11.
Banco della reception in una specie di ufficio: "LA CLINICA
DELL'ARGOMENTAZIONE E DEL LITIGIO"
Receptionist: Si, mi dica?
Uomo: Vorrei una disputa, per favore.
Receptionist: Certamente, signore, e' gia' venuto qui altre volte?
Uomo: No, e' la prima volta
Receptionist: Capisco. Vorrebbe avere una disputa integrale, o pensa di fare
un corso?
Uomo: Quando costerebbe?
Receptionist: 1 euro per una disputazione di cinque minuti, ma solo 8 euro
per un corso di dieci minuti.
Uomo: Bene, penso che forse sia meglio cominciare con quella da un euro e
vedere come va. ok?
Receptionist: D'accordo. Vedo chi e' disponibile al momento... Mr. Du-Bakey
e' libero, ma e' un po' concilatorio... si, ecco, provi Mr. Barnard - stanza
12.
Uomo: grazie.
[...] L'uomo bussa alla porta.
Mr. Vibrating (dall'interno): Entri.
L'uomo entra nella stanza. Mr. Vibrating siede a una scrivania.
Uomo: E' questa la stanza giusta per la disputa?
Mr. Vibrating: Glielo ho gia' detto.
Uomo: Non, me lo ha detto.
Mr. Vibrating: Si che l'ho detto.
Uomo: Quando?
Mr. Vibrating: Proprio adesso!
Uomo: No, non l'ha fatto.
Mr: Vibrating: Si, l'ho fatto!
Uomo: No.
Mr Vibrating: Si.
Uomo: No.
Mr. Vibrating: Le sto dicendo che l'ho fatto!
Uomo: Non l'ha fatto!
Mr. Vibrating: Mi scusi, questa e' una disputa da cinque minuti, o quella
integrale da mezz'ora?
Uomo: Oh, solo quella da cinque minuti.
Mr Vibrating: Bene (prende nota, l'uomo si siede). Grazie. Comunque,
certamente, l'ho fatto.
Uomo: Di certo non lo ha fatto.
Mr Vibrating: Ora, mettiamo in chiaro una cosa... definitivamente, gliel'ho
detto!
Uomo: Non lo ha fatto.
Mr Vibrating: Si, l'ho fatto.
Uomo: Non lo ha fatto.
Mr Vibrating: Si, l'ho fatto.
Uomo: No.
Mr Vibrating: L'ho fatto.
Uomo: No.
Mr Vibrating: L'ho fatto!!
Uomo: Gardi, questa non e' affatto una disputa.
Mr Vibrating: Si che lo e'.
Uomo: No, non lo e', e' solo una contraddizione.
Mr Vibrating: No, non lo e'.
Uomo: Si, lo e'.
Mr Vibrating: Non lo e'.
Uomo: Lo e'. Mi ha appena contraddetto.
Mr Vibrating: Non l'ho fatto.
Uomo: Ooh, lo ha fatto!
Mr Vibrating: No, no, no, no.
Uomo: Lo ha fatto, proprio adesso.
Mr Vibrating: No, e' un non senso.
Uomo: Oh, guardi... tutto questo e' inutile.
Mr Vibrating: Non lo e'.
Uomo: Sono venuto qui per una buona disputa.
Mr Vibrating: No, lei e' venuto qui per una disputa.
Uomo: Ma una disputa non e' la stessa cosa che una contraddizione.
Mr Vibrating: Potrebbe anche esserlo.
Uomo: No, non puo'. Una disputazione e' una serie connessa di enunciati
intesa a stabilire una proposizione defiinta.
Mr Vibrating: No, non e' cosi'.
Uomo: Si, invece. Non e' soltanto una contraddizione.
Mr Vibrating: Senta, se devo disputare con lei, devo assumere una posizione
contraria.
Uomo: ...non soltanto ripetendo "No, non e' cosi'.'"!
Mr VIbrating: Si' e' cosi'.
Uomo: No, non e' cosi - una disputa richiede un processo intellettuale... la
contraddizione e' soltanto una negazione meccanica di qualunque cosa
l'interlocutore possa dire.
Mr Vibrating: Non e' cosi'.
Uomo: E' cosi'.
Mr Vibrating: Per niente.
Uomo: Stia a sentire...
Mr Vibrating (premendo il campanello sulla sua scrivania): Grazie,
arrivederci.
Uomo: Cosa??
Mr Vibrating: E' finita. Arrivederci.
