And Away... by Bob Mortimer (funnyman autobiography)

[phantom_power]

Weren't they both at a few of the same concerts before they met? I seem to remember they both saw the same show on Camel's Snow Goose tour.

They both saw Free in Boro when they were 13

[Dusty Substance]

Having listened to Vic on Adam Buxton's podcast earlier today I'm now catching up with Bob on RHLSTP.

Don't know if this has been discussed elsewhere but is it me or does Bob's voice sound kind of different to how he once did? I guess all our voices change over the years as we get older but Bob sounds nasally on this RHLSTP. At first I thought he was doing a bit but it doesn't seem that way. Dunno, I might be reading too much into it or I just haven't heard him speak in a while - I don't listen to Athletico Mince, or watch Taskmaster, WILTY, the fishing thing etc.....

[sutin]

Having listened to Vic on Adam Buxton's podcast earlier today I'm now catching up with Bob on RHLSTP.

Don't know if this has been discussed elsewhere but is it me or does Bob's voice sound kind of different to how he once did? I guess all our voices change over the years as we get older but Bob sounds nasally on this RHLSTP. At first I thought he was doing a bit but it doesn't seem that way. Dunno, I might be reading too much into it or I just haven't heard him speak in a while - I don't listen to Athletico Mince, or watch Taskmaster, WILTY, the fishing thing etc.....

He sounded different on the latest RHLSTP than he does on the audiobook and the new Mince.

[mr. logic]

Hmmm. Found this pretty disappointing to be honest. It's a pretty bog standard effort as per what's typical in this genre, and I was expecting much more. Didn't dislike it as such, as he's a comedy genius, but not close to being as thrilled as some of you seem to be. I read it, so maybe I'll try listening sometime

[phantom_power]

I have finished now and am sad that there is no more for me to hear

[SteveDave]

I finished reading the book yesterday and as with the majority of you, loved it.

I'm starting on the audiobook tomorrow.

[lebowskibukowski]

Hmmm. Found this pretty disappointing to be honest. It's a pretty bog standard effort as per what's typical in this genre, and I was expecting much more. Didn't dislike it as such, as he's a comedy genius, but not close to being as thrilled as some of you seem to be. I read it, so maybe I'll try listening sometime

Much the same, I think. Decent enough but not amazing.  The small sample size I have seen from various friends is book = fine, audiobook = marvellous.

[phantom_power]

I find it nice that on tour Vic and Bob listen to Chill Out by The KLF almost every day

[olliebean]

The apocalyptic vision of him and the cascade of charred chicken heads is inspiring, would make a great horror scene.

It was very evocative, albeit obviously one of the deliberately untrue tales.

[phantom_power]

I forgot about those. Is there anywhere that reveals which ones were lies?

[Blue Jam]

The apocalyptic vision of him and the cascade of charred chicken heads is inspiring, would make a great horror scene.

I never imagined

Spoiler alert

"SUNDERLAND TIL I DIE!

[close]

could ever have sounded that ominous.

It was very evocative, albeit obviously one of the deliberately untrue tales.

I read Bob's autobiography immediately after reading David Niven's The Moon's A Balloon. Seems fitting.

[imitationleather]

Bob Mortimer related:

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/sep/28/vic-reeves-reveals-inoperable-tumour-has-left-him-deaf-in-one-ear

This headline nearly made me have a heart attack. They should have made it clear it wasn't cancerous!

[Blue Jam]

*Phew!*

A friend's mother had the exact same thing, she went deaf in one ear but that's all the benign tumour did and she eventually died of something completely unrelated many years later. He'll be fine!

[Jittlebags]

eh?

[ProvanFan]

Eh, Cheesy? EH?

[ProvanFan]

I was half asleep with the audiobook on last night but did Bob really list he and Vic's top five things they've done and 'The Smell of...' wasn't among them? I'd probably have a fight with them about that.

[Magnum Valentino]

I think the argument there could be that Smell Of and Bang Bang are more or less the same thing but he prefers the latter (as do I).

[ProvanFan]

Come on then

[robhug]

in recommending bob's book to a chap I knew from the 90's at the weekend, I was reminded that vic and bob maybe more than any other comedians of the era used to black up/racial sterotype with near impunity it seems. Why would they be given a free pass? is it the absurdist nature of the comedy?

[frajer]

Bob Mortimer related:

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/sep/28/vic-reeves-reveals-inoperable-tumour-has-left-him-deaf-in-one-ear

This headline nearly made me have a heart attack. They should have made it clear it wasn't cancerous!

Luckily I heard Vic chat about this on the latest Buckles pod before I saw it being reported by the news, as a LOT of the headlines are (inevitably) being clickbaity shitheads in the way they describe it.

It is technically accurate that's an inoperable tumour but would it hurt them to have popped "benign" in the header?

