"the most pompous, humourless message board"

[butnut]

It's far too cold here and everyone is wearing silly hats.

That's my Muscovite argument.

EDIT - unlucky Selfy - you've been paged!

EDIT 2 - oh the shame.

[Almost Yearly]

This thread alone has been pretty funny so far, unintentionally.

That's my shite argument.

Not sure if this is aimed at me or Yearly. Maybe it's both.

Thought it was me doing the ridiculing, sob, but it was the girly playground quality of ELW10's "Ah, so that's why Popbitch is full of ... ... I'd often wondered."  that I was ridiculing, not the pompous wrong-worded bit in between which you subsequently (barely) ridiculed. Bloody new kids in town stealing my thunder, there's no respect, it's the quick and the dead round here, etc. I was only taking the piss cos mayer told me to anyway sir.

I too first thought this, when I started reading CC a year ago: I don't now, certainly not to any significant effect, nor about a significant amount of posters.

I did not have sex with that woman.


This appears to be a fairly good-humoured 'attack' on our collective name, doesn't it? As evidenced by the strapline thing, which comes across as self-effacing doesn't it? Naive old me, shouldn't the only response as such be in kind, what? Like Mr A's one at the top of page 1, or possibly mine at the bottom. Any real defensiveness expressed, especially if pompously and/or humourlessly, well that's a bit wet.
.

[Neil]

I thought of sticking up a strapline or temp new logo, but they beat us to it, so it would just look like we're copycats.

[Go With The Flow]

is it the ACTUAL popbitch that made fun of the site, or a forum user? From what I gathered, it's just some guy writing a comment.

[Pinball]

hehe hasn't Popbitch got a shit forum?

[aaaaaaaaaargh!]

is it the ACTUAL popbitch that made fun of the site, or a forum user? From what I gathered, it's just some guy writing a comment.

Popbitch's message board banner said something to the effect that it was the second most humourless and pompous site on the internet, so I think they were following his lead.

[Bogey]

You can say what you like about them, but you can't deny they make a good case.

That's my Samsonite argument.

I don't care if the moment's gone. I'm off for a laqer* now, you squares!

*Guinness

[mayer]

I think that one of the most common things 'outsiders' assume about Comedy Chat, and, for that matter, comedy criticism in general, is that the posters most commonly identified as 'bitter', 'twisted', 'bileful' etc., are in fact failed comedians/comic writers themselves, or perhaps those still in the process of failing. People who, when they watch comedy, are sat there sneering and thinking, "I can do better than this cunt, if only I'd had the breaks/balls/contacts/whatever." So, you know, their criticism is quite often based on hidden jealousy and regret.

I always felt that it was the focus on critics, rather than comedians, that inspired some to (wrongly, I believe), think that the CC-massive are "bitter and twisted". Comedians are comedians, and critics are critics, and a lot of critics focussing on the writings of other critics may give the impression of resentment at their success in their field.

I personally don't think that such "bitter and twisted"-ness is the case, but I can fully understand how that misconception can arise.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Plus people think it's failed comedians being bitter and twisted and sneering at the success of other comedians.

I think ELW10's comments earlier about "positivity being the default setting", and his subsequent comments hit the nail on the head for me.

There may be unfair comments, fairly skewed opinion and some comedy discussion that ventures into the obtuse and the inaccessible (pompous, perhaps?) but it's not really bitter, any of it.

This place is an easy target from other places that are essentially stakeholders into the success of other people we dare to criticize. I'm glad that this forum is honest and puts peoples noses out of joint.

EDIT- It's really hard to argue against being humourless without sounding pompous isn't it? It's a watertight insult to throw at someone!

[Garfield And Friends]

Lighten up everyone! ROFL

[Almost Yearly]

"We fucked Muttleee's missus," is their strapline now, we're tomorrow's chip paper already. (Bloody hell, I did expect at least to find a proper forum there, but they're just passing post-it notes.)


At least we all have beautiful bushy negroid hair.

That's my afrodite answer.