Uomo: Ero proprio sul punto di interessarmi...
Mr Vibrating: Mi spiace, i cinque minuti sono terminati.
Uomo: Ma non ancora sono passati cinque minuti!
Mr Vibrating: Temo che lo siano.
Uomo: No, non lo sono.
Mr Vibrating: Mi dispiace, non mi e' piu' permesso disputare.
Uomo: Cosa!?
Mr VIbrating: Se vuole che continuo a disputare, dovra' pagare per altri
cinque minuti.
Uomo: Ma non sono ancora passati cinque minuti... oh andiamo!
(Mr Vibrating si guarda intorno come se l'uomo non fosse li')
Uomo: Tutto cio' e' ridicolo.
Mr Vibrating: Sono molto spiacente, ma le ho gia' detto che non mi e'
permesso disputare a meno che io non sia pagato.
Uomo: Oh. D'accordo. (paga) Ecco qua.
Mr Vibrating: Grazie.
Uomo: Ebbene?
Mr Vibrating: Ebbene cosa?
Uomo: Non sono ancora trascorsi cinque minuti.
Mr Vibrating: Le ho gia' detto che non mi e' permesso disputare a meno che
lei non abbia pagato.
Uomo: Ma se ho appena pagato...
Mr Vibrating: No, non lo ha fatto.
Uomo: L'ho fatto! l'ho fatto! l'ho fatto!
Mr Vibrating: No, non lo ha fatto.
Uomo: Guardi, non mi va di disputare su questo.
Mr Vibrating: Be', mi dispiace molto ma lei non ha pagato.
Uomo: Aha! Se non ho pagato, com'e' che lei disputa ancora? Fregato!
Mr Vibrating: No, lei non ha pagato.
Uomo: Si, l'ho fatto... se non l'avessi fatto lei adesso non starebbe
disputando.
Mr Vibrating: Non necessariamente. Posso sempre disputare nel mio tempo
libro.
Uomo: Ne ho abbastanza.
Mr Vibrating: No, non ne hai...
(da Keroppi)
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15.
A customer enters a pet shop.
Customer: 'Ello, I wish to register a complaint.
(The owner does not respond.)
Customer: 'Ello, Miss?
Owner: What do you mean "miss"?
Customer: (pause) I'm sorry, I have a cold. I wish to make a complaint!
Owner: We're closin' for lunch.
Customer: Never mind that, my lad. I wish to complain about this parrot what
I purchased not half an hour ago from this very boutique.
Owner: Oh yes, the, uh, the Norwegian
Blue...What's, uh...What's wrong with it?
Customer: I'll tell you what's wrong with it, my lad. 'E's dead, that's
what's wrong with it!
Owner: No, no, 'e's uh,...he's resting.
Customer: Look, matey, I know a dead parrot when I see one, and I'm looking
at one right now.
Owner: No no he's not dead, he's, he's restin'! Remarkable bird, the
Norwegian Blue, idn'it, ay? Beautiful plumage!
Customer: The plumage don't enter into it. It's stone dead.
Owner: Nononono, no, no! 'E's resting!
Customer: All right then, if he's restin', I'll wake him up!
(shouting at the cage)
'Ello, Mister Polly Parrot! I've got a lovely fresh cuttle fish for you if
you show...(owner hits the cage)
Owner: There, he moved!
Customer: No, he didn't, that was you hitting the cage!
Owner: I never!!
Customer: Yes, you did!
Owner: I never, never did anything...
Customer: (yelling and hitting the cage repeatedly) 'ELLO POLLY!!!!!
Testing! Testing! Testing! Testing! This is your nine
o'clock alarm call!
(Takes parrot out of the cage and thumps its head on the counter. Throws it
up in the air and watches it plummet to the floor.)
Customer: Now that's what I call a dead parrot.
Owner: No, no.....No, 'e's stunned!
Customer: STUNNED?!?
Owner: Yeah! You stunned him, just as he was wakin' up! Norwegian Blues stun
easily, major.
Customer: Um...now look...now look, mate, I've definitely 'ad enough of this.
That parrot is definitely deceased, and when I purchased it not 'alf an hour
ago, you assured me that its total lack of movement was due to it bein' tired
and shagged out following a prolonged squawk.
Owner: Well, he's...he's, ah...probably pining for the fjords.
Customer: PININ' for the FJORDS?!?!?!? What kind of talk is that?, look, why
did he fall flat on his back the moment I got 'im home?
