Friday, January 6, 2017

The sitcom








Many times a co-worker has mentioned what a great sitcom our library would make. Sure, fine. It depends on the writers, and the cast, and luck, and the set designer, and the director, and well, sitcoms are malleable. One can make a great sitcom about pretty much any workplace. My favorite was about a spy and his spy job. But sure, we're a wacky crowd here at the library. With the proper fictionalizing and massive editing we can be mildly amusing, so long as there's a laugh track to help us.

But in the years since I began my magnum opus, "The Clerkmanifesto", I never feel any warmth towards my co-workers suggesting a sitcom about us. "You are a part of my ongoing Proustian masterpiece about this library and you don't even manage to read it? And yet you think we could be the next Night Court!" I berate, gesticulating wildly, while they suddenly excuse themselves to shelve...just...anything. I track them down while they cower before my terrifying rage. "You know who you are? You're the sort of person in Arles who ignored Van Gogh's painting but would chat with him about how someone should make some nice postcards about the local area because it was so pretty."

At least, that's the way I picture the scene, with maybe Steve Carell or Ben Stiller playing me. The audience titters through my tirade, then there should be a big laugh at the end. Otherwise, how will anyone know how funny it's supposed to be? 








4 comments:

  1. If your character were to wear a giraffe hat in every episode the show would by a hoot!

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    Replies
    1. I like this idea, except, allow me to extrapolate in the tradition of a team of script writers working out the script: My character would always always wear crazy hats, increasingly wild and elaborate, but no one would ever mention them or comment on them in any way. How's that?

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    2. Unfortunately me too. I've already binge-watched the first 22 seasons.

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