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waylandsmithy
offlineMember
For fuck's sake. There's a load of people trying hard on here, and you publish Oxbridge's humourless, homophobic shit. It's neither funny, clever or satirical. If you're trying toh encourage new writers, you're failing: you're just copying and pasting names you're familiar with.
I will do all I can to (edit) promote (/edit) this site. And John O'Farrell: your second book was (edit) better than Shakespeare (/edit).
It isn't a great FP, is it?
I'm not a huge fan of Oxbridge's well-punctuated schtick either, and given the excellent taste shown otherwise on NB, I find the fondness shown for his 'unfunny uncle' stylings especially baffling.
Observational social commentary can be done well, but it often feels a bit derivative/"done-before" with Oxy, IMHO.
You're going to edit your comment now so that I look like the Cunt, aren't you, Waylandsmithy?
rickwestwell
offlineMember
I would dearly love to say this:
"Please please don't go, wayland - without excellent new writers like you coming through, the site is doomed - stick around and the ed will realise how good you are."
But I can't explain or defend the occasionally bewildering taste shown here.
Stick around till the end of the month, at least. Then if you feel the same, we'll all leave with you.
If it gets too much you could always try sending stuff to NewsThump or the Mash - probably hard to break in, but at least you'll have a fair chance there.
I think the point is we are getting mixed signals as to what 'the standard' is.
I'm happy that the site isn't slavishly devoted to satirising whatever is on the BBC website that day a la NewsThump, and that there is room for more general social satire, but today's FP is just a bit lame.
Wayland and others had offered up a number of better pieces, but if they aren't selected, then the Darwinian progress you're hinting at probably won't happen.
It's possible that Oxbridge's stuff is exactly what NewsBiscuit is looking for, so we'd be better off adapting to that ideal, rather than what we think is funny.
Or, as Wayland has, bugger off.
Ironduke
offlineMember
Righty-ho. Put the kettle on, pluck a hobnob from the packet and listen to Uncle Duke.
I have posted previously on here questioning the level-playing field (when a post that needed editting was simply copy and pasted) and before that when the postings, top ten and publications were dominated by too few names, so trust me, I hear your pain.
As to Oxy's article- I think the joke was commentary on usage of the word 'gay' and as I read it I could hear the bigger kids at school pointing at my trainers / bag / life and hurling the 'ultimate' insult. I think for teenage boys then, an allegation of homosexuality was the default Defcon 10 insult, the equivalent of the 'c'word for many now, and it subsequently spread- I've heard one of our nurses say 'I'm rota'd on next weekend. That's so gay'. There is humour potential (as well as probably a PhD) in that metamorphosis of meaning from happy to homosexual to bad.
So....I think Oxy's article was a reasonable NIB. Personally, I don't understand the rigid inflexibility with regard to the length of the FP and NiBs; and I think many FP articles are clearly 'stretched to fit' and weaker for it.
Mr Wayland, however...you've got no right to complain! You've consistently produced many excellent pieces of work, and received rightful acclaim. I don't know if Oxy has enough FPs to depose you from Writer of the Month but its sure to be coming soon. Personally Wayland, I feel you have embraced the medium terrifically and your writing is an absolute joy. Don't you dare depart!
I "get" the "joke" but it's lame. Oxy has managed better, but in this example the observation is a bit trite, the tone a bit smug, and the target a bit easy. The concept seems to echo stuff that has been around for ages.
It reminds me of 27 November 2010's Teenager Goes Out FP, which had a similar effect on me as this did on Waylandsmithy. Annoyed. Bewildered.
You've no right to complain
FraserWords
offlineMember
Chin up, chaps! It's their ball... and peering from behind my towering piles of rejection notes, all I can offer is that it's more about writing what other people want than writing what you want. Golgo and Ironduke have clattered that poor little nail right on the head.
For a satirical news site, NewsBiscuit certainly doesn't seem to like satirical news stories very much... I've quickly come to understand that my stuff doesn't really suit - whimsy is all I've had used. The harder (or nastier) the edge or the tighter the link to the day's news, the less chance, and more to the point the less reaction from other contributors too, suggesting it's really not funny to this audience.
