RiffTrax: Building an Outline (Full FREE Short)

[@emmagrove6491]

Jim was pleased that, even in death, after a crazed Bill murdered him, his body was outlined by a perfect chalk outline. The teacher left the police investigator a note suggesting they could perhaps make an outline OF the outline.

[@DouglasJohnson.]

That's beautiful!

[@KyleRayner12]

Bill murdered his lover? Noooo!

[@strawbarry7834]

Teacher says that every time someone makes an outline, an angel gets its wings. (However, it's an open question which side claimed Jim after death. I do like to imagine him being forced to outline the nine circles of hell for eternity.)

[@demonkingbadger6689]

Jim never got to that Benjamin Franklin report but his outline was so beautiful, it made the angels cry.

[@robertdiotalevi285]

But the good news is that Bill actually outlined that murder! And that defense worked in court!

[@suedenim]

Sponsored by the Outline Council: "Have you outlined YOUR outlines today?"

[@jennifere.pergola598]

My head started spinning when the narrator began talking about outlines of outlines of outlines....

[@C.V317]

After carefully outlining the outline of my outline of my response to your question, I can confidently say, “yes.”

[@PhilBagels]

I. The hilarious dated style and content of this short. A. Does this narrative style actually influence anyone to use outlines? B. Does it improve anyone's actual report-writing? C. No possible inclusion of modern technology. D. Probably most high school kids today have no idea who Benjamin Franklin is. II. The quality of the riffs. A. Making fun of the datedness of the content. B. Making fun of the narrative style. C. Making fun of the time period. D. Making fun of the poor technical quality of the film. III. Thanking the people of Rifftrax for uploading this free short. A. Acknowledging Mike, Bill, and Kevin. B. Mentioning being a fan of MST3K for decades now. C. Encouraging their future work. IV. Obligatory relevant memes. A. Are outlines grass? B. He tried to kill me with a forklift. C. The Master will be pleased with this outline.

[@IdeaBox-dk5vj]

Excellent work! I look forward to your future homework assignments! A+!

[@GR46404]

You are a master craftsman of words and humor, PhilBagel. All I can say is: Not the bees!

[@lulucalliope713]

Your outline is superb, you've passed this assignment with flying colors! Go home and celebrate, soon we'll start the next chapter: writing better social letters!

[@chillydawgg4354]

This outline is missing a title. A-

[@elphieofkiamoko]

This outline is superlative and I am enraged about it

[@angelabryant9766]

The constant use of the word outline is melting my cortexes.

[@DRChupacabrah]

I hope one day they find a short that uses "Bill" Kevin" and "Mikey" as the kids names.

[@HylianFox3]

Like in 'Safety: Harm Hides at Home': Bill: "Yeah, KEVIN!" Kevin: "I don't recall being a black child."

[@ian_b]

"Have you finished your report Jim?" "No miss, but *thump* this is my first draft of my preliminary outline for producing a first draft of an outline for my report."

[@GR46404]

A+++!!

[@demonkingbadger6689]

Moral of the story: The content of your book report doesnt matter, as long as you got that sweet outline. In fact, you dont even need to research, just write the outline.

[@tugatomskanimation6370]

This reminds me of a typical Yes Minister scene.

[@ian_b]

@@tugatomskanimation6370 🤣🤣🤣

[@BlueLiminality]

Say what you will, but their cursive is freaking beautiful.

[@HylianFox3]

Their what now?

[@locnar1]

I work in a school and Cursive is still taught. I'm sick of hearing it isn't. Fifth grade is expected to write in cursive only, unless they have learning disabilities.

[@misterturkturkle]

I thought that was arabic

[@misterturkturkle]

@@locnar1 enjoy prison

[@HylianFox3]

@@locnar1 We learned cursive in Second grade IIRC. But aside from signatures we were never required to use it...

[@melissaclaassen9707]

The outline about outlines triggered my own suppressed memories about meetings to plan meetings that I have attended at work.

[@GR46404]

Isn't an agenda like an outline for a meeting? Or in other words, you are spot on.

[@elafimilo8199]

Oh my Gd, yes

[@napalmholocaust9093]

2 ring binders! That's insanity!

