The Fast Show - Just A Load Of Blooming Catchphrases

[Huxleys Babkins]

He's probably spent longer playing Father Brown than he did playing "stupid Brummies", so perhaps now is a good time to come back to comedy, if only fleetingly.

[Retinend]

The brilliance of the Jazz Club sketches totally escaped me at the time, but watching clips recently it struck me how good they are. A real slow burn with lots of lovely little touches as time progresses.

They are fantastic, aren't they?

What I never got, though, were the "does my bum look big in this" lady. Why was that always such a big catchphrase?

[BeardFaceMan]

I do prefer the first series, when there were more weird and one-off sketches, or sketches with characters where the catchphrase wasn't such a focus. Stuff like Fat Sweaty Coppers, the drunk parents, Mark Williams' Welsh doctor, "isn't Jesus great?", the offroaders, that sort of thing. The later series descended into endless catchphrases and less of that stuff, which was a shame.

[neveragain]

There are still quite a few one offs in Series 3 (although the only one that comes to mind at the moment is Mark Williams as a Norn Irish sporting coach urging a river to flow... oh, and Paul Whitehouse as a Texan whose dog throws him a birthday party) but what I found on a recent rewatch was that they really upped the crudeness, and that got a bit tiresome.

[idunnosomename]

Yes his struggles with the demon drink are well documented

_Sorry

why is the blind falling down so fucking funny. i just lose it everytime. marvellous

[Rolf Lundgren]

I do prefer the first series, when there were more weird and one-off sketches, or sketches with characters where the catchphrase wasn't such a focus. Stuff like Fat Sweaty Coppers, the drunk parents, Mark Williams' Welsh doctor, "isn't Jesus great?", the offroaders, that sort of thing. The later series descended into endless catchphrases and less of that stuff, which was a shame.

I found the 3rd series the most enjoyable on a rewatch because with the first series, the joke is the punchline whereas by the third series they could do more interesting stuff like with Arthur Atkinson and Channel 9 and you're not just waiting for the catchphrase. I get your point though because the first series had some great one-off sketches which could all easily have gone on to do more which shows how strong the writing was at that point.

[Jockice]

I prefer the second series.

[Jake Thingray]

They are fantastic, aren't they?

What I never got, though, were the "does my bum look big in this" lady. Why was that always such a big catchphrase?

The promoters and influencers of the media picked up on that one, as opposed to the public deciding they liked it of their own volition.

[Malcy]

Trailer

https://youtube.com/watch?v=OMGa6xKDgds

[Gulftastic]

I love when Sol used 'Scorchio' presumably without permission giving rise to the 'Pissi Beer' advert.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

What I never got, though, were the "does my bum look big in this" lady. Why was that always such a big catchphrase?

Why is Miranda Hart popular, why is Sarah Millican popular, why was Victoria Wood popular

[DrGreggles]

Why is Miranda Hart popular, why is Sarah Millican popular, why was Victoria Wood popular

I can answer the 3rd one.

[neveragain]

Yeah, I'm guessing your point is 'because women like them' and that's undermined by having someone with Wood's talents in the list.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Nope

[Cold Meat Platter]

Nope

Give us a clue.

[neveragain]

Okay, you think they're all... good?

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Could expand but in short, Comedy of recognition. People's lives and existences reflected back at them. 'That's me!' haha 'That's you!' haha, etc.

[neveragain]

That's fine, I get you now. For some reason it all being women led me (and at least one other CaBber) down the wrong track. Back to the point, it's fair to say people worrying about their bums is relatable but it's still a mystifyingly popular sketch, perhaps - and I'm being cruel here - elevated to prominence due to its place in The Fast Show rather than on its own merits. If it were a recurring sketch on Naked Video or Tittybangbang would it be talked about as fondly?

[ollyboro]

Weir played a similar character to "Does My My Bum Look Big". The high powered woman (copper etc) who simpered around blokes and asked them to open tins. To me this character was lampooning the idea of women wanting equal opportunities, but still using outdated male opinions of women to get their way. Or something. "Does my bum look big" came from the same place. The idea that women couldn't just exist without reference to
how men view them. Or something.

[Lisa Jesusandmarychain]

Weir played a similar character to "Does My My Bum Look Big". The high powered woman (copper etc) who simpered around blokes and asked them to open tins. To me this character was lampooning the idea of women wanting equal opportunities, but still using outdated male opinions of women to get their way. Or something. "Does my bum look big" came from the same place. The idea that women couldn't just exist without reference to
how men view them. Or something.

There was also the woman who would say things around men, helpful advice and that, only to seemingly be ignored, and for the men to repeat her words back to the other men, eliciting appreciative reaction. Quite the feminist, was Weiry. Shame she was massively unfunny.

[Jockice]

Yeah, I'm guessing your point is 'because women like them' and that's undermined by having someone with Wood's talents in the list.

I know she's considered a comedy legend and all that but I've never found Wood remotely amusing. However Hart and Millican (and Weir come to think of it) have very occasionally made me laugh.

[lipsink]

Trailer

https://youtube.com/watch?v=OMGa6xKDgds

I always find it a little depressing seeing actors looking a lot older playing characters from years ago. I find I'm concentrating less on what they're saying and more how different they look.

Had the same problem with recent seasons of Curb Your Enthusiasm.

[Shit Good Nose]

I know she's considered a comedy legend and all that but I've never found Wood remotely amusing.

I knew it couldn't just be me.  Me and you against the world Jocky.

[BeardFaceMan]

See, for me the weak link in The Fast Show was Caroline Aherne, not Weir. I don't think I laughed at a single character she did, never could see what people saw in her. The sketches she was in were usually the most basic ones with little deviation (like "simple as that", ones where there are no jokes in the set-up and the catchphrase is the punchline), her various character monologues were crap and one-note, I usually fast forward through her stuff on rewatches and the thought of having to sit through her stuff usually puts me off rewatching it.

[Captain Z]

I knew it couldn't just be me.  Me and you against the world Jocky.

Can I join your club too please?

[Shit Good Nose]

Can I join your club too please?

Yes, but we might have to start charging subs.  I'll let Jockice set the amounts as VP and CEO.

[Gulftastic]

To stick up for Aherne, Roy & Renee and the Marine Biologist ones are great!

[Shit Good Nose]

Roy & Renee

I don't dislike Aherne, but John Thomson makes those sketches in my opinion.

[BeardFaceMan]

I don't dislike Aherne, but John Thomson makes those sketches in my opinion.

Yeah she does her usual ununny waffling in the same voice she uses for virtually every character (her own) and then Thompson comes in with the punchline.

[Shit Good Nose]

Yeah she does her usual ununny waffling in the same voice she uses for virtually every character (her own) and then Thompson comes in with the punchline.

It's not just the punchline (in fact that's actually the least of it), it's his little bits of business or the way he looks at her whilst she's waffling on.