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March 29, 2024, 08:05:46 AM

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Uncomfortable and awkward panel show moments

Started by BritishHobo, August 08, 2016, 02:57:33 PM

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BritishHobo

It's been discussed numerous times on here before, but I'm watching the 8 Out of 10 Cats episode where Sean Lock is a proper cunt to Rhys Davies (series 5 episode 2). It's quite unpleasant to watch, not least because I love Lock but he comes off really nasty here.

I remember there being a couple of uncomfortable moments both times Reginald D. Hunter appeared on Charlie Brooker's You Have Been Watching. Can't remember the second right now, but there were a few moments with Martin Freeman who seemed to take Hunter's deliberately petty humour (complaining about points) as genuine aggression.

Another Brooker one is the Would I Lie To You moment where he mentions to Trinny or Susannah that she'd gotten a plastercast of fake breasts on a TV show or something, but either he's got the wrong lifestyle presenter or she can't remember, because she, looking pretty baffled, is firm that it wasn't her.

Utter Shit

There's an episode of 8OO10C in the early days where Sally Phillips makes Chris O'Dowd look like a complete dick...They're discussing seals for some reason snf he makes a crap joke about going 'clubbing' later...she gives the joke nothing and he tries to explain it, and she just casually says that she understood it, the implication being that she just thought it was shit.

There's a recent Christmas episode of Cats with Jedward on where they're at their irritating worst, and while everyone else mocks them in a relatively harmless way, Micky Flanagan eventually  gets sick of it and just goes "oh shut up dickhead" to one of them. It isn't really awkward though because everyone else collapses into hysterics at it. Sean Lock loses it .

BritishHobo

This is why I could literally never be a comic, or appear on a panel show. If anyone made a snide crack, or a joke didn't get any reaction, I'd just crumble, and stay quiet for the rest of the recording. A big joke you do getting no reaction, let alone a hostile one, let alone on TV, that just gives me shivers.

Black_Bart

Another Lock moment: In reply to Holly Willoughbys comment "There isn't a handbook on how to raise them" (about child rearing), Lock came back with "Yes there are, hundreds of them." Willoughby has recently released a book on... Child rearing.


Petey Pate

Quote from: BritishHobo on August 08, 2016, 02:57:33 PM
It's been discussed numerous times on here before, but I'm watching the 8 Out of 10 Cats episode where Sean Lock is a proper cunt to Rhys Davies (series 5 episode 2). It's quite unpleasant to watch, not least because I love Lock but he comes off really nasty here.

*Rhys Thomas.

It's discussed on an episode of the Thomas and Way podcast.  Apparently it stems from Thomas having beef with Mark LaMarr, who is good friends with Lock.

Sean Lock also dislikes David Wailliams and is noticeably hostile towards him on 8 Out of 10 Cats.  Wailliams mentions this in his autobiography and believes that this stems from an Edinburgh Fringe show where he threw lollipops into the audience and nearly blinded Lock with one.

BritishHobo

Oh aye yeah, sorry. I stumbled across it because of the Thomas and Way thread, although I can't remember how I ended up in that thread since I've never listened to the show.


Dr Rock

Quote from: Black_Bart on August 08, 2016, 03:49:02 PM
Simon Amstels crush on Danny Dyer.

I think it was arguably DD's appearances on NMTB, where it was clear he was happy to laugh at himself, that put him on the path to being a National Treasure, or least not seen as a twat. Amstell should get a percentage of his pay.

Brundle-Fly


Black_Bart

Just reminded of the ep where Angus had just been found out to have banged a couple of 'hos. That was uncomfortable and awkward for... Deayton.

Utter Shit

The only person who comes out of the Morgan/Hislop thing with any credit IMO is Clive Anderson, his comment about the audience being there to see Hislop cuts through the tension quite well without being too aggressive. Morgan makes a real fool of himself with that "does anyone like Hislop?" stuff, but I don't think Hislop comes out of it great either. It's all just petty bullshit.

The best Buzzcocks one for me is that gimp Donny Tourette from the Towers Of London, Amstell just destroys him. "I'm smoking a CIGARETTE! Which you can legally buy in shops!". When Tourette starts slagging off Bill Bailey, there's another great line from Amstell, "he's a professional comedian...you won't win". Fucking hell.

The Preston incident mentioned in the tags is one that always felt unfair to me - I'm not sure what else Preston could have done in that situation. Grin and bear it, and look like a cunt for not defending his wife who isn't there to defend herself against criticism which while not especially nasty didn't really have any light comedy edge to it, or try to fight back and end up looking like an idiot. Preston didn't cause a big fuss or anything, he seemed a bit embarrassed about it. He didn't have any problem when Amstell was taking the piss out of him, so I think he was just - slightly misguidedly, arguably - trying to protect his wife.

Petey Pate

Quote from: BritishHobo on August 08, 2016, 03:37:53 PM
Oh aye yeah, sorry. I stumbled across it because of the Thomas and Way thread, although I can't remember how I ended up in that thread since I've never listened to the show.

