Ahh, Zoning Out Again, what happened to real type dialogue?

[Hazel Anyday]

Maybe it’s just me, but have any of you, while watching Dobie Gillis, esp. the last couple seasons, zoned out and find yourself no longer paying attention? I have caught myself doing this several times. I think it’s due to the way the dialogue is written in such a busy complicated unnatural literate style, like something one would write out but never speak in such a style. It’s a very intense and busy style of speech loaded with references, asides, comments and finally saying something related to the plot. Written like a critic’s dissertation rather than a real human being talking.

I also find it annoying when the teachers do this type thing but also include in their literate speech style all sorts of insults and put downs of the class they are there to supposedly teach. A real negative attitude to have by teachers, esp. toward young people there ostensibly to learn. (There I just did it myself, but at least I’m writing.)

[Abner Trotter]

Point well-taken, I know exactly what you mean. Because in a dictionary that I have, it says that everyone has two kinds of vocabulary, the spoken and the written. What is written is usually Not included in the spoken.

On the other hand, it's ironic what happened with the word "malevolent." My friend and I used to always mention that the word "malevolent" is often seen in the comic books but never spoken. But recently I surprised myself when I unexpectedly spoke that word when commenting on the TV series, Ghost Hunters. I was referring to the two different kinds of ghosts, categorizing that some are benign whereas some are malevolent. So it was appropriate to use that word at that time.

But for the most part, I still agree with the point made by you.

[Hazel Anyday]

I went thru the whole Dobie series and now I'm watching Our Miss Brooks. But I find the same thing happens with Our Miss Brooks, very complicated intense involved speechifying type so-called dialogue. I find myself zoning out the same way I did with Dobie, so much so I frequently have to rewind the DVD and watch a scene over again. Maybe I've developed a short attention span suddenly, but it doesn't happen on other shows. Maybe the real answer is that these shows just don't interest me, they're not all that funny, but, call me a masochist I still watch them once a week.

[Abner Trotter]

As far as "Our Miss Brooks" whose speechifying irked you, I think that in her case it's excusable and even acceptable because her role is a high school English teacher. So that kind of dialogue is expected. But still agree with you about Dobie Gillis though.