Tittererer’s Digest #51 (feat. Gravity Falls)
“Guess who’s back?/ back again?/ I am back/ Yes it’s me” – Stan, Eminem. Yes I’m back from my holiday. And what a holiday! I held a turtle and ate deep-fried tomato soup and saw Mickey Mouse and all the gang. Thank you to Giles Brody for showing us all what a Tittererer’s Digest could look like if it was done by someone professional. This week, I’m going to talk about Gravity Falls and Strictly Come Dancing, both firsts for the ol’ Digest I’m sure you’ll agree. Onwards!
1. Gravity Falls
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That there is the intro to Gravity Falls, a Disney XD show about twins Dipper and Mabel who go to spend the summer with their eccentric granduncle Stan at his Mystery Shack and have cartoon adventures. So why is it in Tittererer’s Digest? Well, it’s really, really funny, it stars Kristen Schaal who is the best at everything, and it’s ending very soon. Creator and star Alex Hirsch announced here that he always wanted Gravity Falls to be “a finite series about one epic summer- a series with a beginning, middle, and end” and he’s finishing it on his own terms.
This is kind of big news for several reasons. Firstly, it’s sad when a great show ends and Gravity Falls is GREAT. It’s super funny and smart and the animation is beautiful you guys. Seriously, watch that intro again. So pretty.
Secondly, a very popular US TV series is ending on its own terms at the top of its game. How often does that happen? Hardly ever right?
Thirdly, a very popular Disney show is ending on its own terms at the top of its game. Disney aren’t exactly renowned for letting things go. Gravity Falls could have been a money pit for them but instead they’re like, respecting the creator’s artistic integrity and stuff? So weird. I suppose they have all that Marvel, and Star Wars, and Muppets money to keep them warm at night.
Anyway, if you have a Sky subscription, Gravity Falls is currently airing about five times a day on Disney XD so set a series link and you’ll have them all pretty quickly.
2. Strictly Come Dancing
I love Strictly. I do. I like watching people get better at a thing over a series of weeks while Claudia Winkleman throws shade at them. It’s not typical Tittererer’s Digest stuff though but I’m including it because it had the single funniest thing on TV this week.
Some background: Jamelia and her professional partner Tristan had been in the dance off (up for eviction basically) four times this series which means that the public just weren’t voting for them no matter how well they danced. And Jamelia was only an ok dancer. But then something magical happened. Last Saturday she had a good dance but still ended up in the dance off. Alongside her in the dance off was Peter Andre who is overall probably a better dancer but on Saturday performed one of the most lumpen, crappy dances a non-pensioner has ever performed on Strictly. And then, the judges chose to save Peter. The strictlytwitterverse went mad. But that’s not the best bit. No, the best bit is at 1:50 below. Jamelia goes rogue. Look at Tristan’s face. It is the face of a man who knows that his job depends on downplaying what Jamelia just said even though it’s clearly amazing. I’ve watched it about twenty times now and nothing has brought me glee this week like his face in this clip.
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3. McSweeney’s Internet Tendency Editor Chris Monks
Here is a very interesting interview with one of the most powerful people in short-form internet humour writing, Chris Monks of McSweeney’s Internet Tendency. He’s got a load of good and useful things to say about submitting your writing to websites. Particularly this part which applies to me about 90% of the time:
You should always be thinking about your audience. Who’s going to read this? What sort of scaffolding do they need to “get” the joke?
4. Hey Ladies
Speaking of the most powerful people in short-form internet humour writing, here’s The Toast. Hey Ladies is the best? I can’t think of anything as consistently brilliant as Hey Ladies and either can you. Michelle Markowitz and Caroline Moss have done it again with 1st Birthday Party. Luxuriate in every excruciating detail of it. Really let the douchebumps rise on the back of your neck.
5. Jon Benjamin – Well I Should Have…
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Jon Benjamin, star of Bob’s Burgers, Archer, and owner of possibly the best speaking voice ever has made a jazz album. It seems like it might be kind of amazing? Anyway, check out the video. Well I should Have… is out on Nov 27th.
And that’s all the things. Hope you liked them! I’m totally over the fact that Giles got to do TD#50. TD#51 is ok though. It’s fine. I’m fine.
