Charlie Brooker - Lockdown Special [split topic]

[Jumblegraws]

Always liked Shitpeas, his delivery of the line "I think the winner got to run a Greggs or something" when discussing Great British Bake Off in the 2011 Wipe still gets a chuckle from me. Cunk grew on me when her character became a bit more distinct, as opposed to the Girl Shitpeas she was in her first appearance, but her longer segments spread the character too thin for me. I remember distinctly feeling that the Irish same-sex marriage referendum and (to a lesser extent) the rash of evil clown sightings were conspicuous absences from the topics covered in the 2015 and 2016 Wipes respectively, and would have much preferred time had been given over to them instead of a tedious Moments of Wonder segment. Never bothered with any of the Cunk Ons.

I do think Diane Morgan is great though, fair play to Brooker for being so keen to promote her.

[olliebean]

In my memory, having watched it once, it feels weirdly like a straight summary of what the news was over a period of time for information purposes with the odd satirical take here and there if anything came to him.

So, pretty much the same as any standard episode of Newswipe, then.

[phes]

I think it's a bit unfair to compare an episode of a satirical TV show to the witty sideways takes that one could cherry-pick from the vast social media collective. Also a lot of viewers don't have time or the inclination to trawl through Twitter and Facebook for the latest Coronavirus zinger.

Yes, I rewatched it today and thought it was weak, but in retrospect that was an unfair criticism.

[keir]

So, pretty much the same as any standard episode of Newswipe, then.

Possibly, they didn't seem as much like that at the time but it's been a long time since I saw them.

[notjosh]

Anyway of knowing what music was used in this show? i know there is but I'm a bit lazy tonight.

I noticed Name of the Game.

And what sounded like a cover of another KPM track, Funky Fanfare.

[Emma Raducanu]

Felt like a missed opportunity though it made me laugh a few times. I don't know why but when cunk reveals she hasn't been listening because she's found a delivery spot, made me laugh. I was begging Brooker to be more savage but nothing came of it.

[Lewman]

I noticed Name of the Game.

Thanks I've been trying to find out what that track was!

[phosphoresce]

Tepid stuff, what a missed opportunity. It's strange that Brooker couldn't seem to muster any genuine outrage about, y'know, the quite troubling needless deaths of thousands of people.

[Hand Solo]

Tepid stuff, what a missed opportunity. It's strange that Brooker couldn't seem to muster any genuine outrage about, y'know, the quite troubling needless deaths of thousands of people.

He's either boring these days or possibly censored? Even gave the official narrative on Boris and just gave him some slight ribbing on not acting soon enough which is a criticism that's been voiced against nearly every politician in the world recently, it was like government sanctioned propoganda to give the public some illusion of opposition. Would you be allowed to opine that Boris blatantly faked having Covid19 or at least needing to be Intensive Care? I doubt the BBC would let you even mention the possibility even as a joke, lest you put the idea the publics heads. When they were brainwashing everyone to go into their front gardens en masse to clap for the cunt.

[colacentral]

Missed opportunity is right. Not nearly pointed enough. As alluded to a page back, the stuff about the NHS brexit bus was weak - it isn't some sort of Leave betrayal to under fund the NHS, it's Tory party ideology.

I think the only laughs I got were from the clips - Trump babbling about getting the sun to go under the skin etc. There look to be at least a half dozen writers on this too which makes it even more underwhelming.

[solidified gruel merchant]

Yeh, absolutely lacking in bite. Brooker seems far more at home these days joining in with smear campaigns and making up stuff about opposition leaders than he does taking the actual government to task for actual fuck ups (?) leading to actual deaths.

[Brundle-Fly]

Would you be allowed to opine that Boris blatantly faked having Covid19 or at least needing to be Intensive Care? I doubt the BBC would let you even mention the possibility even as a joke, lest you put the idea the publics heads. When they were brainwashing everyone to go into their front gardens en masse to clap for the cunt.

It crossed most peoples' minds. There was also another rumour was that he was dead. Brooker is not an idiot, suggesting he'd faked the infection would be possible career suicide. You have to be Miriam Margoyles to get away with saying something like that at the moment.

[Hand Solo]

It crossed most peoples' minds.

Brooker is not an idiot, suggesting he'd faked the infection would be possible career suicide. You have to be Miriam Margoyles to get away with saying something like that at the moment.

Even as a joke? Isn't that the point of satire? That you can say some really close to the bone stuff that reflects social attitudes with the defence you were only trying to be funny? I wonder if Cameron asked MI5 for a profile on him after the `PM fucks a pig' Black Mirror came out before it was public. Needles to say, if it's career suicide to say Boris is a manipulative liar on the BBC rather than an ignorant incompetent (cuddly buffoon man of the people image he's deliberately cultivated) then we're all fucked.

