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Stewart Lee - Content Provider

Started by Dirty Boy, March 16, 2017, 02:13:36 PM

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Danger Man

Quote from: Schnapple on July 30, 2018, 08:32:11 PM
Stew's impression of his 'normal fans' and the 'young comedians' are funnier than ever.

Really? They reminded me of Tony Hancock near the end of his life.

arpster

fuck me, I haven't laughed like that for a very long time indeed...a ridiculously funny 2 hours of standup with Stew at the top of his game...in fact, the best Ive seen him since he vomited into the gaping anus of Christ.....the Alan Moore interludes worked a treat too.....marvelous

Mango Chimes

Quote from: rasta-spouse on July 30, 2018, 11:34:43 AMI'm wondering whether a portion of the audience actually like the "this gig is a real struggle for me because of you" or "I could do real jokes if I wanted to" shtick. I'm totally bored by it - and only partly because I don't think its true. But maybe for some people it's like a band doing their greatest hits or something, and that's what they came to see.

Yeah, I've watched the first ten minutes and can't be bothered with the rest. It's utter fucking boring shit, and it was tired and overdone when he was doing it ten years ago – I'm amazed he's still doing it with no real variation or twist whatsover, and I'm even more amazed that the audience laps it up. What's that, Stu? That joke didn't get the reaction it deserved, did it not? And/or did it get a notably big reaction? And/or the neutral option? Was it because this part of the audience is like this and that part of the audience is like that? Do go on.

Schnapple

Quote from: Danger Man on July 30, 2018, 10:19:11 PM
Really? They reminded me of Tony Hancock near the end of his life.

They're just so absurd and overwrought, and in the case of his 'people under 40' impression, needlessly petty and embittered. Given Stew's reputation among for being the 'highbrow' comic, he's never afraid to make a total fucking idiot of himself, such as throughout the pantless clapping routine here.

I didn't go and see this on tour, which I think helped. I was once also increasingly bored of the 'deconstruction' shtick, but this all felt vey fresh and funny to me.

Avril Lavigne

Quote from: Schnapple on July 31, 2018, 12:12:16 AM
They're just so absurd and overwrought, and in the case of his 'people under 40' impression, needlessly petty and embittered.

I don't know if it's down to me living in the midlands but I was speechless at how accurate the younger-people impressions were to actual 20-somethings I know, to the point where I spoke with a friend on the phone about it afterwards and specified some of them by name.

Artemis

Quote from: olliebean on July 30, 2018, 05:16:48 PM
No, the point is that the "liberal elite" don't exist, except in the minds of people who use the term to insult people like Lee and his fans.

And in the minds of those who quietly think of themselves as the liberal elite, although they wouldn't use (or consciously think of) those terms of course, except as a way to make fun of people they disagree with by characterising them as people who'd use a phrase they actually quite enjoy being defined as. Hence both the laughing and agreeing, and the sense among many that some of Stew's audience are a smug bunch of self-satisfied cunts. I know this to be true because I am a self-satisfied cunt, in-between agreeing and laughing.

I thought the impression of the younger comic was the funniest thing he's done in years.

bgmnts

It is sad to hear all this about Stewart Lee now as he is probably my favourite stand up and i don't know many others like him as a performer and with his material.

Some of his stuff is the cleverest and funniest shit I have ever heard.

Neomod

Just downloaded with getiplayer and it's 1.5 gig. Where are people getting 5gb downloads from?

Brundle-Fly

Quote from: bgmnts on July 31, 2018, 08:52:17 AM
It is sad to hear all this about Stewart Lee now as he is probably my favourite stand up and i don't know many others like him as a performer and with his material.

Some of his stuff is the cleverest and funniest shit I have ever heard.

Sad to hear what?

up_the_hampipe


Brundle-Fly


Captain Z

Quote from: Mango Chimes on July 31, 2018, 12:02:23 AM
Yeah, I've watched the first ten minutes and can't be bothered with the rest. It's utter fucking boring shit, and it was tired and overdone when he was doing it ten years ago – I'm amazed he's still doing it with no real variation or twist whatsover, and I'm even more amazed that the audience laps it up. What's that, Stu? That joke didn't get the reaction it deserved, did it not? And/or did it get a notably big reaction? And/or the neutral option? Was it because this part of the audience is like this and that part of the audience is like that? Do go on.

