Were any of the celebs in Brass Eye DEFINITELY in on the joke?

[Shit Good Nose]

Sorry if this has been discussed before, but I've done several searches and couldn't find anything.

Anyway, just chatting to someone here at work (I don't know him and haven't met him before, he's just hot-desking next to me) and the conversation somehow got onto comedy, and it turns out this person is a big fan of On the Hour, The Day Today and Brass Eye (not so keen on Jam, though).  It wasn't long before we talked about all the celebs who were on there saying ridiculous things with the utmost sincerity, and we both wondered if any of them knew 100% what was going on.  Has it ever been confirmed?

Obviously Darcus Howe quickly figured it out, rather than being "in" on the joke, and some others eventually objected to the line of questioning the sillier it got.

I remember reading somewhere (possibly/probably on CaB) ages ago that Tania Bryer (Bad Science - Weather) was rumoured to have totally got it and played along, but have never verified it for sure.

[Sexton Brackets Drugbust]

I think rather than getting it at the time, Tanya Bryer was cited as being one of the few celebrities gracious enough to hold her hands up and say, "Fair enough, you got me good."

At an Oxide Ghosts screening, Michael Cumming explained that the Darcus Howe segment was the only usable footage they got, as he just wouldn't bite.

There's long been a theory that Tommy Vance was in on it in some capacity.

[Shit Good Nose]

There's long been a theory that Tommy Vance was in on it in some capacity.

That was it - I'm getting Vance confused with Bryer.

[BlodwynPig]

That was it - I'm getting Vance confused with Bryer.

Easy mistake to make

[DrGreggles]

Tanya Bryer was shit on The Friday Night Rock Show though.

[Bingo Fury]

I've always felt that Berkoff knew it was a wind-up but didn't care as he was just having fun playing along. Tanya Bryer surprises me - from her delivery, I assumed she was in on it.

[Huxleys Babkins]

You can hear in Vance's delivery that he knows exactly what he's reading. The cadence and emphasis on certain words and phrases is very knowing.

[Bhazor]

Berkoff definitely knew. You can see him giggling in the promo version. It's really my biggest problem with Brasseye, for the most part there were two types of celebs. Those in on the joke (Berkoff and Jilly Cooper) and those who just didn't give a shit and would say anything of a cue card for 50 quid like those appearing in the prison video. Neither is especially illuminating. Not like the radio show interviews where he really took apart some bellends using their own words.

I'd also say there was a degree of meanness to some of it. Well meaning celebs who get coerced into making a prat of themselves because their agent told them it was something different. I mean is someone campaigning for animal rights in zoos or farms really someone worth mockery and derision?

[Dusty Substance]

I don't believe Vance was in on it but, as mentioned, he proved himself to be a good sport with his appearance on C4's Top Ten TV Rebels ("I had no idea it was a set up. None whatsoever. It was brilliantly executed"): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLbSZatEoYE

Even Clare Rayner passionately defends Morris in that clip.

Just think though, Vance, Rayner, Howe, McCririck - All dead now, or nearly dead.

[Sexton Brackets Drugbust]

I mean is someone campaigning for animal rights in zoos or farms really someone worth mockery and derision?

No, but I'd say someone willing to authoritatively encourage an audience to support an organisation they themselves haven't actually done any research into, probably is.

The celeb duping is definitely the weakest aspect of Brass Eye, but it has a fair point.

[Chollis]

Vanessa Feltz, far too savvy and dignified to fall for it I reckon

[Bhazor]

No, but I'd say someone willing to authoritatively encourage an audience to support an organisation they themselves haven't actually done any research into, probably is.

Yeah but these are celebs not professional conservationists. You can't expect them to know every organization and this was in the 90s where they couldn't just look it up on their phone  which is something we take completely for granted now. Its like those prank videos that pop up every few weeks of members of the public signing some fake petition for public health by removing dihydrogen monoxide from homes. Usually edited up to remove any kind of questioning or what lies the prankster is telling. The only takeaway being "Ha people who care about public health are sooooo stupid". Which ignores a lot of situational stuff like the camera shoved in their face or the sound of traffic (or possibility of post dubbing) so that only the monoxide is heard.

[biggytitbo]

Everyone who was in on it is now dead.

[Glebe]

The Richard Branson woman was in on it, surely, with the Branson head plugs and that? Branson himself of course appeared in TDT getting his teeth done by John Thomson.

[Jumblegraws]

Berkoff definitely knew. You can see him giggling in the promo version.

I'd agree with this. I've often thought Jimmy Greaves seemed like he'd cottoned on that Cake was nonsense and that he was just staying on script for the fun of it.

[Dr Marbles]

I think rather than getting it at the time, Tanya Bryer was cited as being one of the few celebrities gracious enough to hold her hands up and say, "Fair enough, you got me good."

At an Oxide Ghosts screening, Michael Cumming explained that the Darcus Howe segment was the only usable footage they got, as he just wouldn't bite.