[chveik]

Brooker has netflix money now, talking about career suicide is ridiculous.

[Hand Solo]

Brooker has netflix money now, talking about career suicide is ridiculous.

Yes, if you accurately point out corruption in government on mainstream media it's more actual suicide you need worry about.

[ImmaculateClump]

Brooker has netflix money now, talking about career suicide is ridiculous.

Did you see the last series of black mirror? The pen is mightier than the sword when it comes to career harakiri.

[Brundle-Fly]

Brooker has netflix money now, talking about career suicide is ridiculous.

I suppose there is that, but having vast sums of money doesn't stop people from getting cancelled. On the other hand, Charlton could probably say whatever he likes because most people have never heard of him. If Stewart Lee can get away with calling anybody who voted Brexit is a racist cunt then I suppose Brooker could say Boris Johnson never had Covid-19 (even though it was entirely plausible that he did have Covid 19).


Bloody hell, I spoke too soon. Twitter is piling onto Stewart Lee. Apparently, he's an anti-semite now. Such bollocks.

[Brundle-Fly]

.

To be frank, I don't think this man is indicative of Charlie Brooker's fanbase.

[chveik]

what are you going on about. why would he be cancelled?

[Brundle-Fly]

what are you going on about. why would he be cancelled?

Soz. You're completely right. I didn't mean "cancelled",, I meant attacked by the press.

[mjwilson]

This thread took an odd turn.

[joaquin closet]

He's either boring these days or possibly censored?...Would you be allowed to opine that Boris blatantly faked having Covid19 or at least needing to be Intensive Care?

😂 😂 😂

"Blatantly" faked having Covid to... make himself look like more of an idiot for initially being extremely blase about it, shaking hands etc. ?? And you think no one from the hospital, team of intensive care doctors/nurses etc. would have leaked anything

Conspiracy theory wank

[olliebean]

It's not even controversial to point out that if he'd needed intensive care, there's no way he'd have recovered so quickly, so he definitely didn't really need intensive care and certainly didn't have a brush with death like he's since tried to make out, is it? I mean that's just a fact.

[Armin Meiwes]

Has anyone EVER properly called Johnson out on TV for his fake blustery shambling use olde English words persona to cover up what a lazy and vile shithead he is, apart from that infamous Eddie Mair interview? Shocking how much he still to this day gets away with it all.

[Armin Meiwes]

But I suspect he did have a reasonably bad case of the Covids tho, I mean possibly not bad enough that he would have made it in to an ICU if he wasn't prime minister but I'm sure it was probably heading that way.

[joaquin closet]

It's not even controversial to point out that if he'd needed intensive care, there's no way he'd have recovered so quickly, so he definitely didn't really need intensive care and certainly didn't have a brush with death like he's since tried to make out, is it? I mean that's just a fact.

Do you know at what stage this hospital decides to put people in intensive care? And you think they were pressures by some Conservative spin doctors or something to move him there, and that that hasn't come out because... nhs doctors famously love the tories? (or maybe you think there's another reason, but I can't see what that would be)

If someone from the hospital comes out and says he didn't need to be there according to their guidelines, then it's just a fact.

Absolutely the 'brush with death' spin is annoying. But trying to turn it into a conspiracy thing that he didn't need to be there just rubs me the wrong way. I just hate unproven armchair expert conspiracy theory shit, even when its used against people who are terrible.

[Zetetic]

The most straightforward argument against the "he didn't need intensive care actually" theory is that Johnson is dead and has been replaced by something worse that wears his skin.

[Puce Moment]

Yeah, pretty disappointed with this, much in keeping with the final series' which felt to me like a downward trajectory.

Also (and this is something I have flung at Brooker before) the fake anger ranting repeated jokes are WAY less funny that he realises (I think). I mean, I like the guy a lot but his schtick seems to be all calibrated wrong.

[gib]

i watched an old episode the other day and when he yelled something like 'You fucking PRICK' at the telly he sounded like he really meant it

[Sony Walkman Prophecies]

It was interesting to see Brooker include brief skits from his home life, inc acknowledging he's married to Konnie Huq. Well why shouldn't he esp in these times but it was interesting as the most open admission yet that he's no longer able to play the 'disposessed every viewer' role his earlier programmes were structured around and has to cop to being himself.

Yes, he finally got his wife out - alas, at the late stage where no rational man would find her desirable, though maybe that's the point.

In an alternate universe, it would have been interesting to see him continue on and on as an embittered celibate, much in the same way it would have been great to have seen a properly middleaged Peep Show, or a Red Dwarf of pensionable nastiness. People inevitably get married and have kids. And you can't help feeling that's a cop out for people who've built their name on being sad loners.