[@owllymannstein7113]

It was the 40's, they were still dealing with ww2 steel rationing.

[@rngwrm]

outlining an outline was more meta than i needed this morning

[@megandonnelly5831]

Be sure to watch Cornet's 18 part series "Revising Your Revisions on Your Revised Outline".

[@ClayLoomis1958]

Written reports were important, but sweater vests were more so.

[@tritiumH3]

"What Jim can do, anyone can do" man these shorts were COLD

[@petergray7576]

The outline shaming is very strong in this.

[@tskmaster3837]

Why does that teacher's grand comment sound like a sponsored video? "Making a KZbin video is a lot of work but Squarespace saves you that work."

[@deirdre108]

Like all the other high school students I knew who had to also turn in the outline with our paper, I wrote the paper first and THEN the outline. Also, 04:40 we're getting into meta territory here.

[@sachertorte1000]

Christopher Nolan's next film: Outlines

[@Leatherargento]

I did, too.

[@HylianFox3]

"GAH! Bill was just a figment of Jim's twisted imagination!"

[@Nightweaver1]

Dimension hopping saves valuable seconds!

[@chrisc6857]

Bill was Jim's Tyler Durden.... First rule of Outline Club: You don't talk about outline club!

[@BGNOLA]

An online about outlines? A pothead's head just exploded.

[@debayeuxchats5607]

I want to make fun of outlines, but the amount of work I help edit that would benefit from one is astounding. Too often I take their essay, extrapolate a thesis, create three supporting paragraphs, figure out the theses of each of those…write with passion, but when you’re doing your next draft, at least give an outline a good try! I promise they help!

[@GR46404]

I agree with you, when it comes to writing non-fiction. But as of right now, there are 214 comments, and yours seems to be the first with a good word to say about outlines. Rifftrax also did covered a short film about writing more effective paragraphs that was far superior to this film in illustrating the need to organize information. Outlines may be a great thing, but this movie seemed to emphasize the importance of knowing NOTHING about your subject before making one. I found that startling.

[@AlcoholicBoredom]

When you try to write a paper without an outline…you shake hands with danger (ba doobie doobie doo doo)

[@stephen3164]

Hey, what you do after you finish the outline is your business - just lock the door and try not to make a lot of sounds.

[@demonkingbadger6689]

@@stephen3164 seize the bone

[@RobotoSan]

Never "built" an outline before. Written a bunch, but the word "building" implies tools beyond pencil and paper or a computer. Perhaps a viewing of Shake Hands With Danger should be a prerequisite to building an outline.

[@TheRogueWolf]

Remember to turn off the engine and remove the keys before building an outline!

[@matthewmitchell5636]

budurbudurbudur-doo!

[@KyleRayner12]

Now, you're organizing with danger

[@TheRogueWolf]

"What Jim can do, anyone can do." Yeah, that was pretty obvious from the outset... oh, he's talking about outlines, isn't he?

[@WesMoast]

I'm going to use this to win an essay contest and get a job selling shoes. What's the worst that could happen?

[@DouglasJohnson.]

Don't forget to tell them your birthday is tomorrow!

[@lisvender]

At the very least you’ll get a free hamburger

[@Gappasaurus]

Just don’t take that second job running “errands” 😅

[@sachertorte1000]

@@lisvender A charbroiled hamburger sandwich with a french fried potatoes garnish, but don't forget the gun.

[@Edward-jn5pl]

Are you happy with your work? Do you never ever shirk? (You could be asking yourself that.)

[@barbllm]

Did you guys use an outline to organize your riffs?

[@Monkofmagnesia]

On OCT 17, 2018, I paid Rifftrax for this short. If only I waited 3.5 years.

[@SaturmornCarvilli]

Bill is my hero. School is where teachers read the outline and not the report. In the real world, no one reads the outline (and won't pay you if you create one), and almost no one evens read the report too. I say this as someone that writes 1-5 reports every day.

[@MoonShadowWolfe]

And here I often _only_ read the summary, especially on scientific reports.

[@TerrenceNowicki]

Bill is a real Mr. Bungle.

[@GR46404]

That's why nobody wants to eat with him.

