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<<<<   1667   >>>>

Topic: Clement Freud on his grandfather

Message 1 / 12
lapsedcatJan 6, 2008
 

 
Having listened to most of the existing JAMs it occured to me that I
could not recall a single instance in which the morose Mr Freud made
explicit reference to his celebrated forebear (save for a round where
he responded to a comment made by Derek Nimmo about Sigmund's beard,
or lack of one).

This surprises me as Clement has very definite form when it comes to
discussing his children, wife, brother, etc on the show. Was he keen
to play down his association with the great SF?

 
<<<<   1668   >>>>

Topic: Re: Clement Freud on his grandfather

Message 2 / 12
Robert TorresJan 6, 2008
 

 

Having listened to most of the existing JAMs it occured to me that I
could not recall a single instance in which the morose Mr Freud made
explicit reference to his celebrated forebear (save for a round where
he responded to a comment made by Derek Nimmo about Sigmund's beard,
or lack of one).

This surprises me as Clement has very definite form when it comes to
discussing his children, wife, brother, etc on the show. Was he keen
to play down his association with the great SF?

---

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<<<<   1669   >>>>

Topic: Re: Clement Freud on his grandfather

Message 3 / 12
Alexis BirkillJan 7, 2008
 

 
--- In just-a-minute@..., Robert Torres
<bobbyshaddoe3004@...> wrote:

>
> For instance, when the subject was 'Clement Freud' many years ago,

Derek mentioned that Clement had a grandfather, and Clement challenged
in saying that he had two grandfathers, not one. and Nicholas
disallowed the challenge because of some erroneous claim that if
Clement has two grandfathers then he must have one, which doesn't make
sense. if you have two grandfathers, you have two grandfathers, one
from each side of the family.

I disagree! If I have two apples I also have one apple - to prove this
I can eat one apple and still have one remaining.

Similarly, if you have a pile of 100 bricks, and I ask you if I can
have one brick, a reply stating that you don't have one brick would be
erroneous.

:)

A.

 
<<<<   1671   >>>>

Topic: Re: Clement Freud on his grandfather

Message 4 / 12
thomaswake16Jan 7, 2008
 

 
I agree. Any number greater than one also includes one; if a room
contains thirty chairs, it would also be factually correct to say
that there are five chairs.

--- In just-a-minute@..., "Alexis Birkill" <yahoo@...>
wrote:

>
> --- In just-a-minute@..., Robert Torres
> <bobbyshaddoe3004@> wrote:
> >
> > For instance, when the subject was 'Clement Freud' many years

ago,

> Derek mentioned that Clement had a grandfather, and Clement

challenged

> in saying that he had two grandfathers, not one. and Nicholas
> disallowed the challenge because of some erroneous claim that if
> Clement has two grandfathers then he must have one, which doesn't

make

> sense. if you have two grandfathers, you have two grandfathers,

one

> from each side of the family.
>
> I disagree! If I have two apples I also have one apple - to prove

this

> I can eat one apple and still have one remaining.
>
> Similarly, if you have a pile of 100 bricks, and I ask you if I can
> have one brick, a reply stating that you don't have one brick would

be

> erroneous.
>
> :)
>
> A.
>

 
<<<<   1674   >>>>

Topic: Re: Clement Freud on his grandfather

Message 5 / 12
deanbedfordJan 7, 2008
 

 
--- In just-a-minute@..., "lapsedcat" <lapsedcat@...> wrote:

>
> Having listened to most of the existing JAMs it occured to me that I
> could not recall a single instance in which the morose Mr Freud made
> explicit reference to his celebrated forebear (save for a round where
> he responded to a comment made by Derek Nimmo about Sigmund's beard,
> or lack of one).
>
> This surprises me as Clement has very definite form when it comes to
> discussing his children, wife, brother, etc on the show. Was he keen
> to play down his association with the great SF?
>

In the wider sense you raise a subject which fascinates me, the
creative process of the mind. It interests me hugely how say an author
comes up with ideas for a book, how a director comes up with ideas, or
(until I was doing it myself) how a journalist creates their ideas for
stories. It's possibly at it's most interesting if you're trying to
improvise in a humorous way, especially if you are also trying to
watch words as you would be in Just A Minute.

