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[Edmund]

There's this "Inadequacy" that I have and I've been really self conscious about it and it's been bugging me for ages.

I notice that whenever I'm watching a TV show or movie and someone randomly asks me what's the show about, I won't be able to describe it beyond it's genre. (It's a horror movie or its a comedy)

I was watching Revenant (Korean drama) yesterday when my brother in law asked me what's this show about

Me - "oh it's a horror show"

Brother in law - So what's the premise of the show?


Mr - huh?? Unmm. I don't know. It's a... It's a Horror show. Just watch it. (half annoyed at him for interrupting me during an exciting part of the show and half annoyed at myself for having this really strange inability to describe what's the show I'm watching is all about)


Just a couple of months ago I was watching The Bear. Relatives popped by and aunt
asked me what's the show about


Me - Uhhhm. About a guy managing a restaurant?

Immediately I felt so stupid. I don't know why I have such difficulty describing the shows I watch and just wondering if I'm the only one like that.

And I'm a pretty good conversationalist and I CAN describe things well but I don't know why I get so fucking stumped whenever people ask me to describe a show I'm watching.


If someone asks to describe a show on text I'd just link them the trailer or wiki link. But so far in all my years of life, people only ask me to describe a show I'm watching in person and I'm always caught unawares.


I'm also the type where I'm fully focused on a show and even if I miss a line, I'd rewind to watch it again.

And I also wish people can shut the F up and not ask me to describe a show while I'm still watching.

I don't why but I'm extremely self conscious of this inadequacy. Am I developing Alzheimers or something? I'm only in my 30s!
My brain just fucking shuts down whenever asks me to describe a show that I'm currently watching. (I'd have the SAME difficulty even after watching it)

Also, when people recommend me a TV series or movie, I DO NOT ask them to describe it or ask what's the premise. I just fucking watch the trailer on YouTube.

By the way, both The Bear and The Revenant are really good shows! Just don't ask me to describe what the shows are about. Lol!!

 

[TaylorSwiftFan]

I am bad at it as well because I tend to jump from one thing to the other making it all incoherent. My wife is so good at it sometimes I don’r bother watching a movie.

Btw, Revenant is good but so slow moving and the main has only 1 expression.

 

[22:22:22]

My brother has that as well. Spoke about it with him last weekend actually.

 

[German Hops]

I can almost describe what I'm watching, but when I

 

[Edmund]

My brother has that as well. Spoke about it with him last weekend actually.

How does he feel about it? Is he self conscious about it and feeling awkward when people ask him to describe a show he's watching?

 

[22:22:22]

How does he feel about it?

Ehh. It doesn't bother him that much in general I think/hope.

Only when he wants to share a movie he's seen to me it perhaps does.

But we both know so we laugh and I ask him to describe a scene or overall theme/premise to help him. I have a good (selective) memory and can describe in detail movies I've seen years ago so I'll do my best from the little context i have to help him remember stuff which helps him along to recall.

My dad has the same.

 

[INC]

Just imdb the summary, job done

 

[22:22:22]

Edmund

Some movies/shows aren't linearly edited and have multiple themes etc that can be hard to describe in a "what happend" linear way.

Thematic subtext can be present. Open endings.

You're not the only one.

Just imdb the summary, job done

Yeah just regurgitate a summary that most likely wasn't your personal interpretation /s

 

[VulcanRaven]

Is that you don't remember or you are just bad at describing?

 

[pachura]

Some people are horrible at telling jokes... they can't remember the punchline, they can't remember what made this particular joke funny, they just vaguely recall it made them laugh... and they start telling it anyway, hoping it will somehow work out...

PS. If it irritates you so much, perhaps to you can train yourself and simply try describing each episode right after watching it? A bit of memory/abstract thinking challenge surely won't hurt...

 

[Mr Reasonable]

I'm also the type where I'm fully focused on a show and even if I miss a line, I'd rewind to watch it again.

And I also wish people can shut the F up and not ask me to describe a show while I'm still watching.

Seems crazy to me that this is noteworthy.

 

[March Climber]

OP is it more that you weren't trying to include spoilers? I find that the hardest part when trying to describe a show.

 

[willothedog]

 

[Edmund]

OP is it more that you weren't trying to include spoilers? I find that the hardest part when trying to describe a show.

