tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post1180888196373320754..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: "Beating" jokesBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-17705687590453326502014-10-13T21:47:47.703-07:002014-10-13T21:47:47.703-07:00Wendy MG: Yup.Wendy MG: Yup.Old Oslonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-77710124494300217602014-10-13T11:10:06.449-07:002014-10-13T11:10:06.449-07:00Old Oslo: and thus was created the greatest last l...Old Oslo: and thus was created the greatest last line in the history of cinema.<br /><br />wgWendy M. Grossmanhttp://www.pelicancrossing.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-73711157627226762832014-10-13T10:16:49.769-07:002014-10-13T10:16:49.769-07:00Mother Teresa running guns reminds me of this with...Mother Teresa running guns reminds me of this with Madeleine Albright<br /><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7h3GPc_yMCEMikeNnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-36001082014272069422014-10-13T02:05:51.080-07:002014-10-13T02:05:51.080-07:00"Well - nobody's perfect""Well - nobody's perfect"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-73796237305223152352014-10-13T00:59:44.765-07:002014-10-13T00:59:44.765-07:00DBenson, I believe that closing line in Some Like ...DBenson, I believe that closing line in Some Like it Hot was, according to Wilder, "all we managed that day". Wilder & Diamond just kept it in there as a place holder, until they could come up with the zinger they wanted...Old Oslonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-49876768755772314182014-10-13T00:29:25.339-07:002014-10-13T00:29:25.339-07:00For me, the dream is how concise you can make it a...For me, the dream is how concise you can make it at the same time. Also, making a setup absolutely innocent -- a natural, appropriate comment; ideally some inevitable exposition. Or a setup that appears to be pointing somewhere else.<br /><br />Mr. Cavender's example is great, because it could end on "walking encyclopedia" and play as a sarcastic compliment. The payoff is elegant, at once a surprise but howlingly logical.<br /><br />In the first episode of "Frasier," Niles looks at one of the assisted care brochures Frasier is using to find a place for their father. Niles improves on its slogan: "We care, so you don't have to." Boom. And it cuts to the core of the conversation they're having.<br /><br />A lesser show would have given Frasier a faintly unnatural line built around the word "care" first. Or another not-quite-as-good slogan as a lead-in. <br /><br />The closing line from "Some Like It Hot" is short, casual and brilliant (no spoilers here). Any other writers may have been tempted to go with a tricky double-entendre or something merely outrageous; for all we know Wilder and Diamond had a wastebasket full of them before and even after the final choice came up.<br /><br />DBensonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-19418407870556554922014-10-12T21:32:23.066-07:002014-10-12T21:32:23.066-07:00376I was just thinking about you, and I hope this ...376I was just thinking about you, and I hope this was your line. We were discussing "Cheers," and I recounted my favorite line from the series, delivered by Norm: "Cliff, you're a walking encyclopedia. Unfortunately, you're also a talking encyclopedia." I don't think that line could be improved on.Chuck Cavenderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01367750770904909672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-46099790671957317732014-10-12T20:44:03.185-07:002014-10-12T20:44:03.185-07:00@v- I should have but I was 65.@v- I should have but I was 65.mmryan314https://www.blogger.com/profile/03956737239500293977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-52736944452055982322014-10-12T19:59:34.926-07:002014-10-12T19:59:34.926-07:00mmryan, to have made your response work, you shoul...mmryan, to have made your response work, you should have added something about girls being icky.VP81955https://www.blogger.com/profile/11792390726196611188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-69375145042505051902014-10-12T18:50:33.154-07:002014-10-12T18:50:33.154-07:00I`'ve played chess online too. Thought I was p...I`'ve played chess online too. Thought I was pretty good until I played someone who killed me. I asked his/her age and he/she said 12.I lied and told them I was 11 (:mmryan314https://www.blogger.com/profile/03956737239500293977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-41125149728206781162014-10-12T18:44:37.850-07:002014-10-12T18:44:37.850-07:00I'm a long time reader and it's new to me!...I'm a long time reader and it's new to me!<br /><br />Strangely I've found playing chess on my iPhone has taught me something about doing this. I will think I have a killer move, but before I send it over to my opponent (and get that nice buzz of having made what I believe to be a good move) I really try to look at all my other options. It takes much longer, but it's also more satisfying: I usually find I come up with moves that I wouldn't have normally, that are much stronger and that my friend doesn't see coming. I also often notice that my "killer move" was actually very poor and would have lost me a piece. <br /><br />The annoying thing is that as much as I continue to play (and we're well into our hundredth+ game) I still have to take the time to do this. As soon as I get complacent, I'll start losing regularly again. I'm guessing it's the same with writing -- just because you've been doing it for years doesn't mean you get to take shortcuts. If you want to produce your best work, you still have to stop and see if you could do better before moving on. Johnny Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13302545167970532080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-8153684225338283182014-10-12T14:12:33.314-07:002014-10-12T14:12:33.314-07:00I'm a new reader, so it's new to me!I'm a new reader, so it's new to me!Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07817340401160413792noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-4993811846174242572014-10-12T12:26:51.912-07:002014-10-12T12:26:51.912-07:00This was something I did every day on our radio se...This was something I did every day on our radio service, the Comedy Wire. I was brought up on people like Groucho Marx and early Woody Allen, and I try to sharpen every line to make it pointed, surprising and unpredictable. I think that's why people in the industry liked it. One program director told me he'd look at other prep services occasionally and think, "that line's okay, that's an idea for a line that might be funny with enough work, I don't know where they're going with that line," etc., but ours was the only one that consistently made him laugh out loud. Pat Reedernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-24638258039000987452014-10-12T11:57:12.766-07:002014-10-12T11:57:12.766-07:00Right on. Sitcoms today need a new Chuckles the Cl...Right on. Sitcoms today need a new Chuckles the Clown scene and it's hard to imagine one coming from "Anger Management" or "The Goldbergs". OR SHARK TANK, KENNETHScooter Schechtmannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-22730673665373339562014-10-12T10:36:24.996-07:002014-10-12T10:36:24.996-07:00Great repost Ken!
(This was a re-comment from l...Great repost Ken! <br /><br />(This was a re-comment from last week. But revised.)emilynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-15401317082499076362014-10-12T08:55:43.045-07:002014-10-12T08:55:43.045-07:00The blog equivalent of a clip show. (I know; I'...The blog equivalent of a clip show. (I know; I've done it.)VP81955https://www.blogger.com/profile/11792390726196611188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-49413095936048953362014-10-12T06:18:41.039-07:002014-10-12T06:18:41.039-07:00With a new play in rehearsal, re-posting is not on...With a new play in rehearsal, re-posting is not only acceptable but should be mandatory.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com