Re: We Report, You Decide, The Deuce -- Saturday Night You Bull Sessions

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Date Posted: 23:51:29 07/07/04 Wed
Author: CCS
Subject: Re: We Report, You Decide, The Deuce
In reply to: CCS 's message, "We Report, You Decide" on 01:25:58 07/07/04 Wed

Finishing on out on the reviews. I'll catch you on the flipside.

----weekend update----

Stock preface #12: I'm getting numbed by the mid-east. It just feels like the same old violent unrest day-in and day-out. The news isn't new, it's just a daily depressant administered via broadcast.
Stock preface #2: I'm skipping my own jokes.
First two jokes didn't really stand out to me. I liked the eBay joke. The Britney thing would have been funnier, I felt, if you started making up injuries that musicians dealt with. T-Boz jokes would have been funnier if I knew who Mack 10 was. The opium joke had a good twist. Liked the Father's day joke. HMO was funny, but nearly lost me in the set-up. I enjoyed the Chris Wood bit; the characterization was very strong, especially the ending where he just wouldn't leave. Pig fart, good. Fish oil, ehh. Tennessee was funny, but seemed to be missing something. Interesting twist on the toilet. Infidelity gene was ok. Penile enhancement took a long time to set up a good joke. Wisconsin was alright. Are Lollapalooza fans necessarily geeks? Seemed a tenuous connection, the kind that falls apart if pressed too hard. The soapbox was a bit too stream-of-conciousness for me.
Hack of the week: The joke about Courtney Cox not having any real "friends" is not only unfunny, it's also already been used in our WU's twice! Is fresh material so much to ask?

----the rule of three----

This sketch was constructed very precisely, to maximize each event. We open with a funny scene between Lady 1 and Cop 1, which gives by way of example, and not explanation, the main premise of the sketch. From there, the cops pack it in to further the exaggeration and generate laughs. More evil-doers and the entrance of one more cop - this time from outside. Close on a very funny gag about how many they have is still not enough. Though I make this sketch sound so sterile, it's really not, just a finely precisioned piece of comedy. One nitpick I have is that the intercourse Cop 3 found herself involved in would seem to either be: a) rape b) sexual harassment or c) consensual adultery. In the first two cases, the lieutenant would be kicked off the squad and charged with the crime. In the third case, it wouldn't be moral, but I don't see why the police department would care. Basically, I don't see simple demotion as a possibility given the circumstances.

----orange-o----

Just another commercial in the time-honored tradition of totally inappropriate spokespeople. Funny, but nothing really to make it stand out from the legions that have gone before. I like the 30 second guarantee.

----experiencing nature----

Stock preface #47: My name is Jonas, I'm carrying the wheel. Thanks for all you've shown us, this is how we feel.
Reminded me somewhat of the Forte in a box sketch. Not too much though, you worked in your own focuses for where the sketch was headed, particularly with the interesting addition of the squirrels. There were some good lines and a very strong tension, but I felt the sketch ended too soon. Not long after Tracy appears, you pull the comic flip-flop and end it. I think I would have liked to see more, the dynamic leading up to it was very good.

----gay pirates----

The sketch was good, if perhaps slightly predictable as read. This was due to the over-informative side notes explaining in detail every step of the process. It's hard to surprise people when they're set up too obviously. This also would lead to another problem when performed - some of the information in the side notes is crucial to understand what is going on in the scene, but this info is not part of the dialogue/actions and is therefore unknown to a viewer. For example, the destination of the married couple is not in the dialogue anywhere. Perhaps you could note that the Golden Gate bridge is highly visible. Basically, just remember that a sketch is a different medium than a short story. All sorts of devices can be employed if you still need crucial side notes: narrators, text on the screen, etc. Anyway, don't let my ranting get in the way, this was still a funny sketch.

----how you doin'?----

Stock preface #5,476: I already made Rachel Dratch responsible for the Kennedy impression last summer.
As a non-friends watcher, I can only assume "How ya doin'?" is a catchphrase of sorts for Joey. After the Budweiser commercials, I can't say it's a phrase I can really appreciate hearing ad nauseam. Outside of that, this sketch mostly resembles an updated Goatboy sketch, with impressionists filling in as "haha, aren't they forgotten?" stars of yesteryear to spew catchphrases and make more references to their time. Fun in a nostalgic way, but not quite funny. Your third "or" on the Kennedy line was unnecessary, and killed the punch to me.

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