No I just can't describe a show. Also, my short term memory is pretty bad and sometimes I do forget parts of a show i just watched. But that's not the reason why I can't describe a show I'm watching/have already watched.


I'm just really worried if it's early onset dementia or something. Urgh.

Just to add, besides teaching piano, I'm also a film/musical theatre actor as well and I memorise my scripts pretty well. So I don't think it's an issue with my memory. It's just so fucking weird. Lol.

 

[Grildon Tundy]

Is it that you get overwhelmed by what to include or not? Like do you internally debate between given a 30,000ft view of it or whether you should go into the nitty gritty, plot beat by plot beat?

For what's it's worth in commiseration, I can more easily describe what a show is about than a story that actually happened to me in real life. I think I'd prefer the inverse.

 

[March Climber]

No I just can't describe a show. Also, my short term memory is pretty bad and sometimes I do forget parts of a show i just watched. But that's not the reason why I can't describe a show I'm watching/have already watched.


I'm just really worried if it's early onset dementia or something. Urgh.

To ease your worries, here's a super straightforward, well spoken, 7 minute video to clear up the difference between both.



Dementia is way scarier than one realizes and it's more likely, hopefully, forgetfulness that you're experiencing.

 

[Edmund]

Is it that you get overwhelmed by what to include or not? Like do you internally debate between given a 30,000ft view of it or whether you should go into the nitty gritty, plot beat by plot beat?

For what's it's worth in commiseration, I can more easily describe what a show is about than a story that actually happened to me in real life. I think I'd prefer the inverse.

This might be the reason. I don't know which parts of the show to use to describe and make it sound interesting.

 

[Grildon Tundy]

This might be the reason. I don't know which parts of the show to use to describe and make it sound interesting.

Ok, nice. I'll usually go over the first inciting incident in the plot and details that reveal what's unique or interesting about the show to me. And maybe I'm not great at it either, but let me give you an example of what I did recently with the show "Beef" when describing to my family. And this will likely be more eloquent than when I did it on the spot:

"It starts off with a down-on-his luck handyman at a home improvement store trying to return an item he can't afford. When he goes out into the parking lot he gets in an altercation with a lady while he's pulling out, which turns into a road rage chase, and their rivalry escalates from there over the course of 8 episodes as they try to get back at each other. You start off thinking they're both terrible people but as you learn more about their situation, you start to sympathize with them. It's equal parts funny and dramatic. They're also both Asian-Americans so the show dives into a lot of their unique experiences from that perspective."

If anyone seems interested after that, tell 'em more.

I dunno. Hope that's helpful.

 

[Doom85]

Breaking Bad, as explained by a rambling person:

Spoiler

”So there’s this guy. He like teaches and shit. And he’s sick.”
”Like, really badly?”
”Maybe, it doesn’t matter…well, actually it does matter, so anyway, the guy is like, ‘I’m going to cook crystal meth now’. So he does that.”
”Wait, what?”
”Well, he gets help.”
”That’s not what I was concerned about.”
”Yeah, he gets help from this guy he used to teach in high school.”
”That’s random. Does anyone else know he’s doing this?”
”No, well his wife suspects something, but she’s kind of a bitch. Well, except when she’s right, but we don’t acknowledge that because it interferes with our main guy getting to do all sorts of cool stuff.”
”What sort of cool stuff?”
”Oh, he gets a guy to say his name.”
”You said my name when I walked up to you a few minutes ago.”
”Trust me, it’s a cool moment.”
”Sure.”
”Also, there’s this guy who runs a chicken restaurant. Total badass.”
”Ooookay.”
”Oh yeah, and our main guy causes two planes to collide!”
”What the fuck?!”
”Yeah, pretty nuts, right?”
”How is that badass?!”
”Oh no, that wasn’t one of his badass moments. He really regrets it happening.”
”So he’s a terrorist?”
”Oh no, he didn’t actively do it, it happened because he let a girl die.”
”On the plane?”
”No, he let her die in an apartment because he didn’t like her being with his former student.”
”Dude needs to learn teacher-student boundaries.”
”Well, he‘s a former student.”
”I dunno, man this sounds like random shit thrown together. I’m good.”
”Ah, come back, man! It really makes sense when you watch it…..come back? Damn it! Why do I suck at explaining so much?!”