This is the episode, the chat about LaMarr and Lock starts around 20 mins in.

http://tonyway.podbean.com/e/thomas-way-podcast-05/

Twed

Quote from: Brundle-Fly on August 08, 2016, 03:54:15 PM
Doesn't get more awkward than this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRi_OnbF0yI
God I love that era. And lovely Clive trying to mitigate any potential bullying aspect by including himself in the group of interlopers who the audience doesn't like at the end there.

Utter Shit

Rhys Thomas is charmingly indiscreet isn't he. His story about Brian Blessed on the podcast is fucking brilliant.

up_the_hampipe

Quote from: BritishHobo on August 08, 2016, 03:09:57 PM
This is why I could literally never be a comic, or appear on a panel show. If anyone made a snide crack, or a joke didn't get any reaction, I'd just crumble, and stay quiet for the rest of the recording. A big joke you do getting no reaction, let alone a hostile one, let alone on TV, that just gives me shivers.

I'm sure most people feel that way. A lot of these people have spent years on the circuit bombing, so it's not such a big thing for them by that point. It's rare to see a real bomb on the broadcast anyway, they will either edit in laughter or cut the joke out to save you.

To the topic at hand, that Buzzcocks tag is appropriate because that show has spawned some extremely uncomfortable moments, but that's one of the reasons I find it the only truly great panel show. Mark Lamarr making Gail Porter cry comes to mind.

Quote from: Utter Shit on August 08, 2016, 04:01:53 PM
The best Buzzcocks one for me is that gimp Donny Tourette from the Towers Of London, Amstell just destroys him. "I'm smoking a CIGARETTE! Which you can legally buy in shops!". When Tourette starts slagging off Bill Bailey, there's another great line from Amstell, "he's a professional comedian...you won't win". Fucking hell.

That's a good line but I always felt Amstell saved Bailey's arse there. Bailey was caught off guard by Tourette attacking him and he didn't seem to have any comeback.

Petey Pate

I can't be the only person who thinks that there was some genuine resentment in that infamous Buzzcocks moment where Simon Amstell mocks Noel Fielding for his shit 'giraffe on a pogo stick wearing a trilby' style whimsy.

up_the_hampipe

Quote from: Petey Pate on August 08, 2016, 04:16:23 PM
I can't be the only person who thinks that there was some genuine resentment in that infamous Buzzcocks moment where Simon Amstell mocks Noel Fielding for his shit 'giraffe on a pogo stick wearing a trilby' style whimsy.

They've insisted they're friends and I'm sure they get along off camera, but I always got the sense they didn't care for each other's comedy styles. Fielding didn't like Amstell's spite so often went after him on the show, while Amstell targeted Fielding's surreal nonsense. Here's a video to illustrate some of those moments https://youtu.be/4yaoiL5srGQ

Puce Moment

I can't seem to find the Rhys Thomas/Walliams episode of 8 out of 10 Cats. Fascinated to see if Thomas' memory of the show is as bad as the reality.

I wonder if Lock's attitude to Thomas is informed by the fact that perhaps Lamarr blames Thomas for his reputation on the circuit and in comedy circles as a cunt, and his leaving Shooting Stars.

As co-writer for 15 Storeys High I assume that they are tight as arses.

BritishHobo

It's only really in the first half of the episode, but there's the odd moment where Thomas will be building to something, and Lock will just go 'Anyway...' or 'Yep.' and then move on, with that tone of 'what a knob'.

Agree with Utter Shit about Preston. Funnily enough my first ever Buzzcocks episode because I liked the idea, which I read in the TV guide, of Bailey getting an audience member to fill in. But aye, it was fair enough and pretty dignified, IMO, for him to just leave. God only knows what kind of sneery shit the YouTube comments for that episode must say about him.

Utter Shit

Quote from: Puce Moment on August 08, 2016, 04:23:48 PM
I can't seem to find the Rhys Thomas/Walliams episode of 8 out of 10 Cats. Fascinated to see if Thomas' memory of the show is as bad as the reality.
I saw it before I knew the story and didn't notice it at all, it just seems like Thomas is playing the role of the fool (which he acknowledges in the podcast) and Lock throws in a few digs about him being thick, which is what he's expected to do in that situation. Then I saw it again in retrospect and it didn't seem *that* bad, although presumably plenty of the cuntier bits were edited out.

A couple that people might not know about from the radio show 'Heresy' - Stewart Lee appeared in an episode where they were contesting the audience's majority view that "political correctness has gone mad" and finished off a passionate and eloquent speech about the positive aspects of political correctness (which I think might have been from one of his stand up shows, he talks about the racist Conservative campaigns of his childhood) by turning on the audience, who voted strongly in favour, and saying "you're all a bunch of idiots" which draws a hushed response and an "oh dear" from a clearly startled David Baddiel. IIRC the show ends quickly after so it's difficult to tell if it killed the atmosphere or not.

The other one isn't quite so awkward, although it was a real FUCKING HELL moment the first time I heard it - I can't remember the context, but some middle-aged woman in the audience mentions the proliferation of Jewish business owners in a vaguely racist way and the audience audibly bristle at it. It doesn't go much beyond that because the panellists all rip into her - Vicky Coren says something along the lines of "bless you, you think there's a Jew on every corner" which gets a big laugh and Baddiel clearly finds the whole thing very funny, but the first time I heard it was a shock. If anyone's interested I can try to dig those clips out.

