Stewart Lee: The Alternative Comedy Experience

[Dark Sky]

So it's OK for Mr Lee to steal words that have been made in public on a forum and use them for his own comedic purposes on his website, but he objects when people share his own words that have been made in public in mp3 form because that's what, copyright?

Well yeah, one is quotation / parody (which is legal), and the other is infringing the copyright on a major work.  In fact, the mp3 contravenes copyright of the words he speaks and the performance he gives.

He has a family to support; you can't blame him for being concerned that bootleg recordings might harm future DVD sales.

[thepuffpastryhangman]

I can't say I'm surprised that a moneyed elite from the Oxford and Cambridge Universities objects to people less well-educated and privileged than he is sharing his work without payment.

He's truly now part of the 1%.

To be fair, it's a far cry from the principled stand Mr and Mrs Lee took by working for Murdoch and the Mail.

It's not very Christian of him.

Punk's not dead.

Stewart Lee downloaded the complete works of William Blake.

It's hard to imagine Clarkson (see that, one name, Clarkson, like Picasso) complaining about a few clips of that massively successful on a global level TV show he presents being shared.

While working on the butchery counter at Morrison's comrade Paddy McGuinness would often chuck in a few out of date sausages "for your dog" when
impoverished elderly folk popped by some ox liver, whether or not they had canine pets.

The fifth season of Comedy Vehicle is to be the BBC's first pay-per-view series.

Stewart Lee trawls northern telephone directories, personally calls every M E Smith and attempts to sell them insurance against being sued for copyright infringement.

Oh, half-time. 0-1, hard to see the Poles coming back.

I like Stewart Lee.

[Tiny Poster]

bababooey bababooey

howardsternspenis

[Thursday]

Oh, half-time. 0-1, hard to see the Poles coming back.

Shows how much you know.

[thepuffpastryhangman]

Shows how much you know.

Come on, 9 outa 10 ain't bad.

[Famous Mortimer]

So it's OK for Mr Lee to steal words that have been made in public on a forum and use them for his own comedic purposes on his website, but he objects when people share his own words that have been made in public in mp3 form because that's what, copyright?

If [banned troll] sued him for using that stuff from DSMO, I would chuckle a bit.

[Neil]

So it's OK for Mr Lee to steal words that have been made in public on a forum and use them for his own comedic purposes on his website, but he objects when people share his own words that have been made in public in mp3 form because that's what, copyright?

It's his work, it's his livelihood - as Dark Sky says.

Using people's "reviews" of his show and personality would, I'm sure, come under Fair Dealing.

[weekender]

Thanks Neil and Dark Sky for the explanations - I wasn't trying to be a prick by the way, I was genuinely interested in the difference.

[CaledonianGonzo]

So, I went to a recording of this last night.  Lee was there but didn't perform or appear onstage, so it's possible that he was there only because B. Christie was on the bill.  Josie Long compered it in the syle of Josie Long - which most people can take or leave, so it need not detain us here - and overall it was a very strong bill. 

Paul Sinha kicked off and - it's fair to say - smashed it.  I've seen him before and he's always been good if not quite great, but I'd heard good things about his Jim Davidson routine from last year's show and so it proved.  Really great stuff.

B. Christie offered up a chunk of her faith-based material from last year's show and I enjoyed it on the whole, even if I find her delivery not quite forceful enough.  Some of her writing's really sharp, though, and I always enjoy seeing her.

And finally, the man that is Mr Tony Law, simply one of the funniest performers in stand up at the moment.  Even though I'd seen quite a lot of it before I was in stitches from the get go.  His strongest section was his conclusion and - I think - a new routine about Indian and African elephants which brought the house down.  If it's a sample of his new August show then it promises to be inspired.  I only hope I've not spoiled it for myself already.  At any rate, I bust a gut.

[thepuffpastryhangman]

These comedy couples and their babysitters.

In a few words, what's the essence of Christie's "faith-based material"? Obviously as many words as you like, but the gist'll do. Ta.

[CaledonianGonzo]

She's a practising Catholic, so it was about her upbringing and her parents. 

I haven't seen the full hour show, but I think in that she talks about being a catholic married to an atheist.

But it wasnn't all she talked about - her longest routine was about trying to source feminist literature in an unhelpful branch of Waterstones.

[Dead kate moss]

A female comic talking about her mother. How novel!

[Neil]

A female comic talking about her mother. How novel!

I don't think I've ever actually seen that complaint before. Seriously.

What other examples are you thinking of?

[Dead kate moss]

Hmmm, well I was going to add that of course Stew himself has also talked about/took the piss out of his mother, as do some other male comedians. But I have noticed many female comics moaning on about their mums as part of their routines, like women often do in real life, more than male comics tend to do, or how men tend to (not) slag off their mums. I think most or many women would agree that mothers and daughters tend to have pricklier relationships than mothers and sons, and possible fathers and sons. I haven't got a list of examples or a graph though, so take or leave my comment as you see fit.

