That Generic Camp Staff Skit

[Adrianvs]

I just stumbled across this and it reminded me of the topic of originality in camp skits.

 

 

"THERE is no clearer sign of the absence of originality among modern poets than their disposition to find new topics. Really original poets write poems about the spring. They are always fresh, just as the spring is always fresh. Men wholly without originality write poems about torture, or new religions, or some perversion of obscenity, hoping that the mere sting of the subject may speak for them. But we do not sufficiently realize that what is true of the classic ode is also true of the classic joke. A true poet writes about the spring being beautiful because (after a thousand springs) the spring really is beautiful. In the same way the true humorist writes about a man sitting down on his hat because the act of sitting down on one's own hat (however often and admirably performed) really is extremely funny. We must not dismiss a new poet because his poem is called 'To a Skylark'; nor must we dismiss a humorist because his new farce is called 'My Mother-in-Law.' He may really have splendid and inspiring things to say upon an eternal problem. The whole question is whether he has."

 

-G.K. Chesterton

[FScouter]

A very interesting idea from Chesterton. One could easily extend that thought to Boy Scout skits. Those skits that look to the toilet or to private bodily functions for humor are hardly original at all. As Chesterton says, the writer is simply hoping that "the mere sting of the subject will speak for them." I groan everytime I see another toilet skit that simulates feces being smeared on a boy's face, or that depicts 3 boys comparing the size of their penises, or whatever. HAR, HAR, HAR, YUK.

[Scoutmaster Ron]

Hey OGE...this book of skits your putting together..any chance of etting a copy?

[OldGreyEagle]

I started this tread back on June 24th, 2003,

 

sadly a little hard drive melt down claimed what I had,

 

however, check

 

http://www.macscouter.com/Skits/index.html

 

 

[purcelce]

FScouter wrote "I groan everytime I see another toilet skit that simulates feces being smeared on a boy's face, or that depicts 3 boys comparing the size of their penises, or whatever."

 

I'll agree with you on that.

 

 

[purcelce]

FScouter wrote "I groan everytime I see another toilet skit that simulates feces being smeared on a boy's face, or that depicts 3 boys comparing the size of their penises, or whatever."

 

I'll agree with you on that.

 

 

[willysjeep]

The pregnant tent skit definantly goes into a grey area. I saw it done at a campfire once pretty tastefully(compared to others), and it certainly was much cleaner than "The Roler Coaster/Latrine" or "Many Moons" or "cooking pot/latrine" skits. Althought I admit it is definantly not approprioate for cub scouts. Even SLIGHTLY risque humor can be used in some situations. Getting pooped on while down a latrine, drinking from a "latrine" cooking pot, or being "tricked" into faking an attack of explosive diareah on stage isn't subtle, but they are all done so often that we all know them.

 

 

[FScouter]

... "but they are all done so often that we all know them."

So what? That doesn't make it right. Poop still stinks no matter how familiar one may be with it.

[willysjeep]

Exactly, they are old, tired, and not that funny to begin with. If only slightly cleaner than Many Moons, the tent skit is still much more original at this point. There are even better ones out there that are totally clean if you look hard. It's just that somebody's definition of clean can be pretty diferent from another persons.