Owner: The Norwegian Blue prefers keepin' on it's back! Remarkable bird, id'nit,
squire? Lovely plumage!
Customer: Look, I took the liberty of examining that parrot when I got it
home, and I discovered the only reason that it had been sitting on its perch
in the first place was that it had been NAILED there.
(pause)
Owner: Well, o'course it was nailed there! If I hadn't nailed that bird down,
it would have nuzzled up to those bars, bent 'em apart with its beak, and
VOOM! Feeweeweewee!
Customer: "VOOM"?!? Mate, this bird wouldn't "voom" if
you put four million volts through it! 'E's bleedin' demised!
Owner: No no! 'E's pining!
Customer: 'E's not pinin'! 'E's passed on! This parrot is no more! He has
ceased to be! 'E's expired and gone to meet 'is maker! 'E's a stiff! Bereft
of life, 'e rests in peace! If you hadn't nailed 'im to the perch 'e'd be
pushing up the daisies! 'Is metabolic processes are now 'istory! 'E's off the
twig! 'E's kicked the bucket, 'e's shuffled off 'is mortal coil, run down the
curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisibile!! THIS IS AN EX-PARROT!!
(pause)
Owner: Well, I'd better replace it, then.
(he takes a quick peek behind the counter)
Owner: Sorry squire, I've had a look 'round the back of the shop, and uh, we're
right out of parrots.
Customer: I see. I see, I get the picture.
Owner: (pause) I got a slug.
(pause)
Customer: (sweet as sugar) Pray, does it talk?
Owner: Nnnnot really.
Customer: WELL IT'S HARDLY A BLOODY REPLACEMENT, IS IT?!!???!!?
Owner: Look, if you go to my brother's pet shop in Bolton,
he'll replace the parrot for you.
Customer: Bolton,
eh? Very well.
The customer leaves.
The customer enters the same pet shop. The owner is putting on a false
moustache.
Customer: This is Bolton,
is it?
Owner: (with a fake mustache) No, it's Ipswitch.
Customer: (looking at the camera) That's inter-city rail for you.
The customer goes to the train station.
He addresses a man standing behind a desk marked "Complaints".
Customer: I wish to complain, British-Railways Person.
Attendant: I DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS JOB, YOU KNOW!!!
Customer: I beg your pardon...?
Attendant: I'm a qualified brain surgeon! I only do this job because I like
being my own boss!
Customer: Excuse me, this is irrelevant, isn't it?
Attendant: Yeah, well it's not easy to pad these python files out to 150
lines, you know.
Customer: Well, I wish to complain. I got on the Bolton
train and found myself deposited here in Ipswitch.
Attendant: No, this is Bolton.
Customer: (to the camera) The pet shop man's brother was lying!!
Attendant: Can't blame British Rail for that.
Customer: In that case, I shall return to the pet shop!
He does.
Customer: I understand this IS Bolton.
Owner: (still with the fake mustache) Yes?
Customer: You told me it was Ipswitch!
Owner: ...It was a pun.
Customer: (pause) A PUN?!?
Owner: No, no...not a pun...What's that thing that spells the same backwards
as forwards?
Customer: (Long pause) A palindrome...?
Owner: Yeah, that's it!
Customer: It's not a palindrome! The palindrome of "Bolton"
would be "Notlob"!! It don't work!!
Owner: Well, what do you want?
Customer: I'm not prepared to pursue my line of inquiry any longer as I think
this is getting too silly!
Sergeant-Major: Quite agree, quite agree, too silly, far too silly... (takes
customer by the arm) Come on, you, you've got to go do another sketch now! Come
on... (he walks off stage left, followed by the director and cameramen,
leaving the owner alone on the set)
Owner: (to the audience) Well! I never wanted to do this in the first place.
I wanted to be...
A LUMBERJACK!
(he takes off his white lab coat to reveal a checkered shirt and suspenders
under it)
Floating down the mighty rivers of British Columbia! With my best girl by my
side! etc. etc. etc.
( continued in LUMBERJACK PYTHON )
Alternative Ending
Customer: Pray, does it talk?
Owner: Nnnnot really.
Customer: WELL IT'S HARDLY A BLOODY REPLACEMENT, IS IT?!!???!!?
Owner: N-no, I guess not. (gets ashamed, looks at his feet)
Customer: Well.
(pause)
Owner: (quietly) D'you.... d'you want to come back to my place?
Customer: (looks around) Yeah, all right, sure.
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