[Neil]

How about one example?  There are "many" yet not one comes to mind?  I'm pushing you on this because I can't think of any, personally, but I'm sure they exist. I just can't see that it's such a trite topic as you're making out.

[CaledonianGonzo]

Um - she didn't talk about her mother at all.  I said 'parents', but I'll happily clarify that it was her dad specifically that was mentioned.

And even then only really as a set up for a few jokes rather than as a confessional angst type of thing.

[Dead kate moss]

Sorry, I wish I'd never said anything and have nothing more to add.

[olliebean]

All I can think of is ethnic female comedians talking about their mother as an excuse to do the accent. That's pretty common.

[Neil]

It's funny you should say that, because the objection did bring to mind the more common complaint of 'Oh god, [an ethnic minority] doing bits about being [an ethnic minority]! Bloody typical.'

[Thursday]

Cuh, comedians doing material about things that are important in their lives!

[Neil]

Yep, I'm certainly the first to find a topic trite,[nb]although it's the material itself that's important - nothing is off limits[/nb] but most good comedy comes from introspection and people reflecting on their own experiences.

[hummingofevil]

Ill comment on this only as I saw Bridget Christie last year doing Housewife Surrealist and have no idea what her current show is like ( I am booked up to see it again in a few weeks time!).

The overall theme of the show was how she as a cultural and practicing Catholic deals with living with a husband to is atheist. I was a little wary at first few mentions of 'my husband' (as it could have easily lapsed into a Stewart-Lee-without-Stewart-Lee side project) but this was a minor point. The whole thing was great.

There was plenty of genuinely interesting bits about how one can remain a Catholic both culturally and spiritually in a modern society and how it can be good to actually believe in some of the more bonkers religious ideas and imagery, especially as a comedian. This led itself onto some genuinely hilarious visual set pieces that were a real comedy highlight for me last year.

I would recommend her shows highly.

---

Caveat: If the whole show was meant to be tongue in cheek irony and I missed some bigger point about rejecting Catholisism then excuse me for being naive and optimisitic about life (occasionally).

[hummingofevil]

P.s. Her Ken Clarke joke was my favorite joke of last year.

Spoiler alert

Ha ha rape

[close]

[Neil]

Bridget Christies one-liner at the start of the Democracy episode of Comedy Vehicle is one of the highlights of an obviously superb series. I LOVE that joke.

[Thursday]

And of course, the Tom O'Connor joke.

I really enjoyed her recent show, it certainly pays off to know quite a bit about catholic doctrine, there's some very specific jokes in there that seemed to pass by a lot of the audience when I saw it. From a purely nosey perspective, there's some amusing insights into her and Lee's marriage. It was very refreshing to hear a different perspective on religion, free of the usual gallery playing.

[thepuffpastryhangman]

Go on then you three. They're only one liners...

[Tiny Poster]

Does Paul Sinha still seem like a teacher giving a funny assembly?

[jimjams]

Just to say i was at a recording of this the other week.

Lee wasn't there as far as i could tell. Andy Zaltzman compered. I'm a big fan and he went down pretty well but not everyone's cup of tea. A lot of material (about 80%) from last years fringe show and a little bit from the year before with some newer topical stuff.Not sure if one long section, "Micky Paintbrush", was in any fringe shows but a version has definitely been in The Bugle.

Steve Carlin was first act on and ok.I've seen him before and he's been better.Not sure if he went for a more tv friendly thing but still quite good. Again talking about his mother and stuff about "Scottishness" etc. Not great but not bad.

Josie Long next and i have to say she was amazing. Wasn't a big fan previously but have been liking her more and more over the last couple of years.She really suits her political material. Absolutely blew the lid of the place. Mostly the material she came to the fringe with last year but reworked sharper and updated.Very very impressed.

[Tiny Poster]

Again talking about his mother

Typical woman comedian.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

It's his work, it's his livelihood - as Dark Sky says.

It strikes me that all bands and comedians popular enough for people to desire bootlegs of their gigs are able to sell tickets for gigs. What with hearing it not being the same as being there. Comedians who appear on TV series doing their stand-up material all the time, literally over and over and over again are the ones who sell out arenas simply to hear them go over it again. Their proliferation makes their career. How many comedians would refuse tv work if they weren't paid for it, on the basis of protecting their material? A small percentage, I'd imagine- Kitson, Sadowitz types at one end, and moneybags superstars at the other (who would refuse on the basis of not being paid).

As for it being 'his work', it still remains his work, someone just has a file with it on.