Sunday Scribblings - "Compose"

If I don’t compose myself mentally before speaking on the phone – whether it’s to ask a question or reply to one – I tend to lose the power of sequential thought. My mind simply goes blank. If it continues to stay blank, things get worse – I get short of breath through nervousness, my face gets hot, my voice becomes sort of hoarse as if it’s being forced through bellows… it’s not a pretty sight and it cant exactly be riveting listening for the person on the other end of the phone either.

Ad libbing isnt my thing, which is why I’m all admiration for fast talkers and blaggers and people who can speak on any topic given to them, on the spot, with barely a minute to think. Given that, is it any surprise that one of my all-time favourite TV game shows was/is “Whose Line Is It Anyway”? And that Ryan Stiles, Colin Mochrie, Greg Proops, Wayne Brady and Brad Sherwood are on the top of my list of entertainers?

The British shows compered by Clive Anderson, starring any or all of these guys, are the ones I enjoy the most. When the show went over to the States and began to be compered by that obnoxious, unfunny loudmouth, Drew Carey, it went downhill pretty quickly. Instead of just being a compere, Drew Carey couldn’t resist trying to show off his talents on the stage – talents, when pitted against the genius of Ryan Stiles and Colin Mochrie, turned out to be a dismal flop. In my opinion, anyway. Worse, they began to get “famous guests” (of the likes of David Hasselhof!) on the show – as if Whose Line would have required such cheap attempts at gaining popularity, had it only stuck to the original format.

Just thinking about Drew Carey is enough to discombobulate me (and isnt that a lovely, if very old-fashioned, word!), forcing me to take a few deep breaths and try to compose myself mentally… and since that’s where I came in, this is where I go out. Composed and all.