Comments on: The Men Who Knew Too Little http://crookedtimber.org/2006/03/04/the-men-who-knew-too-little/ Out of the crooked timber of humanity, no straight thing was ever made Sun, 21 Mar 2010 04:20:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Ed Drone http://crookedtimber.org/2006/03/04/the-men-who-knew-too-little/comment-page-2/#comment-146744 Ed Drone Mon, 06 Mar 2006 17:24:26 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/?p=4389#comment-146744 You could even incorporate parts of the sitcom -- turned down by the networks, but real -- where a sleeper cell of would-be bombers gets entangled with everyday life, including one of them with a crush on the Jewish neighbor girl. Seriously, there is enough comedic material here for two, maybe three seasons. Like, one of the good guys goes undercover with a fake identity, which identity then gets put on the no-fly list, preventing him from going to the aid of another agent on the other coast. When they get the no-fly list straightened out, the real terrorist with a similar name is then allowed to fly, escaping the country when they wanted him "pinned down" in Indiana. Only he's flown off to the Bahamas to spend the dough he's skimmed off the terror-network's funds, with the result that agents of "the agency" and the "terror group" both end up looking for him, cooperating as they do (while claiming to their upper management that they are not doing any such thing). When they find him and attempt to return him to the States, the no-fly list status has been reinstated, and no one can fly. Man, this could go on forever. We could post an episode-idea per week for years! Or just post the daily news. Same thing. Ed You could even incorporate parts of the sitcom—turned down by the networks, but real—where a sleeper cell of would-be bombers gets entangled with everyday life, including one of them with a crush on the Jewish neighbor girl. Seriously, there is enough comedic material here for two, maybe three seasons.

Like, one of the good guys goes undercover with a fake identity, which identity then gets put on the no-fly list, preventing him from going to the aid of another agent on the other coast. When they get the no-fly list straightened out, the real terrorist with a similar name is then allowed to fly, escaping the country when they wanted him “pinned down” in Indiana. Only he’s flown off to the Bahamas to spend the dough he’s skimmed off the terror-network’s funds, with the result that agents of “the agency” and the “terror group” both end up looking for him, cooperating as they do (while claiming to their upper management that they are not doing any such thing). When they find him and attempt to return him to the States, the no-fly list status has been reinstated, and no one can fly.

Man, this could go on forever. We could post an episode-idea per week for years! Or just post the daily news. Same thing.

Ed

]]> By: Ginger Yellow http://crookedtimber.org/2006/03/04/the-men-who-knew-too-little/comment-page-2/#comment-146723 Ginger Yellow Mon, 06 Mar 2006 14:42:05 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/?p=4389#comment-146723 British animation sketchshow Monkeydust featured a pair of half-hearted and incompetent Brummie terrorists. What you propose sounds like <i>The Thick of It</i> transposed to the Home Office/Special Branch. British animation sketchshow Monkeydust featured a pair of half-hearted and incompetent Brummie terrorists. What you propose sounds like The Thick of It transposed to the Home Office/Special Branch.

]]> By: Rich Puchalsky http://crookedtimber.org/2006/03/04/the-men-who-knew-too-little/comment-page-2/#comment-146722 Rich Puchalsky Mon, 06 Mar 2006 14:22:18 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/?p=4389#comment-146722 I have the only imaginary cop show to be given a name by Michael Berube — PSI: Protest Scene Investigation. I quote myself: ”They should have a TV cop show just for this [i.e. the cops who infiltrate protest groups]. First episode: a novice agent must do a dangerous PETA infiltration, and she forgets and wears leather shoes. Will she have pig’s blood thrown on her, or will she get away? Second episode: she must infiltrate Critical Mass cycling, and gets severe blisters. Third: sent to be an agent provacateur at a Quaker meeting, she loudly says that they should go out and break some heads. Oops! She is caught and must listen to a long lecture by a kindly 50-year-old. Fourth: the vegan potluck. Will be it the brown lentils, the mysterious tureen, or the yellow stew? Cut to commercial as she stares, transfixed by a set of bad choices.” I have the only imaginary cop show to be given a name by Michael Berube — PSI: Protest Scene Investigation. I quote myself:

”They should have a TV cop show just for this [i.e. the cops who infiltrate protest groups]. First episode: a novice agent must do a dangerous PETA infiltration, and she forgets and wears leather shoes. Will she have pig’s blood thrown on her, or will she get away? Second episode: she must infiltrate Critical Mass cycling, and gets severe blisters. Third: sent to be an agent provacateur at a Quaker meeting, she loudly says that they should go out and break some heads. Oops! She is caught and must listen to a long lecture by a kindly 50-year-old. Fourth: the vegan potluck. Will be it the brown lentils, the mysterious tureen, or the yellow stew? Cut to commercial as she stares, transfixed by a set of bad choices.”