I think most of us if asked to play a game like Just A Minute would
fall back on what we know, our own history, our family, our lives and
so on, at least some of the time. In JAM Kenneth clearly uses a great
deal of his experiences on the show as he did when being interviewed.
Derek is similar - his travel experiences make up a biggish proportion
of what he talks about, and Peter and Clement too, especially about
their own family.

In comparison Paul Merton almost never talks about his family. He is
on to his third wife but I can only remember one brief reference to
his wives - he mentioned Sarah liked to buy furniture (apart from the
show when his wife was on with him). I don't remember him discussing
the Comedy Store Players or (apart from a reference to the scandal
around Angus Deayton) Have I Got News For You or his fellow players on
those shows. I find that interesting - most of us would be bringing up
work situations if asked to improvise. Until I heard he was writing a
book, I was unaware of Paul's particular interest in silent comedy films.

Of course Paul's been improvising for years brilliantly and I guess
his mind is trained to go down particular avenues, which I guess is
true of all of them. Maybe Clement years ago became bored with talking
about his famous grandfather and now doesn't really think about
talking about him. Maybe he doesn't have anything funny to say about
him - he wasn't at all close to him. It would be fascinating to get
inside his head and work out how he does decide what he wants to say.

In the show where Emma Freud appeared, she said Clement was once asked
by a journalist "can you tell me about your other grandfather?" And
Clement replied "he was the father of psychology". That's a pretty
good joke, and very Clementish.

 
<<<<   1676   >>>>

Topic: Re: Clement Freud on his grandfather

Message 6 / 12
Sarah FalkJan 7, 2008
 

 
That's a fascinating line of inquiry, Dean.

Paul's flourishing expositions seem brilliantly pulled from a place other than himself. On the recent HIGNFY episode with Russell Brand, I was in tears of laughter when Paul offered to hold the camera's attention with an extemporaneous story about buying a sweater while Russell peed in a bottle on stage. Talk about the best of both worlds. I certainly find it more easy to talk about my own experiences with school and family than to make up, on the spot, a story that probably never happened, but Paul riffs effortlessly while simultaneously keeping the game's restrictions in mind. I think we hear him do it so often that we forget that for most people, such a thing would be very difficult.

> In the show where Emma Freud appeared, she said Clement was once asked
> by a journalist "can you tell me about your other grandfather?" And
> Clement replied "he was the father of psychology". That's a pretty
> good joke, and very Clementish.

Lol! Clement is so classy.

 
<<<<   1680   >>>>

Topic: Re: Clement Freud on his grandfather

Message 7 / 12
Robert TorresJan 8, 2008
 

 

--- In just-a-minute@ yahoogroups. com, Robert Torres
<bobbyshaddoe3004@ ...> wrote:
>
> For instance, when the subject was 'Clement Freud' many years ago,
Derek mentioned that Clement had a grandfather, and Clement challenged
in saying that he had two grandfathers, not one. and Nicholas
disallowed the challenge because of some erroneous claim that if
Clement has two grandfathers then he must have one, which doesn't make
sense. if you have two grandfathers, you have two grandfathers, one
from each side of the family.

I disagree! If I have two apples I also have one apple - to prove this
I can eat one apple and still have one remaining.

Similarly, if you have a pile of 100 bricks, and I ask you if I can
have one brick, a reply stating that you don't have one brick would be
erroneous.

:)

A.

---

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<<<<   1681   >>>>

Topic: Re: Clement Freud on his grandfather

Message 8 / 12
Robert TorresJan 8, 2008
 

 

I agree. Any number greater than one also includes one; if a room
contains thirty chairs, it would also be factually correct to say
that there are five chairs.

--- In just-a-minute@ yahoogroups. com, "Alexis Birkill" <yahoo@...>
wrote:
>
> --- In just-a-minute@ yahoogroups. com, Robert Torres
> <bobbyshaddoe3004@ > wrote:
> >
> > For instance, when the subject was 'Clement Freud' many years
ago,
> Derek mentioned that Clement had a grandfather, and Clement
challenged
> in saying that he had two grandfathers, not one. and Nicholas
> disallowed the challenge because of some erroneous claim that if
> Clement has two grandfathers then he must have one, which doesn't
make
> sense. if you have two grandfathers, you have two grandfathers,
one
> from each side of the family.
>
> I disagree! If I have two apples I also have one apple - to prove
this
> I can eat one apple and still have one remaining.
>
> Similarly, if you have a pile of 100 bricks, and I ask you if I can
> have one brick, a reply stating that you don't have one brick would
be
> erroneous.
>
> :)
>
> A.
>

---

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<<<<   1685   >>>>

Topic: Re: Clement Freud on his grandfather

Message 9 / 12
Robert TorresJan 8, 2008
 

 

That's a fascinating line of inquiry, Dean.

