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A look at Albert Brooks' new comedy - LOOKING FOR COMEDY IN THE MUSLIM WORLD!
Hey folks, Harry here... Well - the "Untitled Albert Brooks Project (2005)" well - we got a title. LOOKING FOR COMEDY IN THE MUSLIM WORLD. Is there any wonder that this has taken Albert a while. This is a moderately sensitive subject matter - and I've no idea how this film will be accepted by the audience, no matter its religious preference, but for comedy - it is definitely a fertile ground. I know many Muslims that have fantastic senses of humor and would welcome a comedy like this - but I also know many folks that right now don't see anything funny in the current situation. To me, that's why it's so perfect for hilarity. Look how great DR STRANGELOVE was - and at the time it came out, that was the very very really real reality facing the world. It doesn't sound like the comedy is at the expense of the Muslim world - but more of the perception of the Muslim World by an American citizen as well as the red tape in our goverment. Can't wait to see this one!
Howdy, long time listener
I just went to see Albert Brooks' new movie Wed. night at the Archlight in
LA. I am a big fan so I was kind of geeking out about seeing it in advance.
It's so damn long in between his movies that I go into starvation mode and
have to keep watching the old ones on DVD. By the way, does anyone know if
Modern Romance is EVER coming out? What the hell?!
Anyway, so I go to the screening and I'm all excited cause I think the last
one of these I actually went to was for Beethoven 2 when I first moved to LA
and didn't know any better and was just excited to see a free anything, and
this time there?s the promise not only of an actually decent movie but an
Albert Brooks movie!!!
Anyway, I don't want to give too much away other than to say that the movie
is called, "Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World" which I guess does
reveal something of the plot but it's the movie title so I don't think I am
giving anything away. The cast is really good too but they aren't big names.
His movies usually aren't about movie stars but this one might even be more
under the radar. I recognized John Carroll Lynch (Gothika, Carnivale) and
Jon Tenney (who's done a bunch of TV stuff - and was married to mega hottie
Teri Hatcher) but the lead girl I didn't know. She is really cute though
(possible future mega hottie).
Anyway, the movie takes place mostly in India, Albert (who is playing
himself) gets sent on a real life mission, by the government, to find out
what make the Muslims laugh. It is hard to tell if most of the actors are
actually Indian or just playing Indian characters but I guess that tells you
how good the over all quality of the acting is. John Lynch and Jon Tenney
play secret service types who are sent with Albert to help him write a 500
page report. They end up thwarting him every step of the way with all their
bureaucracy and red tape. They even forget to get him a visa to Pakistan and
have to sneak him over the border illegally. The lead actress is a beautiful
young girl, as I said, who is hired to assist Albert in India gathering
information for the report. There is no real love story between them but you
get the definite feeling that her character may secretly be in love with
him. And Albert, true to his usual style, is completely oblivious.
So I don't want to tell too much cause the plot unfolds perfectly and has a
nice revelations all along the way. But the movie is so funny, maybe his
best - dare I say it. There are a million lines that I am still laughing
about. And it's smart. And the acting is so good, and the writing is so
funny and sharp and actually has a pretty cool liberal bent. It's just a
huge pleasure to see one of my favorite filmmakers still at the top of his
game.
If you use this call me Turtle
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Listen DocFalken, I understand the position you're in, being the web-designer and all that, but I ask you to consider a few things before you pull the plug on The Hideen Bizarro AICN Page (http://www.aintitcool.com/tb_display.cgi?id=86845): If you read the posts in said Page, then you will notice that despite the fact that we have no main topic, let alone an actual link from the main page headlines, we have succeeded in forming a stimulating discussion that's fully related to films, despite my own meager attempts to steer it away towards politics and religion. Left to their own devices, the TalkBackers have proven that they can be sensible, considerate and eloquent people, voicing their own opinions without popping the proverbial vein in the forehead. Before you destroy this brief yet beautiful even that began at http://www.aintitcool.com/tb_display.cgi?id=86845, I implore you to consider leaving us as we were: happy. Let us keep our page, our Bizarro AICN, and if it's not too much trouble how about giving us a name so that we may be recognized among the other content on this site. We have projected our voices, now we simply want to be recognized and accepted. I thank you for your efforts, DocFalken. Sincerely, Pacino. http://www.aintitcool.com/tb_display.cgi?id=86845
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I'm serious.