[@HanMasho]

"People under 30 are probably wondering what this weird, loopy writing is." Wow, you really nailed it with that number. I'm 32, and I had to do most of my elementary school writing in cursive, but by the time I got to middle and high school, they stopped caring.

[@richmcgee434]

This kind of formal, relatively elaborate outline was a lot closer to useful in the days before word processing software. Now that you can effortlessly drop sentences or whole paragraphs in wherever you like and edit your work on the fly they're more of a last step than a start. Not quite useless even today, but they sure don't save you the time and effort they would have back when you'd have to re-type big chunks of your work to make minor changes.

[@KairuHakubi]

yeah I was gonna say, I did a lot of short essays in school and usually the briefest of bullet points on another sheet of notebook paper was all I had to do, by the time we had BIG essays they actually _required_ us to type them up, and thankfully I had a home computer by then.. way easier. never looked back.

[@richmcgee434]

@@KairuHakubi Yep, anyone who lived through the transition from "needed a typewriter for high school/college" to "I have access to a printer" knows what that's like. I admit I still write stuff out longhand in a spiral notebook once in a while, but only when I'm inspired to write when I'm away from a keyboard. I'm a dinosaur, and typing on my phone with these big fat arthritic fingers is slower than using a pen and paper. This film's totally over the top about it, but doing proper outlines did actually save some time back in the day. These days it's just quaintly outdated.

[@KairuHakubi]

@@richmcgee434 Though I suppose few people are questioning the need to write these long reports and essays in the first place.

[@richmcgee434]

@@KairuHakubi There's been a cultural shift toward shorter communication forms over my lifetime, but learning how to write longer pieces still has validity in some fields. Any kind of science or technical writing, many of the humanities, and of course fiction writing for its own sake, you'll use the basics of what those longer papers taught you there. For most folks though, I doubt their jobs or hobbies will ever require writing more than a few hundred words at a time, and some won't even reach that. For them long-form writing is going to be nearly useless once they're out of school, but you can say for most of the math you're taught too. Day to day life doesn't call for much beyond algebra for most people. Doesn't mean we shouldn't teach it to the kids in case they do go on to a career where it's going to stay important to them.

[@KairuHakubi]

@@richmcgee434 you know what, you're right. I forgot all about *reviews.* a well-written review or documentary on an interesting subject is a totally important time to organize your thoughts. These days I watch as many of those as I do scripted entertainment, which is crazy.

[@matthewmitchell5636]

Fifteen and a half outlines in Jim finally realizes his folly, but knows by now he's in too deep. All he can do is keep writing outlines until death comes to claim him.

[@demonkingbadger6689]

To be fair this teacher obviously didnt care if the students did the report, just as long as they turned in an outline. That was Bill's mistake.

[@Nightweaver1]

"Jim's given up ever knowing the touch of a woman."

[@shwahgamer]

That's alright, he's clearly more interested in the outlines.

[@TheLichruler]

"Later that evening, Jim revises and polishes his outline on outlining" The fact that line was said with a straight face shows the 1950s DESPERATELY needed the internet...

[@EddieHawkinsII]

Outlining the outline is like filling out a form to get the form to order more forms.

[@GR46404]

Did you remember your TPS report cover sheet?

[@demonkingbadger6689]

Jim will be a good bureaucrat.

[@benrichardson5662]

Sounds like a trip to the DMV.

[@crixxxxxxxxx]

Forgot to include a section in the outline about Franklin’s love of nailing the French babes.

[@richmcgee434]

Nationality really didn't matter that much to Ben. If he'd been sent to Berlin instead of Paris he'd have been shagging the German gals just as happily.

[@doctorcoat6607]

French do it best

[@gsigs]

I hear you like outlines, so I put an outline in your outline so you can outline while you outline.

[@user-os7ec4dm8x]

Let me just outline that.

[@Merylstreep1949]

You owe me a coffee as I spit mine across the room I laughed so hard. Please send payment for such or just make more videos for us. Also make an outline on why making videos like this is important and be sure to show your work.

[@mrsrobophile]

I'd always hastily scribble the outline and index cards after I wrote my reports. Teachers never noticed.

