h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Dancing on tables... - A731477
Author: lilithcookie - U192100

Ok... I TPVd this thang... I hope... meaning I gave it the preferred Third Person Viewpoint so that it'll qualify for consideration or whatever, so now's your chance to show that the Guide can sound strange without sounding subjective or whatever and the sky won't fall in.

Someone has written in another conversation:

"On here, my view is that I always think about what my mother or nan might say if they read what I'd written. Or how my little cousin might react.

"At the end of the day, there are plenty of unmoderated outlets for expression on the internet (such as Usenet) so I suppose there's no reason to expect that every site will offer the same things. I actually like the idea of there being somewhere 'safe' like h2g2 that kids and parents can feel equaly comfortable in."

I think that's relevant to this entry too.

I'm afraid I don't get your point, Bels

'Life/The Universe/Everything' includes Table Dancing as well as it includes entries about masturbation. There's even *two* of them about the latter subject.

Bels is quoting me from another thread there

I think this entry is a little saucy, but not to the point where I think it crosses any real boundaries of taste (in fact, I have to confess it made me laugh out loud at one point - as the other Italics can confirm). Arguably, it's no worse than we'd see in a Carry On movie.

But I can see where Bels was coming from with his comment. What do other Researchers think?

Jims

I don't get why you don't get my point, Bossel

Is it that you don't like the idea of there being somewhere 'safe' like h2g2 that kids and parents can feel equally comfortable in?

Or is it that you don't agree with me that this entry does not typify the idea of there being somewhere 'safe' like h2g2 that kids and parents can feel equally comfortable in?

In either case that would be a difference of opinion, which is fine.

Or are you trying to say that all an entry has to do is to come within the ambit of 'Life/The Universe/Everything'? If that is so, why have Peer Review; why have Scouts?

Bels

This entry is fine. It's not at all explicit. It doesn't condone illegal behaviour. It's not going to corrupt our youth and turn them into sex maniacs.

That said, given that some people have problems with table-dancing, perhaps a touch of that perspective should be provided. Standard stuff: exploitation, encouraging objectification of women, breaking the institution of marriage, pandering to our lowest desires, that kinda thing. Balance, right?

-Martin

Bels, my problem in getting the point was whether or not you were implying that the subject matter wasn't appropriate for a 'family' site. It doesn't show through.


Ok, some comments:

The first 'being' should have a capital 'B'.

"Now if you just got off the boat from Alpha centauri or wherever..." Perhaps this sentence is a bit over the top. The entry could stand well without it (or rephrase to something more BBCish )

Similarly, in 'raised that way ok?', the "ok?" bit is a colloquial tone, or a rhetorical question (depends on how you look at it) which deviates from the pure factual writing style that an E.G. entry is supposed to exhibit.


'repetitive repetition' would be be good place to link to 'Endless Loops' at A600940



'In many places these poles are actually installed in the centers of the tables, which have centers because they're round' -- sounds somewhat convoluted in my ears.
How about
'In many places these poles are actually installed in the centers of round tables, so all the guys sitting at them get...'

'nudge each other thereby' should have a comma before 'thereby'


'They're actually symbols of what guys play with...' -- isn't this really expressed in a way suitable for a family site? Children who don't know where the allusion is pointing at won't get it anyway, and those who understand it are old enough

'Cancun' - what's that please?

They're symbols of train sets, right?
-Lucinda

I don't want to know how you played with your train sets if it made you go blind - to shove my ideas into the fray, I think table.pole dancing is a great subject for the Guide. This entry could do with tidying up a bit tho', it's a bit chatty as it stands, IMHO.

How about some more info. on dance routines? Plus I don't think the reference to big tits is needed, most of the dancers I've seen (umm, on late night T.V., the other half wanted to watch it ) have fairly small bits, but make up for it by being very lithe and athletic.

See Boss, this is sorta what I was anticipating when we started awhile back. I know I don't have to go with any of this but it probably makes sense from the 'yeah but do you wanna get it published or not?' perspective.

So ok... what do I do?

Well... let me think over some of the stuff... like maybe we can lose the Alpha centuri routine anyways because it was just included for local color you might say and if the scifi throng here doesn't think it's just sooo cute then I got no problem bagging it.