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The idea could be a nice one, and Al-Brooks is a great Arab comedian, but I've always wondered why he goes only by his family name? Does he not want to be distinguishable from the surely numerous other Al-Brookses?
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... A Muslim, a Jew(ish person) and a Christian walk into a bar ... By the way, does anyone know how that Breakfast Club joke Judd Nelson was telling to himself before he fell through the roof ended ... or is the joke in fact that it doesn't have one?
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Why was it that particular number? Just wondering ...
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Omid is a British-Iranian comedian and, honestly, I think he's the best comedian in Britain. He's brilliant. If he ever tours anywhere near where you are, go and see him. I saw him at the Soho theatre in London, after a fantastic recorded-for-TV performance impressed me... very funny guy. I think he has a website.
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I dunno... er... George Lucas told me that was his lucky number... ?
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some people just don
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you bastards put that damn song in my head with that 86845 business...fucking Tommy2Tone!!! Shoulda been a prime number tho...and check out the true nerds top ten films over at the great, scary, film geek talkbacker heaven...86845
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I love Albert Brooks and this is one fucking great idea for a movie. Damn, this man has some balls. And does anyone remember when comedy had to do with things that mattered? Not about safe stuff like live-at-home-dads and shit like that but real stuff. Stuff that made people uncomfortable. Stuff that got guys like Lenny Bruce arrested. Go Albert Brooks! Go and dare to be honest. Humor is honesty and society is so nervous about the truth that the only way to digest it is to nervously laugh at it. I've heard the anger now I want to laugh. Thank you for suggesting the concept of humor in the times of terror. Thank you for wishing the possibility of some lightness. God help us all if we can't laugh at ourselves. Mr. Brooks is what we need right now - not another angry guy with a cause.
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any man who was asked to do all of the opening monologues for the first season of SNL deserves some serious comedy respect. One question though...why set it in India? I know there are some Muslims in India, but the majority of the population is Hindu. ("Be they Christian, Jew, or...miscellaneous." "Hindu, there are 700 million of us" "Oh, that's super.") I get it if he was going to Pakistan by way of India but wouldn't you have more of hot button type of movie if it was set in the middle east? Expecting the best out of Albert. (Hell Kubrick of all people loved his work)
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why man, nothing says sexy to a woman than knowing that her date has a fatwa on them. Fugitives are sexy...you think Rushdie was pullin in the hotties before the Satanic Verses? Then, wham, pussy just getting thrown his way. Methinks Alberts on to something here.
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Well, just a guess here but even though Muslims are a minority in India, I believe there are more Muslims in India than all of Pakistan. So, ie there is a lot of Muslims in India. So, if you want to write a film about Muslims, you could pick many worse places. Did anyone notice how this talkback appeared - disappeared into the "Next" realm and reappeared again? Freaky happenings afoot ...
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I wish people would make more of this controversial subject. As someone who got caught up in the London bombs last thursday and has spent much of the last few days watching people agaonise over what it means for muslims in Britain, I can say that laughter can be a great way to put a different perspective on a situation. Sorry to be sombre, but it's inevitably going to be an issue when discussing this film's subject matter, and it's remembrace day for the bombing here in London today - and pretty much the whole country is haveing a two minute silence in exactly one hour. So, join in if you can, and spend a couple of minutes thinking about how we can stop it happening again.
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Why hasn't anyone ever made a film from the Koran? The story of mohammed or something? maybe if everyone else had a bit more understanding of their Faith we wouldn't have so many Xenophobes in the world and this film (the Albert Brooks one) wouldn't seem even slightly controversial.
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I'm gunno be first in line for this one.... (Hopefully laughing my ass off)...And whatever the content, I'll fight for Albert's right to free-speech and free-opinion.
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Muslims in general are quite sensitive to iconic depictions of their religious figures, which is why you generally won't find pictorial depictions of Muhammad. Nevertheless, the "story" of the Qura'an has never been depicted, as the words themselves are considered to be coming from God, and are themselves holy. The story of Muhammad, however, has been made into a film, and there is an Arabic and English (with Anthony Quinn) version of the same story. It's called The Message.