[@yuvgotubekidding]

We all don’t have the skills Jim has. Screw him.

[@KyleRayner12]

Bill's trying to.

[@NeptuneRising70]

Four years of college as an English major, and all I ever did was plan my thesis then wrote around it. I hated outlines!

[@stephen3164]

Jim turns in first page with just a rectangle on it. Teacher: “What’s this?” Jim: “Duuuuh, me outline book.” Teacher: “And what is this dry leathery material you turned in?” Jim: “Duuuuh, me write essay on Ben Franklin.” Teacher: “Oh Jim... not again!” *Trombone slide sound*

[@MrArgus11111]

Outlines are great unless you don't actually need them to get As. I had this issue until I learned to bs the required outlines or sometimes even make the outline the teacher demanded AFTER I had finished writing the paper. "Really follows your outline! Great work!" I didn't really start needing outlines of any kind until post grad. Not bragging but demonstrating that they are a major pain in the ass if the teacher requires them when you yourself don't need one.

[@Du-Masses]

Me too but it’s sometimes hard to learn things out of order. I looove outlines now

[@kathleenmorrison2908]

Oh amen. Especially for in-class work where there’s no need to cite, since you’re just putting down what the teacher and textbook from 1999 just told you.

[@owllymannstein7113]

The education system is designed by people who have never had jobs outside of the education system, hence why the required way of doing things is never the most efficient or results in the best product.

[@kafan439]

The hand-writing on the blackboard and on the note cards is unreal. If you press that hard it will take a week of detentions to get that fully erased. (Trust me on this.)

[@GR46404]

The range of things I learn from RiffTrax is amazing.

[@toddevangelista]

I thought outlining was just for dead bodies! Boy, did I learn ... something.

[@user-os7ec4dm8x]

When outlining a dead body, make sure you have your dead body outlining cards with each card outlined as to where in the outline it fits.

[@Du-Masses]

Ah. This totally gives me flashbacks to teaching my first undergraduate beginning writing class (where 80% of the essays I received were 💯 % downloaded from the internet. )

[@manicpixiefangirl4189]

I’m an English major and after watching this I have no clue what an outline is.

[@Zara-Bari]

I'd write a paper explaining it, but I don't have time. I have to do all of this outlining first. And then I need to outline what I outlined.

[@GrizDrummer25]

The biggest threat to your paper about outlining your paper on Ben Franklin; ghost pencils trying to erase your prescious outline!

[@michaelsoltesz3779]

These old educational films actually show me how little i paid attention in school. Very eerie. 😳

[@ChibiPanda8888]

Everyone take a shot when the narrator says "outline"! ....unless you like living. Then maybe don't.

[@Mibbitmaker]

"Don't be jealous, Bill... I hear tell that hot shot Jim doesn't know what a 'rundown' is! Hah!"

[@CinnamonGrrlErin1]

Goofus and Gallant: The Movie

[@Zara-Bari]

Outline the outline of your outline so that you can outline WHILE you outline your outline.... what was the topic again?

[@KyleRayner12]

Rookie mistake: always put your topic in the center of your outline's outline concept web

[@Zara-Bari]

@@KyleRayner12, but what if I need to use that space for additional outlines?

[@KyleRayner12]

@@Zara-Bari For that, see Coronet's 3-part series on outline free space partitioning.

[@Zara-Bari]

@@KyleRayner12, gee, I'm gonna have to make a chart for this stuff. But first, I'll outline my plan for the chart. And then I'll outline that.

[@CanItAlready]

I wouldn't wanna work with either one of them. One doesn't do enough work and the other does way too much. 😨

[@mattyboyanderson]

If I were a Riffer this one would've broken me. I would've jumped out the window one minute in.

[@CinnamonGrrlErin1]

It really gives "Setting Up a Room" a run for it's money

[@elafimilo8199]

And just think of the number of times they watched it to write the jokes.

[@The-Plaguefellow]

Well, depending on how far above the ground you are, at least everyone else will have solid material to outline around for practice.

[@fromthecheapseats7126]

@@CinnamonGrrlErin1 I’m convinced the older teacher from that short was Jim’s high school girlfriend.

