Taking the Unwanted

ratliff · Post by **ratliff** » March 24th, 2008, 3:20 pm

THis is where I think I'm an outlier here: I truly believe you could create a great, thoughtful, compassionate, hilarious show out of the suggestion "gang rape" . . . but definitely NOT by dealing with a literal gang rape. Hence the process of spinning off the suggestion at the top of the show.

As noted in another thread, I think there's an important distinction between a narrative format -- where to honor the suggestion you pretty much have to take it literally, and for the duration of the show -- and other formats where you have more freedom to explore various connotations, a la Bob's ASSSCAT example.

And I reject the audience-vs.-improvisers dichotomy as false, because I think there's something more important than either, which is the show itself. I don't want to play with improvisers who high-five each other for being brilliant; I want to play with improvisers who high-five each other for getting out of the way and letting the show happen. Taking pride in work well done is emphatically NOT the same thing as congratulating yourself for being clever.

DollarBill · Post by **DollarBill** » March 24th, 2008, 6:19 pm

ratliff wrote:I truly believe you could create a great, thoughtful, compassionate, hilarious show out of the suggestion "gang rape" . . . but definitely NOT by dealing with a literal gang rape. Hence the process of spinning off the suggestion at the top of the show.

I think the sweet thing about improv is that you can make a "great, thoughtful, compassionate, hilarious show" any way you want to. It's really hard. But so is a lot of stuff that's worth it.
Suggestion, no suggestion, crass suggestion, extrapolated from suggestion, literal interpretation of a suggestion... I've seen it all work.

My suggestion is stop complaining and Improvise MUTHA PHUXXAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! doublemiddlefingerstonguestickingoutface

DollarBill · Post by **DollarBill** » March 24th, 2008, 6:28 pm

Also, I went to a show the other day where I thought the suggestion taking process was really sweet.

This improv-er man stepped to the front of the stage and asked for some words that were really meaningful to you, but nothing that's "I love blank" or "I hate blank". I like that part because then you can't just blurt that how you feel about dollar double cheeseburgers (i love them). It forces a larger quantity of meaningful words (if the audience actually tries, which is always the "if" part in taking a suggestion anyway).
They got "march of dimes". Pretty sweet. Good show, too.

TexasImprovMassacre · March 25th, 2008, 2:51 am

ratliff wrote:THis is where I think I'm an outlier here: I truly believe you could create a great, thoughtful, compassionate, hilarious show out of the suggestion "gang rape" . . . but definitely NOT by dealing with a literal gang rape. Hence the process of spinning off the suggestion at the top of the show.

i agree.

mcnichol · Post by **mcnichol** » March 25th, 2008, 6:53 am

TexasImprovMassacre wrote:
ratliff wrote:THis is where I think I'm an outlier here: I truly believe you could create a great, thoughtful, compassionate, hilarious show out of the suggestion "gang rape" . . . but definitely NOT by dealing with a literal gang rape. Hence the process of spinning off the suggestion at the top of the show.
i agree.

Totally. But I have to admit, if it were me taking the suggestion, in that moment -- audience cringing and all -- I'd probably just take another one.

ratliff · Post by **ratliff** » March 25th, 2008, 10:38 am

Well, it's not like it's some kind of failure of nerve to get a different suggestion. I was just pushing the extreme case because once you've got it in your head that there are some suggestions you "can't" do a show from, it's a slippery slope.

DollarBill · Post by **DollarBill** » March 25th, 2008, 1:03 pm

ratliff wrote:I was just pushing the extreme case because once you've got it in your head that there are some suggestions you "can't" do a show from, it's a slippery slope.

Can we PLEASE start using the phrase "slippery dick" in place of "slippery slope". I mean really use it serious and hard to the point where people forget what it actually means....

Hm. On second thought. I guess then we might start forgetting what all words really mean and that would be a really slippery dick.

York99 · Post by **York99** » March 25th, 2008, 1:35 pm

These WERE all good points. Unfortunately, they are now all MOOT points because the suggestion is Einstein's Boner.

Pay attention people.

DollarBill · Post by **DollarBill** » March 25th, 2008, 2:11 pm

Careful, Einstein's Boner is a slippery dick.