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Okay, serious question. Jeff stipulates 'No Pissers'. When does a comedy get defined as a pisser? When it's not funny? It's still a grey area in my books and I think everyone has a variable definition. A little help?
Stevie is the arse who invented the phrase, but I think many of us have taken it to mean different things.
What Mark said is definitely correct, but IMO, it goes much further than just screenwriting rules being broken.
For instance, 99% of the crap that The Asylum turns out are pissers, IMO. All the Sharknado movies are pissers. Sea Beast is a GIANT pisser.
Basically, for me, any and every time a movie or script isn't taken seriously (when set is a serious situation), it's a pisser.
For classic examples, please read any of my pissers or ask Mark Moore, as he is another King Pisser.
PISS-TAKE / PISSTAKE noun colloquial (chiefly Britain, Australia, and New Zealand) [1975]: An attempt to make someone or something seem silly; something that is done to tease or make fun of someone or something; an act of copying someone else's behavior and manner in a humorous way; an amusing imitation a parody; lampoon.
Etymology: From the phrase take the piss.
TAKE THE PISS (chiefly Britain, Australia, and New Zealand; very informal) [1945]:
1) To make a joke about someone or to make someone look silly (often + out of ); to tease, especially aggressively; to make fun of, to mock, deride, satirize. <“You should wear miniskirts more often - you've got the legs for them.” “Are you taking the piss?”> [[Where this ‘piss’ [as in ‘take the piss (out of)’] may be the one used in the expression piss and vinegar [1920s and still in use]: Energy, enthusiasm, cheekiness.]]
2) To treat someone badly in order to get what you want. <£50 for that old thing? That's just taking the piss.> [[Note: This second definition does not refer to the etymology of piss-take.]]
(Oxford English Dictionary, Macmillan Dictionary, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of Slang, Cassell’s Dictionary of Slang, and Cambridge Idioms Dictionary)
'Pisser' has a completely different def to us Aussies but let's face it we all get the gist of what we mean when referring to an OWC entry. "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet"
I personally think the only way out of this is to review a script according to your own judgement and assessment. I quite wrongly assessed an OWC script as a pisstake once and regrettably offended the writer. I just thought it was over the top. His view was legit.
As usual one of the parameters of the OWC is NO pissers/pisstakes. That's cause primarily we are challenged to write a conventional (i e., not 'out there') script according to the theme, genre, parameters.
Ultimately try to be respectful and constructive with all reviews. If a script is not you're cup of tea, not funny in your opinion, over the top in your opinion, some kind of send up - don't review it if you don't want to. If you think it's an hilarious spoof then do make comment.
In the history of the OWC there's usually one that gets through despite best efforts. Some have gone on as memorable and infamous.
Okay, got it...but no guarantee! Here's another definition: When you read your newly drafted screenplay and realize you just pissed away a couple days of your life? It's a pisser.
PISS-TAKE / PISSTAKE noun colloquial (chiefly Britain, Australia, and New Zealand) [1975]: An attempt to make someone or something seem silly; something that is done to tease or make fun of someone or something; an act of copying someone else's behavior and manner in a humorous way; an amusing imitation a parody; lampoon.
Etymology: From the phrase take the piss.
TAKE THE PISS (chiefly Britain, Australia, and New Zealand; very informal) [1945]:
1) To make a joke about someone or to make someone look silly (often + out of ); to tease, especially aggressively; to make fun of, to mock, deride, satirize. <“You should wear miniskirts more often - you've got the legs for them.” “Are you taking the piss?”> [[Where this ‘piss’ [as in ‘take the piss (out of)’] may be the one used in the expression piss and vinegar [1920s and still in use]: Energy, enthusiasm, cheekiness.]]
2) To treat someone badly in order to get what you want. <£50 for that old thing? That's just taking the piss.> [[Note: This second definition does not refer to the etymology of piss-take.]]
(Oxford English Dictionary, Macmillan Dictionary, Collins English Dictionary, Oxford Dictionary of Slang, Cassell’s Dictionary of Slang, and Cambridge Idioms Dictionary)
'Pisser' has a completely different def to us Aussies but let's face it we all get the gist of what we mean when referring to an OWC entry. "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet"
I personally think the only way out of this is to review a script according to your own judgement and assessment. I quite wrongly assessed an OWC script as a pisstake once and regrettably offended the writer. I just thought it was over the top. His view was legit.
As usual one of the parameters of the OWC is NO pissers/pisstakes. That's cause primarily we are challenged to write a conventional (i e., not 'out there') script according to the theme, genre, parameters.
Ultimately try to be respectful and constructive with all reviews. If a script is not you're cup of tea, not funny in your opinion, over the top in your opinion, some kind of send up - don't review it if you don't want to. If you think it's an hilarious spoof then do make comment.
In the history of the OWC there's usually one that gets through despite best efforts. Some have gone on as memorable and infamous.
I'll shut up now.
That's a shit load of information - Nice background work.
In addition to - one who urinates - the dictionary also offers the following for pisser:
- an annoying or disappointing event or circumstance. - an unpleasant person; a person who causes difficulties.
Both of which might also apply to this situatiion.
Just submitted my script, but in the OWC submission link the genre is locked on "horror". I've specified what I need my genre changed to for whoever is doing the collation of everyone's work (Don?), but best fix it for the rest of the peeps on here.
Just submitted my script, but in the OWC submission link the genre is locked on "horror". I've specified what I need my genre changed to for whoever is doing the collation of everyone's work (Don?), but best fix it for the rest of the peeps on here.
I'm probably out. I did another contest, flash fiction, with Dena this weekend. When I sat down to think about the OWC, every idea I had ran into the character limitation wall. I am never a fan of that parameter, but especially when combined with the fish out of water. To show the fish being out, you usually have to show land creatures.
So good luck to all. Maybe some idea will slap me in the face and I'll jump in.
I've no problem limiting this to four characters, however many circumstances people find themselves in, there are bound to be others there, as well. So far, what I have takes place where there are bound to be others, I've just chosen not to acknowledge them. My issue is I don't know if that comes off realistic or not. But anyway...
I've no problem limiting this to four characters, however many circumstances people find themselves in, there are bound to be others there, as well. So far, what I have takes place where there are bound to be others, I've just chosen not to acknowledge them. My issue is I don't know if that comes off realistic or not. But anyway...
Well...let's see how it goes on this.
The idea was to set this in a locale where "extra peeps" wouldn't be an issue.
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