Chris' writing v. speech. -

[timtommy]

It seems to me that Chris has seemed a lot more bitter/depressed recently than in the past.

But, we haven't had much to go off besides emails and facebook posts.

When I go back through Christory, I have always been much more interested in video/audio than writing. I just find it a lot more amusing. However, when I go back and read things he wrote in the old days, a lot of bitterness/depression comes through. Maybe it is just because the absurdity of That is My House, or My name is not Ian Brandon Something makes his videos seem more farcical.

I guess what I am trying to say is: Is our understanding of Chris shaped by the medium?

 

[DeagleDad420]

In my opinion his writing always seemed pretty much identical to his speech in the voice and cadence he used, except perhaps less stuttering and "uhm" and "uh"s.

I also think it's important to note that before YouTube, all he really had to express his STRESS and rage at the world was writing e-mails, notes, etc... (take for example the "I will bump you up on my Scale of Respect" thing to Mary Lee Walsh) So I think a lot more of it bled through.

 

[Xarpho]

I always wondered if Chris' voice sounded better in person. His camera is obviously crap and the way he abuses it makes it worse, so I doubt it's the same ear-grating rambling we get on the YouTube videos. This by no means implies that he'll have a reasonable conversation and sound almost like a normal person, but just throwing that out there.

 

[Henry Bemis]

While writing allows Chris to flesh out his thoughts more completely, it also gives him more leeway to ramble and go off on tangents. Not that his speech is immune to this, but when he's in the heat of an actual conversation, like his video addresses and phone calls, he's marginally more focused.

 

[_blank_]

I think what is important t remember about Chris is that despite being a narcissistic, hateful bully, is that he is still human, and he does have layers to his personality. And no, I'm not on drugs- let me explain.

Chris has been a lonely sad sack for years, far before he was ever discovered on the internets. Growing up in a household with Borb, one where his direct relatives really don't want to do much with him and friends have to be "negotiated" for could only compound it. His writings pretty much cement this.

However, the way he was taught to behave was primarily dictated by television and parroting his parents. He thinks it is acceptable and reasonable to act like a spoiled brat or some cartoon character and get results from it. He learned from Bob that being a confrontational, condescending, bigoted asshole is permissible. And he learned that being a slothful, manipulative, spiteful person should force everyone to bend to your will. Or so he believes, and as such, outardly acts as such.

Inwardly though, its obvious he has been hurting for a long while, and because of everything he has learned previously, he tends to trip over his over feet (metaphorically, and probably literally). I think he knows HOW to get through this moroseness he's been in for years, but at the same time, unwilling to do so.

 

[MW 002]

I'm not sure if anyone else made note but throughout the years his speech seems to have improved a lot since his first video. I want to say part of it is from the phone calls with trolls but on the other hand it is more likely that he may have realized he needed to enunciate to be better understood- in earlier videos he mumbled a lot.

 

[Kimmoat]

I tend to get a grasp of what he's like more so through the cwcki's abridged version of his life. However I think it's a combination of everything that allows me to understand him.

 

[Marvin]

Chris has always been lonely and therefore depressed. The big difference between the earlier days and now is that back then, he had hope. So, sure, sometimes the sad Chris shines through and sometimes the more hopeful Chris shines through. Nowadays it's the same thing, except with a lot less hope.

I always wondered if Chris' voice sounded better in person. His camera is obviously crap and the way he abuses it makes it worse, so I doubt it's the same ear-grating rambling we get on the YouTube videos. This by no means implies that he'll have a reasonable conversation and sound almost like a normal person, but just throwing that out there.

Eh, not really. There's the Emily date, for example. Plus Chris' yelling in his videos makes his voice sound worse. In videos without the yelling, that's largely what his voice sounds like IRL.

 

[Tubular Monkey]

He's pretty much going to come across as insane in whatever medium he communicates. This is mainly because he's insane.

 

[Coldgrip]

I'm not sure if anyone else made note but throughout the years his speech seems to have improved a lot since his first video. I want to say part of it is from the phone calls with trolls but on the other hand it is more likely that he may have realized he needed to enunciate to be better understood- in earlier videos he mumbled a lot.

I think it just must be you, because to me he still sounds like the same mush-mouth manbaby from years back.

Actually, I think his speach has gotten worse.

 

[Backwards Harvester]

While writing allows Chris to flesh out his thoughts more completely, it also gives him more leeway to ramble and go off on tangents. Not that his speech is immune to this, but when he's in the heat of an actual conversation, like his video addresses and phone calls, he's marginally more focused.

Could that be considered any bit of a good quality?

 

[Jewelsmakerguy]

I always wondered if Chris' voice sounded better in person. His camera is obviously crap and the way he abuses it makes it worse, so I doubt it's the same ear-grating rambling we get on the YouTube videos. This by no means implies that he'll have a reasonable conversation and sound almost like a normal person, but just throwing that out there.

