Everything's interesting
In the early hours of this morning I was going to write a blog about what’s happening with my DVD, and also try to explain why I and a significant number of other people are risking severe sleep deprivation by watching the cricket from Australia. What happened in the end was that, because of that severe sleep deprivation, I watched about half an hour of the cricket and fell asleep in my clothes. Then woke up (mercifully) and went to sleep properly. So that’s why the advertised early-hours blog never materialised. Hope nobody was building their weekend plans around it.
So cricket, then. Isn’t it really boring and hard to follow? The short answer is – sometimes it’s boring, but sometimes it’s fantastic if you know what’s going on. Like football, but also like opera or modern art or landscape gardening or posh food or a great many other things, cricket is really only as good as the knowledge you have of it. As I’ve observed before in this blog, almost everything in the world is interesting if you know what you’re looking for. I’m not at all interested in – say – fashion, but that doesn’t mean I would dismiss the whole idea of it: I reckon if I spent a couple of weeks working on a fashion magazine, I’d probably have a whole new understanding of it and I would be less inclined to dismiss people with an interest in clothes and designers as shallow fashion victims.
My point’s not specifically about cricket, but if there is a friend or family member who likes it, see if you can watch a bit of a game with them and try and get them to explain everything and I guarantee you you’ll enjoy it 100% more than you ever thought possible. As with my blog about coffee some time ago, I realise in many cases I’m fighting a losing battle, but if I can get one of you to tune in to a bit of the Ashes and come away with a new understanding of why many people love cricket, I’ll be very pleased. In fact I’m tempted to set a Find A New Interest challenge. But until we do that, my general point is: everything’s interesting. Even if you find something that’s not interesting, it’s interesting to find out why people are interested in it. The more of life you can explore with curiosity, the more you’ll enjoy being alive. (Clears throat, surprised at own pomposity) Thank you.
Oh yes – my DVD. It was meant to come out this year. It will actually be next year, before Christmas. Although I did do a show which was intended as a DVD recording, I feel that’s out of date now, so I will do a DVD-recording-night in the summer. It will probably be in Bristol. But all the suggestions I received for new venues have been noted, and pretty soon I will announce a whacking great tour for 2011 featuring many places I have never been before. So there you go. That’s what I’m up to. Sorry for banging on about cricket and that.
Posted by Clembear on November 30, 2010
Because I’m contrary, I’m going to head in with not everything’s interesting in and of itself, but there are lots of ways to make things interesting, many of which can be seen in articles in newspaper features sections.
Let’s use a job I had stuffing envelopes as an example
- refer to the broader context of the task to give it meaning or context (It was for children in need.
- make it indicative of broader trends. Loads of newspaper articles do this. I have read one where the trend was real.For enevelope stuffing, i thought about job, and changing practices of hiring people for jobs
- take a feature of it that’s unrelated to the task in hand and run with it. Where does envelope gum come from? Could you dehydrate yourself by licking too much? Why do papercuts hurt so much? Could you train a dog to lick envelopes? Should animals we use for labour be paid? This is a thinkpiece
- Talk about how we talk about envelope stuffing. Maybe use the word discourse. Going meta is a great way to intellectualise a subject. Look at all the articles about the royal wedding for this in action.
I maintain that some activities purely in and of themselves are not intersting. If you only let me think or talk about the act of envelope stuffing (ignoring ways to improve efficiency), its not interesting. Human imagination is though,
Posted by Kate W on November 28, 2010
On which theme, may I recommend an event to readers of this blog – Boring 2010: /www.independent.co.uk/news/science/boring-conference-2010-chairman-of-the-bored-2099
Very much based on the premise that everything is interesting if you know enough about it/approach it from the right angle/hear about it from someone who’s passionately interested, I think it should be fascinating. But sadly for me, can’t go.
I’m sure we could Find New Interests. Perhaps you could start a sort of Speakers’ Corner for people to recommend theirs and try to win others over…
Posted by JontyLarr on November 28, 2010
Bit late to this one, not sure if anyone will read, but I watched the cricket in the pub on Friday with a few guys, including one who’s not into it at all. He asked questions as the game went on and slowly started to get it, and understand its appeal. It is definitely the best sport out there for my money, both to play and watch. I also smackdown anyone who calls it boring by joking that it’s “an intelligent person’s game”. There is some truth in that, though.
Posted by Rachael on November 28, 2010
You are probably right, as usual. I taught myself to like tennis a couple of years ago and now wimbledon coverage is one of my favourite things about the summer.
