I was chatting to AB the night when the Slashdotting happened on MSN, about the usual selection of nonsense. And it always *is* nonsense. He came up with something which amused me, and has been sitting in the back of my head for the two days since then when I've been pretending to be a good boyfriend over in Bristol.

It's about critical analysis.

Perhaps somewhat predictably, being self-taught in almost everything I've ever done, I tend to value the creation of your own tools for analysis more than appropriation of pre-existing tools. Being given a set of equipment for doing the job means you actually *understand* them far less than a set you've constructed for yourself. So even if the tools you've made aren't actually as perfect as ones bigger heads have done, you can put them to better use.

I've got a load. So, watching rubbishy Cheerleader-teen-comedy Bring It On last night - blame Curran for his recommendation - I found myself describing it as Major-key storytelling. Now, some devotee of Robert McKee's "Story" would describe it as a particularly crass Archplot, but the comparison to the big, open, strident and obvious chords makes more sense. Its what a film like that feels like, so the comparison works better.

Since we were chatting about the NGJ, I lobbed him the copy of my Cradle article. After reading which, he swiftly coined one for a certain technique I've based far too much of my journalistic career on. And since it's an amusing one, I've decided to steal it.

He's describes reading it before striking an unexpected personal revelation about me, which appears to come from nowhere but swiftly makes perfect sense - and adds a certain credulence to the rest of the article by its very presence. After all, if he didn't believe what he was writing, why would he drag in a clearly personal and painful memory? I'm not saying what the moment was - you can wait for the article for that - but it comes from the same place that made me elaborate at great length about my various Exs in my early-period gamer reviews. Exhibitionism, yes, but exhibitionism for an artistic purpose.

(AB also used it extensively in his brilliant - even better than Bow Nigger - Possessing Barbie)

AB describes it as the following "'Cos it goes: Kieron talking, kieron talking, Kieron, FUCK ME KIERON IN HIS UNDERPANTS".

So there you go: The Underpants Moment. Go abuse it as you will.

Appendix:

cheesetoasties: I don't uinderstand the underpants moment.
ProfHades0K: Okay
ProfHades0K: I like this game
ProfHades0K: And the games graphics are good
ProfHades0K: and the sound is good
ProfHades0K: and my mum died alone
ProfHades0K: And this game reminds me of that
ProfHades0K: And the levels are good
cheesetoasties: I get you.