What Screenwriters Can Learn from The Simpsons

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  • Опубликовано: 25 окт 2024

Комментарии • 168

  • @BehindtheCurtain
    @BehindtheCurtain  5 лет назад +32

    Talk about The Simpsons and filmmaking on our official Discord server: discord.gg/xxTqXXd

  • @GerryBolger
    @GerryBolger 5 лет назад +313

    Little known fact, The Simpsons is based on a similar cartoon from the 90s called The Simpsons which was a comedy.

    • @edibleresource7753
      @edibleresource7753 5 лет назад +3

      Still is a comedy, so long as it stays away from song and dance it is entertaining and funny.

    • @MealDealSupreme
      @MealDealSupreme 5 лет назад +15

      @@edibleresource7753 nah

    • @aster_nova
      @aster_nova 5 лет назад +24

      @@edibleresource7753 New Simpsons is neither funny nor entertaining.

    • @miriyumyum3590
      @miriyumyum3590 4 года назад +2

      @@edibleresource7753 the old simpsons are entertaining and the musical sings were great, just look up Do the Bartman!

  • @BobStein
    @BobStein 5 лет назад +93

    1. Story above all.
    2. Don't be afraid of the quiet moments.
    3. Love your characters.
    12:58 Sam Simon's Rules

    • @jackxiao9702
      @jackxiao9702 5 лет назад +21

      Now it's:
      1) Fuck story, have celebrity cameos
      2) Have it be a string of hacky jokes
      3) Not understand the characters and come to resent them as a writer

    • @Super_Mario128
      @Super_Mario128 5 лет назад +9

      @@jackxiao9702 your forgetting the all important final step:
      Step 4) copy the previous weeks jokes and story from Family Guy.

  • @liggerstuxin1
    @liggerstuxin1 5 лет назад +51

    0:14
    Rubber band reality. What an excellent way to describe the type of comedy that the Simpsons has created. I’ve adopted that style of comedy myself from The Simpsons. Cool hearing the legend himself.

  • @MegaShrooom
    @MegaShrooom 5 лет назад +129

    The new animation is so drab and basic. I really miss the character of the old Simpsons animation. So full of life, thanks in part to the 'stretchy' hand drawn animation style.

    • @kettlemang
      @kettlemang 5 лет назад +7

      Almost feels like the whole thing is go animated now, quite upsetting. Which you compare it to the 'worse' animation of the old seasons and the crappy animation was part of the charm as some of the faces that are pulled added to the comedy.

    • @j.epstein7723
      @j.epstein7723 5 лет назад +1

      Quarter 55 either you’re an emotionless stick, or a blind deaf, because the earlier seasons of the simpsons were great.

    • @mmmako
      @mmmako 5 лет назад

      Rip squigglevision

    • @bombabombom3603
      @bombabombom3603 5 лет назад

      The fucked up part about that is that they could STILL do the same type of animation they had back in the 90s, the digital hand-drawn animation for the movie still shows that David Silverman directing the show's animation proves it. The problem is that no one gives a shit anymore thanks to shows like Family Guy presenting the message "anybody can make a TV show with the budget of a Hanna-Barbera production". It makes me depressed when something I loved turn into this.

    • @icecreamhero2375
      @icecreamhero2375 4 года назад +2

      @@bombabombom3603 Actually Fox forces family guy to keep the animation stiff. Also at this point I would rather a story be well written than have fluid movement.

  • @cardred17
    @cardred17 5 лет назад +90

    It’s crazy that I could recite seasons 1-9 from memory, but so much of your b-roll I don’t recognize at all.

    • @csm153
      @csm153 5 лет назад +7

      Yea he shouldn't have used the new seasons as footage, makes me think he doesn't get The Simpsons.

    • @cardred17
      @cardred17 5 лет назад +15

      conradconradcon I don’t think it’s that. Most of the clips he showed with actual dialogue heard were from the golden era. The b-roll behind the writers talking was newer I’m guessing because the HD episodes just look better

    • @hayk3000
      @hayk3000 5 лет назад +8

      @@cardred17 I found that pretty funny. Nearly all the footage was from new simpsons, but when it comes to showing the actual script (wich the video is about) they only showed Golden Age Simpsons. I felt that it was some sort of subtle involuntary insult.