[hoverdonkey]

Are we having an emotional crisis? Is therapy on the cards? Has the latest criticism forced CaB's members into terrible, irreversible introspection? A State of the Board debate looks dangerously close.

(Quick swoop of camera onto Trevor McDonald's mad visage in a virtual studio)

"Join us after Footballer's Wives to find out..."

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

When you're not a member you can't get access to 'Snakes On A Plane'.

That's the trouble about perception of these secret states. They aren't aware of the goodies that lie within. We've got all the pom-poms and humous you'd ever want.

[TraceyQ]

Christ, you lot are all so fucking yesterday.

[Charles Charlie Charles]

Is it true that Brian Sewell is a member of CaB?

[zozman]

Yes, that's me.....

[imitationleather]

Is it true that Brian Sewell is a member of CaB?

jutl's identity revealed at last!

[Charles Charlie Charles]

Is it Zozman or jutl?

Only you, the public, can decide!

[zozman]

Nah, I always bow down to Jutl.  He can take a better picture than me.

[Cabbages and Bells]

Ironically it was Outpost Gallifrey that bought this site to my attention.  Someone posted a link to the "Tumbleweeds" and I would say  alot of us were in agreement with them.  More than those who weren't.  Calling OG a bunch of RTD acolytes seems a bit bizarre as it plays host to a substantial number of RTD haters as well as fans of the old show who have no interest in the new series.

[difbrook]

Well, I've described myself in the past as Mr Hooray-for-everything, but I do genuinely believe that this is the best site on the net. For so many reasons, but here are a few -

for starters, I don't really believe that CC is all that bitter and twisted. It's generally frequented by people who actively love Comedy, and it's quite obvious that it breaks our hearts when we see stuff being churned out repeatedly that would have been turfed out on its ear at BBC2 if someone had submitted it, even ten years ago. When something comes along that really grabs people, you can be damn sure that its liked. Something that rather saddens me nowadays is that if I read a recommendation in a newspaper or the radio times, I don't actually believe for one second that the person in question actually does love it and wants to ensure that other people see it as well.

It's never unqualified praise. The recent Harry Hill thread shows that even when something is loved by most, if there's an episode that's perceived to be off-the-boil a bit - it won't go uncommented on. Not for any sinister we-hate-everything-because-we-want-to-write-it-ourselves reasons, but because people actually care. Likewise, you'll find thread after thread in all sections of the site that are started by people who *love* something and want to share that enthusiasm. My own contributions in that line have always been borne out of a lolloping, puppy-dog eagerness to make other people grin maniacally with the same levels of enjoyment as I manage to get out of something. It's wonderful when one of those threads spirals off into an active discussion that ends up miles away from the original point - even better when it swings back in again for a bit, then takes off elsewhere. Shows that the thread's working, if people are going "oh, and what about..." and everyone else piles in with their thoughts on *that*, which in turn leads elsewhere, and... well, you get the idea.

The site is full of people who will passionately defend their corner, but at the same time a thread doesn't necessarily have to be remorselessly negative or wholly positive. I remember loggin in and checking the Look Around You Series 2 thread immediately after the first episode aired, and I was convinced that I was in for an entire series worth of people hating it because they loved the first run. Not so - that thread shot all over the place as the series wore in, and I'd say it was one of the best discussions we've ever had, with just as many "yay!"-sayers as "nay!"-sayers. Good, reasoned, intelligent debate, treating comedy as something that actually deserves to be discussed in a good, reasoned, intelligent way.


This is by far the most thoughtful, funny, witty, downright *charming* places it's ever been my pleasure to frequent. As has been mentioned, postings here make me laugh *every single day, and I love you all for it. Christ knows, there are days when it's the only place that does make me laugh. Add to that, the generosity of people around here. When my flat flooded last year, I got pm's from people offering to replace things that I'd lost. If you mention something on a thread that you've been interested in, an upload or a package will almost certainly follow suit. In a strange way, this particular trend informs my own thinking as well when I'm away from here. Case in point - I was sitting watching that episode of TV Heaven with the satire documentary in it, and almost my first thought when it started was, "must rip this and upload it somewhere. I'm sure someone at CaB will be interested".

