That was one thing I noticed in Dio’s script as well; but not being familiar with the show I didn’t know if that was unusual or not… is House always such a dick? If so, how come no one smacks him?
Yes
They have. He’s also been shot.
Some people do, at least figuratively. In one season, the hospital was taken over by a man who pretty much hated House, and to whom House showed zero respect. I’m still not sure how he escaped being canned. House is addicted to pain killers, and there was a storyline where people close to him (like the famous Wilson) almost went to jail for prescribing him pills. He had no sympathy for any of them. He has forged prescriptions. He has stolen them from dead people. He lacks any morally redeeming characteristic whatsoever. He’s a lousy role model for atheists, especially since he hates God. (I’ve always sensed a contradiction there: how can someone be so against something he doesn’t even believe in?) And he doesn’t like anybody except as sexual objects, which he gladly tells people.
So why do they put up with him? Ostensibly because he is so good at what he does. That is, he is very lucky that he has killed no one (I think). He has been known to do almost Mengelian experiments on people to help diagnose his own crippling pain. Really, the only thing to admire about him besides his skill and luck is his brutal honesty. Patients seem to appreciate a “you’re dying, asshole” more than they appreciate a “we’re doing everything we can”.
[…shrug…]
Dio, I have not read it, and have almost zero familiarity with House, but I just wanted to say good job on completing it and in an apparently credible way.
And the rest of what you said. No single doctor is worth $100 million. The Board wouldn’t tolerate it. They would have taken Wilson And Cuddy aside THEMSELVES and said, “Look, we know this guy’s good, and we know that for Christ knows what reason you like him, but he is NOT worth losing this much funding.”
A note:
I haven’t read Dio’s teleplay. From what I’ve seen from what people have said:
- It’s very well-written for reading.
- It’s not up to spec for producing.
- Many very, very skilled writers have had teleplays rejected for production.
- Dio’s dialogue style, while not well-suited for a teleplay, would probably be excellent for the stage.
- Most of Dio’s problems with the script as a 42-minute teleplay have to do with style, rather than content.
- Most of the professional writers who have posted, including the much-maligned and incredibly fucking patient Elenfair, are the ones who SAID it was entertaining and readable… just not suitable for production as a teleplay.
From what I can see here on the sidelines with the popcorn, the biggest assholes in this thread (apart from people in the peanut gallery, like me) are the ones who praise the hell out of Dio and tear ribbons out of the professionals. They’re being insulting in two ways, in my mind: they’re acting as though Dio can’t TAKE criticism, and that nothing but a unilateral “YOU WIN THE BET YOU ARE TEH AWESOMEST” will do. To me, that is REALLY condescending. If I were Dio (which I’m sure he thanks every lucky star I’m not), at this point I’d be going, “Hey - I appreciate the support, but I’m a big boy, for fuck’s sake. I can take a little bit of criticism.”
The other way in which they are insulting is by quizzing the professionals up and down about their credentials and their motives and their egos and whatever the fuck else. The professionals have said they ENJOYED READING IT. They just said it would need certain changes FOR PRODUCTION. They all said it fucking rules to high heaven that he finished it, and that he gets props out the ass in about eight different directions. The fact that they’re responding they way they said they would in the FIRST place - as technicians - speaks to their professionalism AND to their respect for Dio’s script, that they would go through it and make recommendations in the FIRST place.
Kid’s home. I’m out.
The HIPAA violations alone would have every single doctor on the show on probation, if not suspended, including the nice ones.
I have just read Dio’s effort. As a casual viewer of House, I enjoyed it very much and applaud Dio for his effort. I liked the story line, especially the long con and the reveal. He’s gonna have to do a lot of drinking now so he can piss this into the snow to fulfill the bet. I’m gonna hold you to this, Dio. 
After reading the reactions of everyone here in this thread, it seems that we have created our own little microcosm of writers, producers, network execs. sponsors, and fans/critics that mirror what goes on IRL.
Note on the parentheticals…they may not be necessary in the screenplay because it may be insulting to the director, but remember, we the fans (readers) needed the scene to be somewhat set up so we can fully understand the story. Maybe Dio was trying to find a middle ground that all of us could understand.
I learned some things from some of you writers that as a fan, that I knew nothing about and appreciated it. Some were constructively critical, which is always a plus. Others I think were there to be critical because Dio was “teh newb” amateur, never to become “professional” in their eyes because of his initial inflammatory remark that spurred this bet and created alot of defensiveness. Hasn’t every “professional” gone through “teh newb” phase early in their career at one point? Were you exposed to constructive criticism or just plain criticism for your early efforts?
Some of you say that his effort isn’t salvageable for a teleplay. Why not? Are you saying it would take longer to polish Dio’s draft screenplay, than to rewrite a new idea draft that is more workable/better characterization/flow/etc.? Considering Dio’s effort…how far has this teleplay progressed into becoming a polished ready to shoot script? 25%, 50%, 75%?