  • @Jejkobbb
    @Jejkobbb 5 лет назад +73

    Favorite channel: Behind the Curtain
    Favorite show: The Simpsons
    This: a match made in heaven

    • @BehindtheCurtain
      @BehindtheCurtain  5 лет назад +4

      Wow that sounds great haha. Thanks for watching! Let me know what you think.

  • @PinkMonkeyBird
    @PinkMonkeyBird 5 лет назад +7

    It blows my mind how you are such a small channel uploading this genuinely brilliant content on such a consistent basis

  • @jilliansnead7870
    @jilliansnead7870 5 лет назад +24

    Your videos just keep getting better and better. I absolutely love your animations and designs. Those coupled with such an informative, tight video essay make these so enjoyable to watch and learn from

  • @Chvse4U
    @Chvse4U 5 лет назад +21

    Love you're content you can tell it takes a lot of effort compiling this stuff and making it all fit and that effort definitely shows. It feels like one piece of work, not a bunch of different bits slammed together without a thought.

    • @BehindtheCurtain
      @BehindtheCurtain  5 лет назад +5

      Thank you! Yeah, I don't consider myself just a compilation channel. I want to create a new narrative with the interviews I find to best explain the process, while still being entertaining. Thanks for watching!

  • @Peter-qe1yh
    @Peter-qe1yh 5 лет назад +82

    "The process for the 2nd year looks exactly like the process for the 30th year"
    Well, something sure changed because the show is shit now.
    I think Super Eyepatch Wolf lays out a good argument for what happened.

    • @connorschultz380
      @connorschultz380 5 лет назад +9

      Well if you do the same thing for 30 years, your going to run out of material eventually. Especially considering it was reliant on the comical ability of everyone in the
      Group

    • @icecreamhero2375
      @icecreamhero2375 5 лет назад

      They are doing there best it's just that they are very old and it's getting very hard to top themselves.

    • @genexplore
      @genexplore 5 лет назад +1

      I've heard they stopped doing the writers retreats.

    • @mrskinszszs
      @mrskinszszs 5 лет назад

      The difference between the 2nd year and the 30th year is the lack of quality of writers compared to the earlier seasons. After season 7, the bulk of the initial writing team dwindled and marked the beginning of the end of their reign at the top.

    • @icecreamhero2375
      @icecreamhero2375 4 года назад +1

      @@genexplore They stopped doing the retreats because it was stressing out the writters. They would rehearse when for when they present story ideas. Then they though if they have it all planed out whats the point of this. Personaly I think the writters retreats sond terrible and stuffy. I would much rather just sit in a room and day dream and tell everyone when I am good and ready a much more realaxed writters room sounds much better.

  • @thelittlesagg2
    @thelittlesagg2 5 лет назад +5

    "YOU WERE AN ACCIDENT!"
    "...get out."

  • @struanthomson1855
    @struanthomson1855 5 лет назад +4

    6:17 "Except for Swartzwelder" XD XD

  • @LilypadOW
    @LilypadOW 5 лет назад +2

    9:29 always loved that - felt like ur watching miniepisodes but theyre still connected which makes up for the shows lack of a progressing story - it is kind of like a beatflip in hip hop and a well executed one, fitting to the genre of comedy

  • @afonsolucas2219
    @afonsolucas2219 5 лет назад +7

    I didn't know Sam Simon had passed. Mmmm... Hope we'll see some sort of tribute to him on the show.

    • @BehindtheCurtain
      @BehindtheCurtain  5 лет назад +6

      He died a few years ago. I believe they did do some sort of tribute at the end of an episode. Don't remember which one. Thanks for watching!

  • @tunnelvision8594
    @tunnelvision8594 5 лет назад +9

    Love these videos! Would be great to see how they wrote some classic TV like M*A*S*H, The Twilight Zone and All in the Family

    • @kevinw712
      @kevinw712 4 года назад

      I think you'd find the Twilight Zone was done the most differently than those other examples or any other show this channel has featured so far. Rod Serling wrote a huge amount of those scripts pretty much himself, and completely original ideas were few and far between. Many of the episodes were based off sci-fi/horror short stories, some themselves well known, some more obscure. Mind you I don't at all say that as a criticism, its one of my favorite series of all time.