I mean, if you watch more than 10 minutes you'll see him do a new joke about why something didn't get laughs, but whatever.

He'll carry on doing it until people stop laughing. At which point the joke will be that finally there are no new people and it will become funny again.

olliebean

Quote from: Neomod on July 31, 2018, 10:07:24 AM
Just downloaded with getiplayer and it's 1.5 gig. Where are people getting 5gb downloads from?

That'll be the SD (540p) version. The HD (720p) version is nearly 5 gigs.


Captain Z

There has been plenty of (more, in fact) positive feedback though?

DrGreggles

Quote from: Captain Z on July 31, 2018, 12:48:58 PM
There has been plenty of (more, in fact) positive feedback though?

He's split the roomboard.

Tikwid

Seems to be even more references to Lee's past shows than usual in this one. The Comedy Vehicle style cutaway bits, the mention of the rap singers, the classic "...ok the reason that joke's funny" shtick, and one that stood out for me: the potato sack gimp mask bit seemed almost like a spiritual successor to 100% pears cider. A faux-nostalgic look back at something produce-related Stew's ancestors used to do in rural Worcestershire, followed by him raging about the the meaning the tradition has lost with the advent of modernity and mass communication - even with a reference to him record shopping ("there's a rat in the kitchen"). Then again callbacks are very much his forte, so having this show be a career best in that way isn't necessarily a bad thing. I'm sure there's some kind of jazz-related extended metaphorical way to phrase that properly, as is also Stew's forte.

ONE HUGE CALLBACK? A CALLBACK YOU CAN SEE FROM SPACE?

buzby

Quote from: Tikwid on July 31, 2018, 03:23:16 PM
Seems to be even more references to Lee's past shows than usual in this one.
Crisps - don't forget the crisps.

sevendaughters

Quote from: sevendaughters on March 27, 2018, 04:52:01 PM
I'd always considered myself a big Stewart Lee fan (seen him 4 times before: XS Malarkey, Lowry, Leicester Square, and Edinburgh) and I saw Content Provider in Oxford at some point last year. The more I think about the reasonably negative experience (and not the jokes, because I can't remember any) I am increasingly convinced that it wasn't because I was knackered and going through an awkward spat with my girlfriend but because I had moved on, so to speak. I can't say that 'he isn't funny' because I've bought DVDs and been on mailing lists and commented earnestly under youtube videos rebutting tools.

But I was slow to laugh, an audience member going through the motions. He was on form and he had them rolling in the aisles but I felt increasingly detached and it began a process of unpicking what I thought about him and his place in the critical pantheon and in my heart, etc. I didn't want my prejudices played to or confirmed anymore - I wanted to be shocked or surprised, something which is too much to expect from a comic you've been following for 20+ years. I've probably overthought it massively to be honest. Anyway, I saw Josie Long the next night and I laughed more at that and came away feeling much better in myself.

That said I did think the big ending was very clever.

Watched the televised version in two parts, the first a ten minute refresher, and then the rest with a couple of skips over some sections that really dragged for me (particularly the fetish bit). I feel like I've drifted further along the route I indicated above.

A lot of the techniques that Lee has really developed are still new to most. And I think that, to people who like comedy but don't think about comedy on the level that they want to go to a forum and talk about it in microscopic detail, they still have a power. Which is why I'm not going to moan about him deploying tricks that he added years ago, because he was playing to much smaller houses back then and he can't just abandon ship because the early adopters are displeased or bored. Let him make money.

I do worry about the level of actual, rather than performative, contempt that he absolutely must have to persist with some of the more divisive sections of the routine. It feels unhealthy for the soul and for any ultimate reconciliation with events. It's not quite punching down at times - like when he has a go at people who go to see the Proper Comedians at the local Corn Exchange, or when he picks on the repeatedly misinformed Brexit voter that is ultimately misled by a concentrated effort of anti-worker misinformation - but it's kind of mocking people who aren't there and acting as confirmation bias to the cleverclogs who 'get it' (he sort of hates those people too).