]]> By: Walt Pohl http://crookedtimber.org/2006/03/04/the-men-who-knew-too-little/comment-page-2/#comment-146688 Walt Pohl Mon, 06 Mar 2006 00:13:50 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/?p=4389#comment-146688 Daniel: Before I watched the X-Files, my impression was that they alternated, and that one week Mulder would be right with an occult explanation, and the next week Sculley would be right with a normal explanation. Otherwise, it seemed too implausible that Sculley would be wrong every week and yet never learn... Daniel: Before I watched the X-Files, my impression was that they alternated, and that one week Mulder would be right with an occult explanation, and the next week Sculley would be right with a normal explanation. Otherwise, it seemed too implausible that Sculley would be wrong every week and yet never learn…

]]> By: Daniel http://crookedtimber.org/2006/03/04/the-men-who-knew-too-little/comment-page-1/#comment-146681 Daniel Sun, 05 Mar 2006 22:20:45 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/?p=4389#comment-146681 I always wanted to pitch an episode of the X-Files where it turned out that there was actually a perfectly rational explanation for everything. I always wanted to pitch an episode of the X-Files where it turned out that there was actually a perfectly rational explanation for everything.

]]> By: digamma http://crookedtimber.org/2006/03/04/the-men-who-knew-too-little/comment-page-1/#comment-146673 digamma Sun, 05 Mar 2006 16:57:28 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/?p=4389#comment-146673 24 already IS crossed with The Office. You just have to watch it in the right frame of mind. My 24-watching companion and I have learned to laugh out loud every time CTU (which we call <a href="http://www.google.com/search?q=amigo+site%3Adigamma.net&start=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official" rel="nofollow">AMIGO</a>) does something stupid, just as we would at a sitcom. 24 already IS crossed with The Office. You just have to watch it in the right frame of mind. My 24-watching companion and I have learned to laugh out loud every time CTU (which we call AMIGO) does something stupid, just as we would at a sitcom.

]]> By: Chris Lightfoot http://crookedtimber.org/2006/03/04/the-men-who-knew-too-little/comment-page-1/#comment-146670 Chris Lightfoot Sun, 05 Mar 2006 16:12:52 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/?p=4389#comment-146670 On the subject of "lie-detector" tests, <a href="http://antipolygraph.org/statements/statement-003.shtml" rel="nofollow">Too Hot of a Potato: A Citizen Soldier's Encounter With the Polygraph</a> is also interesting. On the subject of “lie-detector” tests, Too Hot of a Potato: A Citizen Soldier’s Encounter With the Polygraph is also interesting.

]]> By: jet http://crookedtimber.org/2006/03/04/the-men-who-knew-too-little/comment-page-1/#comment-146668 jet Sun, 05 Mar 2006 16:12:04 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/?p=4389#comment-146668 Barry, Are you actually saying that CIA did a good job investigating the African yellowcake? They sent the fric and frac team, got reamed by Congress, and gave an answer so ambiguous both sides of the debate used their reports. And yet here you are defending them. Figures. Barry,
Are you actually saying that CIA did a good job investigating the African yellowcake? They sent the fric and frac team, got reamed by Congress, and gave an answer so ambiguous both sides of the debate used their reports. And yet here you are defending them. Figures.

]]> By: Luke Francl http://crookedtimber.org/2006/03/04/the-men-who-knew-too-little/comment-page-1/#comment-146666 Luke Francl Sun, 05 Mar 2006 15:44:18 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/?p=4389#comment-146666 I recently read the book "Blowing My Cover" by Lindsay Moran about her years at the CIA. It has some humorous/frightening scenes of incompetence at the CIA. The polygraph investigation sounds similar to this post (though without the anti-anxiety meds). And after 9/11, she tries to recruit an agent in the Balkans who had been associated with some jihadis there. Headquarters tells her no -- because he's got terrorist ties! I recently read the book “Blowing My Cover” by Lindsay Moran about her years at the CIA. It has some humorous/frightening scenes of incompetence at the CIA. The polygraph investigation sounds similar to this post (though without the anti-anxiety meds). And after 9/11, she tries to recruit an agent in the Balkans who had been associated with some jihadis there. Headquarters tells her no—because he’s got terrorist ties!

