Monday, September 13, 2010

Someone was 'aving a larf at my expense, I am convinced.

On Saturday I heard Harry Ricketts, an Associate Professor in English, Film Theatre and Media Studies at Victoria University, being interviewed on National Radio.

And it reminded me of a time that I made a sensational fool of myself.

I am talking a gloriously, sensational fool of myself. We're going professional here.

I was doing an interview with him so I turned up at his home, crew in tow and knocked on the door.

And he kindly welcomed us in.

About now I'd like to say that it all went swimmingly to plan, but no. This is me we're talking about.

I led the charge, following him down the hallway like normal people do.... but then proceeded, with absolute no apparent reason, to fall spectacularly on my face.

I was taking 'falling on your face' to a new level.

My dignity took a sabbatical and there I was left, trying to gather myself, and pretend that nothing hurt.

Needless to say, the crew were merciless in taking the piss out of me, falling about in stitches, they thought I added huge value to their afternoon.

Harry was generous about it; vaguely concerned...incredibly polite....a teensy bit embarrassed on my behalf...but I knew, at the end of the day, he thought I was a goose. Just like the crew told me I was.

But the whole irony of the situation, and here's the thing that really gets me, I was interviewing him about.......comedy.

It still makes me squirm.

So that's my morning talk, please can some of you share ?

11 comments:

Your sister said...

Well there was that time I was taken in by a hoax call and our national radio networks broadcast the fact there was about to be a tsunami. This is some years before the horror of the Asian tsunami, so they were more an object of interest than terror, but still...

laughykate said...

My sister ! Thank you, you're making it better.

Anonymous said...

A group of us took some handicapped teenagers away one weekend years ago and brought them in for a game of pool. When we were leaving I looked around to make sure we'd left nothing behind. I saw a crutch in a corner and started to march out with it only to hear a "Hoi!" and turned round to see a man with his leg in plaster glaring at me...

Jo said...

My friend went to work in the bank, out of whatever collegey course she did. Secretarial numbers type thing.

In the first meeting she had to go ... I don't know, take notes on things ... and she was leaving and totally fell over.

Then in her horror and humiliation, she couldn't get out of the security door - and in fumbling for the right button ... she turned all the lights off...

Feel better?

Countess said...

Gosh, I thought for a second there, you were going to say 'followed him down the hall into the toilet'....now that would have been funny.
I'm not sure that falling on your face was funny.

SaS said...

Well, comedy is all about timing...

laughykate said...

Tinman, brilliant. That's a great story.

Thank you Jo. Yes, you are. The worst thing about that story is that she was new...the horror, the horror.

Yup, that would have been funny Countess! And I wouldn't be surprised if I do do that in my lifetime.

Sas, when I dusted myself off I said, 'I think I've just illustrated comedy. Do we even need to do an interview?'

Phil said...

After being turned down many times, I finally scored an interview with a chap for a story I was writing for Metro - back in the 80s. I recorded it with my Panasonic cassette/radio. After I got home to transcrbe the tape, I discovered I had inadvertently set it to record 40 minutes of 1ZB talkback!
He was gracious and agreed to do the whole interview again. I felt like a total plonker.

laughykate said...

Phil !Oh my stars. I feel your pain.

maggie@at-the-bay.com said...

Harry Ricketts is one of life's gentle-men and so you chose the right hall in which to fall.

laughykate said...

Hi Maggie! Beautifully put!