Titania McGrath - political satire for the 21st century

[Jumblegraws]

"Say what you like about ISIS, but at least they can't  be accused of Islamaphobia," is quite a good joke though.

I disagree, ISIS are massively sectarian and are, to that extent, pretty Islamophobic themselves.

[idunnosomename]

This would be the core of my main gripe. It's just not funny. The phrase " Humour is a patriarchal construct" alone gets a big laugh from that braying crowd. Reminds me of pseud types at the theatre giving it big chuckles at everything the fucking nursie character says in " Romeo and Juliet".

bit hard on wills. I know hes not funny but one monkey with one typewriter is funnier than andrew doyle

[king_tubby]

"Say what you like about ISIS, but at least they can't  be accused of Islamaphobia," is quite a good joke though.

Nope, that doesn't work given the amount of Muslims of the 'wrong' type ISIS have killed.

[Barry Admin]

It's not that their ultimate target is the tiny group of people who genuinely operate using those words they hate so much, because it's such a small, disorganised group. It's to stop everyone else from sympathising with, or just attempting to understand them. It's an attempt to force a wedge into society, to put that doubt in the back of everyone's minds that people who have legitimate concerns about things happening in society are just weak and pathetic and can be ignored. "First they came for the Communists, And I did not speak out, Because I was not a Communist" becomes...well, they still hate communists, but add any word on the "woke" spectrum you like in there.

Excellent analysis and description, absolutely bang on I think.

[Lisa Jesusandmarychain]

Oh, didnt want to diss ol' Bardy. I still chuckle at his original lines for that graveyard scene in Hamlet ( the first line of which he done wrote in a destined to be misquoted by many a future generation in a " play it again, Sam" stylee. By George, he was a clever feller):

Yer Man Hamlet ( Holding up skull): Alas, poor Yorick  I knew him Hor...I mean, I knew him well.
Horatio:Well, he doesn't look too good now.

Rather, that kind of laffter from that vid is of despised " Oh we get it  we * so* get it !" type chortling of echo- chamber of recieved and ready and willing to be entrenched opinions, the like of which Doyle of Oxbridge would believe himself to be scathingly satirising, you know like those dumbass opinions that pronouns - spouting " woke" lot come out with ( I wilfully criticised that video excerpt on YouTube. One of the best comeback burns I got from it, apart from " I bet you're American" was " You probably use pronouns". Ouch!)

[Gurke and Hare]

He gives the game away a bit when he depicts Titania as professionally unsuccessful, her work being relegated to obscure blogs because there is no self-respecting publication that would accept her poetry. This reminds me somewhat of that Zucker film 'American Carol' which is a piss-take of Michael Moore, where the film is very eager to emphasise that Moore is a mere documentary filmmaker whose films are too obscure to be known by the public. That film was made in 2008, at the height of Moore's rather inexplicable popularity, including major box office success with Fahrenheit 9/11. Why satirise his work if nobody is aware of it?

Is the conceit to some extent that supposedly, despite the lack of popularity and success our lives are essentially controlled by the likes of Titania? As if there hasn't been a fucking Tory government for the last 10 years.

[Monsieur Verdoux]

That reminds me of another thing, in the book, the Jeremy Corbyn bit contains reference to the idea that Corbyn is antisemitic, as is the Labour Party. This is fair enough, except for the fact that one of the key objections to woke culture from people like Doyle and Douglas Murray is that racism doesn't meaningfully exist anymore in the UK and is a thing of the past. Half their careers are spent rubbishing what they see as spurious claims of racism against Muslims or Diane Abbott or Meghan Markle or whoever. I see that Douglas Murray was very, very concerned about Labour antisemitism just before the election. I find it fascinating that two men whose careers are founded on the denial of the existence of structural racism have found the one example of structural racism that still exists localised entirely within the Labour Party. Imagine that. A massive coincidence. You'd be tempted to say that they just adopt whatever inconsistencies are necessary to rally support for keeping the existing power structures in place, and that this is the real goal of this sort of 'commentary', but that would be pretty shameless wouldn't it

[gilbertharding]

Nope, that doesn't work given the amount of Muslims of the 'wrong' type ISIS have killed.

Well, you're right, of course.

But at least it *sounds* like a joke. And it kind of works in the voice of the character.

[gilbertharding]

Is the conceit to some extent that supposedly, despite the lack of popularity and success our lives are essentially controlled by the likes of Titania? As if there hasn't been a fucking Tory government for the last 10 years.

I suppose it plays to the inability people have to distinguish between left wing economics and liberal social policies.

It's the same confusion which allows different groups to (correctly?) claim the BBC is biased for the Tories/establishment AND 'the PC brigade'.

