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Aaron Sorkin is a hack

Youtube Supercut Begs the Question: Is Aaron Sorkin a Compulsive Self-Plagiarist?
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A professional writer should know what that means.

You either love Aaron Sorkin or you hate him. I'm glad he got a new show, because I've enjoyed everything he's done. I don't care if he reuses lines or how much of the dialog takes place while the actors are walking, it's enjoyable to watch.
 
I don't think I've ever watched his stuff much, but even just writing crap in everyday life I find myself reusing phrases and words at times, no big deal. Each person only knows so many ways to put the same pieces together without it turning into a mess.
 
I am ambivalent about Sorkin's work, but he is definitely very talented. I write hundreds (probably into the thousands) of pages each year as part of my job, and I re-use turns of phrase all the time. Most of the things in that video are pretty basic phrases that seem fairly organic in the context they are used. Some are definitely more stylized, but again I can't really fault him too much - the major reason a video like this is possible is that he is such a prolific writer.
 
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Yeah, people who write that much tend to come back around to a few phrases or character archetypes that "work" in a given situation.

See also: everything David Weber writes. He's not a writer, he's a force of nature. Now where all the cybernetically enhanced wimminz at?

(Seriously, I need to help them find themselves and their purposes in the universe BEFORE they get raped this time.)
 
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zinfamous said:
this.

what an unfounded criticism from someone who is clearly not part of the industry of content creation.
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You think other good writers recycle the same crap? No chance. And it's the fact that all his dialogue is exactly the same, all the time. It's beyond cliched

And I didn't mean the evidence makes him a hack, only that it's part of what makes him a hack(and I'm exaggerating by calling him a hack). Just wanted a good title for a funny video

I think for millions of dollars he could afford to put in a little extra effort to come up with some slightly different phrases(some of them are way too specific to reuse)
 
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slayer202 said:
You think other good writers recycle the same crap? No chance. And it's the fact that all his dialogue is exactly the same, all the time. It's beyond cliched

And I didn't mean the evidence makes him a hack, only that it's part of what makes him a hack(and I'm exaggerating by calling him a hack). Just wanted a good title for a funny video

I think for millions of dollars he could afford to put in a little extra effort to come up with some slightly different phrases(some of them are way too specific to reuse)
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Are you comparing him to "the greats?" Those that pump out a novel every 3 or 5 years, or longer?

This is a guy that pumps out screenplays and teleplays on a weekly basis. This type of writing exists on an entirely different scale.

He's more analogous to the "best-seller" author if you want to compare him to novelists. (and none of these are "great writers"). Pick up any random Stephen King of Dean R Koontz or Daniele Steele book and you'll find the same blather recycled over and over.


Surely, you aren't trying to lump him in with a guy like Pynchon are you?
 
Don Vito Corleone said:
I
...the major reason a video like this is possible is that he is such a prolific writer.
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NeoV said:
not sure re-using phrases makes him a hack at all
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And very basic phrases at that -- over a period of years! ZOMG, over the last decade or so Sorkin had several different characters in several different shows say, in the midst of spiritied back and forth dialog, "You think." He's a hack! 😱

Not only doesn't this make him a hack, there is no such thing as "self-plagiarizing." You can't fucking well steal from yourself . . . and you damn well can't dishonestly pass off your own work as . . . your own work.
🙄

The critic who claimed this "begged" some question is the effing hack here.
 
zinfamous said:
Surely, you aren't trying to lump him in with a guy like Pynchon are you?
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why would I be comparing a screenwriter to novelists at all? this is a guy who is well thought of in his occupation.

Perknose said:
And very basic phrases at that -- over a period of years! ZOMG, over the last decade or so Sorkin had several different characters in several different shows say, in the midst of spiritied back and forth dialog, "You think." He's a hack! 😱

Not only doesn't this make him a hack, there is no such thing as "self-plagiarizing." You can't fucking well steal from yourself . . . and you damn well can't dishonestly pass off your own work as . . . your own work.
🙄

The critic who claimed this "begged" some question is the effing hack here.
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come on perk, you're straw-man-ing here

"the only thing you ever had to do to make me happy was come home at the end of the day"

did he really need to reuse that? To say nothing of his work, it wouldn't take much effort to change things up a little bit...


I just wanted to post a funny video, didn't think people would come and take a serious defensive stand 😱
 
Perknose said:
And very basic

Not only doesn't this make him a hack, there is no such thing as "self-plagiarizing." You can't fucking well steal from yourself . . . and you damn well can't dishonestly pass off your own work as . . . your own work.
🙄
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Talk to John Fogerty about that.
 
Mr. President said:
I've never thought much of Sorkin but calling him a hack is probably pushing it. He's at least a step above Dan Brown.

Heh.
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Heh. Let me summarize every Dan Brown book ever wrote.

1) Renouned specialist of trade is awoke in the middle of a night by a frantic head of some organization/company/office/building/ect describing a terrible act that occured

2) Said renouned specialist says yes and starts on the case

3) A love interest is introduced

4) A trusted figure turns out to be a bad guy

5) Trusted bad guy ends up getting caught/killed

6) World is saved and main character and love interest hook up

The end.
 
vi edit said:
Heh. Let me summarize every Dan Brown book ever wrote.

1) Renouned specialist of trade is awoke in the middle of a night by a frantic head of some organization/company/office/building/ect describing a terrible act that occured

2) Said renouned specialist says yes and starts on the case

3) A love interest is introduced

4) A trusted figure turns out to be a bad guy

5) Trusted bad guy ends up getting caught/killed

6) World is saved and main character and love interest hook up

The end.
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That sounds like 75% of all movies/shows/books ever written. 99% if you generalize items 1 and 2.
 
I'm sure the OP could do as well as Sorkin has. In fact, I can't wait to see his efforts posted here. Waiting....
 
Perknose said:
Lol, everyone knows that BLOGS are neutral, rigorously researched, straight news reportage and never simply one man's non-neutral opinion. 🙄
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perk, what goes on in your head?

the BLOG of someone's OPINION doesn't even pick a side...is there some scientific movie site that doesn't rely on people's opinions? pm me a link 😎
 
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