Posted by Katy on November 28, 2010
I completely agree with you about finding things interesting when you know a bit about it. Cricket used to seem like this awful dull sport until an old housemate of my sat me down to watch a game and explained it to me, and now I find it a lot more fascinating.
I’d join the Find A New Interest challenge for sure so you should definitely do this, finding new things is brilliant.
Posted by Sarah on November 28, 2010
Agree with you that you enjoy things and find things interesting when you know what is going on. I was ill from college for a week, which nicely coinsided with one of the South Africa 2003 tests. I had always thought cricket was boring, until I watched it all day everyday (bring back channel 4
). After watching the test and marvelling at the brilliance of Freddie, I am now well and truly hooked.
Posted by Aislinn on November 28, 2010
YES. I used to find Radio 4 and Al Jarreau both terribly dull when I was younger. They are, in fact, both brilliant. I have only discovered this from letting my Dad introduce me to both of them.
Cricket I know a fair bit about, as my brother plays it a lot – I’m sure he’s played for some sort of under-something, fairly-important team of some sort – and I babysit often for a family with two young boys who love the sport. We always used to play cricket on the beach when we went on holiday as a family and I much prefer it to football in pretty much every single way. However, I just don’t find it very fun to… well, watch. I am going to TRY, though.
Posted by Anna Lowman on November 28, 2010
One of my finest teachers said you’ve got to be interested to be interesting and I think it’s so so true. I took no pleasure in cricket until that ace Ashes tour we won in 2005 (right year?) and that was, as you say, because I let dad explain it to me a bit. I’m no aficionado (I love Twenty20) but I do enjoy it and hey, that’s another thing in the world to enjoy now. I like enjoying things.
Posted by issey on November 28, 2010
can’t wait for the DVD!!
Posted by DiB (Sue) on November 28, 2010
I just went past the game while on the way back from our belly dancing concert. Our friend turned on the car radio as we passed the stadium and the scores caused her to gasp in amazement… but I’m afraid it went right over my head.
If someone had said last year I’d be hooked on belly dancing I’d have laughed, but like you say, everything is interesting to someone. Our friend is a big cricket fan, I didn’t know that until today.
I think the same way about places, lots of places are just where you live, but to someone else it’s a holiday destination. Talking of which; if your Bristol gig/DVD taping is in August or September I will be there. Bristol is my home town and I’m going back for a visit
Sue (Brisbane)
Posted by Hannah Mae on November 28, 2010
(I just noticed how amusing the ‘picking self up’/'throwing self into’ statements sound. It’s 3am and I’m very tired.)
Posted by Hannah Mae on November 28, 2010
Lovely blog. I agree, and try hard to live by that principle. Would love the Find A New Interest challenge too – after a period of everything going a bit wrong in my life, I’m trying to pick myself up and throw myself into all kinds of new things. It’s good to discover new stuff to feel excited about.
And YES, Bristol! Do the DVD here!
Posted by Joelle on November 28, 2010
Funny you mention this. Minutes earlier dad was trying to read me something from the newspaper about cricket sledges that he thought I’d enjoy. My response was that “it’s sport and I don’t care”. I do like the little cartoon that we have to signify something to do with a duck. That amuses me. I like it when people get those, but apparently they’re bad and I shouldn’t wish for them.
Your DVD shall be staying on my list of things to buy until it comes out. ‘Tis a shame you have to postpone it though. I do hope that your 2011 tour comes to Perth! I have money set aside in my comedy fund for tickets to your show and merchandise at Minchin. Yep, priorities are in order.
Have a nice day (:
Posted by Lukey on November 28, 2010
Not every thing is interesting Mark… Take me for example.
Posted by DeborahF on November 27, 2010
Actually for once I agree with you about a sport (don’t faint). I love cricket and especially like listening to the BBC’s Test Match Special rather than the TV commentary. If you’re not quite sure about it do give TMS a try – it might help you enjoy it.
I am gutted that I can’t watch or listen to this series live but it’s on all night and I have to get up at 6:30am to go to work. After a week and a half in the job, I’m not sure my employers would approve of me sleeping at my desk. Instead I have to make do with the highlights on ITV4 and somehow that’s just not the same
Posted by Matthew on November 27, 2010
Hi Mark
Maybe you could have the original DVD recording as a bonus disc with your new show?
Or maybe you could offer it (or at least clips from it either video or audio) as downloads for those of us that read the blog?
Why did it never come to fruition at the time? Were you unhappy with the performance/audience reaction in some way or was it a logistical issue with distribution or something like that?
Looking forward to seeing you in 2011.
