Campaign for Common Sense Report: Not enough Right-Wing Comedians on the Beeb

[Petey Pate]

Couldn't someone do a report on 'not enough Corbyn supporting comedians on the BBC' and the results would be more or less identical to this one bar changing names and certain key terms?

Tony Law's Twitter activity has been dodgy for a while now. Have a look at his likes and you'll find transphobes, "BLM have set racial equality back 25 years" types and #DefundTheBBC-ers. Fuck him.

Has any of this seeped into his actual act yet? I'm intrigued to see what right-wing surrealist comedy looks like.

[thenoise]

Carry on at your Convenience is vaguely right-wing (or, at least, anti-unions). Bit dated now that unions only really exist for middle class people thanks to forty years of Thatcherism.

[Wayman C. McCreery]

Couldn't someone do a report on 'not enough Corbyn supporting comedians on the BBC' and the results would be more or less identical to this one bar changing names and certain key terms?

Has any of this seeped into his actual act yet? I'm intrigued to see what right-wing surrealist comedy looks like.

I haven't seen him for years, but here's 30 minutes of him at the aforementioned Comedy Unleashed: https://youtu.be/DiZiR0eQfjI

I haven't watched it. Might do tomorrow though.

[Botty Cello]

There's a market for right wing comedians, so the lack of them is more down to the type of personality that develops the ability to be funny. Hollywood is left leaning as are the arts on the whole, just as the Army is right leaning. Those that complain about it are just as free to take an open mike as anyone else. OK now we've cleared that one up , what's the meaning of life ?

[Wayman C. McCreery]

I haven't seen him for years, but here's 30 minutes of him at the aforementioned Comedy Unleashed: https://youtu.be/DiZiR0eQfjI

I haven't watched it. Might do tomorrow though.

I got a really long ad I couldn't skip about ten minutes in, so I gave up. But those first ten were just standard Mr Tony.

[jobotic]

Carry on at your Convenience is vaguely right-wing (or, at least, anti-unions). Bit dated now that unions only really exist for middle class people thanks to forty years of Thatcherism.

Middle class people like refuse collectors and teaching assistants?

Trade union power has diminished hugely, of course, but I think you're exaggerating. Might be true to say they are run by middle class people much more than they were.

[Petey Pate]

I got a really long ad I couldn't skip about ten minutes in, so I gave up. But those first ten were just standard Mr Tony.

I watched a bit more than that. There were a few crowd-pleasing references to Brexit and identity politics, but on the whole nothing radically different from his usual style.

[Thursday]

Couldn't someone do a report on 'not enough Corbyn supporting comedians on the BBC' and the results would be more or less identical to this one bar changing names and certain key terms?

Has any of this seeped into his actual act yet? I'm intrigued to see what right-wing surrealist comedy looks like.

I think that surrealism or twee is the only style of comedy they can do and keep hidden.

[j_u_d_a_s]

I think that surrealism or twee is the only style of comedy they can do and keep hidden.

Andrew Lawrence pre-FB meltdown was fairly surreal stream of consciousness stuff. Lisa "Biscuitahoy" Graves was doing yer standard "badgers" sub-Boosh twee surrealism before going full fat fash and Jenny TheWorldofCrap Morill on twitter's mask fell off and now she's writing for RT about being cancelled for "sharing an alternative view on the US election" or "spreading a conspiracy theory with zero evidence" if you're being technical.

Actually, just remembered Harry Hill had that horrific "I wanna baby" song a decade or so ago along with a lot of chav bashing on TV Burp and complained that BBC three was coming out of his money. Seems to have reigned it in at least. But yeah, there's more than few examples of cosy surreal twee acts going right wing or hiding it well.

[George Oscar Bluth II]

We've got a Tory Govt ffs. What more do these arseholes want?

What does political hegemony mean if someone can go on the BBC and poke light fun at you? Nothing at all.

[Wayman C. McCreery]

I think that surrealism or twee is the only style of comedy they can do and keep hidden.

And one-liners. See Gary Delaney.

[sevendaughters]

Andrew Lawrence pre-FB meltdown was fairly surreal stream of consciousness stuff.

I just checked in to see what our fallen hero was up to and fuuuuuuck me.

[j_u_d_a_s]

And one-liners. See Gary Delaney.

Leo Kearse is a massive pun merchant too.

[Menu]

Does Alun Cochrane still do the Frank Skinner Show? And if so, is his right-wingery noticeable? I always thought he was just 'a bit shit'.

[Wayman C. McCreery]

Does Alun Cochrane still do the Frank Skinner Show? And if so, is his right-wingery noticeable? I always thought he was just 'a bit shit'.

Don't know about the Frank Skinner thing, but he was always one of the better observational comedians. A great club comic - and I mean that as a compliment.

[Huxleys Babkins]

There's a market for right wing comedians, so the lack of them is more down to the type of personality that develops the ability to be funny. Hollywood is left leaning as are the arts on the whole, just as the Army is right leaning. Those that complain about it are just as free to take an open mike as anyone else. OK now we've cleared that one up , what's the meaning of life ?

I think if there really were a market for right wing comedy, someone would be filling that gap. It's not like capitalism to leave a market unexploited.

The truth is that the right don't really want more comedy tailored for them, they just need a handy stick to beat their opponents with.

[Botty Cello]

I think if there really were a market for right wing comedy, someone would be filling that gap. It's not like capitalism to leave a market unexploited.

The truth is that the right don't really want more comedy tailored for them, they just need a handy stick to beat their opponents with.