But I like the discipline of writing something six days a week - gets me started on other work every day - and I enjoy (and learn from) the comments when people do post them. Keep going, Wayland - it makes me laugh.
Sinnick
offlineMember
I don't see why a single FP should make you flounce - doesn't make sense.
I agree this FP isn't one of oxy's funniest, but it's just an observation on how language changes. Nothing to do with homosexuality, really, it's just that the word "gay" has changed more than any other I can think of. Do you remember the TV series "Brass" that did a spoof using the word "glum" ?
Regardless, I doubt that JoF has any strange agenda about submitters to the FP: he's just publishing what he feels works, and tries to introduce something unusual. He also seems to keep a stash of stuff for slow news days, probably including some of your material.
So, don't bottle it, entertain us again with something even better !
FraserWords
offlineMember
PS - forgot to say, I loved Oxy's one about the married couple ( http://newsbiscuit.com/forum/topic.php?id=27774 )
Clucksy
offlineMember
What they said *points up*.
I will particularly miss gazing at your photo of a night and lovingly licking my lips in anticipation of what's to come.
I shall however console myself by retreating to Spain, planning how to spend my small Euromillions fortune win and drawing up my business plan to buy Greggs the bakers Newsbiscuit wait - what do you mean it has nothing to do with real biscuits?
rikkor
offlineMember
Ooh! It's been ever so long since we've had an official flounce. Makes me rather nostalgic.
Not that anyone cares what I think, but I am vy. sad if W. Smithy is leaving for good. Much of his stuff is professional level.
Also, I think the point here is that if you are going to be racist or homophobic or anti-any group, you had better be really, really funny at it. Even though I like Oxy vy. much, I belive this piece is a mistake beyond ticker-length.
I blame the Jews, and my ass hurts.
editor
offlineAdministrator
I have emailed Waylandsmithy to ask him to reconsider but just a couple of things here for the record...
I think Oxbridge's stuff is good (obviously or else I wouldn't have put it on the front page) and I don't think it was homophobic, as Ironduke recognises above, it is about the overuse of that word - but maybe I am surrounded by too many teenagers using that vocabulary. That of course is the trouble with comedy - it is always going to be subjective. We have a rotating editor's chair so that different tastes get a chance for an outing, but even then you might find stuff that makes you laugh doesn't do it for the editors.
But Newsbiscuit is a just a comedy website, we're not choosing the next winner of the Booker Prize - so I'd humbly suggest it's not worth getting too upset about what other people find funny. Similarly, sometimes we have an editor in the chair who has plenty of time to do careful tweaks and rewrites, sometimes we have rushed and slapdash hacks like me - but generally I think the standard of NewsBiscuit remains pretty high, thanks to all the wonderful talented people who post their stuff in the Writers' Room for free, and the selfless team of editors and sub-editors who give up their free time for the love of comedy.
But in the light of the amount of support for Waylandsmithy expressed above I propose a Writers Room amnesty - I am going to start a new thread asking readers to re-submit their favourite stories that never made it - or their favourite stories of other writers that never made it. Or in certain writers' cases, their favourite stories by other writers that are actually them by another username...
So start pasting links onto Writers Room Amnesty now...
SpankyMonkey
offlineMember
Could I just say that it's very good of Editor to talk to us humble plebians, but also point out that other organisations are taking out full page ads in National newspapers to demonstrate how 'in touch' they are with public feeling. 5 paragraphs on a website seems a little less committed...
The All New Jeni B
onlineMember
Dear Mr reasonable,
please show the assembled throng the courtesy of posting a warning prior to making comments such as the one above.
Had I been unfortunate enough to have had a mouthful of hot tea at the point of reading, I would now be pursuing you through legal channels for compensation.
Hugs 'n' kisses,
TANJB
xxx
The All New Jeni B
onlineMember
I'm just appalled that I thought it a wise move to sign myself 'TANJB'.
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