Of course, it well suits the establishment that people ARE confused.

[j_u_d_a_s]

Was informed by a former member of this parish that Andrew Doyle didn't turn up to his scheduled appearance at the Chortle comedy book festival the other day. https://www.bl.uk/events/should-jokes-be-woke-with-andrew-doyle-and-yasmin-alibhai-brown

No reason given, thought it could be down to sales but turns out that only the whole day was ticketed rather than individual panels. You'd think he'd kick off about being silenced but no mention of it at all on his or Yasmin's feed. Peculiar...

[Dewt]

Still irritated every time I think of Titania. It isn't because I am offended by the anti-wokeness. It's because of the pure hackiness of it. How dare you think this "attack helicopter" thing is worth doing? You're only getting away with this because of frustrated, shit people latching on.

[jobotic]

It's piss easy though sin't it? No need for any wit or imagination, just join in the circle jerk. We'll all cheer each other on. Look at Fox, a man who seems laughably stupid and talentless.

[bgmnts]

I realised satire in general has a shelf life because whatever is being lampooned eventually comes to pass.

[Phil_A]

Judging by the comments under that Fox "song" there are a terrifying number of people that genuinely believe they are victims of a Woke Regime that is about to be overthrown by the forces of truth and justice, represented by some sweaty cunt who can't sing two bloody notes. It doesn't matter that the song is awful, the message is all they really care about.

[king_tubby]

'You're not allowed to say this any more' says man saying this repeatedly via national media with absolutely no contradiction.

[Monsieur Verdoux]

Peter Hitchens is not a fan of Titania McGrath: https://twitter.com/ClarkeMicah/status/1236669627712835584

[Blumf]

Why is Hitchens' Twitter handle '@ClarkMicah'? Something to do with the Conan Doyle story?

[Armin Meiwes]

Peter Hitchens is not a fan of Titania McGrath: https://twitter.com/ClarkeMicah/status/1236669627712835584

Quite funny that Doyle is claiming to "not be annoyed in the slightest" under that, he blocked me ages ago for v mild criticism of his comedic "style". "Not bothered" v much in the style of Partridges "I do not give a fucking shit".

[phantom_power]

"Slutwalk against islamophobia" is one of the funniest, tightest gags highlighting the hypocrisy of the woke I have ever read.

Apparently

[checkoutgirl]

Brexit is implicitly defended

That's all I need to know. Thanks.

[C_Larence]

"Slutwalk against islamophobia" is one of the funniest, tightest gags highlighting the hypocrisy of the woke I have ever read.

Apparently

This will never be topped. So much better than  "lol muslims but also lol feminists".

[mippy]

One of the best comeback burns I got from it, apart from " I bet you're American" was " You probably use pronouns". Ouch!)

Boggling at this. Is this why the Glinner acolytes refer to trans people by name only eg. 'Mippy said in Mippy's comment that Mippy was confused by what Mippy had read' because pronouns are misogynist now or something?

[mippy]

It's very like the Love Island musical described here: https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/ywavpx/musical-parody-edinburgh-fringe-2019 - people trying to make fun of something without really having any real knowledge for it, or the little bit of affection for the target that you really need to make satire work.

[JCR]

I saw her live last Edinburgh Fringe. She did a version of the two minutes hate from 1984, where she was screaming abuse at pictures of C list celebrities, which I thought was quite funny, but unfortunately the remaining 58 minutes of the show were essentially laugh free.

As mentioned, Simon Munnery's urban warrior character does the same thing far better.

[king_tubby]

Peter Hitchens seems to be having a whale of a time running rings around Doyle and his cultish admirers, it's fascinating to watch.

[Barry Admin]

Tickets now available for Titania McGrath's tour.

"Comedy on the BBC is never this funny" - The Sun

"Hilarious" - Evening Standard

"Beautiful classic satire" - Ricky Gervais

"Utterly unfunny" - Peter Hitchens

God what a hack, he copies Stewart Lee's poster bit.

[idunnosomename]

he's fucking going at this hellbent for leather huh. he still has all the charisma of a frowning face drawn on a balloon

[thenoise]

The name isnt even funny. Come on, Adrian Mole, it's the first thing you need to get right.

If "Titania" is supposed to be self-important, "McGrath" isnt really bathetic enough

I'm surprised the surname wasn't some pun on gender-neutralising a common surname. Like Newperson or McPherchild. Maybe that's a bit too clever for the target audience?

[Barry Admin]

Maybe that's a bit too clever for the target audience?

Yeah, this is more the sort of stuff they're into:

[bgmnts]

Hang on, it is toxic masculinity though isn't it? Derp.