Mr Tinkles' Litter Tray: Laugh

I haven't blogged for the best part of a month...so I guess it had better be on a subject of national - nay International - importance...

So what then?..The Credit Crunch?..Iraq?..The U.S. Election?

Question...Why does Russell Brand have such big hair?

Answer below...

Que? Que?

To be honest, I couldn't care less if they fine Brand and Ross (they're both so rich, it would be meaningless anyway - a bit like when a football club fines one of its stars a weeks wages) - if they fine the beeb, they're only fining you and me anyway...

I wonder if the BBC would factor any fine into their next submission to have the licence fee increased...

I actually think that Ross has a fair bit of talent, he did a good job of stepping into Barry Norman's shoes - his interviews with film stars seem to show a genuine interest in them, rather than the (all too common) rattling off a researcher's set of questions without listening to the answer.

I don't listen to his show on Radio 2 (or very little else on Radio 2 for that matter) so couldn't comment there. I remember him from "They Think It's All Over" where he showed a quick wit and I have occasionally watched his chat show. Actually with both these latter examples he betrayed a tendency to chuck in the odd obscenity for no other reason than a cheap laugh - a shame, he's cleverer than that.

Yes, this "jape" was unpleasant, it probably crossed a line - and you have to wonder if the two of them are so thick that they really didn't think it would get some people upset; Radio 2 (late night or not) is surely the home of middle (and middle-aged) England!

Actually, I wonder if when you reach a certain level of celebrity, you simply think you're fireproof...

And it wasn't even funny...phone pranks can be very funny...a few minutes on U tube can show us that - but this one failed dismally.

And I would understand entirely if Andrew Sachs had wanted to complain himself - also, his granddaughter (her chosen profession would seem irrelevant to me). I guess that she is doing her best to further embarrass her granddad by touting her story round the tabloids...oh well...

I should imagine though, that the majority of the complaints were from people who had not heard the original show and either have still not or have found it on the Internet - ah well I suppose we not only have the right to be offended we also have the right to seek it out!

But I still haven't really reached my point - the point is that we pay these people huge amounts of money and all they can do is do their job lazily.

I love comedy (I would make a case that it is one of God's greatest gifts to us) and I have a particular love of (and admiration for) the stand-up comedian and their like. But there is a habit that some have, I guess if they are a bit short of material or the act's not going too well, they resort to dropping in an obscenity or insulting someone. Usually the someone is an individual or organisation that has fallen out of favour...

So back in the 80's you could get away with "Thatcher...what a cow..." Oh how we laughed...

And once we realised Tony wasn't all we hoped for, there was "Blair...what a bastard..." One moment while I pick myself up off the floor.

And since the rise of militant atheism, you can always get a laugh with "Christians...wankers..." Ho ho ho...

By the way, if anyone thinks God hasn't got a sense of humour, well, He tells one just as good...

"Atheists - morons..." Don't believe me? - check out Psalm 14 - perhaps not a belly laugh, but at least as funny...

This type of "comedy" can of course be much of the material of a poor act, much like racist jokes were the staple of certain comics in the 70's. A few weeks ago we went to see Russell Howard, who was excellent, by the way. Unfortunately his support wasn't as good and started by getting the audience to shout out the rudest swear word they could think of - surprise, surprise, the "C word" won hands down. But you can forgive him, he's clearly learning his craft and hopefully will not need to resort to that type of cheap trick for that long.

But this can also be found coming from those at the top of their craft. Stephen Fry (One of the cleverest and wittiest performers (he's so much more than just a comic) around) fell into this trap on "QI" some time back. after an interesting (well it should be!) point about the battle of Culloden he resorted to "Religion - shit!" - Cue huge applause.

That, as I said was a bit of an aberration. Generally, if Fry was to make a joke about religion, it would be well thought out (and he certainly knows enough to be aware that Culloden was about way more than religion) and probably well deserved - God knows we give comedians enough material!!!

But in case he's caught a bit short of material again, here's one to try, Stephen - "Gays - pathetic!"

Oh wait a minute...perhaps that won't get a laugh...

Anyway, to return to Mr Brand and Mr Ross. I had an idle moment a few weeks back and channel hopped until I ended up on something like the comedy channel - a watched about ten minutes of Russel Brand's stand-up comedy act.

I say comedy but all it actually consisted of was a long monologue on how he is treated badly by the press.

"They said I was in Cannes but I was nowhere near!" - I paraphrase but honestly, there was nothing else, no punchline , no irony...but the audience laughed away (not particularly loudly, it must be said). Apart from this sort of stuff, there were the random swear words (which got rather louder laughter - go figure).

Not that it was particularly offensive...it was just boring, certainly not cutting edge. (It's amusing how many of Ross' and Brand's defenders over the last few days have tried that tactic "Oh, he's just too cutting edge!" - Davina McCall said as much when asked for her opinion on the row - Davina being so cutting edge herself, of course.)

Mind you, I'm generally suspicious of anyone who brings out a biography almost before they've left school...for crying out loud why can't these people wait until they've actually done something???