Scotland's Media - Decision Time

[the gunslinger 3,366]

OAE stopped being funny in the last century. I actually watched the first 10 mins of it this year for the first time in about a decade, and had to turn it off, it was painfully poor with not even a snigger registered in my living room during that time. Pulp Fiction was on another channel, easy choice!

 

As for PLG, that was the last time we virtually sold out all available ST before this season, and both have been an extreme disappointment with us out of the title race before talk of Santa. I was so excited for the new dawn under PLG, but, like with MW, his inability to see and fix a broken defence proved costly in terms of points dropped. Unlike MW however, PLG obviously didnt enjoy his time here and, in stereotypical French style, surrendered at the first sign of trouble. At least MW seems to be up for the fight and tying to tweak things to improve our results. It was sooo disappointing back then. Clement looked a decent player to me but Walter didnt fancy him, and Papac became a cult hero at left back even though PLG signed him to play CB.

The french have a bad name for surrendering. They have won more wars in recent history than any other nation.

 

 

[calscot 0]

It is difficult to write stuff that everyone thinks is funny.

 

Yeah, I do realise that, but if it's your career then you have to find a way... Or move into drama.

 

My mother loves Mrs Brown and the boys and I think it is a lot of crap.

 

I'm with you, I don't get it at all.

 

Then with OaE you are stuck to the subject of football. I tried to do Taxi on a regular basis (not to everyone's liking) but when you only have football as a subject it is difficult to keep finding new jokes without repeating the same things. You have the same with the Rangers pod that the Gersnet were supporting, some people find it funny and others find it not funny at all.

 

I can't speak for others, but I for one appreciated your Taxi, especially as I get that it's hard and I'm far more forgiving for an amateur. I would guess that many others think the same. I also realise that by writing it, you are putting your ego a bit on the line, and that might make you more sensitive to criticism or groans, when people will enjoy it despite doing that. We don't expect to find everything funny, and sometimes it's a groaner or just not really that funny - only because there's not much funniness to be had, but still light hearted. I think you have to be satisfied with being quite amusing rather than belly laugh a minute and it's appreciated as such.

 

I used to do a toast to the lasses at Burns night every year, and after the first one, I learned after the first couple to dampen the exceptions of my audience with a preamble about not being a pro, if they can do better they are welcome to take my place, so to just do me the respect of listening and hopefully enjoying it - without heckling.

 

I found that with a good audience of family and close friends, who've had a bit to drink and enjoying your hospitality, you can get a lot of laughs and compliments. And it's best not to invite the grumpy, negative people who like to criticise everyone.

 

It also reminds me of so many single women saying that they want someone who makes them laugh all the time, which makes me wonder if they want a boyfriend or a clown... But also that when you go to a comedy club, see quite a famous, professional act, and it only makes them laugh out loud a few times, you wonder what average Joe can do to top that... To me, if you need someone to MAKE you laugh, you are a very dull person.

 

You would think that professional writers could come up with a good show once a year though.

 

Got to agree there.

[26th of foot 6,119]

Only an Excuse is thirty years old, it began on BBC Radio Scotland as a satirical piss-take of BBC Scotland's then seminal documentary on Scottish football, 'Only a Game'. Phil Differ was/remains the main writer, initially he brought on his buddies from the Sellik fanzine, 'Not the View', and the targets and language was established. eg Gerry McNee's Express strap line was, the voice of football; NTV and OAE changed it to, 'the voice of a football'. Archie McPherson, Chick Young, and Richard 'Ibrox' Park were mercilessly lampooned.

 

Last Autumn saw BBC Scotland's follow up to Only a Game, it was called, 'Scotland's Game'. The Journo dominating the four parts was Stuart Cosgrove. It would appear, here was an opportunity to re-establish itself, back to it's roots, and lampoon the main contributors. Like many Bears, I gave up on OAE some dozen years past when they portrayed Rangers supporters as apes playing Lambeg drums. Thus having not seen it, did they lampoon the soon to be pensioner, Cosgrove?

 

Oh, and how about BBC Scotland's Chief Football Reporter, Chris McLaughlin? I take it that Chris was on the end of a good ribbing?

[Bluedell 5,679]

I always watch Only an Excuse, even if it has got steadily worse over the years.

 

I was shocked at how much non-football stuff they had this year. Lots of sketches about people or programmes I had no idea who they were.

 

I guess there's so few characters in the game these days which makes it more difficult to create sketches or new OAE characters.

 

I'm trying to remember who they featured in the recent programme. Warburton, Rogers, Strachan, Barton, McAvennie (with Judy Murray which at least put a new spin on it) and Barry and Alex Ferguson, so basically nobody who is currently playing in Scotland.

 

A poor effort.

[Scott7 6,166]

The french have a bad name for surrendering. They have won more wars in recent history than any other nation.

 

How recent is the early 1800s?

 

They had a decent spell in Europe of fifteen years or so, lost the final in 1812 and lost the replay in 1815.

[craig 5,199]

I haven't seen or heard anyone else comment on this, so it could just be me, but I have to say the half-time 'Rangers Mind' on Rangers TV where they quiz players/management Mastermind-style makes for alarming viewing. Again, maybe it's just me but before any project at work I research the shit out of it first. Warburton didn't know what town Ross County play in (despite having been there with Rangers recently), and none of the players have any idea of or interest in the club's history, the latest was Clint Hill who had no idea what either of the stands behind the goals are called. Only Davie Weir came away with any credit.

 

Many of them are indeed cringe-worthy.

 

However, Davie Weir wasn't the only one to come away with credit. As proof I would urge you to watch Andy Halliday's. He is absolutely gutted when he gets a question wrong. His passion for our club, and knowledge of it, is abundantly clear.

[craig 5,199]

It is difficult to write stuff that everyone thinks is funny. My mother loves Mrs Brown and the boys and I think it is a lot of crap. Then with OaE you are stuck to the subject of football. I tried to do Taxi on a regular basis (not to everyone's liking) but when you only have football as a subject it is difficult to keep finding new jokes without repeating the same things. You have the same with the Rangers pod that the Gersnet were supporting, some people find it funny and others find it not funny at all. You would think that professional writers could come up with a good show once a year though. I did not see it so I cannot give an opinion on it.

 

Your Taxi threads were hilarious pete - even if they weren't funny some weeks your content was excellent - had me thinking what kind of sense of humor you have

[pete 2,499]

Your Taxi threads were hilarious pete - even if they weren't funny some weeks your content was excellent - had me thinking what kind of sense of humor you have

 

Thanks. I am my biggest critic and have binned many after writing. Once you are out of writing things you get lazy and not bothering is easier. I have a weird sense of humour as I am sure will have been obvious. I will have a look and see if I can put one up in the near future.

[JohnMc 2,801]

Kind of on topic I read something very recently that written online media will become available in a similar way to how music is available on Spotify. So, you'd pay a small(ish) monthly subscription and that would give you access to thousands of articles from all across the world, the writer or publisher would then get a payment every time someone read their article. Algorithms would see the type of articles you enjoy and suggest new ones to you and so on. As a business model it has some appeal to smaller regional 'papers'.

In the end this will still reward writers of popular articles rather than factual articles.

 

As a matter of interest has anyone on here read either issue of Nutmeg? https://www.nutmegmagazine.co.uk/

[Tannochsidebear 2,429]

The french have a bad name for surrendering. They have won more wars in recent history than any other nation.

 

Not that I am any sort of expert in the matter, but surely that is only when the get "hauners"!