And someone mentioned big tits or bits and you're absolutely right... being top heavy is no advantage in gymnastics or pole dancing however let just say you don't want to be mistaken for a Chip N Dale either.

And I can probably rework the awkward composition or whatever that's sorta rearing it ugly little head here and there and probably shed no tears but chatty is what I am so go figure ok? The thang has a rhythm that's sort of its heart and soul and if you tinker with that too much it'll die anyways and then you'll have to bring out the editorial paddles and yell 'clear!!' and see if you can jumpstart it but the prognosis won't be good ok?

But when you start ragging on balance or whatever you wanna call it... well I gotta huge problem with that because I figure some bible thumping Puritan will come along and write his or her own entry to counter all the perceived sin in mine if she/he hasn't already. I don't wanna have to write that entry too. I got quite enough on my plate just now ok?

So let me try again in a bit and see what happens and then we can all go back to shredder and see what we can paste together from the trash. Not that I'm ragging on the shredding btw. I'm sure it'll make a better entry even if it ain't mine in the end. We'll just say the gang did it which is probably the purpose of the exercise anyways and when BBC makes their first bundle from it I'm sure they'll share it everybody right?

Waiting for a counterpart written by a Puritan isn't the best of all ideas, I'm afraid

Do we *have* any Puritans around here?

Seriously tho', I would like to see this in the EG. SO is the author gonna come along and make the suggested changes?

Yeah... probably the authoress IS gonna come along and maybe even make changes... suggested or otherwise... just sos you know ok?

Like nobody's in a huge hurry around here are they?

I hope not because I like got 2 novels, 4 short stories, 11 comedy routines and a half dozen topical essays in progress ok? And even though I'm a chic and can therefore multitask all of it at once plus clean the house, feed everybody, think deep thoughts and even hold down a regular wageslave dayjob or dance on tables on night... I hope you'll understand why I'm not exactly dropping everything so this one flies but I'll get back to it eventually... honest.

And it's good to hear from somebody who puts 'scout' in their id so I know I'm not just wasting time or something... because I don't really have alotta time to waste ok?

I like the chatty tone, it helps a tourist get into the proper mood for the context. Sometimes we need to know about things that are factual that are nevertheless not of a style typically entered in an encyclopedia; this is why one buys a tourist guide to visit a country instead of relying on the geographic data in the Brittanica.

My idea of balance for this piece is what lilithcookie already has done a little of, and adding stuff about XY dancing on tables.

I am a patient man, I read Peer Review from the very back with the idea of doing the GR Maneuver anyways. Please take your time.

Housefly is a compound word, and so it probably properly has the odd plural written here; but 'houseflies' looks better, to me.

Well I like chatty too... which should go without saying right? But something's comeup so I don't think I'll be finishing this ok?

I'm going home because I'm dying and I don't have a computer at home or even a phone so that's the end of that.

Hope you guys have a better day and if this ever gets included in the guide it'll be because somebody else decided they wanted to challenge the usual way of doing stuff ok? Good luck... I'm outta the game... but that doesn't mean you can't have a fun before you go out too.

http://www.lucycarr.com/

The web-site of Wales most famous table dancer

*giggle*

:: wonders wot the mods will make of it - note it is relevent to the conversation ::

Hello One and All,

Just to let you know that this entry has been scouted for inclusion in the Edited Guide, but before I can accept it, I just want to clarify that y'all are happy that it is ready to go.

I've freed this entry up until the Researcher comes back

Can't wait to see this in the Edited Guide

The researcher has made it clear they are not coming back to this entry as they are (rightly in my opinion) disgusted at the narrow-mindedness of certain Scouts who have posted to this entry.

If your not going to let it through as is you better send it to the Flea Market. I feel somewhat disappointed that this article was rejected.

Happy,

This entry has *not* been rejected for the Edited Guide, it has been postponed until we can reach a consensus as to what to do with it. I posted to this thread asking if it is ready, got no response, so did the next best thing - left it in PR so that it can continue to generate comment.

Had I accepted it, I could easily have been criticised for doing so.

This way, the entry can still be commented upon, can still be scouted at a later date and can still go in the Edited Guide.

Ashley