Stop --inging Already!

Melody emailed me a wonderful rant on titles relying on an -ing. I found this rant endlessly amusing, and she's graciously allowed me to share her obsession with you. Forgetting Sarah Marshall kicked it off and made her realize she's sick to death of these "verb/name titles." I remember Fred Leebron tell my former friend who then told me that you should never title a story with an -ing verb. At the time having just written one called "Cat Killing," I thought he was being insane. But now I can't stand them either. I don't remember Leebron's rationale, but I wish I did. What is it with these -ing titles that disgusts us so? Melody, by the way, would be especially disappointed with me for "Cat Killing" because she proposed "KILLING anything as a title should be banned for life!" To exorcise this demon, she began a list of offenders, which I find startlingly comprehensive. She also invites you to add your own.

Her list:

Losing Isaiah

Losing Gemma (tv)

Losing Hope (2001)

Losing Lois Lane

Losing Aaliyah (doc)

Losing Grace

Losing Toby (animation-short)

Losing Ahmad (doc)

Losing Alice (in production)

Losing Jerry

Losing Juggles (short -Canada)

Losing Julia (short)

Losing Lois (short doc)

Losing Chase (tv)

Chasing Amy

Chasing Liberty

Chasing Holden

Chasing Papi

Chasing Cain

Chasing Buddha (doc)

Chasing Andy

Chasing Chekhov

Chasing Dora (doc)

Chasing Leonard (short)

Chasing Tchaikovsky

Judging Amy (tv)

Kissing Jessica Stein

Kissing Katie Holmes (short)

Kissing Miranda (tv)

Kissing Buba (UK short)

Kissing Jake (short)

Kissing Kate (short)

Kissing Paul Newman (short)

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Forgetting Betty (short)

Forgetting Aphrodite (short)

Being Julia

Being Claudine

Being Cyrus

Being John Malkovich

Being Eve (tv series)

Being Mick (doc -tv)

Being Dorothy

Being Ron Jeremy

Being Doctor Who (interview-

Being Dom Joly (UK tv)

Killing Zoe

Killing Emmett Young

Killing Joe (short film)

Killing Mr. Griffin (tv movie)

Killing Cupid

Killing Pablo (in production, starring Christian Bale and Javier Bardem)

Killing Ariel

Killing Heinz (animated short)

Killing Hitler (tv)

Killing Priscilla (tv doc)

Killing Cinderella

Killing Kevin

Killing Killian

Killing Zelda Sparks

Killing Christian (2003)

Killing Christian (2005)

Killing Horace (1914 -starring Fatty Arbuckle -short film)

Killing Jackie (short)

Killing Mary Jane

Killing Rasputin

Battling Butler

Battling Marshal

Battling Bosko (animation - 1932)

Battling Bates (1923)

Battling Brewster (1924)

Battling Buddy (1924)

Battling Bunyon (1925)

Battling Burke (1928)

Battling Jane (1918)

Battling Mason (1924)

Battling Romeo (1925)

Battling Torchy (1922 short)

Battling Siki

Wrestling Ernest Hemingway

Driving Miss Daisy

Finding Forrester

Finding christa (doc)

Finding Preet

Finding Nemo (animated)

Finding Buck McHenry

Finding Kate

Finding Kelly

Finding Amanda

Finding Rin Tin Tin (doc)

Capturing the Friedmans (doc)

Teaching Mrs. Tingle

Boxing Helena

Running against Dick

Seeing Iris

Saving Private Ryan

Saving Silverman

Saving Grace (tv)

Saving Grace (1997 UK)

Saving Grace (1998)

Saving Grace (2008 -post production)

Saving Jessica lynch (tv)

Saving Sarah Cain

Saving Shiloh

Saving Angelo

Saving Milly (tv)

Saving Emily (tv)

Saving Jackie

Saving Luna

Saving Private Tootsie

Saving Sophie

Saving Jason (tv)

Saving Mabel's Dad (1913)

Saving Raffles (1917 UK)

Saving Sam

Saving Sheba

Saving Sister Aimee

Saving Sister Susie

Serving Sarah

Helping Grandma (1931)

Helping John (1912)

Helping Henry (tv series)

Helping McAdoo (1918 animation)

Helping Mother

Loving Jezebel

Hunting Chris Ryan (tv mini-series)

Sleeping Betty

Catching Kringle

Then I have a few that are verb/place:

Losing manhattan

Saving CBGB

Leaving Las Vegas

Losing Lusk (short doc)

Chasing Montana