (me being PC there) said that in Britain we actually call it something about extreme low pressure system or something or other. Typical Britain to play everything down. As I type this shortened blog post out I can hear the rain battering the back of the house and the wind whipping up through the guttering. Alliteration for you there.
Not as many unique views today. I think was down to shameful publicity on facebook yesterday, and a plug from Colin. No such luck today. I shall aim to blog every other day. Work is quite busy!
Tuesday 3 January 2012
Monday 2 January 2012
More than the dance...
I have been reading reviews of a box set of the Office (UK) which was released last year. There was one reviewer who said that this box set was great apart from one thing; the image of Brent doing 'the dance.' This, coming from someone who titles their review "ignore the nitpicking." However, this aside, the reviewer actually makes an interesting point about the most famous (or infamous) parts of comedies and sitcoms about how each one is remembered for its most popular part or scene (more of this shortly.)
The dance from The Office may be one of those groan-out-loud parts for regular fans of The Office however it typifies the relationship that Brent had with his office. He wanted to be liked, seen as an almost demi-God in their eyes (like in Appraisals S2E2), wasn't bothered how he achieved it, but when you watch The Dance (see the capitalisation of it now?) you see something very sad at the end when the colleagues are perplexed and are probably internally thinking "who is this guy that the office don't respect him, yet he is the 'boss'?"
These events in the life of the sitcom need to be in there though, and need to be remembered. Think of the falling-through-bar incident in Only Fools, the Germans dining room scene from Fawlty Towers, Frank Spencer on roller skates in Some Mothers Do Ave 'Em, "Don't tell him, Pike" in Dad's Army. These are all remembered as the most popular parts of sitcoms. Rather than there being bad things I think they allow the unique viewer an inroad into the sitcom and from there they will discover the rest of the series.
Take, for example, your first album you bought. Well, this is not always a good idea as my first album was I've Been Expecting You by Robbie Williams (yes, his most popular selling UK album, but I went nowhere afterwards) No, instead, take the iconic album you bought because it was the one on all the t-shirts and was in Stuart Maconie's Top 100 albums ever list. For example, The Beatles Sgt Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band. Although I don't feel this is the best that the Beatles ever produced, I feel it led me into the Beatles so that I felt I wanted to discover what happened before and after it. I now consider myself a 'fan' of the Beatles despite never being alive to see them.
Another example for you. A less popular one but one that is relevant to me nonetheless. Take Trout Mask Replica by Captain Beefheart. This album is one of the most difficult albums to listen to when listening to an artist for the first time. It's totally incongruous with the majority of things I have heard in the past and it needs a good few listens. It isn't actually my favourite Beefheart album, but it delivered me into the world of Beefheart that I now know and respect.
The dance from The Office may be one of those groan-out-loud parts for regular fans of The Office however it typifies the relationship that Brent had with his office. He wanted to be liked, seen as an almost demi-God in their eyes (like in Appraisals S2E2), wasn't bothered how he achieved it, but when you watch The Dance (see the capitalisation of it now?) you see something very sad at the end when the colleagues are perplexed and are probably internally thinking "who is this guy that the office don't respect him, yet he is the 'boss'?"
These events in the life of the sitcom need to be in there though, and need to be remembered. Think of the falling-through-bar incident in Only Fools, the Germans dining room scene from Fawlty Towers, Frank Spencer on roller skates in Some Mothers Do Ave 'Em, "Don't tell him, Pike" in Dad's Army. These are all remembered as the most popular parts of sitcoms. Rather than there being bad things I think they allow the unique viewer an inroad into the sitcom and from there they will discover the rest of the series.
Take, for example, your first album you bought. Well, this is not always a good idea as my first album was I've Been Expecting You by Robbie Williams (yes, his most popular selling UK album, but I went nowhere afterwards) No, instead, take the iconic album you bought because it was the one on all the t-shirts and was in Stuart Maconie's Top 100 albums ever list. For example, The Beatles Sgt Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band. Although I don't feel this is the best that the Beatles ever produced, I feel it led me into the Beatles so that I felt I wanted to discover what happened before and after it. I now consider myself a 'fan' of the Beatles despite never being alive to see them.