Matt
Posted by A lot of Rachels on November 27, 2010
I love cricket and sad that I haven’t changed my sleeping patterns so instead I wake up every morning and eagerly check the score only to be filled with disappointment. Here’s for a draw in the first test match.
/i have a feeling I should start thinking now for Find a New Interest just because if you do do one I’ll never come up with anything so won’t bother joining in.
Posted by ChrisP on November 27, 2010
I remember being really into the ashes in 2005 when we won it but other than that it’s really not my sort of thing. 6 weeks is too long for something to end in disappointment.
Find A New Interest, or FANI for short, sounds good to me, always a big fan of trying something new (like Carl’s idea) but I’m not too sure about the acronym, try saying it out loud. yeah, exactly.
Also, will MWKO from a couple of weeks ago from when I was there be repeated? The web page doesn’t work and I’ve not seen me yet!
Posted by Tom Beasley on November 27, 2010
I look forward to the DVD. It seems that you’re the only one of my favourite comedians who has never released a DVD, so I eagerly await its release!
Posted by Phill on November 27, 2010
I love cricket, but unfortunately I don’t get the time to watch it. When I was younger I used to spend much time in the summer holidays watching entire test matches.
These days, unfortunately, I don’t really get that kind of time
When the ashes were here a couple of years ago I followed the scores on my computer, and watched the highlights, but that was a special year!
I should really try and get back into it but it’s just a matter of too much other stuff going on at the moment…
Posted by Misha on November 27, 2010
For once in my life I’m actually suitably geographically placed Bristol is easy access for me, even in summer now that we’ve got a flat sorted for July.
Today I went walking and found it interesting. We scrambled up and down a mountain in the snow.
Posted by Rachel/Pandora on November 27, 2010
I quite like cricket, but don’t have Sky so just have the BBC text commentary up in the background. I used to play for a local club when I was younger, so I guess I have the added bonus of knowing what’s going on, most of the time anyway.
I think that’s the same with all sports though. I watched Helen play Korfball for the first time the other day, and I once I had the rules explained to me (several times) it was all good fun.
Posted by Meg on November 27, 2010
I agree that when you know more about something, it becomes more interesting. When I started taking an interest in politics a couple of years ago, I only knew what my dad had told me which was a bit biased and the what was on the news so I did a lot more research and now I enjoy it loads more because I can talk to people about it and not only understand what they are talking about but also put forward my own opinion. I have also found that a lot people my own age at my school don’t really care about politics and therefore know nothing about it so I used to be teased and mocked a lot when I was talking about something they didn’t understand. If they had bothered to learn, they would have found it a lot more interesting.
That’s why I’m so pleased about the student protests. People at my school have actually shown an interest in politics for the first time because it concerns our futures. As a result, I have been able to have proper serious conversations with people of my own age about the political and economic situation we are in, without being called weird and abnormal. This gives me hope for the future!
That anecdote wasn’t really relevant to cricket (which I love playing incidentally, but never have the time to watch) but I think you make a great point. And I like the idea of a Find A New Interest challenge. I would definitely join in too.
Posted by Iona on November 27, 2010
I agree with the principle of getting a new interest but it’s so time consuming!
I got into the ashes a couple of years ago and it just takes so much time keeping up with it. Same with x factor/ I’m a celeb etc.
If I had time I’d be interested in everything. But unfortunately don’t have endless time
Posted by amycool on November 27, 2010
I very much agree. I’ve always enjoyed knowing everything there is to know about something, although with me I eventually lose interest and find something else to follow, like a dog chasing a bone. Despite knowing this, I still occasionally decry a TV show that my boyfriend likes without even watching it because it looks “boring”. I’m a hypocrite.
I often hear people say books/reading are boring, which is preposterous.
Posted by Ingrid on November 27, 2010
Very true, as i have found out a lot this last year. This time in 2009 i never really watched stand up, but when my cousin forced me to watch michael mcintyre live at the apollo with him i found it hilarious. Till then i had really thought of stand up as people making jokes about politics that i wouldn’t get. And i’ve really been into stand up ever since. Come to think of it thats how i discovered this blog… anyway after the whole coffee thing i said i would try it and now i can actually drink a mug of it without wincing. So i guess i should give cricket a go to then! x
Posted by Anna on November 27, 2010
I’ve tried watching cricket, as part of husband’s many attempts to get me interested in sport, and it is more interesting once you have a vague idea of what’s going on. I’m not sure I’d ever watch it on my own though. Darts, on the other hand, can be quite absorbing once you get hooked, even for a competitive sports hater like me.
You should definitely set a Find A New Interest challenge. I’d join in…