Wednesday, August 12, 2009

The Times, They Are a Changin'

You may remember that a few weeks ago, I brought up what I was sure was going to be a new trend in pop culture: The Added The. (For those of you who are link impaired and didn't read it the first time, the premise is simple: if you don't feel like writing a sequel, just take out all the instances of the word "the" in your book/script/lyrics, and it's like it's brand new.)

Well, like all trends, these things come and go. (Which is a really good thing in the case of, say, parachute pants. Have you stopped to think that if trends didn't change, you would be wearing a pair right now? At least they're slimming.) Apparently, the Added The trend didn't last long. Kinda like parachute pants.

It's been replaced by a new and improved trend. Let's call it the Superfluous The.

Slayer and I went out last night, which is pretty much made of awesome, and we saw a grown up movie for once. (The Hangover, which is rude, crude, and painfully hilarious.) Anyway, one of the previews was for The Final Destination, which is a part of the Final Destination (without the the) franchise.

So apparently, once the Powers That Be realized that we were on to them, they decided to change their tactics. NOW, if you can't come up with a good idea for your book/script/lyrics, you are supposed to INSERT more instances of the word 'the,' not take them out.

So the point of the this whole the entry is the to keep you athebreast of what the is happentheing in the the marketplace. I the hope that the you will take the this sagethe advice and run the with it.

16 comments:

MeganRebekah said...

You know the next movie will have the awkwardly inserted the.

Final, THE Destination.

Jamie Eyberg said...

i just look forward to the writers strike in Hollywood being over.

What do you mean there isn't a writer's strike going? You mean they paid people to come up with the garbage they are rehashing?

Unknown said...

Just think of the the-possiblities

THE Jaws
THE ET

THE THE THE THE THE

oops i think i broke something there. mentally.

Stephanie Faris said...

I just hope THE Final Destination is actually the FINAL one. I don't want to see, six years from now, "The Final Destination: No We Really Mean It This Time."

PJ Hoover said...

This is information I can work with.

Natalie Whipple said...

Thanks for warning. I would have felt like an idiot leaving all my "the"s out. Man, I'd just gotten used to it. Now I'm gonna have to retrain myself.

Barry Napier said...

More "THE" Fun

THE Porky's

THE Ed Wood (in this case, THE makes a harmless movie sound dirty)

Mariah Irvin said...

Jeez, just when I thought it was safe to wear my parachute pants again.

Elana Johnson said...

ROTFL!

Sherrie Petersen said...

Who knew you could write a whole article -- no, two! -- about an article =)

Cate Gardner said...

If I'm having trouble getting past 'the' can I just stop there and call it a micro novel?

Fox Lee said...

"Stupid Teens Go Splat" would probably make them more money.

Sandra Leigh said...

I was watching Jeopardy the other night. One of the contestants was a student at Ohio State. Excuse me. The Ohio State. She and Alex had a chat about the importance of the The in the name of The Ohio State. Apparently it signifies that this is The One and Only, The True and Genuine Ohio State, as opposed to any fly-by-night wannabe Ohio State that might pop up. I tell ya. "The" is cool. Or so it seems.

Scillius Maximus said...

So if I am getting this right, Inserting THE is the new Eliminating THE. Like when blue becomes the new black, right?

Ray Veen said...

I say the more the the better.

Anonymous said...

Ooh, ooh! Carrie! Mslexia has a flash fiction contest (up to 150 words) due August 14, and the subject is EYEBROWS.

Knock 'em dead, tiger!

-Mercedes