Another example for you. A less popular one but one that is relevant to me nonetheless. Take Trout Mask Replica by Captain Beefheart. This album is one of the most difficult albums to listen to when listening to an artist for the first time. It's totally incongruous with the majority of things I have heard in the past and it needs a good few listens. It isn't actually my favourite Beefheart album, but it delivered me into the world of Beefheart that I now know and respect.
I really think that it doesn't matter about us remembering one or two moments from sitcoms as they are like a guide leading us to other areas. We need a centripetal force as it were, so we can fully enter into that world. If you don't fully explore then I believe you're a bit ignorant. Now i'm off to listen to Best of the Ramones.
Brent on him being the Boss and moving on: I don't look upon this like it's the end, I look upon it like it's moving on you know. It's almost like my work here's done. I can't imagine Jesus going 'Oh, I've told a few people in Bethlehem I'm the son of God, can I just stay here with Mum and Dad now?' No. You gotta move on. You gotta spread the word. You gotta go to Nazareth, please. And that's, very much like... me. My world does not end within these four walls, Slough's a big place. And when I've finished with Slough, there's Reading, Aldershot, Bracknell, you know I've got to-Didcott, Yately. You know. My-Winersh, Taplow. Because I am my own boss, I can-Burfield. I can wake up one morning and go 'Ooh, I don't feel like working today, can I just stay in bed?' 'Ooh, don't know, better ask the boss.' 'David can I stay in bed all day?' 'Yes you can David.' Both me, that's not me in bed with another bloke called David.
Brent on him being the Boss and moving on: I don't look upon this like it's the end, I look upon it like it's moving on you know. It's almost like my work here's done. I can't imagine Jesus going 'Oh, I've told a few people in Bethlehem I'm the son of God, can I just stay here with Mum and Dad now?' No. You gotta move on. You gotta spread the word. You gotta go to Nazareth, please. And that's, very much like... me. My world does not end within these four walls, Slough's a big place. And when I've finished with Slough, there's Reading, Aldershot, Bracknell, you know I've got to-Didcott, Yately. You know. My-Winersh, Taplow. Because I am my own boss, I can-Burfield. I can wake up one morning and go 'Ooh, I don't feel like working today, can I just stay in bed?' 'Ooh, don't know, better ask the boss.' 'David can I stay in bed all day?' 'Yes you can David.' Both me, that's not me in bed with another bloke called David.
Sunday 1 January 2012
A new start!
Hello dear readers. What a joy it is to be in front of you once again, and what an honour from me to you knowing that you are reading my thoughts and words. Many thanks.
I have just spent a really nice afternoon with my friend's Father. He has a blog that he contributes to regularly and has been an inspiration for this new project. You can find his blog here.
Just as I was about to leave my friend's house a program came on the TV about David Croft the writer and general comedic genius who, along with Jimmy Perry brought us shows such as Allo Allo, Dad's Army and Hi De Hi. Whilst I doubt I could ever be as successful as him, I would really like to have a go at writing some comedy pieces this year. I have attempted to write with people in the past however it has always been more work on my part and this is annoying. I will keep you posted, dear readers.
And in homage to Colin, I leave you with a link to another website that has very little bearing on this post here
I have just spent a really nice afternoon with my friend's Father. He has a blog that he contributes to regularly and has been an inspiration for this new project. You can find his blog here.
Just as I was about to leave my friend's house a program came on the TV about David Croft the writer and general comedic genius who, along with Jimmy Perry brought us shows such as Allo Allo, Dad's Army and Hi De Hi. Whilst I doubt I could ever be as successful as him, I would really like to have a go at writing some comedy pieces this year. I have attempted to write with people in the past however it has always been more work on my part and this is annoying. I will keep you posted, dear readers.
And in homage to Colin, I leave you with a link to another website that has very little bearing on this post here
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)