[Crabwalk]

The audiobook is really great, and I'm glad I opted to have Bob tell me his tale rather than the shit actor in my mind try to act it out. What a lovely, lovely man and how joyful to hear him stifling chuckles at his own turns of phrase.

As an-ex Camberwell/Peckham dosser myself, who used to frequent The Grove, I especially loved hearing about that period of his life. As has been stated, the gossamer thin thread that pulled him towards Vic is almost terrifying to consider. No wonder he believes in fate.

[jobotic]

in recommending bob's book to a chap I knew from the 90's at the weekend, I was reminded that vic and bob maybe more than any other comedians of the era used to black up/racial sterotype with near impunity it seems. Why would they be given a free pass? is it the absurdist nature of the comedy?

I think it must be

I nearly always say to myself "me not know" when I don't know something, like Bob's Lovejoy. Which was what? Little Plum style "Injun" talk?

I have to stop myself saying it out loud.

[Tony Yeboah]

in recommending bob's book to a chap I knew from the 90's at the weekend, I was reminded that vic and bob maybe more than any other comedians of the era used to black up/racial sterotype with near impunity it seems. Why would they be given a free pass? is it the absurdist nature of the comedy?

The reveal of Bob as Mick from Brookside was so funny that it justified it.

[ProvanFan]

in recommending bob's book to a chap I knew from the 90's at the weekend, I was reminded that vic and bob maybe more than any other comedians of the era used to black up/racial sterotype with near impunity it seems. Why would they be given a free pass? is it the absurdist nature of the comedy?

If the offending shows appeared on Netflix I'm sure it would be discussed.

[Autopsy Turvey]

in recommending bob's book to a chap I knew from the 90's at the weekend, I was reminded that vic and bob maybe more than any other comedians of the era used to black up/racial sterotype with near impunity it seems. Why would they be given a free pass? is it the absurdist nature of the comedy?

Maybe just because their shows are never repeated or streamed so everyone's forgotten about it? Also, they dropped the face paint for Otis & Marvin after Smell series one, so they showed willing early on to rectify the issue (although surely it's not much better just depicting two of the most iconic black musicians as white?). Was there a hoo-hah about the face paint during series one, did they have a political change of heart or could they just not be bothered with the faff? I'd be surprised if there was any hoo-hah, given how popular blackface remained in comedy in the 20 years after Smell.

[gilbertharding]

It was definitely mentioned, but no hoo-hah.

As for '...depicting two of the most iconic black musicians as white,' they also gave them Geordie accents.

[phantom_power]

It just fits along with their general bizarre interpretations of various famous people. I am too white to say too much about whether they should get a pass on it all but it seems to me it is so silly and innocent that it has probably escaped too much attention for that reason, and as has been said because the shows never get repeated

[Old Thrashbarg]

I don't think, as far as I can recall, that it was ever anything other than costume. In that the characters could've looked completely different and it wouldn't have changed anything about the sketch, unlike, say, fucking Ting Tong in Little Britain. There was never any attempt to make their race or appearance part of a joke or any discrimination/malice towards the characters.

Which does obviously beg the question of why they bothered to black up in the first place if it wasn't part of the character.

[Autopsy Turvey]

As for '...depicting two of the most iconic black musicians as white,' they also gave them Geordie accents.

Otis Redding & Marvin Gaye having Geordie accents is funny, them having white faces just seems to have erased a fairly crucial aspect of their lives, careers and physiognomies.

There was never any attempt to make their race or appearance part of a joke or any discrimination/malice towards the characters.

Absolutely! But that's not an argument against this sort of thing, after all there was no malice or discrimination in the Black & White Minstrel Show, it just looked increasingly wrong.

Which does obviously beg the question of why they bothered to black up in the first place if it wasn't part of the character.

Because Otis Redding & Marvin Gaye were black fellas! As Rory Bremner said about his blackface impressions, "It was not to do with race, every character we did, we wanted to look like the person." Depicting Otis & Marvin as white in series two unbalanced the vibe somewhat, it was funny when these two soul legends were represented as squabbling toy puppets with Geordie accents, but without the attempt to echo their real life visual appearance the suspension of disbelief, always tenuous with Vic & Bob, was shot away.

I guess the conclusion is stick to your own, either get Felix Dexter and Vas Blackwood in to play Otis & Marvin or go with a Geordie Simon & Garfunkel, sitting on a bridge over troubled water. But I do wonder how many complaints these representations received before last summer's overnight grievance activism bandwagon.

[DrGreggles]

S1 Marvin and Otis sections were pre-recorded, whereas the S2 ones were done 'live'.
I doubt it was anything to do with erasing a fairly crucial aspect of their lives, careers and physiognomies. More the logistics of producing a TV show.