There's long been a theory that Tommy Vance was in on it in some capacity.

At an OG screening I went to Michael Cumming was asked whether anyone was in on it and he said no, but that Vance was the only celebrity who held his hands up and said 'Yep Chris, you've got me good' afterwards, rather than throwing their toys out of the pram.

Now, I assume he thought the question was whether anyone was in cahoots with Brasseye - agreed to be in it in order to give it legitimacy to potential targets - but if you read the question as 'did anyone work out what was going on and played along', as has been said, Vance is clearly not just reading some lines he's been given, but is giving a reading - he's having fun.

[Bhazor]

At an OG screening I went to Michael Cumming

Bit forward there mate.

[Depressed Beyond Tables]

I always thought the 'like puttin a bit of snot in a bit of bread' guy jockey was in on it.

[H-O-W-L]

I don't believe Vance was in on it but, as mentioned, he proved himself to be a good sport with his appearance on C4's Top Ten TV Rebels ("I had no idea it was a set up. None whatsoever. It was brilliantly executed"): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLbSZatEoYE

Even Clare Rayner passionately defends Morris in that clip.

Just think though, Vance, Rayner, Howe, McCririck - All dead now, or nearly dead.

I love how John McCrirrick has such an issue with it. What a belming fuckpipe.

[The Lurker]

I love how John McCrirrick has such an issue with it. What a belming fuckpipe.

He really is a shit.

[FredNurke]

Still, DEAD SOON

[thenoise]

I'd also say there was a degree of meanness to some of it. Well meaning celebs who get coerced into making a prat of themselves because their agent told them it was something different. I mean is someone campaigning for animal rights in zoos or farms really someone worth mockery and derision?

Nicholas Parsons' duping made me sad. He put in his best cravat to read a lovely poem about a poor little elephant, only to have it edited to make him say rude things. On one of those awful channel 4 countdown shows he was interviewed about it and said 'is that good comedy?' and I had to agree, no it's not.

Paul Daniels can fuck off though. Why didn't they make him read the rude poem?

[Wet Blanket]

I'd also say there was a degree of meanness to some of it. Well meaning celebs who get coerced into making a prat of themselves because their agent told them it was something different. I mean is someone campaigning for animal rights in zoos or farms really someone worth mockery and derision?

'Animal rights in zoos' is a misleading way of describing a campaign to get an elephant to pull its trunk out of its own anus.

I think Morris is more interested in deflating the pomposity of individuals more than any wider political point. Hence Darcus Howe and Peter Tatchell getting the treatment, despite being essentially good guys. This actually seems more daring in the current climate of binary thinking about goodies and baddies. I think it's also what makes it more fun, compared to that recent Sacha Baron Coen thing, which had a sort of sour atmosphere.

I think some of the softer targets were probably nothing more than pure mischief. There's loads in Brass Eye and Morris's work in general that's just pushing the boundaries for no good reason other than it's a laugh. Look at the Stephen Hawking impression for instance. That's just schoolboy bad taste.

[neveragain]

Branson himself of course appeared in TDT getting his teeth done

Lookie-likie.

[Revelator]

At an OG screening I went to Michael Cumming was asked whether anyone was in on it and he said no, but that Vance was the only celebrity who held his hands up and said 'Yep Chris, you've got me good' afterwards, rather than throwing their toys out of the pram.

Michael Winner's reaction was similar to Vance's:
https://www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/forums/index.php/topic,2365.msg54316.html#msg54316

[magval]

Speaking of Winner, does anyone know where I saw the mad drawing he did of him pushing some women into a pit or something?

Edit: sorry about the derail, it was a picture Winner drew in his book of him pushing Nigella into shark-infested waters.

As you were rkid

[Glebe]

Lookie-likie.

Really?! Fucking hell.

[DrGreggles]

It always seemed to me that it's the sort of thing that Branson would have done, the publicity whore.

[a duncandisorderly]

I asked tommy vance & he said he was in on it.

asked him. in person.

so.

he said he was in on it. whether he was or not is moot. he either was, or he 'got it' fairly quickly afterwards. he was a bright bloke.

[Shit Good Nose]

Nicholas Parsons' duping made me sad. He put in his best cravat to read a lovely poem about a poor little elephant, only to have it edited to make him say rude things. On one of those awful channel 4 countdown shows he was interviewed about it and said 'is that good comedy?' and I had to agree, no it's not.

I don't know, that bit always made me giggle.  But then that style of mashup/editing wasn't anywhere near as prolific back then as it got with YouTube.

I asked tommy vance & he said he was in on it.

asked him. in person.

so.

he said he was in on it. whether he was or not is moot. he either was, or he 'got it' fairly quickly afterwards. he was a bright bloke.

Maybe he wasn't initially but then, like you said, "got it" very quickly and then said he'd play along - I've rewatched his bit and I agree that he's far too knowing for it to have been just a celeb happily reading out any bollocks put in front of him.