[@sporedoutofmymind]

1:29 Bill had to make it to the Girl in Gold Boots set in a hurry.

[@steve-ph9yg]

Did I die and go to sweater vest heaven!!

[@chrisc6857]

"An outline themed Batman villain." Considering Batman has already seen Polka-Dot Man, Zebra Man, Ten Eyes Man (Has an eye on the tip of each finger. Batman beats him by throwing a cactus and shouting 'catch!') and Condiment King, this actually isn't very unlikely.

[@ShadowTigerKing]

I consider myself very competent in American english but this was confusing. He made an extra outline OF the first outline ? Then he started to compile a bibliography but they called THAT an outline as well ?

[@suedenim]

There is NO limit to what outlines can do for you! NONE! History? Outline it! Math! Science! Lunch! Yes, even the humble sandwich can be improved by outlining! When you take Claudia to the drive-in, be sure you prepare an outline for your date! Have you outlined the short subjects and the snack bar ads? Outline the "bases!" And be sure to show Claudia your outline before first base!

[@ElvenRaptor]

@@suedenim You can even outline your cat!

[@theboombody]

I believe you summed up the short's narrative correctly. Yep, very confusing.

[@fromthecheapseats7126]

@@suedenim This sounds like something they’d say on an MST3K host sketch.

[@typacsk]

I can only assume that the scriptwriter was paid per usage of the word.

[@luisostasuc8135]

~3:38 "jim's given up ever knowing the touch of a woman" cuz he's a definite powerbottom. 'Imma outline how you get that in there, when, and how hard' XD

[@abundantYOUniverse]

We love you Rifftrax!

[@davee.9906]

Drinking a cup of tea while watching this is dangerous. I think I've burned the skin inside my nose and throat from laughing.

[@Iwantthe90s]

At first I thought it said building an online (website) which seemed weird considering the short looks like it’s from the 50s. I had to read it again to see outline.

[@user-os7ec4dm8x]

Don't worry after 30 seconds of pressing play you'll have heard the word outline 3,456 times just to hammer the point home.

[@LeCrosse]

This one took me back to grade school, and nauseated me with anxiety 😝

[@speedystriper]

Just discovered this RiffTrax channel a few weeks ago/ Very funny stuff. Been a big fan of MST3K for a long time also/ I will write a more detailed comment later, after I do an outline first.....

[@cujoedaman]

Don't forget to outline your outline. Oh, outline your sources for your comment too. Just sayin'.

[@chillydawgg4354]

There is a lot of great stuff for you to catch up on

[@AH-cy4md]

You can watch lots of great MST3k, Rifftrax, Cinematic Titanic, and The Film Crew, for free on Pluto and Tubi👍

[@Edward-jn5pl]

It's time for Rifftrax.

[@AROBASPARK]

Barely a second in and the PSA preemptively cuts out Mike lmaoXD Conclusion: This PSA is out of Bounds. "No I don't regret say that" said the village idiot, as the angry mob throws over the cliff.

[@DouglasJohnson.]

A very grateful thank you to the good people at Rifftrax for another great short! This had me laughing out loud, a lot.

[@davidlundquist1979]

I admit, I never thought I'd find myself thinking, '"Tortured Ouroboros of an Outline" would be a great name for a band,' but here we are.

[@aceofthegame]

This is exactly how I outline things even now. Did anyone else actually learn something?

[@GR46404]

About outlines or about you? :)

[@frankallen3634]

Christ they wore the same school uniform as I did...well mine was a burgundy vest

[@Evil0tto]

An Outline for a KZbin Comment About a Rifftrax Short About Outlining I. What is Bill smoking? 1a. Pot 1b. Crystalized drain cleaner? II. Jim's obsession with outlining IIa. Leads to mass murder IIb. Cursive mistakes. START OVER! DO IT RIGHT!!! IIc. Shame I am now ready to write my KZbin comment, which will receive an excellent grade.

[@realbadger]

"Taking into account Benjamin Franklin's siring so many bastards, Franklin is considered the _real_ 'Father of his country'..."

[@rinoz47]

Good job in finding the dorkiest shorts to riff

[@sgtmajor5700]

Bill will mistakenly write about Jimmy Franklin.

