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March 29, 2024, 07:54:50 AM

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John Clarke RIP

Started by sbahnhof, April 10, 2017, 09:04:17 AM

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sbahnhof

He would've had something clever to say about this news, I'm sure. Dunno what the rest of us can summon up though.


http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/328533/nz-satirist-john-clarke-has-died,-aged-68

http://thespinoff.co.nz/tv/10-04-2017/the-blueprint-for-how-new-zealanders-are-hilarious-tributes-to-the-great-john-clarke/

He talked in an interview in January about the current state of the world, with his typical sharpness. He was a gifted writer and performer, especially in identifying so much of the bullshit that surrounds us, and it's quite a shock that he's gone. The Games is my favourite show ever, but he's left behind a large amount of work, both in New Zealand and in his adopted home, Australia. (The "farnarkeling" thing is a bit hard to understand.)

Pinball

This is so sad. 68 is really not that old :-(

I've been a huge fan of John Clarke for many years. The Games series was amazing as you mention, applying to every damn quango and similar organisation since and all their BS, plus the immense number of weekly Clarke and Dawe interview satires (at least as good as the Bird and Fortune ones).  I first heard these on audio cassette in the late 80s. Bought the latest DVD from Oz just a year or so back.

The dry humour and cheeky smile. One of those rare people who is just funny as soon as you see them. And a perfect comedy partner to Bryan Dawe, who is 69 now but is still alive thank Dagg.

RIP.

neveragain

I only saw bits and pieces via Micallef but thought he always looked top class.

13 schoolyards

Yeah, this is just really shitty news. Clarke was still doing top work with Dawe and they were so far ahead of the pack in Australian comedy it's depressing to think of a future without him.

Pretty much all the obits have stressed how nice a guy he was. I interviewed him once close to a decade ago and we talked for well over two hours (and he was still going when I had to leave) - just really smart and willing to talk about pretty much anything with intelligence and wit.

petercussing

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!

Ah, man, that's so crap. Similarly, The Games is one of my fav' ever tv programmes and, for me, as someone who works indirectly with government at various levels, one of the best satires of bureaucracy and government ever put together.

He just had such an amazing way of stripping back bullshit and summing it up in a few simple, hilarous words.

Damn it, i always thought he's go early, for some reason.

The funniest man most people don't know. RIP you funny bastard.

Huxwell

John Clarke: Thanks for your time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=539bkrv7g2k

ABC tribute to John Clarke (30 mins)

Sebastian Cobb


sbahnhof

No wucking furries, Cobber.

Haven't seen the ABC show yet – looking forward to it. There's another fine tribute here:

- https://thespinoff.co.nz/comedy/21-05-2017/beyond-the-gumboot-the-non-dagg-work-of-john-clarke/

QuoteTo be honest, Clarke and Dawe deserve a very long article of their own. If I start talking about them here I'm going to throw an embarrassing number of superlatives about and take up time you could be spending watching clips.

In brief: for a very long time the ABC was lucky enough to have John Clarke and Bryan Dawe present incisive, absurd mock interviews which constitute pretty much the high water mark for political satire in this part of the world. Their best-known clip is 'The Front Fell Off' which I'm assuming you've already seen, been knocked out by and compared to Ionesco and Joyce for yourselves.

The week after he died, Clarke's family suggested this clip ["Immigration"] be played in Clarke and Dawe's regular spot. It demonstrates the anger underpinning much of his work, and is enduringly relevant. Just watch.

Twed

Christ, this thread title gives me a heart attack every single time.