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Jul 14, 2005 5:40:20 AM CDT
And Harry: Shame on you for allowing that "free i-pods" banner
by evergreen
Can I assure anybosy who might be tempted: you will not receive an ipod, but everyone you email (and yourself) will receive a hell of a lot of spam. Get rid of the banner, Harry - the legality of that company is borderline at best.
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DOWN WITH THE REVOLUTION!! BURN THEM ALL!! Headgeek runs this site with an iron fist!! There is no place here for your secret utopias!! FLUSH THEM ALL INTO THE VAST ETHER OF THE INTERNET!! BURN THEM!!!
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Don't try to beat us, join us. The Secret Bizarro 86845 Utopia has founded itself, and we are now pleading with the gracious admins of this site to allow it to continue. We welcome you to our corner, in the spirit of a noble and valiant AICN:
http://www.aintitcool.com/tb_display.cgi?id=86845 -
WOW! I never would have guessed that, coming from the hollywood crowd!
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your secret playground and all your user id's are facing certain eradication (maybe)once doc fixes the code. But you should look to the past. There are hundreds of unused talkbacks from the early years of aicn that you guys can set up shop in. Around the time ROTK came out i stumbled upon a thriving LOTR community that had commandeered an old TB in the 200's, I think. There are plenty of secure old dusty corners of the archives to play in at aicn. How about http://www.aint-it-cool.com/display.cgi?id=866 one of the most hilariously inaccurate items ever posted at this site...
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...off the few crazy nuts and gives a voice to the silent majority in any population has to be a good thing. We have enough nutcases in the UK and US - Timothy McVeigh, the Unibomber, Irish terrorists - imagine if they were the only people anyone ever saw on TV in the rest of the world.
I get sick of Christians being surprised to hear that Muslims worship the same God. A big dose of balanced education all round would be great - and movies/comedy are often an effective medium for info/education. -
Y'know,I tend not to be in the slightest religious but tend to believe myself to at least be.......spiritual.Most of the Christians,Muslims etc I have personally met tend to fall in to 2 groups...selfish,brutal,insufferably arrogant and blinkered........or.......open,sweet,intelligent and compassionate.I have,I must say...IN MY EXPERIENCE...found that the selfish lot outweigh the latter.......A nice guy I knew at school since my childhood and I met up after not seeing each other for a while,I'd heard he'd become a God-botherer but when we met we drank loads of ale,got happilly pissed and wandered home..nary a word of God,until as we were to go our separate ways he said "Priapic,you've got to let Jesus into your heart."Now I don't mind this,it wasn't forced and wasn't nasty but..no ta..................And an opposite example,and this is frighteningly true(and sounds like I'm getting on a bandwagon but this happened sept'98 to Jan'99..).I was at Uni in London and the flat I had to share in Halls of residence I was,apart from a Finish lad who left quickly,the only white non-muslim.Now every fucking night these little lads,first time away from home and all,were the loudest little cunts born.They'd bring round what felt like fifty of their mates and just shouted out windows to white people,usually women,"White sluts".Extremely dangerous on the Holloway road,and obviously in that backward way,thought they were safe as they were 2 stories up.It got too much and I'd purposely walk in to the kitchen to get orange while they were acting like the braying hyenas they so were,and it'd stop."Hi,Priapic.","How'r ya doin,Priapic."..Little boys,lost....It got worse,I luckily got a flat downstairs where my mates were as a muslim girl wanted to move away from them(see ,two sides to every experience).When I told them I was moving out and a girl was moving in,they couldn't deal with it.I honestly thought 1 of them was going to have a breakdown.Anyway as I was leaving this FAT CUNT called Emi moved in to the Finish lads room and this cunt!!!this cunt!!..started preaching how this country was shit(he had a north london accent,too!)and any un-muslim type should be wiped out.Again I'd hear all this through the piss thin walls and AGAIN..I'd go get orange and Emi would be like ..."Hi,Priapic.How's the studying!"..CUNTS!It got worse,before I moved the little lad next door,Malcolm wanted to have his first drink and I was to aid him in finding a nice red wine.I thought "trouble" so pointed him toward a really piss weak wine.Later that night I heard the bottle fly out the window and he started shouting "Freedom!" as he'd been watching Braveheart?!?Next thing I know Emi was persuading him not to go out,and as I listened it was cos he'd earlier told Malcolm that he had rocket launchers and guns in a garage close by and wanted to blow up the white-bastards brothel down the road!!!Malcolm had got so drunk he wanted to do it..bet that cunt Emi regretted his bullshit then,cunt.............It got better,I moved out.It was everything I'd originally wanted from Uni..great times,meeting lots of different open-minded people from different walks of life,girls,beer,beer......girls,beer,beer...beer.................and I got invited to an old mates wedding reception at Holborn one night.When I returned trouble was in the air,the guys in my old flat had been shouting out the window at white chicks again and using the vid-phone(which conceals id)to further insult whites.There was a fucking GANG of people outside my old flats door..A FUCKING LYNCH MOB...gotta say,I went and knocked the door.."I used to live here,let me see whats going on.Malcolm?Malcolm?" I got in and the lot of them were hiding like children in a corner together.I'll never forget the looks on their faces..genuine fear...Emi had barricaded himself in the room.Fuck 'em,I remember thinking..not my prob.Everyone calmed down after that.But,this is a direct example of what's wrong....the inherent hypocrital nature of the zealot..................Finsbury Park was only up the road and those cunts had a celebration in the street after Set.11th....Unbelievable.................Anyway,is Kirsten Dunst getting her knockers out on Marie Antoinette?