Well you say that but some audiences started booing Brexit jokes back in the day and Nish Kumar had to leave the stage at one point. I've seen quiet a few forums posts, not just here, suggesting there's an interest and you can't argue with statistics. There are even right wing universities, apparently. Are you saying anyone right of center refuses to be amused ? The market might be smaller, but there are stand ups, like Geoff Norcott, Boris, Kim Wrong Un for example (have you seen their hair cuts).

[Ornlu]

I'm still struggling to think of any 'right-wing comedians'; I don't really know anything about Geoff Norcott or those folks, and generally dismiss them as UK panel show bobbins.

People love saying Norm, for example, is 'right-wing' - and his political leanings are, I believe - but how do you find this informs his comedy? Does it matter?

[RicoMNKN]

I'm still struggling to think of any 'right-wing comedians';

Is that not just that right wing now seems to only mean far right?
Most telly comedians seem to be pretty centrist, and there are plenty I'd imagine would vote for a center-right party over a proper left wing one.

[Ornlu]

Is that not just that right wing now seems to only mean far right?

Fair point. A lot of people seem to think so.

[Icehaven]

Being right wing is just such a ludicrous position to take isn't it. I mean fucking hell it seems so obvious that they're the baddies.

As a generally left wing person I'd feel quite put off* a comedian if I found out they harboured strong right wing views and it just wasn't apparent in their material, however I can't see the same being said by right wing types if they found out a comedian they liked was left wing (and again their politics doesn't come through in their act.) So basically yes. It's hard to imagine right wingers saying "Oh I used to LOVE him but then I found out he's pro-immigration and believes in free healthcare and I just can't laugh at him anymore." Although increasingly I may be wrong about that.

And what constitutes left wing according to that report, is anyone who's ever made a throwaway gag about Boris or Brexit basically a Commie in their book?



*That isn't to say I'd personally cancel them and never watch them again, just that I'd inevitably like them less and that'd affect how funny I found them as the two are generally related.

[Bazooka]

As a generally left wing person I'd feel quite put off* a comedian if I found out they harboured strong right wing views and it just wasn't apparent in their material, however I can't see the same being said by right wing types if they found out a comedian they liked was left wing (and again their politics doesn't come through in their act.) So basically yes. It's hard to imagine right wingers saying "Oh I used to LOVE him but then I found out he's pro-immigration and believes in free healthcare and I just can't laugh at him anymore." Although increasingly I may be wrong about that.

And what constitutes left wing according to that report, is anyone who's ever made a throwaway gag about Boris or Brexit basically a Commie in their book?



*That isn't to say I'd personally cancel them and never watch them again, just that I'd inevitably like them less and that'd affect how funny I found them as the two are generally related.

Well I can certainly be put off a comedian if they are hard left and ruled by identity politics.

I mean the moment any comedian starts going political regardless of the slant I'm usually bored because let's be honest it doesn't go beyond political humour people are creating in their own living rooms during regular conversation. As you allude to; messy hair Boris, Orange with a wig Donald.

[Famous Mortimer]

Well I can certainly be put off a comedian if they are hard left and ruled by identity politics.

Is anyone outside of the fevered nightmares of Daily Mail readers "ruled by identity politics"? Much less any comedians?

[dothestrand]

Given that the tour circuit for moderately successful comedians is entirely provincial, Conservative voting England, I'm amazed more right-wing comedians don't exist. And by comedians, I really mean parroting their prejudices back to them, whether there's a joke there or not. Basically, Al Murray's Pub Landlord without the satire.

[j_u_d_a_s]

Edit: typed in a reply to whole other topic entirely. oops! But while I'm here...

Well I can certainly be put off a comedian if they are hard left and ruled by identity politics.

Does any comedian resembling this description actually exist in any meaningful sense? Because the likes of Doyle et al claim they're the death of comedy without ever defining what hard left/identity politics or heaven forbid "woke" comedy actually is.

As for right wing comedy, there was a fair bit of backlash in some comedy circles to the praise Nanette received because it's not funny enough (never mind that it's an incredible deconstruction of comedy and her history with it) Really good vid about conservative comedy here - Thought Slime: Conservative Comedy sucks too. The main takeaway is that right wing comedy distorts leftist viewpoints for mockery.

[evilcommiedictator]

Right wing comedians will always have their traditional markets - end of year events for sports clubs, corporates and private gentlemen's clubs for the rich and famous.

There's a reason as to why their material doesn't get to a wider audience - because it's tired and shit

[chveik]

Does any comedian resembling this description actually exist in any meaningful sense?

no. the use of 'hard left' is evidence enough that it's bollocks

[j_u_d_a_s]

no. the use of 'hard left' is evidence enough that it's bollocks

Well indeed. Too often these terms are thrown out without anyone asking if they understand what it means. It's a feeling they have rather than something thought through.

[Botty Cello]

no. the use of 'hard left' is evidence enough that it's bollocks

That suggest there's a "soft left". Clement Freud & John Cleese  were both Lib Demers. Comedy requires understanding things from other peoples perspective, so maybe that's why you don't get many extremist comedians ?  I know a terrorist group that hates French cartoonists and Trump got a Canadian cartoonist and a writer on SNL sacked. I rest mi case mi lawed.

[Bazooka]

Is anyone outside of the fevered nightmares of Daily Mail readers "ruled by identity politics"? Much less any comedians?

Yes there are plenty of ideologues, my point states I would be put off their comedy if it were their personal foundation, it wouldn't have to necessarily be present in their comedy(same on the far/hard right/dont care about semantics police), hence me quoting Icehaven. I think in comedy you have to find someone personable to find a natural humour connection.