'Clowne and Gas Bottel Remembered" by Paul Ross Posted Sat Nov 25 11:56:29 GMT 2000 by 'Paul Ross'

Yeah, I can remember where I was when I first encountered those catchphrases. I was sitting in front of my computer. There was some debate going on in the Forum over the merits of some comedy show or other and then this weird character called "EVILE GAS BOTTLE" kept appearing and claiming to be evil. Everyone was a bit bemused at first, or more likely annoyed. Every forum or chatroom has some CAPSLOCK lunatic in it, hasn't it? But after a while it got funny. Probably the catchphrases kicking in.

The EVILE CLOWNE came from the old Forum logo (you can still see him looking more evil than ever on the SOTCAA test transmission page).

There were two main concerns in their world: Neil Morrissey and television station logos, A.K.A. 'idents'. The eradication of these things was their raison d'etre. Interestingly, the two main sets of Forum users are the comedy fans and the idents fans. Thus Clowne and Gas Bottel formed an insane bridge between these two disparate groups, uniting them in beilderment.

Catchphrases:

IDEANTS! IDENTSR! IDENSTT!

NELE MORRISEE

Occasionally they were joined by the Little Girl from the Old Forum logo, the sad-eyed waif forever playing noughts and crosses with the Clowne and hiding a dark secret in her past.

After the SOTCAA closure there was a noticeable shift in their postings. They became a force for good, vowing to find the person responsible - and hinting darkly that it had something to do with a Morrisse/idents plot.

Their finest moment came in the Great 11 O'Clock Show War. Various contributors to that show came to the Forum to defend it or slag off its critics. Clowne et al confined themselves to their usual random madness until one day, in a response to an 11ocs writer calling themselves 'The Annihilator', Gas Bottel (if memory serves) delivered a devastatingly accurate critique of the show, while remaining totally in character. This was one of the finest postings ever made to the Forum - spontaneous, insightful and utterly hilarious.

Since the addition of IP addresses to contributors' names, the IDEANTSR! gang have shied away from posting, probably wary of revealing their true identities. However, familar names have recently started to appear in the guestbooks of Forum contributors. TJ's bemused response to one in his own forum is priceless. They're still out there, somewhere.






IDEANTS! IDENTS! IDENGT! INDENBTS!



Subject: Re: 'Clowne and Gas Bottel Remembered [ Previous Message ]
Posted By 'Radiator Head Child' on Sat Nov 25 13:16:45 GMT 2000:

ah the good old days
















IDENTS EVILE

Subject: Re: 'Clowne and Gas Bottel Remembered [ Previous Message ]
Posted By 'Peter Kay' on Sat Nov 25 13:52:50 GMT 2000:

ahahaha...and you know....hehehehe...like when they would...hahahahahahaha...and that capslohahahahha...oh fuck ahahaha it hehehehe I'm never going to finish that sentahahahhahhahahaa....errr, anyone want to sing an old avert from the 80s?

Subject: Re: 'Clowne and Gas Bottel Remembered [ Previous Message ]
Posted By 'Jamie Theakston' on Sat Nov 25 15:14:21 GMT 2000:

Ah well, of course, I remember them before the forum existed...

Subject: Re: 'Clowne and Gas Bottel Remembered [ Previous Message ]
Posted By 'Nele Moristrey' on Sat Nov 25 15:26:10 GMT 2000:

>Their finest moment came in the Great 11 O'Clock Show War. Various contributors to that show came to the Forum to defend it or slag off its critics. Clowne et al confined themselves to their usual random madness until one day, in a response to an 11ocs writer calling themselves 'The Annihilator', Gas Bottel (if memory serves) delivered a devastatingly accurate critique of the show, while remaining totally in character. This was one of the finest postings ever made to the Forum - spontaneous, insightful and utterly hilarious.

It was actually 'EVILL BLU FLAMRE, FREND OFV EVILE GASD BOTREL'

Subject: Re: 'Clowne and Gas Bottel Remembered [ Previous Message ]
Posted By 'kinder surprise' on Sat Nov 25 15:48:07 GMT 2000:

Here's a little something for any IP dodgers:

http://www.anonymizer.com

Subject: Re: 'Clowne and Gas Bottel Remembered [ Previous Message ]
Posted By 'Stuart Maconie' on Sat Nov 25 22:24:20 GMT 2000:

(waits for autocue to appear)

Well they were very much like Morecambe and Wise I remember. Mind you I looked at the old threads or anything, I've got too distracted by coming up with long-prepared 'ad libs' to make me seem the sage of this documentary. I can guarantee this by doing the presenter's script as well. That way I get more money.

I used to be so good as well.


Subject: Re: 'Clowne and Gas Bottel Remembered [ Previous Message ]
Posted By 'Radiator Head Child' on Sun Nov 26 13:14:32 GMT 2000:

Sorry for the inconvienince but this programme was so bad, we have decided to let it run all day and night in an effort to appear cool and channel 4ish...
now back to Stuart...

Subject: Re: 'Clowne and Gas Bottel Remembered [ Previous Message ]
Posted By Bean Is A Carrot on Mon Nov 27 10:46:10 GMT 2000:

(Alright I give in...)

Evil Gas Bottle was better on the radio.

Subject: Re: 'Clowne and Gas Bottel Remembered [ Previous Message ]
Posted By 'boki' on Mon Nov 27 12:13:54 GMT 2000:

>(Alright I give in...)
>
>Evil Gas Bottle was better on the radio.

Is this the TV forum equivalent of that Hitler rule on Usenet, then?

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