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Man, you are one stupid motherfucker.
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The funniest being their culture.
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"....or I'll put a jihad on you."
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Could be funny... Could be very bad...
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Jul 14, 2005 12:50:48 PM CDT
vikingkitty you don't even know what muslim culture is. I do
by tonywilson
And you are the one we are all laughing at.
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Better stay clear of The Netherlands with this one, Albert, cause Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh also made a little movie - called Submission - that the Muslim-community over here didn't really appreciate. In fact, last november, while cycling to his work, Theo was gunned down and subsequently stabbed multiple times with a butcher's knife, whereafter his throat was slit from ear to ear by a Muslim fanatic called Mohammed Bouyeri. After the murder (which took place on a reasonably crowded street in Amsterdam, by the way), Mohammed pinned the knife in Theo's dead body together with a note, that threatened anyone who ever 'insulted Allah' in any way. Thanks to our liberal government and judicial system, Mohammed will probably be out of jail in a couple of years. This country sucks.
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But I digress. You know the best joke in the Muslim world? Islaam itself. Actually, the civilized world has been the victim of this cruel joke, and it hasn't been funny.
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This shit is right up his alley, perfect for him to let loose with more of his trademark ignorance. Seeing as how the word "muslim" is in the headline, that should give him plenty of oppurtunity to let loose with a torrent of bigotted shite. Could it be that he's been banned? Or (better again) killed?
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I tried, but ran into:
"The portal to the Phantom Zone has closed. There is nothing to see here. - Bizarro Doc"
The Man's always trying to bring us down...
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You wouldn't know 'civilized' if it transubstantiated and selected the right fork for you at Applebees. Fucking living in a Christian terrorist meilleu with bad taste... You're right - it is funny.
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It's probably not worth telling you, since you don't seem capable of understanding... but your hate for such a peaceful religion makes you no better than the Islamic fundamentalists who ruin it for the rest of the Muslims. And, you suck.
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A religion founded by a sand pirate who also happened to be a murderous pedophile. Hilarity ensued.
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VK, you little bitch, you got me. And I was previously warned. Nice.
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You act as if Christianity or Judaism can claim the moral high ground over Islam. Enough atrocities have been committed in the name of every religion * that you should just go back to quietly worshipping whichever mythical invisible man you choose, and quit spreading the hate. * Exception: Satanism, oddly enough- they never had the support of a country behind them so all their crimes have been petty in comparison. Yay Satanism!
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Jul 14, 2005 4:11:17 PM CDT
What's really really funny is that vikingpussy comes on here
by tonywilson
he's either nice as pie or just acts all passive agressive. He doesn't even have the courage of his convictions. Now that is comedy my friends
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Besides THE MESSAGE (aka MUHAMMED MESSENGER OF GOD) there is the animated MUHAMMED THE LAST PROPHET (2004) directed by Richard Rich (THE SWAN PRINCESS). In deference to Muslim sensibilities, in neither film is Muhammed actually depicted
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That's why every time you hear about a suicide bomber, you instinctively suspect the ahmish. What with all the problems in the world they're causing today and all. It's OK that you recoil in horror from the catholics - they might saw your head off. The baptist? Don't even get me started on their long, sordid history of placing death sentences on the head of anyone who criticizes their faith. God, you people are the epitomy of neutered, mindless PC tools.