  • @xtzyshuadog
    @xtzyshuadog 3 года назад +2

    *I could listen to their commentary, their DVD ones and the show, beginning to later seasons, through a lifetime*
    Yes, I think I will

  • @truthseeker1649
    @truthseeker1649 4 года назад +1

    The Simpson's has made some interesting and accurate predictions...
    I remember one where Maggie had a book at bedtime that was titled 'Ebola.'

  • @cheese7960
    @cheese7960 5 лет назад +51

    How they wrote South Park would be a nice vid

    • @misterdick796
      @misterdick796 5 лет назад +17

      You should watch the documentary "6 days to air"

    • @beamerball666
      @beamerball666 5 лет назад

      @@misterdick796 I was gonna say isn't there a documentary on that already?

  • @phykin
    @phykin 5 лет назад +39

    So sad how far this show has fallen

    • @ZilogBob
      @ZilogBob 5 лет назад +1

      I haven't watched it since it started pushing Twitter in every episode.

    • @kaylinnnic
      @kaylinnnic 5 лет назад +3

      Agreed. The part where he said, "The first 10 minutes has nothing to do with the rest of the show" as if that's a good thing... it just makes the more recent seasons unwatchable.

    • @Zanytiger6
      @Zanytiger6 5 лет назад

      HEA what he actually meant to say: “the first ten minutes is just filler, we couldn’t figure out how to make this story fit into an entire episode.”

    • @partylikeits1066
      @partylikeits1066 5 лет назад +5

      @@kaylinnnic it's literally always been that way - that's the case in almost every golden age episode

    • @MealDealSupreme
      @MealDealSupreme 5 лет назад +2

      @@partylikeits1066 has it?
      1- the family goes to a sushi place, homer eats deadly sushi, he spends the rest of the day thinking he'll die
      2- bart wins a radio competition, saying he can have 10,000 dollars or an elephant, they get the elephant, the comedy thereafter is elephant driven
      3- mr burns has to pay money back to the town, the money is then used to build a monorail that nearly destroys the town.

  • @caricatureparty
    @caricatureparty 4 года назад +2

    The guy's making it sound like it's easy to write a bad Simpsons episode.

  • @genesis1720ify
    @genesis1720ify 5 лет назад +1

    Great analysis and in-depth look at a great show....... but i can’t get that remix of ‘Redbone’ out of my head playing in the background. it’s soo smooth

  • @AlexGardener8
    @AlexGardener8 5 лет назад +2

    6:18
    joke goes in laughs come out

  • @kaylinnnic
    @kaylinnnic 5 лет назад +35

    Fascinating that every episode of the Simpsons takes months to produce, and South Park does it in a week.

    • @BehindtheCurtain
      @BehindtheCurtain  5 лет назад +5

      Yeah, this was the longest process I've come across so far. Most only give their writers a week or two to write their scripts after they've been outlined.

    • @jonweinraub
      @jonweinraub 4 года назад +9

      Yet that burns out the team. If you’ve seen the making of South Park you see animators just waiting for Matt and Trey to finish the script like on day 5 or 6. Then to voice and edit and rush the master to the satellite I think right to the second. It was a fascinating insight but it seems soul crushing too and why seasons are short and have mid season hiatuses.

  • @meowpacino21692
    @meowpacino21692 5 лет назад +3

    00:22 oh there goes gravity

  • @BabyTXGrl
    @BabyTXGrl 5 лет назад +1

    so crazy i did not know all of this!!! thanks for sharing

  • @patrick_dy3r
    @patrick_dy3r 5 лет назад +2

    Awesome as always! Next: Deadwood

  • @ARMOSPHERE
    @ARMOSPHERE 5 лет назад +4

    Shout out to Behind the Curtain from Armenia
    Keep up the amazing job, folks!

  • @xPantaOx
    @xPantaOx 5 лет назад +2

    Brilliant video. Absolutely amazing stuff

  • @limonespinosa1579
    @limonespinosa1579 5 лет назад +18

    House M.D please

  • @bobpolo2964
    @bobpolo2964 5 лет назад +16

    "Dental Plan. Lisa needs braces. Dental plan. Lisa needs braces."

  • @bojackbojackbojack
    @bojackbojackbojack 5 лет назад +1

    Subscribed and clicked the bell.
    This was very interesting.