Utter Shit

Quote from: BritishHobo on August 08, 2016, 04:33:33 PM
It's only really in the first half of the episode, but there's the odd moment where Thomas will be building to something, and Lock will just go 'Anyway...' or 'Yep.' and then move on, with that tone of 'what a knob'.

Really? I thought Thomas said that in the first half of the episode everything was fine, and then in the break Lock met Lamarr who happened to be on set, and started being nasty from then on. Might be misremembering that.

up_the_hampipe

Quote from: BritishHobo on August 08, 2016, 04:33:33 PM
Agree with Utter Shit about Preston. Funnily enough my first ever Buzzcocks episode because I liked the idea, which I read in the TV guide, of Bailey getting an audience member to fill in. But aye, it was fair enough and pretty dignified, IMO, for him to just leave. God only knows what kind of sneery shit the YouTube comments for that episode must say about him.

Reading from his Chantelle's book just to be like "lol your wife's an idiot" is probably a good reason to walk off, but Preston's problem was that he was completely unwilling to laugh at himself in any way from the start. Amstell started with some pretty light jabs and he had quite a scowl on him.

Blinder Data

I remember Sean Lock attempting to play a similarly dismissive trick on Tony Law on 8 out of 10 cats, whose irrepressible surrealist schtick clearly grated. When Law was in full flow Lock looked behind his teammate's back and asked words to the effect of "is there an off switch?". There were other snide comments too. I think the audience treated it as one big joke and Law, filled with his innate self-confidence and booze probably, didn't take any notice.

You didn't win that battle Lock, you miserable twat!

Dr Rock

I like Sean Lock but he has come off as a cunt too many times. Not surprised he's a mate of Lamarr.

I seem to remember something about Oliver Read throwing a lesbian at Michael Winner, might have misremembered it.

Petey Pate

Quote from: Puce Moment on August 08, 2016, 04:23:48 PMAs co-writer for 15 Storeys High I assume that they are tight as arses.

Lock also wrote for Never Mind the Buzzcocks as well as on the short lived LaMarr's Attacks/Leaving the 20th Century.  What's weird is that Mark LaMarr's stand up segments in the latter are very similar to Lock's style of delivery.

Quote from: BritishHobo on August 08, 2016, 04:33:33 PM
It's only really in the first half of the episode, but there's the odd moment where Thomas will be building to something, and Lock will just go 'Anyway...' or 'Yep.' and then move on, with that tone of 'what a knob'.

I'd be interested in seeing the full episode as well, which isn't on YouTube.  Presumably there were moments of Lock's hostility which were cut for the broadcast.

I recall there being a bit of unspoken awkwardness between Jeremy Clarkson and Sean Lock when they appeared on QI together, as Lock had picked Clarkson as one of his choices for Room 101.  It may have only existed in my mind though.

Utter Shit

I remember reading in Frank Skinner's autobiography that when Bridget Nielsen infamously appeared on the show pissed up, he called her a twat live on air, which David Baddiel later described as 'the most unprofessional moment in the history of television".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmmI6fgXkhA

Around the 2m mark, he says "Bridget sit down, you're making a twat of yourself". It's not actually as awkward as I'd remembered because you can barely hear him, and Nielsen certainly doesn't register it. Still funny though so fuck you.

Puce Moment

Quote from: Utter Shit on August 08, 2016, 04:36:31 PMA couple that people might not know about from the radio show 'Heresy' - Stewart Lee appeared in an episode where they were contesting the audience's majority view that "political correctness has gone mad" and finished off a passionate and eloquent speech about the positive aspects of political correctness (which I think might have been from one of his stand up shows, he talks about the racist Conservative campaigns of his childhood) by turning on the audience, who voted strongly in favour, and saying "you're all a bunch of idiots" which draws a hushed response and an "oh dear" from a clearly startled David Baddiel. IIRC the show ends quickly after so it's difficult to tell if it killed the atmosphere or not.

Yeah - a great moment. I have found myself posting this more than once to members of my family and other thick people in my Facebook social circle:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IYx4Bc6_eE

Black_Bart

Olly Reed and Terry Christian. Does anyone like Terry Christian?

Twed


Petey Pate

Quote from: Blinder Data on August 08, 2016, 04:40:11 PM
I remember Sean Lock attempting to play a similarly dismissive trick on Tony Law on 8 out of 10 cats, whose irrepressible surrealist schtick clearly grated. When Law was in full flow Lock looked behind his teammate's back and asked words to the effect of "is there an off switch?". There were other snide comments too. I think the audience treated it as one big joke and Law, filled with his innate self-confidence and booze probably, didn't take any notice.

You didn't win that battle Lock, you miserable twat!

Lock provided Law with a positive pull quote so I was under the impression that he was at least on friendly terms with him.  I've not seen the episode you describe but it could have easily have been done in good faith.