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Twins

The Natural Way

19:45 / 19.03.03

I'm an identical twin. This is sick shit.

I feel like I'm being probed in a lab by a guy with a beard. See him enthuse at the results!

The Return Of Rothkoid

22:14 / 19.03.03

Could you perhaps add something to this so that those of us not privy to UK TV know what the hell you're on about?

moriarty

22:24 / 19.03.03

I can't say that I really enjoyed Twins, but on viewing it a second time, with the distance of a few years, I can now appreciate the subtle charm that Schwarzenegger invested in his character, Julius. It's hard to envision now, but back then it was quite a shock to see Schwarzenegger not only play a gentle, loving character, but to also see him make fun of himself.

Still, in the end, it was no Meatballs, Ivan Reitman's Citizen Kane. I give it 5.5 out of 10. Barely worth the cost of the rental.

that

07:56 / 20.03.03

Runce is talking about a documentary which aired on the BBC (I think) last night. I only saw a bit of it, but this group of scientists ('as a scientist, I...' - that phrase never fails to annoy the living shite out of me) were putting several sets of twins through their paces to see how alike they were. It included the fantastically stupid statement that nature is more important than nurture because the twins all selected similar people in this attractiveness experiment. The clever scientists failed to note that identical twins are probably brought up in a very similar fashion and therefore nurture probably plays at least as an important part in partner selection as nature. And, despite the opposing results of all other similar tests, they were willing to make sweeping statements about What This Means.

Ganesh

12:27 / 20.03.03

Well, no, they did briefly feature twins brought up separately in order to partly address the 'nurture' issue (although in a more general sense than specifically partner selection) - and they seemed to be speaking tentatively (doubtless well aware that the whole thing was more entertainment than science, really) rather than conclusively. I agree, though, considering the relatively small numbers in their sample, any such speculation could've/should've been a lot more tentative.

For me, the programme highlighted some of the problems with presenting (what purports, however superficially, to be) 'hard science' in an unapologetically populist manner. The need for televisual conclusions or soundbites (and quite possibly selective editing to ensure these occur) inevitably creates a tension. The scientific community tends to dismiss these sorts of programmes as 'dumbing down' but I know from experience they're enormously influential...

that

13:13 / 20.03.03

I almost never catch the entireity of these things as I have trouble focussing on the television for that amount of time, so always tend to end up spouting crap that I wouldn't be spouting if I'd watched the whole thing. Sorry...

Gary Lactus

10:43 / 23.03.03

Twins are fucking weird freaks. I am friendly with Runce and his brother IRL. They should both be shoved back up mummy's treat and sort it out. I am sick of their psychic messaging to each other whilst I'm in the room. I cannot hear their brain talk and as they sit chuckling I get very paranoid that they're laughing at me. I used to try laughing when they were laughing but they just said "Shut up, Fraely. You are not of the twinge". Those pesky twins make me so mad.

Ganesh

10:46 / 23.03.03

Which one is the Evil Twin?

00:57 / 24.03.03

The evil twin is invariably the one on the left. Which would be your right. Or maybe that's what they want you to think. Shit.

gingerbop

14:45 / 24.03.03

I only saw the very end of the documentary. I always wanted to be a twin... thought it would be well mental. As for the phycic linky thing... i have a bit of that going on with my best friend Craig, and it drives every1 else (much like fraelyboy) mental, coz we either know what each other are thinking, or communicate in our own language. Its very funny- our other friends get very stressed when they dont know what we're talking about.
xx

The Natural Way

15:31 / 24.03.03

I am 25! and I don't actually share a mind-meld, Rage. Sorry.

But we do transform and combine into Remembraxe 25.

Spaniel

08:54 / 26.03.03

***Called by the mind meld***

Didn't see it. Refused to put myself through it.

Reports seem to suggest a bias towards the promotion of that highest virtue of twindom - identicalness. Has anyone noticed that the media always represent twins as essentially the same being: we wear the same clothes, think the same thoughts, share the same emotions, in fact in an ideal world we would live together and marry another identical pair.
Scratch that. In an ideal world we'd probably marry each other.

BEEP BEEP

Oh yes, can anyone tell me whether the programme contained a feature on twin parades, and was there any circus music? Circus music is to the twin as it is to those other freaks the clowns.

And for the record, Runce and I have totally different taste in women.

Saint Keggers

14:51 / 26.03.03

"Which one is the Evil Twin?"

Don't you watch TV? The Evil twin is OBVIOUSLY the one with the goatee.
Eventually he will make his way to the appropriate alternate universe and take over the Enterprise by killling his captain.

Sadly we dont get such shows here...now its all war related specials and documentaries.

Spaniel

21:31 / 26.03.03

Neither of us has a goatee, but Runce did grow an evil looking beard recently.

The Natural Way

12:09 / 27.03.03

Yes, 25 fancies *hawkunfnards*.

Eagle-women.

The Natural Way

09:17 / 28.03.03

Yeah, in the end it's not that progammes like this are completely inaccurate or whatever; it's that by their very existence they contextualise *twins* as this weird...err....phenomenon to be poked and studied. As 25 points out, always celebrating sameness as opposed to anything else. And the absence of any corresponding studies/shows/representation that take the other tack - or just leave the whole "whoah! twins!" thing out entirely - only serves to contribute to the weird, freakish angle twin docs project.

Seriously, you wouldn't believe the amount of fucking times I've been asked the question:

"I know you prolly get this all the time, but do you guys ever, y'know, feel each others pain?/hear each others thoughts?/you get the idea."

Whatever, it's not SUCH a bad thing, but it does irritate.

And at least the aforementioned doc didn't go in for that awful fairground music. Or the bloody carousels. Can you believe THAT shit?

Chubby P

09:43 / 28.03.03

Over the years I've known 3 sets of twins (not all identical) and in every case one of them drinks and one is teetotal because they don't like the taste of alchohol. Its a bit freaky. Its like the alchohol craving gene is only passed onto one of them. So do both of you drink Runce and Iam25?

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