Excessive use of exclamation marks and capital letters
in writing is an abomination, an implied insult to the reader's ability to
appreciate the intent of the written word, or to recognize irony, emphasis or
outrage from context.
It is therefore only excusable when the writer has foreknowledge of the reader's limited literary sophistication - such as when writing to your local member of parliament.
(An example would be "IMPLEMENT A POLICY TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE THAT WILL ACTUALLY FUCKING WORK, YOU FUCKING JERK!!!!!!")
It is analogous to laugh tracks on American TV comedy shows, or those "CLAP", "LAUGH", "CHEER" signs they hold up at political events.
It is therefore only excusable when the writer has foreknowledge of the reader's limited literary sophistication - such as when writing to your local member of parliament.
(An example would be "IMPLEMENT A POLICY TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE THAT WILL ACTUALLY FUCKING WORK, YOU FUCKING JERK!!!!!!")
It is analogous to laugh tracks on American TV comedy shows, or those "CLAP", "LAUGH", "CHEER" signs they hold up at political events.
Laugh tracks are apparently inserted by directors with scant
regard for their screenwriters’ talent (intended to signal things like "That
was an attempt at humour") or their audience’s intelligence ("That was a joke,
you morons").
They represent a non-verbal imperative ("Laugh now!") and are evidence that the director realizes that his show is humourless crap, or appreciates that only numpties would watch it.
They represent a non-verbal imperative ("Laugh now!") and are evidence that the director realizes that his show is humourless crap, or appreciates that only numpties would watch it.
This Orwellian construct begs the question - why stop
at comedy? Why not drama?
For example, poignant scenes could be followed by sobbing tracks; gory scenes could be accompanied by gasps and vomiting noises; and sex scenes could be accompanied by sounds of vigorous wanking - auditory clues to the required audience response.
For example, poignant scenes could be followed by sobbing tracks; gory scenes could be accompanied by gasps and vomiting noises; and sex scenes could be accompanied by sounds of vigorous wanking - auditory clues to the required audience response.
On the other hand, laugh tracks may actually have a
beneficial therapeutic role to play in social engineering in the second decade
of the twenty first century.
Anyone who is not depressed at the state of
the world is simply not paying attention.
If things continue as they are, whole populations will be throwing themselves off cliffs each day after the evening news.
If things continue as they are, whole populations will be throwing themselves off cliffs each day after the evening news.
If the daily reports of the dismal progress of global
governments in response to anthropogenic climate change, of the loathsome behaviour of extremists of all persuasions, of the obscene maldistribution of
global wealth, of poverty, starvation and oppression in so many places, of
Parliamentary Question Time, or, simply, of Donald Trump, doesn't make you want
to join the lemmings, you should get help.
But imagine these events accompanied by laugh tracks.
Go
on.
Try really hard to imagine.
I mean BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!
It's fucking hilarious!
Try really hard to imagine.
I mean BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!
It's fucking hilarious!
