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FOT Community => Links => Topic started by: cutout on November 23, 2009, 08:53:33 PM

Title: PFT vs. Improv Everywhere
Post by: cutout on November 23, 2009, 08:53:33 PM
I searched and couldn't find a previous discussion of it. Apologies if it's a repost -

http://paulftompkins.com/blog_detail.php?id=46
Title: Re: PFT vs. Improv Everywhere
Post by: Pat K on November 24, 2009, 03:10:13 PM
Thanks for sharing this - I had no idea PFT was blogging!  What an interesting little exhange.
Title: Re: PFT vs. Improv Everywhere
Post by: Christina on November 24, 2009, 03:14:02 PM
Thanks for sharing this - I had no idea PFT was blogging!  What an interesting little exhange.

I saw this earlier - love how PFT keeps stepping down on the "how did you get my email?" thing. So funny.
Title: Re: PFT vs. Improv Everywhere
Post by: Emerson on December 03, 2009, 11:07:47 PM
The IE guy won that round. He rebutted PFT's arguments with class. I enjoy PFT and IE, but the takeaway here is: You can't always defend your visceral dislike of something. Nor should you need to.
Title: Re: PFT vs. Improv Everywhere
Post by: not that James on December 14, 2009, 04:40:10 PM
I'm not surprised to see this discussed on the FOT forum, and also not surprised to find out that PFT doesn't really dig these dudes either.  There was a "This American Life" segment about I.E. recently (during the "Mind Games" episode) that made me hate Charlie Todd about as much as anybody can hate anyone whom they've never met.  I sat in my car, unable to turn it off, listening to this twisted little snot come up with bizarre, tortured explanations of how psychologically assaulting and harassing innocent people is "art".  He even went so far as to say that in some cases, the "agents" were providing a kind of gift to the people they were exploiting.  To the credit of the producers of the piece, they then interviewed the victims and several of them said "No - I was terrified," or "It was a real blow".  

Yeah, great, now I've got severe emotional damage from a huge public humiliation... THANKS IMPROV EVERYWHERE, WHAT A THOUGHTFUL GIFT!

This dude has absolutely no shame, no humanity.  As I sat there listening to the piece, I kept thinking "I'll bet Tom HATES this dude!"

If you want to hear it, it's at: http://podcast.thisamericanlife.org/podcast/286.mp3

The Improv Everywhere story is the second "act".

Who knows, could make for a good Wurster call...
Title: Re: PFT vs. Improv Everywhere
Post by: not that clay on December 14, 2009, 05:27:12 PM
I'm not surprised to see this discussed on the FOT forum, and also not surprised to find out that PFT doesn't really dig these dudes either.  There was a "This American Life" segment about I.E. recently (during the "Mind Games" episode) that made me hate Charlie Todd about as much as anybody can hate anyone whom they've never met.  I sat in my car, unable to turn it off, listening to this twisted little snot come up with bizarre, tortured explanations of how psychologically assaulting and harassing innocent people is "art".  He even went so far as to say that in some cases, the "agents" were providing a kind of gift to the people they were exploiting.  To the credit of the producers of the piece, they then interviewed the victims and several of them said "No - I was terrified," or "It was a real blow".  

Yeah, great, now I've got severe emotional damage from a huge public humiliation... THANKS IMPROV EVERYWHERE, WHAT A THOUGHTFUL GIFT!

This dude has absolutely no shame, no humanity.  As I sat there listening to the piece, I kept thinking "I'll bet Tom HATES this dude!"

If you want to hear it, it's at: http://podcast.thisamericanlife.org/podcast/286.mp3

The Improv Everywhere story is the second "act".

Who knows, could make for a good Wurster call...


I'm with PFT.

You know what would make a great "prank" to pull on the Improv Everywhere guy? Mike from Manhattan could give him a call just  like the one we heard about on The Mike Show. I'm sure everyone's day would be brightened by that, and if the IE guy doesn't get the "joke" then I guess he's just a sourpuss.
Title: Re: PFT vs. Improv Everywhere
Post by: Spoony on December 14, 2009, 06:02:18 PM
I heard that This American Life. That kid from Improv Everywhere couldn't have sounded more like a smug, sheltered kid.
Title: Re: PFT vs. Improv Everywhere
Post by: buffcoat on December 15, 2009, 11:21:45 AM
There is great joy in the suffering of the irritating.
Title: Re: PFT vs. Improv Everywhere
Post by: roubaix on December 31, 2009, 04:54:36 PM
It's worth noting that the TAL episode is years old.

But re-listening made made me wonder, has TAL finally retired Turquoise Hexagon Sun ... or do they still play it every other week?
Title: Re: PFT vs. Improv Everywhere
Post by: thom on December 31, 2009, 07:03:40 PM
White hip city kids doing anything in an organized fashion will bug most people.
Title: Re: PFT vs. Improv Everywhere
Post by: Christina on January 01, 2010, 03:49:28 AM
White hip city kids doing anything in an organized fashion will bug most people.

It's like what my pops says when he sees a group of rowdy young people being young and rowdy - Why aren't they off somewhere reading Proust?
Title: Re: PFT vs. Improv Everywhere
Post by: buffcoat on January 01, 2010, 11:47:38 AM
White hip city kids doing anything in an organized fashion will bug most people.

It's like what my pops says when he sees a group of rowdy young people being young and rowdy - Why aren't they off somewhere reading Proust?