  • @retro-neon-bacon-369
    @retro-neon-bacon-369 5 лет назад +10

    great video, to bad that "Purity" only existed in the first 10 seasons. then they became like any other show.
    regardless hope you'll have a great day remember, you're all breathtaking.......

    • @hayk3000
      @hayk3000 5 лет назад

      YOU'RE BREATHTAKING

  • @BodhiGeraci
    @BodhiGeraci 5 лет назад +1

    This was great, thank you so much.

  • @PxPtheBook
    @PxPtheBook 5 лет назад +3

    2:50-2:52
    Bart lipsyncs with the voiceover.

  • @georgeoliver3677
    @georgeoliver3677 4 года назад

    I like how every story about the making of the Simpsons is filled with like bad omens

  • @Skittenmeow
    @Skittenmeow 5 лет назад

    Thanks for making!

  • @proptosis2682
    @proptosis2682 5 лет назад +1

    Yo you cover such good shit, instant sub

  • @Foebane72
    @Foebane72 5 лет назад +2

    In the past, The Simpsons was QUALITY.
    Nowadays, The Simpsons is QUANTITY.

  • @SearedBite
    @SearedBite 5 лет назад

    9:54 wow really made me think

  • @alexisbtw3563
    @alexisbtw3563 5 лет назад

    Homer:we didn't want the boy he was an accident
    Bart:...

  • @ThugAimUJU57L057
    @ThugAimUJU57L057 5 лет назад +7

    You don't make friends with salad

  • @socialclub6216
    @socialclub6216 5 лет назад

    I love your show mate keep doing what you’re doing

  • @abhishuoza9992
    @abhishuoza9992 4 года назад +1

    I would love if you could do Avatar The Last Airbender next. You videos are very exciting to watch!

  • @StuartHerrington
    @StuartHerrington 5 лет назад

    Thanks for this!

  • @ARCtheCartoonMaster
    @ARCtheCartoonMaster 5 лет назад

    13:01 Well, I've got the "loving my characters" part down - I can tell you that. ;)

  • @adversitycartoons4050
    @adversitycartoons4050 5 лет назад +3

    Please make one with Futurama.

  • @animationbacon9796
    @animationbacon9796 5 лет назад +3

    The 2nd year looks exactly the same as the 30th year only difference is quality of the entire show has went to shit

  • @batgurrl
    @batgurrl 5 лет назад +2

    Love your videos so much. Waiting patiently for U 2 work your magic on Six Feet Under and The Good Place.
    Akbar and Jeff😎

  • @The.Kyle.Scott.
    @The.Kyle.Scott. 5 лет назад

    I love you Behind the Curtain

  • @michaelhartman413
    @michaelhartman413 5 лет назад +4

    I love this.

  • @Blaineworld
    @Blaineworld 5 лет назад

    Don't worry, professor. I was an accident, too!

  • @jokerraton8183
    @jokerraton8183 5 лет назад +2

    Do seinfeld next

  • @yashsaraswat6822
    @yashsaraswat6822 5 лет назад

    That longevity reason was great
    Wonderful job
    Can you do a Godfather one
    I know Mario puzo did a lot but Francis worked too.

  • @DustinMercer
    @DustinMercer 5 лет назад +4

    sorry but the BG music is bizarre

  • @senorcheesy9661
    @senorcheesy9661 4 года назад

    0:21 op there goes gravity

  • @rickcarrarini5696
    @rickcarrarini5696 5 лет назад +1

    Everyday I thank my gods for Homer. Thanks to you all

  • @ebonyberry4900
    @ebonyberry4900 5 лет назад +2

    I love the Simpsons

  • @callumlaing4955
    @callumlaing4955 5 лет назад +2

    I'm not sure if you've ever seen or heard of it, but it would be cool if you have to see how John Cleese and Connie Booth wrote Fawlty Towers, which is one of the best British sitcoms ever made and a personal favorite.

  • @ARMOSPHERE
    @ARMOSPHERE 5 лет назад +5

    Best cartoon series of all time #Period

    • @batgurrl
      @batgurrl 5 лет назад +1

      ARMOSPHERE yes indeed. Let’s not forget Bugs Bunny

  • @btoombs4060
    @btoombs4060 4 года назад +2

    Never understood why the Simpsons was popular

    • @BehindtheCurtain
      @BehindtheCurtain  4 года назад

      Their best episodes are pretty funny

    • @rickalicious1116
      @rickalicious1116 4 года назад +2

      The first 8-10 years were some of the best and well-written comedy episodes that aired during that time. The show changed the way how comedy is written and influenced an entire generation of comedy.