[@SomeOrangeCat]

Are outlines corn?

[@Nightweaver1]

No, but they're like drugs.

[@robertdiotalevi285]

Jim studied outlining so long that he never got around to writing the actual paper and flunked out. By the way I did outline this riff before writing it.

[@DANGMQ]

An outline? What do you think we are? Millionaires?

[@adamfowler350]

You know, at some point in history, this video was made to be taken seriously, and even shown to people for education, maybe even whole classrooms, lol.

[@josephblumenberg6574]

I still don’t think there was enough outlining in this

[@user-os7ec4dm8x]

Can you outline why please?

[@billrules8716]

"An outline themed Batman villain"! hahahahaha

[@AuntieVonn]

Woohoo! Making my Monday marvelous!

[@sslocke]

Outlining will serve Bill well when he goes off to Korea

[@luisreyes1963]

So glad I wasn't in high school in the post-WW2 era, that would have drove me insane. 🤪

[@ProjectFlashlight612]

I got lost after outlining my outline about outlining the outline of my outline.

[@tomitstube]

i started taking a drink everytime i saw or hurd the wurd foutlyne.

[@diannemose244]

When he's using a dead raccoon as a pillow 😂

[@demonkingbadger6689]

Bill's grade on the Benjamin Franklin paper was better than Jim's. As despite it being poorly outlined, it was at least actually turned in before semester's end.

[@tritiumH3]

9:10 and the Coronet/Alfred Higgins rivalry continues. Of course, none of them dare to mess with ACI...

[@GR46404]

ACI was crazy. You don't mess with crazy.

[@zergmare7]

Even though i love MST3k, this is so much better

[@GR46404]

So the way to write a report or essay is: A) Study outlines. DO NOT READ ABOUT YOUR TOPIC. B) Make an outline about how to make outlines. DO NOT READ ABOUT YOUR TOPIC. C) Make an outline about your topic while knowing absolutely nothing about it. DO NOT READ ABOUT YOUR TOPIC. D) Read tiny bits about your subject solely to support whatever you put in your outline. E) Make index card for every tiny bit you find. F) Write report that corresponds to outline, with many footnotes linked to index cards. G) PROFIT!

[@richmcgee434]

I was in high school in the early 80s and that process would still reliably get you a passing grade from most teachers. Probably worked even better in the 50s. Far too many schoolteachers care more about the way you write about a subject that what you actually learned. Which, honestly, is not untrue of a lot of workplace experiences either. I can't even call it bad life prep, because the real world is often just as shallow and artificial as school was.

[@boobah5643]

So, you've been to J-school then?

[@GR46404]

@@richmcgee434 I wish I coudl show you you were wrong about the real world, Rich McGee. I really do, but I can't. Sorry.

[@masterYoshimistsu]

Step 1: Build an outline Step 2: Set up a room Step 3: ??? Step 4: Profit

[@Zara-Bari]

Is step 3 grass?

[@ajs3994]

I can actually read his notes. An improvement from most of my notes.

[@user-os7ec4dm8x]

It's simple, you just need to outline why your notes are no good, then outline your outline before starting your notes.

[@genesisfrost8627]

9:04 Bill's next outline will be how to get back at his teacher.

[@AGirlofYesterday]

Just think: the screenwriter sat down and outlined how to structure a film in which outlines would be outlined.

[@AverageEmu]

Instructive. 🍰🎂

[@paulguerrero972]

Watch out for outlines!!!

[@tritiumH3]

1:30 Bill really does just disapparate, doesn't he

[@jackmonaghan8477]

"An outline themed Batman villain" - Beware Gotham City! For you will suffer the wrath of the Outliner!

[@builderdex]

This is a lot less dark than "CORONET Presents: BUILDING AN OUTLINE (Forensic Investigation Series)"

[@GR46404]

You need to pitch this to the people who make CSI or Law and Order. Unless they already did it 15 years ago and I just forgot.

[@robert_bbiii]

Jim does an outline for his shopping list, doesn't he

[@MichaelB-jw5po]

"Come on Bill, you're a white male in the 40s, you'll be fine no matter what!"