That said I did enjoy the Alan Moore as hostile interviewer du jour sections.

Captain Z

As much as I stick up for SL, I really can't get on board with anyone other than Armando in that interviewer role. All of the cutaway segments with Armando had some sort of setup and punchline, sometimes funnier than the routine itself, and acted as a perfect balance to the onstage self-satisfaction. With anyone else it seems to boil down to 'You don't know what you're doing, do you? No, and I wish I wasn't doing it'.

Captain Z

Quote from: rasta-spouse on July 30, 2018, 12:14:29 PM
Yes please, always interested in the additions and subtractions.
Quote from: olliebean on July 30, 2018, 01:04:25 PM
I also would be interested in this.

PMed you both, anyone else interested PM me.

the science eel

Quote from: Captain Z on July 31, 2018, 11:39:03 PM
As much as I stick up for SL, I really can't get on board with anyone other than Armando in that interviewer role. All of the cutaway segments with Armando had some sort of setup and punchline, sometimes funnier than the routine itself, and acted as a perfect balance to the onstage self-satisfaction. With anyone else it seems to boil down to 'You don't know what you're doing, do you? No, and I wish I wasn't doing it'.

Exactly.

I don't see the point of it.

Dr Rock


PlanktonSideburns


RenegadeScrew

I watched this last night and I'd seen it twice in person (although one time was only in some Edinburgh preview that must've been two years ago now).  I thought the first half was wonderful.  The 2nd half had some of the funniest bits of the show, but kinda dragged in parts.  I found the bit about fetish masks/etc from the 40s a bit testing as it went on.

I agree with others about some of the repetitive 'deconstruction' stuff.  The brought a friend stuff seems to be put in near the start of every show. And yet, the utterly pointless charity shop bit deconstructed beyond the point of nonsense was one of my favourite bits.

His audience targeting stuff would be far funnier with his Richard Herring voice noting "no Stew, they've all seen you on already on the four series of your BBC comedy show"

I thought the "mate" bit was slightly better when I seen it live (not the preview show).  The impression of his sycophant fan was great.

The Cameron pig / Gove / Boris Johnson joke was almost exactly as it was in preview show I seen (I think the only difference is he originally said "Theresa May put Boris into the position...").  He'd ruined it in the 2nd show I seen but must've decided to revert back to the much better structure of the original joke. 

garbed_attic

I mostly enjoyed the bits where he made silly faces and noises if I'm being absolutely honest. Maybe watching all of 'On Cinema' over the last month or two has either deadened or upped my requirements for faux-arrogant meta-comedy.

That said, the silliest parts of TMWRNJ were always my favourite bits like tits like a tit like a bird EGG.

up_the_hampipe

Quote from: RenegadeScrew on August 01, 2018, 07:06:16 PM
I thought the "mate" bit was slightly better when I seen it live (not the preview show). 

Yeah, same. He would start it with "what you having a go at Russell Howard for, mate?" and then keep going until it became unintelligible nonsense. In this show, he started with "mate mate mate" and then mumbled the Russell Howard bit, so I'm not sure everyone picked up on it.

Anyway, this is great. Might be my favourite show he's done, in terms of the pure contempt he has from top to bottom. Usually it builds, but now the character is just a mess, hoarding comedy DVDs, dressing like shit, screaming at the audience. Sad to see him go, if he's gone for good, but perhaps it's the right time and show to end it.

He was interviewed on 6 Music last week and said he was starting work on a new show later in the year. Unless that's just a stock answer.

marquis_de_sad

Quote from: dontrunyoullfall on August 02, 2018, 12:15:43 AM
He was interviewed on 6 Music last week and said he was starting work on a new show later in the year. Unless that's just a stock answer.

Here from around the 1hr 36 mark, if anyone wants to listen.