Although a large proportion of us don't know each other, it's clear that we've come to care for the people behind the usernames, which is something that you don't get in too many places. When the London bombings happened, people were straight on here checking that everyone was alright, and I've lost count of the number of threads where people with worries, fears and concerns have received advice that obviously comes from people with worries, fears and concerns of thier own, and who may just have dragged some of us back from making potentially catastrophic decisions. That's something to be proud of.

This place has evolved. I can't remember when the last time was that I actually thought of it as a Chris Morris website. Nowadays, I think of it as some sort of glorified after-dinner-club, the best party you've ever been to, full of decent sorts sitting around in leather chairs, smoking cigars while nursing balloons of brandy. Without excluding anyone or forcing someone else to do the washing up.

Christ, I've blithered a bit. Comes from the heart, though. I feel no need to defend this place, because there *isn't* any need to defend it. It is what it is, and we are what we are. Hail the blueness.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Hear hear.

You could still say that you were being pompous and humourless. But  you can't thoroughly defend any argument without being pompous and humourless, which is why it's such an easy insult to throw at someone.

[butnut]

difbrook - that was great! The next time I feel I'm pissed off with this place or am just taking it for granted, I'll just read that again to knock me back into shape.

[difbrook]

difbrook - that was great! The next time I feel I'm pissed off with this place or am just taking it for granted, I'll just read that again to knock me back into shape.

ah, you're welcome. I'm chuffed that you liked it - like I said, it came from a part of my heart that is forever Cookd and Bombd...

[neveragain]

Just call me Mr Hooray For Difbrook after that post! Hail the blueness indeed.

[John Self]

*side-steps the circle-jerk, frowning with slight revulsion*



Nice words Difbrook, but I'm gonna have to be a bit of a killjoy and say that I doubt you 'love' everyone here- love expressed so indiscriminately seems a little meaningless, and your dinner-club description, genteel as it sounds, can hardly, I'm afraid to say, apply to everyone here.

This may sound cynical of me, but although there's a lot of intelligence and wit and charm displayed on this forum, I personally think a great deal of it doesn't come from any fellow-feeling or solidarity, but from various hidden agendas posters have: most notably, people feeding their own egos by parading how bloody 'clever' and 'funny' they seem to think they are, wannabe keyboard heroes prancing about like over-educated children and indulging in pointless oneupmanship and gallery-playing disguised as 'friendly banter', all of it done for no other reason than the hope of impressing someone, usually someone of the opposite sex or with 'industry contacts'. I also think that a lot of people here  -though articulate, witty,  and seemingly charming and generous with their thoughts, opinions and creative efforts- are actually rather shallow and desperate individuals behind this façade, possibly fitting into the 'bitter' and 'twisted' stereotype, and who only share such thoughts opinions and efforts because they have long found themselves frustratingly refused a more traditional media outlet for their voice.

That's why I love CaB: it's full of wankers, and I often feel right at home here.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

I think we should actually have a gallery, that is selected each day and must be impressed and satisfied. About 8-10 people. The more needless ceremony and arcane inaccessible rules, the better.

[Emergency Lalla Ward Ten]

Anybody who thinks Comedy Chat is full of bile and negativity ought to read the Peter Brewis thread - three pages of excitement, enthusiasm, love, and people dancing for joy.

Why was that? Because Peter Brewis is really good. Most current comedy shows aren't good at all, which is why they don't get that reaction. People don't like admitting that, though - it must be the bitter fans' fault, they're just not looking hard enough for the good bits...

[SurferGhost]

One of my hands is applauding difbrook while the other is applauding john self.

And that's why I love CaB.

[Almost Yearly]

Bollocks, one's on your cock and the other's flicking your left nipple, you're fooling no-one.


If difbrook started a circle jerk, john self held up the filthy biscuit. Hurrah.