MovieChat Forums > I Just Want My Pants Back (2011) Discussion > Dialogue is like a steak...

Dialogue is like a steak...

posted 12 years ago by snarfsisgross
6 replies | jump to latest

Dear Writers of 'I just want my pants back' - I understand you all graduated from the Diablo Cody school of writing where every spoken word has to be dripping with cunning wit. Please stop. It's obnoxious.

Dialogue should be treated like a steak and one-liners and wit are like your steak sauce or other garnishment. You don't want to drown your steak with steak sauce and peppercorn so you can't even taste the meat and it's all sauce and no substance. Same with wit/one liners in conversations. Use it sparingly, cap a conversation with it, bring it out of nowhere. Not every sentence has to be extremely clever or it ruins the entire conversation (steak).

I actually like the premise of the show and a lot of the one-liners. But spread them out. Have the characters talk like actual human beings and not computer programmed hipsters. You'' actually have a better product.

[–] jengdong 12 years ago

I agree with you, the back to back one liners are very obnoxious. Mcant even take the show seriously.

[–] pottimouth 12 years ago

Yea... that's true if we're talking about a steak. To continue with your analogy, I Just Want My Pants Back is a turd sandwich. If you take away the ridiculous dialogue, most people will realize they're eating a juicy turd between two slices of stale bread.

[–] mdhood321 12 years ago

I completely agree. I think the show is funny, it hits on all the problems that a young adult goes through these days, and I don't think the acting is that bad. However, who the hell talks like that? No one I have ever encountered, as a 24 year old, talks like this. Tone it down a bit, please. The show would be much better without everyone coming off as an obnoxious know-it-all.

[–] Dennerman 12 years ago

I disagree. I'm not watching the show to see a super realistic portrayal of young adults. I'm watching it to be entertained and, in this case, I like that the situations and dialogue are...what's the word I'm looking for...heightened? It's a 30 minute show and they're doing a good job of keep me engaged. So far I like it.

[–] snarfsisgross 12 years ago

I don't think constant references to mid 1990's nostalgia is considered "heightened."

It is possible for people to converse and have engaging conversations without endless puns and one-liners, which are a crutch to actually having meaningful conversations.

I don't want to sound like a snob and most movies/shows I like aren't intensely thought provoking or challenging. Take something like 'Superbad' for example. Most of the film is just two-three high-school friends shooting the sh*t, but it doesn't feel unnatural or forced like it does in "I just want..."

[–] miracleaus 12 years ago

one thing is clear that this show doesnt have any connection with its audience watsoever.im not an american but then again its not hard to see all this dialouges are fake or simply contradictory to the characters. if they were so witty and funny they wudnt act like a hipster or their life wudnt b such a mess.no wonder its likely there wont b any new season of it