  • @RobertSchaefer
    @RobertSchaefer 5 лет назад +5

    Can you please do "How they wrote Avatar: The Last Airbender?"

  • @boostedrecords442
    @boostedrecords442 4 года назад

    I've read so many comments, yeah, it's old, it's worn out, you can't beat the rest. How about a new show, new writers, new idea? Disenchantment, futurama? Yes, they should probably stop with the SIMPsons and try new things. It's sad to see an old time favourite go... F to pay respects

  • @ginan7845
    @ginan7845 3 года назад

    I gotta be honest people say the Simpsons are terrible now, but it’s made the same way it was, script wise. I do think the animation was absolute CRAP in a few newer seasons and comedy a lil dry, but the majority of the seasons in like 15-30 are actually golden IMO

  • @detective___mcnulty
    @detective___mcnulty 5 лет назад

    Thank you!!!!

  • @BOWENSblog
    @BOWENSblog 3 года назад

    People need to make more sitcoms that is good to support loving strong happy families. Simpsons is a good show. Kind of offensive but it's still good for everybody. Harmless comedy. Just a thought

  • @YourAverageNiche
    @YourAverageNiche 3 года назад

    "It's the same way I got a wife. I was not the first choice, but I was availble" 2:04
    Bruh...

  • @waynedufty2176
    @waynedufty2176 5 лет назад

    No mention of The Tracy Ullman Show!??

  • @trompentertainment5927
    @trompentertainment5927 5 лет назад

    I thought the simpsons was named after matt groening’s family?

  • @annvnelson
    @annvnelson 5 лет назад +1

    Plzzzzz do arrested development

  • @JamesAnderson-ju3vb
    @JamesAnderson-ju3vb 5 лет назад

    Anyone know what the background music is?

  • @gazzaplayz1233
    @gazzaplayz1233 4 года назад

    I like all the episodes of the Simpson’s it’s just it’s the same plot line they should probably end the simpsons and restart it because I would absolutely love to see more of the golden age

  • @paperchasindude6578
    @paperchasindude6578 5 лет назад +1

    Do how they wrote Rick and Morty

    • @BehindtheCurtain
      @BehindtheCurtain  5 лет назад +3

      This will definitely happen. Probably once we get closer to the season 4 release.

  • @Freaknkn
    @Freaknkn 5 лет назад +31

    After minute 8 you can hear exactly why the Simpsons aren't funny anymore.

    • @StefanoFierros
      @StefanoFierros 5 лет назад +10

      Yeah, I was listening to that and I thought "but that isn't funny, why are you setting up this unfunny, random situation as it was the best joke ever?", but then he started to talk about Bart's elephant and got why this way of thinking got the Simpsons to where it is now.

    • @partylikeits1066
      @partylikeits1066 5 лет назад +5

      I don't see the issue, he's using a basic example to show a foundational kind of principle of comedy. He wasn't using some hilarious unexpected joke, just something basic that demonstrates what he's talking about. I thought it worked fine as an example

    • @Freaknkn
      @Freaknkn 5 лет назад +5

      @@partylikeits1066 he's indeed using a basic principle of comedy, but taking it too far. He said that the writers had to come with a first act as detached as possible from the rest of the episode, while yes, surprise and unexpected outcomes can be used for comedy, here he's just saying that now every episode had to have an almost completely disconnected narrative just trying to outdo each other, that means that the narratives started to become less and less organic in their development. His example with the tombstone money used for a tennis court is so disconnected because in the end it's just the family getting money and using it for whatever. It's lazy and unfunny. The other example with the elephant episode, it being written back in the era where they had more sense, pointed directly to how stupid the elephant prize was (when literally being the dumb choice against money, which would have been the lazy answer). But even then, that opening was not the first half of the episode and if you check the others around that time, the plot was much more connected than the mandatory wackiness of today

    • @icecreamhero2375
      @icecreamhero2375 5 лет назад

      @@Freaknkn The Simpsons always did that. It helps show off the background characters. I myself would rarely do that. I would do that if a story idea is funny but don't want to dwell on one joke for too long so it doesn't get tiresome. Usually I would add a subplot though.

