Seconds anyone?

So, something I have thought about for a long time now; in films, TV, books, video games, any form of entertainment media, The secondary characters are always the show stealer's.

Think about the best sitcoms around today, now my bias may come through here but, Scrubs, How I Met Your Mother, Chuck, The Big Bang Theory, The Simpsons And Family Guy. I mean do you really prefer JD over Dr Cox? Barney will always steal a scene from Ted Or Robin, Jeff, Casey, Sheldon, Kuthripoli, Willie, Ralf and the incarnations of Bill Cosby all beat their main characters to the metaphorical punch(line). Now Don't get me wrong, I love the main characters, they drive the show, and I'm not saying that we should scrap them and make way for the second in commands. But the phenomenal characters that we get from this, a prime example is How I Met Your Mother, in season 1 Barney was an awesome, suit wearing, womanising 1 dimensional character, now 3 seasons later he's a awesome, suit wearing womanising 2 dimensional character because the writers realise he's an asset, making the viewing experience better for all of us. of course using a second character for views and laughs is all fun and games until it goes too far.

"If Secondary characters be the food of laughs, give us excess of it." Yeah you do that and you will burst in an implosion of a thing I like to call lack-of-story-amite, a hilarious implosion, but a breakdown all the same. A brilliant example of this is a very beloved show for a lot of people I know, "The Big Bang Theory". When this first started we were told it will be a show about Penny and Leonard, but now, with the second season at an end, I can't help to think we may as well change the name to "the Sheldon Show". 67% of the airtime of that show is now "sheldon does something funny" I mean don't get me wrong, I love it. But it stops a good comedy, from becoming a great show.

Now I complain about these characters being both a blessing and a curse for a television show, but what about the Barney and Sheldon's of the big screen? Well In a sense, the rule about "Little Airtime = great characters" stands for these as well,since we don't become as attached to these characters we don't question it when they stick a polecat down their trousers and run around a police station. When I think about a few recent comedies that come to mind now, Forgetting Sarah Marshal, Dodgeball(recent?), Anchorman, All the secondary characters shine through, Who doesn't love Paul Rudd's watchless surfer in FSM, Or Pete the Pirate in Dodgeball? And who can look me in the screen and say to me, I prefer Ron Burgundy over Brick Tamland? No one, because they are all amazing.

I often think that perhaps they should have had more time, or perhaps another movie for them, then realise, No. that would involve getting to know them, and having a serious character development. can you truly imagine Tamland going through a divorce?

I can, and it would be Hilarious. Not Good. Hilarious.

Now looking back a few more years, to shows and films passed, you realise this is a fairly new phenomenon, friends didn't have an amazing secondary cast. Kenan And Kel was all about the orange soda and catdog, Pinky and the Brain, they had themselves to make funnies. It seems the 90's were a time of doubleacts, and groups, this is the comedy of the 90's, but for the '00's I can assure you it is secondary characters, so sit back, relax cos Barney isn't going anywhere.

Joe Strange

All data presented in this blog is 100% accurate. Don't check, just trust me.

Nature Deserves An ASBO

First of all, I am dreadfully sorry about my fortnightly absence, It seems college and exams got the better of me and I was too strained to write, or do anything for that matter, even revise.

Now to this weeks topic.

Today, on one of my many walks around my village, I decided to take a scenic route to my house, as oppose to the straight line that I normally take. A straight line to and from somewhere? Why that's impossible! I disagree, While turning on the spot may, to passers by, make you look like an indecisive fool, it has it's uses if you live in a relatively linear village. So, I walked straight passed my house and went down A delightful country lane. Down this lane I happened upon a majestic, colourful, regal pigeon, well a large pigeon, it could very well have been a pheasant. Anyway, this inquisitive creature was poking around a garden, most likely trying to find a way into the abode to steal an MP3 player, I hear they fetch a high price on the foul market.
Now, as I live in the estate of the village and only ever leave to go to college or work this was a rare sight for me. I reached for my camera to catch the culprit in the act of theft, but I was too slow and it hopped to the next garden, I proceed to pursue the thief but was outmatched by the fact that god preferred them over us and gave birds wings.
The sad thing is I will most likely see that bird on the nearby road since people insist on driving 1,000,000 MPH along my village.

And then, continuing my walk, having had a bitter taste of wildlife "photography" and by the term I mean pointing the camera at the bird, and then catching only the garden as it has flown away. (A very nice garden it is too.) I grasp my camera looking for more fluffy creatures or more of gods examples of favouritism. not long was I strolling along the meandering lane as I stopped, looked down to my feet and saw a small wild rabbit staring at me in the face. This brought back fond memories of when I was walking along the road to work and stopped, looked down to see a small brown rabbit staring me down, I stepped cautiously to try not to startle it it bolted towards the road, and then back into the hedge, once again I cursed god for not giving me that comically quick movement, I smiled at seeing the lovely 'ickle bunny and continued on. My fond memories brought to a halt as I remember the poor brown shape that lay on the same road two days before. The rabbit had gone, AND the bastard has stolen my MP3 player.

So after being mugged, and slowly being convinced nature is a hoodie, I decide to take the back route to my house, now this involves climbing an overgrown hedge and traversing a tree and THEN clambering over the fence. I haven't done this for a few years and forgot what neglect can do to both a body and a back entrance. I swung over some nettles using an overhead branch, and then pulled myself up the bank using another branch, pleased at my efforts I smiled, peered over the fence to realise, this was not my house. Nor was the one to the left or right of me, in fact my house was 2 houses along from this one. Obviously in precautions for the Thieving ferrets or scheming squirrels of the neighbourhood, this branch was fitted with an anti burglar device and broke, I, thinking fast reached for the overhead branch, unfortunately my ankle had attracted some thorns and this stopped me from avoiding the fall, tearing my jeans and causing me to fall into a mixture of nettles and rocks. Disgruntled I walked around and came in the front door, where I proceeded to write to you. Because I care about you and don't want you to get mugged by a rabbit, assaulted by a vine or tricked by a pheasant.

So in conclusion, Stay inside make less attempts to change your routine, because nature is a bully who wants your dinner money.

Joe Strange
Proceeding outside can cause many side effects, worst of all the horrible growth known as a social life, you have been warned.