He sure was weird about them cookies.
Title: Re: PFT vs. Improv Everywhere
Post by: Steve of Bloomington on January 01, 2010, 12:39:12 PM
I also found the Improv Everywhere people particularly loathsome after the This American Life Episode. The problem is they seem to focus on tormenting 'the little guy', and then deluding themselves that they are somehow bestowing some great gift on the little guy. It's bad enough to crap all over some band that's just trying to do their thing, to then suggest you have given them magical memories to last a lifetime is even worse.

The Yes Men, in contrast, seem to have enough balls to take on more powerful targets (corporations, the gullibility of journalists and corporate media, etc). Also I think the Yes Men's stunts actually often succeed in being funny, which might make me a horrible person, but there you have it.
Title: Re: PFT vs. Improv Everywhere
Post by: moonshake on January 11, 2010, 08:41:09 PM
(http://imgur.com/tcGFQ.jpg)
http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/slideshow?id=9515785&page=7

That little girl's too stupid to realize that IE just made her day!
Title: Re: PFT vs. Improv Everywhere
Post by: Pat K on January 12, 2010, 10:04:10 AM
The parents of that guy in the last photo must be so proud.  Could that slideshow make it any more clear? Is anybody smiling in any of those photos? Does anybody's body language suggest that they are enjoying what is happening?


I propose that Improv Everywhere change their name to Improve Everywhere, and instead of getting together to brighten people's days by being obnoxious and creepy, they get together and brighten people's days by working in a soup kitchen for a day, or collecting warm clothes for poor people, or picking up litter. Also, they should open up their membership to all races.
Title: Re: PFT vs. Improv Everywhere
Post by: Christina on January 12, 2010, 10:30:43 AM
Besides the one where they tortured that poor band, the other super annoying mission that seems to have the same "We enjoy life more than you, and we've decided you need help" vibe is Look Up More (http://improveverywhere.com/2005/03/19/look-up-more/).

I react very badly to anything where it's assumed that I must be some kind of square uber-dullard because I don't walk around with a flower coming out of my butt.
Title: Re: PFT vs. Improv Everywhere
Post by: Steve of Bloomington on January 12, 2010, 11:55:08 AM
I like the mission where they forced people working at the Taco Bell to wear 'Happiness Hats'.
Title: Re: PFT vs. Improv Everywhere
Post by: JustSheaNo on January 12, 2010, 02:18:43 PM
FYI, the Improve* Everywhere people are taking questions over at the NYTimes website (http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/11/ask-about-improv-everywhere/), if you are interested in baiting them.



*(c)Auntie Christina
Title: Re: PFT vs. Improv Everywhere
Post by: Christina on January 12, 2010, 02:26:14 PM
FYI, the Improve* Everywhere people are taking questions over at the NYTimes website (http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/11/ask-about-improv-everywhere/), if you are interested in baiting them.



*(c)Auntie Christina

Someone should ask: "Seriously, how did you get Paul F. Tompkins' email?"
Title: Re: PFT vs. Improv Everywhere
Post by: Pat K on January 12, 2010, 02:40:26 PM
FYI, the Improve* Everywhere *(c)Auntie Christina

Did Auntie Christina come up with that, and I read it and forgot about it and then thought I came up with it? If so, how embarrassing for me.
Title: Re: PFT vs. Improv Everywhere
Post by: Christina on January 12, 2010, 02:45:18 PM
FYI, the Improve* Everywhere *(c)Auntie Christina

Did Auntie Christina come up with that, and I read it and forgot about it and then thought I came up with it? If so, how embarrassing for me.

Who knows. I don't remember when I did it, but in the whole miserable 10 years of their existence I"m sure someone before us has made that typo inadvertently and then laughed and laughed.
Title: Re: PFT vs. Improv Everywhere
Post by: buffcoat on January 12, 2010, 02:54:42 PM
Unexpected (?) findings: As a whole, the upper thighs of the American Hipster are not so sightly.
Title: Re: PFT vs. Improv Everywhere
Post by: Bryan on January 12, 2010, 03:00:26 PM
FYI, the Improve* Everywhere people are taking questions over at the NYTimes website (http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/11/ask-about-improv-everywhere/), if you are interested in baiting them.



*(c)Auntie Christina

There are a bunch of critical comments/questions on there. Are any of the cranky questions coming from FOT? 'Fess up!
Title: Re: PFT vs. Improv Everywhere
Post by: JustSheaNo on January 12, 2010, 06:50:52 PM
FYI, the Improve* Everywhere *(c)Auntie Christina

Did Auntie Christina come up with that, and I read it and forgot about it and then thought I came up with it? If so, how embarrassing for me.

I believe it was a typo in a post of hers. It now lives in infamy.
Title: Re: PFT vs. Improv Everywhere
Post by: not that James on January 18, 2010, 02:48:48 PM
I react very badly to anything where it's assumed that I must be some kind of square uber-dullard because I don't walk around with a flower coming out of my butt.

This is my personal "COMMENT OF THE YEAR", and I shall steal it and pass it of as my own.

Title: Re: PFT vs. Improv Everywhere
Post by: Christina on January 18, 2010, 02:57:05 PM
I react very badly to anything where it's assumed that I must be some kind of square uber-dullard because I don't walk around with a flower coming out of my butt.

This is my personal "COMMENT OF THE YEAR", and I shall steal it and pass it of as my own.



Oh, go on! Stop it!
Title: Re: PFT vs. Improv Everywhere
Post by: buffcoat on January 18, 2010, 05:19:27 PM
I react very badly to anything where it's assumed that I must be some kind of square uber-dullard because I don't walk around with a flower coming out of my butt.


Replace "walking around with a flower coming out of my butt" with "live like a constantly whoring rockstar" and this is EXACTLY the message of a substantial amount of Paul Stanley's stage banter.