    • @simonsez2022
      @simonsez2022 5 лет назад

      @@icecreamhero2375 mam

  • @henrysmith2300
    @henrysmith2300 Год назад

    great interviews. why u gotta put the crappy jazz behind the whole video. It's distracting. Every youtube video is like this now.

  • @josephcarrigan2792
    @josephcarrigan2792 5 лет назад +3

    The show was the greatest on TV for 8-10 years and then wore out its welcome for the next 20 years. It boggles the mind to think that both South Park AND Family Guy have been better for longer than The Simpsons.

  • @batgurrl
    @batgurrl 5 лет назад +1

    Please do Futurama too😘

  • @TheVirub
    @TheVirub 5 лет назад

    i dont like the music, every video essay has this type of music

  • @MuddieRain
    @MuddieRain 5 лет назад

    Make Simpsons great again

  • @seeexy
    @seeexy Год назад

    advice from 6:25-

  • @lightscameracannabis6079
    @lightscameracannabis6079 5 лет назад

    So the Simpson’s being written by Jews explains so much about the prophecies on the show that actually happened. Crazy shit like 9/11

  • @GreatLordJason
    @GreatLordJason 5 лет назад

    13:03

  • @dboidboi
    @dboidboi 5 лет назад

    Wait I thought the simpsons wrote us

  • @nickmagrick7702
    @nickmagrick7702 5 лет назад +15

    ofc hes talking about the golden era of simpsons, not modern day simpsons, bleh.

    • @unstoppableExodia
      @unstoppableExodia 5 лет назад +2

      Of course. There's more value in understanding the writing process behind classic Simpsons rather than modern Simpsons

  • @matthewolsen4298
    @matthewolsen4298 5 лет назад

    Why did we have to bring religion into this at 9:56?

    • @matthew8153
      @matthew8153 5 лет назад +1

      Matthew Olsen
      Jews are also a race.

  • @DanielSchmidt94521
    @DanielSchmidt94521 5 лет назад +1

    Why doesn't the Simpsons end on a high note and retire? Does it really need to go on for 30 years? The later episodes were just terrible.

    • @BehindtheCurtain
      @BehindtheCurtain  5 лет назад

      I agree that it's better to end on a high note. It may be too late.

    • @DanielSchmidt94521
      @DanielSchmidt94521 5 лет назад

      The celebrity guests are getting annoying to the point I can’t watch anymore.

  • @The.Kyle.Scott.
    @The.Kyle.Scott. 5 лет назад +2

    Early af

  • @vitaliybakal7356
    @vitaliybakal7356 5 лет назад +4

    Those new episodes sure are an accident

  • @choppingchop
    @choppingchop Год назад

    You should actually grow the kid up how long can they be kid and stop the singing it suck make it funny like back then keep bark bad keep Lisa, smart grow the baby up it a good show

  • @magicmike6961
    @magicmike6961 5 лет назад

    when are they going to write an episode where Homer goes water skiing?

  • @randomcringeyyoutuber6750
    @randomcringeyyoutuber6750 5 лет назад +4

    So there's this show called the Simpsons. It's not funny and puts you in a world of weirdness. In fact, it's kind of mediocre.
    Strange because it's a reboot of a great comedy from the nineties called the Simpsons.

  • @farhannr28
    @farhannr28 5 лет назад

    Second

  • @buzzytrombone4353
    @buzzytrombone4353 5 лет назад

    I honestly think that The Simpsons should've ended after the movie cause it was the last time that the show was in it's full glory. I wouldn't really call the episodes after the movie shit, just an absolute snore fest with a few hit or miss visuals but shitty character movements

  • @OscarSaarbachProcess
    @OscarSaarbachProcess 5 лет назад

    First

  • @mohamadmahmoud6926
    @mohamadmahmoud6926 5 лет назад +1

    Mike Reiss is really annoying. I read his book and he’s kind of full of himself honestly.

  • @welfaiewfb8802
    @welfaiewfb8802 5 лет назад +1

    too many Jews

  • @scotthall7585
    @scotthall7585 5 лет назад +1

    Last episode I watched there were Trump jokes, the Simpson's were PC and it almost made me throw up how lazy and uninspired it was. Havent watched since and I most likely wont again.