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Oh and hey there vikingpussy shouldn't you be acting like a biggoted hateful arsehole somewhere else. How's about you go spread your filth in front of some real life people, not on a fucking talkback you bloody coward.
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If so you are a stupid motherfucker. Don't bother trying to explain any reasoning you may have to think that. Undoubtedly it will be based on ignorance, twisting of evidence to meet your own views and numerous other tricks bigots pull to convince themselves and others that they are correct. If you were just having a joke, fair enough I take it back.
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I havent insulted a specific religion, just zealots. You insulted an entire religion.
Besides if you had quoted the rest of that you would see I said that they should be forgiving people and giving all their money to the poor.
You are right playing was fun.
Well it;s half 2 here. TonyWilson out. -
Jul 14, 2005 8:40:33 PM CDT
nough atrocities have been committed in the name of every religi
by classyfredblassy
Well, maybe a thousand years agao that was true. Let's look at the past 50 -100 years or so.
The fact is the others grow and adapt. Islam hasn't done a very good job of that. Hence the shitty economies and living condition. You know things are bad when the leader of a larger Muslim country like Malaysia says "jews are to blame for all the problems in the world" at a Asian Pacific conference. Mr.Brooks better watch his back, No matter how good the intention in his film is. Hear are some chilly words from Van Gogh murderer:"I take complete responsibility for my actions. I acted purely in the name of my religion," he told the court in Amsterdam.
"I can assure you that one day, should I be set free, I would do exactly the same, exactly the same," he added. -
That's a major fucking difference.
It's fair to say I'm dubious of most organised religion but I know all of them have their good and bad points. So whatever you need to believe to keep up your superiority complex. -
Brobdingnag just got owned by virtue of trying to own someone.
Thats funnier than Albert Brooks any day.
Why pick on Wilson? He's normal compared to some idiots on here. -
Even if the movie itself is tame as a lamb, the title is pretty risky. As I said, in playing himself, and with that ridiculous sounding premise, it sounds more like a return to Brooks' very first movies for SNL and "Real Life." Could be a disaster. Could be interesting.
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Yeah, THAT might make Muslims laugh. Interesting review until .... "it had a cool liberal bent". It's the cool liberal bent of political correctness that keeps us from examining why mainstream Islam refuses to issue a Fatwah or even mild condemnation on all the atrocities being committed worldwide in its name. Islam doesn't want to be identified with fascist murderers? Then how about not supporting them with deafening silence and start excommunicating them. Nearly every major conflict in the world today has at its source Muslims who can't get along with their neighbors. But we don't want to hurt their feelings by calling the Brit bombers terrorists. I'd like to see a big screen honest documentary on radical Islam instead of this flick. Not to understand them, but to get our heads out of the liberal media sand and on the road to a final solution. No, not killing them all and letting Allah sort them out, but ending the madras' indoctrination of hate and the virulent lies spread by Al Gazeera and the West's own media which often seems to hate its free societies more than the terrorists.
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Look at East is East, a British movie playing on the Pakistani Muslim ideals in England. It was very well recieved and caused no problems, I dont think there will be a problem with this movie either it sounds great though. As for people like Vikingkitty, just ignore him. Clearly this guys is a loser who loves getting attention(probably no friends, no attention) by making statements he knows will provoke outrage. He may think being a biggot and racist is funny, so let him. Let us know these kind of people can act like this due to the anonymous nature of the net, but in reality they would never have the nerve to spew any of this nonsense.
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Are you seriously going to start saying that Muslims have started the most historical conflicts? Are you uneducated. Britain is historically one the most ruthless most imperialistic countries in history. Nothing can compare to the mass killings Christians have dealt throughout history. My point is its fucking stupid to make blanket statements blaming all faults on one large and diverse minority.
And no one is not calling the london bombers terrorists. I think everyone is labelling them the terrorists that they are, so thats utter BS. -
Cod Piece Tonywilson is a piece of shit and so are you.
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...I feel bad. I hope you're not a 13 year old. or someone who dislikes being called a piece of shit.
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Bitter much?
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