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Underground > Film, TV & Theatre >

Faking It - watch it tonight, UK people

Regrettable Juvenilia

17:04 / 04.12.01

9pm, Channel Four.

It's the one about the shy retiring cellist trying to become a mad-for-it house DJ. It is absolutely brilliant - documentary tv at its best, and a great study in identity, fake-it-til-you-make-it, etc.

Just so you know.

17:15 / 04.12.01

Jesus.

Parts of that are painful - especially the bit where they start teaching her to chant 'Coxy took the roof off last night' and the bit where Anne Savage's friends just laugh at the poor girl.

And there was a very interesting article I saw somewhere which suggested the whole point of the series was to make people unhappy with their original selves, which kind of put me off.

But it is well worth watching though...

17:16 / 04.12.01

So how the hell would someone in America go about getting a copy of this? I remember this discussion from last time, and I'd love to see this episode. If anyone knows how I can get a copy, let me know.

Lazlo Woodbine [some call me Laz]

20:59 / 04.12.01

"'Pete Tong', Wrong.'
Good God, what was that.
If your going to fake d.j.ing at least do it with a more complex style of music.
For instance hip-hop or drum and bass, which is more about 'conducting' the decks, rather than pissing on them.
Lisa lips and co can kiss my arse !!!!!

19:13 / 05.12.01

I think I'm in love with the ballet-dancer-turned-wrestler...

10:11 / 06.12.01

The one with the hot dog stall owner becoming a high-class chef was also excellent.

11:30 / 06.12.01

Ah, I like this one. And I don’t think she emerged from the experience hating who she was/had been – if anything, she seemed to blossom, and come out of herself. She was certainly smiling a lot more at the end of things than she had been at the start of the show, though I know that’s not necessarily the best indicator.

I found myself really rooting for her in the end bit (despite knowing how it was going to turn out, having seen it first time round), as she seemed like a lot of people I know – fundamentally all right, but just lacking in the self-belief to think she could do something which she wasn’t used to.

And as Flyboy says, it’s a great example of fake-it-'til-you-make it…

13:35 / 06.12.01

Am I the only one who thought it seemed a bit fixed. She appeared too naive to be true, almost a caricature. A few of us saw it and thought 'No way, she's not for real'. I wonder if they had to start to make them up a bit so the change was justifiable for telly. If it was real, I bet her parents had a fit, when their layered-haired, belly showing, drunk , 'Sarf-London' foul mouthed little darling came home, and bought some decks to play her break beats in the comfort of the family detached in Richmond.

The one when that bloke had to become a bouncer, and they were trying to teach him to say 'Yer name's not dahn, yer not cummin' in' in an aggressive manner.

14:44 / 06.12.01

That DJ one just showed how easy it is to beat-match house.

Regrettable Juvenilia

14:51 / 06.12.01

"'Pete Tong', Wrong.'
Good God, what was that.
If your going to fake d.j.ing at least do it with a more complex style of music.
For instance hip-hop or drum and bass, which is more about 'conducting' the decks, rather than pissing on them.
Lisa lips and co can kiss my arse !!!!!

How ironic that a show about people getting past their preconceived notions concerning different types of music and culture should get this reaction.

,

and thrice

This probably isn't the place for a debate on the relative 'complexity' of different genres of music or the different skills involved in different types of DJing - take it to the music forum - but I think what was excellent about this Faking It was that it wasn't really about 'faking' at all - the girl discovers that she does like some of the music, and she does like going out and going to clubs and having a good time, and, especially, enjoys DJing: moving the crowd, making people dance. There's a great bit after she comes back from playing at the club in Hoxton, and she's still not very good, but when she talks to the camera afterwards she's all excited about the fact that some people were dancing at all - "to records I chose! I did that!".

Thus, one of the reasons she fools all the experts is that her enthusiasm for the music and the lifestyle is completely genuine and fresh - whereas the girls who've been DJing for a while are all trying too hard to be cool in that bored, detached way... (I also like to think that by the end, the two DJs, Lottie and Lisa, have realised that some of their friends, eg the sneering guy at their party, are absolute wankers - and have learnt not to judge by appearances...)

If it showed that it's easy for a relative beginner to do a good house DJ set, why is that a cause for scorn? Hello - punk, anyone? DIY aesthetic? Honestly, if she'd learnt to play some basic rock chords and passed herself off as a two-bit indie rocker you guys would have creamed your jeans.

I'm not lying when I say I thought it was life-affirming, moving, and inspiring. It also made me want to go out and dance my arse off.

15:00 / 06.12.01

I actually find these things quite moving (in a weeping-into-my-Doritos kinda way) - and not just because I fancied the lycra off the delectable 'Casper'...

11:03 / 07.12.01

'faking it' gets more viewers than 'friends' but less viewers than 'countdown'.
put that in yr pipe and smoke it.

11:44 / 04.10.02

I could've sworn there was a thread about the new series. Is there a thread about the new series, and I've just missed it? Anyway, did anyone actually watch the first ep. on Wednesday - army bloke turned drag queen? He was a natural, methinks...had a lot of the mannerisms down pat after a week, and kicked arse in the final test. Was quite impressive really - much more secure in his masculinity than I would've given him credit for, and remarkably un-homophobic, esp. after the first cold water shock of 'ohmigod a GAY PUB'...

And, btw Ganesh - are you serious about the frightful Casper?

17:15 / 04.10.02

I am indeed. Casper was looovely.