Honestly, I think that his voice sounds similar to what we've heard, just a little less congested. And a lot more garbled and primitive.

Also from what I've seen, his writing's not much better. I mean I'll never win a Pulitzer, but at least I know what words mean. Chris on the other hand... I seriously doubt that he can read or write past a third/fourth grade level. And with his constant quirks (made-up terminologies, random capitalization), it's really hard to take him any more seriously than a failtroll.

 

[Henry Bemis]

While writing allows Chris to flesh out his thoughts more completely, it also gives him more leeway to ramble and go off on tangents. Not that his speech is immune to this, but when he's in the heat of an actual conversation, like his video addresses and phone calls, he's marginally more focused.

Could that be considered any bit of a good quality?

Yes and no. When Chris is in such conversations, he keeps it somewhat focused because he knows on some level he is expected to play by others' rules and meet their expectations. But every single time, he keeps falling back on what he knows: self self self third-rate entertainment self.

Take the Father Call. In Chris's mind, going in, this was in the bag. He watches young people's programming and cheap rom-coms, and in those, breaking the ice with the significant others' parents is a charming, hilarity-inducing obstacle which ends in the prospective boyfriend giving a stirring speech underscored by a soft piano about how his lack of concrete accomplishments shouldn't diminish his qualities as an ever-loving human being. Which of course leads to the SO's parents' consent to their eternal young adult love. Chris had all those lines down pat.

Except for the parts where Mr. Devoria was utterly unimpressed and even appalled at Chris's slovenly lifestyle. Chris was truly blindsided by his rebuttals, but he tried pressing onward toward sweet sweet Kacey and/or china, desperately drawing on his rhetorical arsenal stocked from Saturday morning cartoons. From which we get such delightful turns of phrase as "I may be a maggot, but I'm a pretty dang strong one."

 

[Ryan Rash]

His writing is better than his speech, since you can't stammer and repeat yourself like Porky Pig in text.

Of course, that's not really counting for much.

 

[Xarpho]

His writing is better than his speech, since you can't stammer and repeat yourself like Porky Pig in text.

Chris stutters, but if he could nail the "thata-th-thb-tha-that's all folks!" then he'll win something in my book.

In Chris's mind, going in, this was in the bag. He watches young people's programming and cheap rom-coms, and in those, breaking the ice with the significant others' parents is a charming, hilarity-inducing obstacle which ends in the prospective boyfriend giving a stirring speech underscored by a soft piano about how his lack of concrete accomplishments shouldn't diminish his qualities as an ever-loving human being. Which of course leads to the SO's parents' consent to their eternal young adult love. Chris had all those lines down pat.

While Chris was far from charming, it certainly was a "hilarity-inducing obstacle".

 

[timtommy]

Yes and no. When Chris is in such conversations, he keeps it somewhat focused because he knows on some level he is expected to play by others' rules and meet their expectations. But every single time, he keeps falling back on what he knows: self self self third-rate entertainment self.

Take the Father Call. In Chris's mind, going in, this was in the bag. He watches young people's programming and cheap rom-coms, and in those, breaking the ice with the significant others' parents is a charming, hilarity-inducing obstacle which ends in the prospective boyfriend giving a stirring speech underscored by a soft piano about how his lack of concrete accomplishments shouldn't diminish his qualities as an ever-loving human being. Which of course leads to the SO's parents' consent to their eternal young adult love. Chris had all those lines down pat.

Except for the parts where Mr. Devoria was utterly unimpressed and even appalled at Chris's slovenly lifestyle. Chris was truly blindsided by his rebuttals, but he tried pressing onward toward sweet sweet Kacey and/or china, desperately drawing on his rhetorical arsenal stocked from Saturday morning cartoons. From which we get such delightful turns of phrase as "I may be a maggot, but I'm a pretty dang strong one."

Chris sees himself in quite a positive light. He sees himself as a victim, but also a guy with significant accomplishments and potential. He knows that he has haters, but he thinks that if he meets a random new person, they are likely to see things his way. So when he talked to "Mr. Devoria" for the first time, he used "he will like me" as a working hypothesis.

To be fair, when I have met the parents of girlfriends. I have gone in selling myself pretty hard, and stay away from too much modesty and things like self-deprecating jokes. I do think I have a few legitimate accomplishments and future to hang my hat on, so it easier for me to do than Chris.

 

[hm yeah]

i never really thought about it that way, but i have always noticed that he has 'two voices' - his speech is pretty funny but mosty 'childish southerner'. his writing though, is absolutely hilarious because it comes across as being more over the top and dramatic. its also much easier to pick cwcisms out of his text. in his speech they just kinda blend in.