Paul's flourishing expositions seem brilliantly pulled from a place other than himself. On the recent HIGNFY episode with Russell Brand, I was in tears of laughter when Paul offered to hold the camera's attention with an extemporaneous story about buying a sweater while Russell peed in a bottle on stage. Talk about the best of both worlds. I certainly find it more easy to talk about my own experiences with school and family than to make up, on the spot, a story that probably never happened, but Paul riffs effortlessly while simultaneously keeping the game's restrictions in mind. I think we hear him do it so often that we forget that for most people, such a thing would be very difficult.

> In the show where Emma Freud appeared, she said Clement was once asked
> by a journalist "can you tell me about your other grandfather? " And
> Clement replied "he was the father of psychology". That's a pretty
> good joke, and very Clementish.

Lol! Clement is so classy.

---

Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage.

 
<<<<   1706   >>>>

Topic: Re: Clement Freud on his grandfather

Message 10 / 12
Dean BedfordJan 9, 2008
 

 
On Tuesday, January 8, 2008, at 09:53 AM, Sarah Falk wrote:

> That's a fascinating line of inquiry, Dean.
>
> Paul's flourishing expositions seem brilliantly pulled from a place
> other than himself. On the recent HIGNFY episode with Russell Brand, I
> was in tears of laughter when Paul offered to hold the camera's
> attention with an extemporaneous story about buying a sweater while
> Russell peed in a bottle on stage. Talk about the best of both worlds.
> I certainly find it more easy to talk about my own experiences with
> school and family than to make up, on the spot, a story that probably
> never happened, but Paul riffs effortlessly while simultaneously
> keeping the game's restrictions in mind. I think we hear him do it so
> often that we forget that for most people, such a thing would be very
> difficult.

He certainly is a genius at improvisation. Even Kenneth - who I think is
still slightly the better at JAM - wasn't as inventive as Paul. Kenneth
often went back to particular stories and routines, though he could also
invent of course. Paul so rarely repeats a joke or a story (apart from
"repetition of zoological gardens").

It's interesting though. I was transcribing the last show of the last
season a couple of days ago, the one with Graham Norton (that I saw!
teehee), and I thought he was very much at his best. He took on the sort
of role that Kenneth and Paul both played/play, coming in if it's
starting to get dull with a silly challenge and lifting the whole thing.
Perhaps it's just me but I have a feeling Graham's best performances are
when Paul isn't on the show with him.

I get the feeling that while both would be crazy not to admire the
other's comedic skills, they are not exactly matey. I stand to be
corrected but I think it's true that Graham has never appeared on Paul's
shows (HIGNFY, Room 101) and that Paul has never appeared on Graham's
various chat shows. Maybe they both like to be the star turn?

Which of course makes me wonder how Kenneth and Paul would have gone on
JAM together... to think there was only one year between their
appearances too! We were so close to hearing them together...

I would (just about) die to hear a JAM with say Kenneth, Paul, Graham
and Stephen Fry/Ross Noble/Peter Jones on the panel... I think it would
have been fascinating to have heard Kenneth interacting with Paul or
Graham.

 
<<<<   1709   >>>>

Topic: Re: Clement Freud on his grandfather

Message 11 / 12
Anthony HobsonJan 9, 2008
 

 

 
<<<<   1726   >>>>

Topic: Re: Clement Freud on his grandfather

Message 12 / 12
stevenwickhamJan 12, 2008
 

 
On the subject of Sigmund Freud, I may be stating the obvious, but did
you know there is a murder novel out there called 'The Interpretation
of Murder' by Jed Rubenfeld, set in New York in 1909 in which Freud is
involved with a murder case, alongside Carl Jung and various other
psychoanalysts, which although a work of fiction does give an
interesting view of Freud and how he worked.