]]> By: Barry http://crookedtimber.org/2006/03/04/the-men-who-knew-too-little/comment-page-1/#comment-146665 Barry Sun, 05 Mar 2006 15:22:41 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/?p=4389#comment-146665 "... or how the CIA did such a great job investigating the African yellow cake, your show has already been created, only we get to watch it in shorter clips in the news." Posted by jet · Truth and jet live on opposite ends of the universe. “… or how the CIA did such a great job investigating the African yellow cake, your show has already been created, only we get to watch it in shorter clips in the news.”

Posted by jet ·

Truth and jet live on opposite ends of the universe.

]]> By: John Emerson http://crookedtimber.org/2006/03/04/the-men-who-knew-too-little/comment-page-1/#comment-146663 John Emerson Sun, 05 Mar 2006 15:10:45 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/?p=4389#comment-146663 My version would have a remote of Mr. Gates and Mr. Adobe sitting together -- drinking 40s, monitoring the download, and sabotaging it from time to time as only they can do. My version would have a remote of Mr. Gates and Mr. Adobe sitting together—drinking 40s, monitoring the download, and sabotaging it from time to time as only they can do.

]]> By: brooksfoe http://crookedtimber.org/2006/03/04/the-men-who-knew-too-little/comment-page-1/#comment-146662 brooksfoe Sun, 05 Mar 2006 14:53:12 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/?p=4389#comment-146662 <i>Those who haven’t read ‘The Secret Agent’ are doomed to rewrite it. At length. Ouch. Too true.</i> Those who haven’t read ‘The Secret Agent’ are doomed to rewrite it. At length.

Ouch. Too true.

]]> By: Simstim http://crookedtimber.org/2006/03/04/the-men-who-knew-too-little/comment-page-1/#comment-146660 Simstim Sun, 05 Mar 2006 14:15:08 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/?p=4389#comment-146660 I'm always disappointed when I don't get "ACCESS DENIED" in big flashing red letters on my PC. I’m always disappointed when I don’t get “ACCESS DENIED” in big flashing red letters on my PC.

]]> By: hoi Polloi http://crookedtimber.org/2006/03/04/the-men-who-knew-too-little/comment-page-1/#comment-146658 hoi Polloi Sun, 05 Mar 2006 14:03:43 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/?p=4389#comment-146658 Just showing people using actual computer programs the way people actually use computer programs would be worth the watch. Remember in the early-mid 90s when all the drug-dealer's/terrorist's/bad dude's data could be downloaded onto a 1.4 meg floppy? Those were the days! Just showing people using actual computer programs the way people actually use computer programs would be worth the watch.

Remember in the early-mid 90s when all the drug-dealer’s/terrorist’s/bad dude’s data could be downloaded onto a 1.4 meg floppy? Those were the days!

]]> By: Matt McIrvin http://crookedtimber.org/2006/03/04/the-men-who-knew-too-little/comment-page-1/#comment-146656 Matt McIrvin Sun, 05 Mar 2006 13:56:05 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/?p=4389#comment-146656 There was a British sitcom in the early 1990s called "The Piglet Files" that had the potential to be something like this, but wasn't; I think part of the problem was that it took place in more a parody of spy-novel reality than in a more realistic universe, and it pulled too many satirical punches. It was also made at the wrong time, immediately post-Cold War and pre-War on Terror, so they had to try to get humor from the fact that there was no great external boogeyman and the spies were reduced to spying on the French and the Swedes. It made the whole thing seem very safe. There was a British sitcom in the early 1990s called “The Piglet Files” that had the potential to be something like this, but wasn’t; I think part of the problem was that it took place in more a parody of spy-novel reality than in a more realistic universe, and it pulled too many satirical punches.

It was also made at the wrong time, immediately post-Cold War and pre-War on Terror, so they had to try to get humor from the fact that there was no great external boogeyman and the spies were reduced to spying on the French and the Swedes. It made the whole thing seem very safe.

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