It’s kind of a moot point, unless you mean a hypothetical script. As pointed out previously, the conservative senator with career threatening AIDS storyline has already been done on House — inadvertent on Dio’s part. So no amount of polish would likely get it shot.
I don’t think **Diogenes ** should go to the trouble to revise it. Not because it’s not salvageable … but because its not SALEABLE. If he’s going to put a lot of effort into his writing, the result should be something that he owns the copyright to.
Particularly because if he owns copyright, he gets royalties and doesn’t have to worry about residuals.
Oh, just go ahead and name names. You know you want to. :rolleyes:
I don’t think anyone wants simply and only praise for Dio. Definitely no one wants anyone to use the phrase “TEH AWESOMEST.” I think the objections are that the “professionals” feel the need to pile on very specific, nitpicky criticisms of a script that they know Dio is not going to revise, and have admitted as much. Thus, if the crits were more general, towards helping him develop his screenwriting skills, focused on building technique, dealing with formatting, etc., no one would object. Listing off flaws at excessive length is not constructive.
Your strawman characterization of those arguing with the professionals is inaccurate and distorts the situation. I’ve been trying to make this point for pages and I guess I’m just going to have to accept that people like you will think I’m being an asshole and asking everyone to talk in teh intarnet speek. Sigh.
I cannot resist the urge to say… NO U
Dio, is it possible that you subconsciously remembered the original House episode? We’re watching it now on DVR delay, and it bears some uncanny resemblances to yours — complete with an opening speech in which the candidate becomes woozy and faints. There is also projectile vomit, though at a different point in the story.
If you ever want to see writing at its finest…writing that will make you re-examine your life…writing that will make you see the world for the first time. Read the teleplay for House, M.D. written by Diogenes the Cynic entitled “Once…in the 70’s…For About 20 minutes.” It is a delight.
No. No. It was brilliant. No, no, no, no. There is no word to describe its perfection, so I am forced to make one up. And I’m going to do so right now.
*Scrumtrilescent. *
All good points. I think it’s fair to say that the script was written with this particular audience in mind and that is being glossed over. The line by line critique just seems pedantic to me. I don’t think an internet challenge requires a production quality standard that pleases every TV exec wannabe. Some will disagree. Maybe it should have been delivered with a complimentary gift basket too.
First off, IMO you’re the worst offender, but not the only one by any stretch. Even after I explain my opinion that the folks who gave point-by-point critiques are actually paying Dio’s effort a compliment, you insist on characterizing their efforts as a nitpicky pile-on. That’s your opinion, but (again IMO) you’re off-base. I’m not sure what part of any of what I said you think is a strawman, but more power to you.
Second, I’m not sure why you’re yelling “NO U” at me, unless you think I’m an Anonymous, which I assure you, I am not.
And now, House is playing a video game. I don’t know, Dio. Ask Bricker or someone. It might be best from a legal standpoint if you don’t leave that script up too long. I know it was unintentional and it isn’t identical to the original by any means, but there’s enough similarity as to warrant some prudent caution perhaps.
Thanks for at least admitting that you’re calling me an asshole. I think you’re being an asshole too, so I guess it all comes out even.
As you said, that’s my opinion. I think there are ways to be critical which are complimentary, and I believe that can identify them and distinguish between them and those meant to demoralize the object of the criticism. You think you also can make that distinction and have come to a different conclusion. So be it-- that’s the essense of the concept of “difference of opinion.” If I’m an asshole for having an opinion, then aren’t we fucking all? If you think I’m an asshole for the way I’ve expressed my opinion, then you should understand that that’s the EXACT same basis for my reaction to Pochacco’s 26 point bitch list.
The strawman is saying that I and others who agree with me are saying that we just want UR TEH AWESOMEST as responses to Dio’s script. No one has said that, not even a little bit, and it’s frankly a bullshit characterization of the other side of the argument. Makes us seem like all we want is praise in the most excessive and kneejerk terms and will accept nothing else. That is patently not true. It’s a textbook strawman argument:
in case you forgot the scarecrow you stuffed just a few posts ago.
You are just as condescending as you claim I am is what NO U means. I’m so sorry I have to explain all these points to you. I think you’ve been reading teh intarnets 2 much.
You guys are kidding, right? Because the fact is that Dio is using characters that don’t belong to him, and the resemblance to actual House plot lines is immaterial at that point. I hope I’m being wooshed here.
Not that I think there’s much risk, really. The net is filled with fan fiction, and the worst thing that’s likely to happen is someone might ask him to take it down.
Good lord, I thought the “is to/is not” debate was bad enough, but when it comes down to who is calling who an asshole, you know the thread has run its course and its time to take it out back and shoot it. Especially when none of the people involved are the players in the original challenge.
You’re probably right. But the similarities keep mounting. In the original, House chastises his staff for suggesting the problem is “idiopathic”. I think that, more than anything else, it may be an interesting case of subconscious memory.