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Before & Laughter: A Life-Changing Book by Jimmy Carr (unfunnyman autobiography)

Started by Petey Pate, September 29, 2021, 01:34:37 PM

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Mobbd

In Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, there's a possibly-Replicant TV comedian called Mr Smiley or something like that. The idea is that in Dystopia, we will all find consolation/be distracted by some pap-for-the-masses ubiquitous robo-funnyman. Not saying this has come to pass but obviously this has come to pass and now he's got a fucking book out.

amateur

I quite liked the JokeBot2000 phase because it was fucking weird.

Much better than the sub HIGNFY patter he deals in these days.

Jerzy Bondov

Yeah I actually really liked his original persona, where he'd almost be confused by the reactions to his jokes, like he didn't even know what he was doing or how he was doing it. Hard to parlay that into a long career fronting panel shows though.

Tony Yeboah

You shouldn't laugh at people's cosmetic surgery so I admire everyone's restraint in here, but what the hell is he doing to himself?


Quote from: Tony Yeboah on October 05, 2021, 12:04:13 PM
You shouldn't laugh at people's cosmetic surgery so I admire everyone's restraint in here, but what the hell is he doing to himself?

It's bugged me for ages that he reminds me of someone, but I could never think who.  Thanks to the picture on previous page have realised that he now reminds me of a cross between Robbie Rotten from Lazytown and the robot that Jude Law played in AI.  99% human-like with just a hint of evil.


Bennett Brauer

Quote from: dirkgonnadirk on October 05, 2021, 11:11:21 PM
https://www.chortle.co.uk/features/2021/10/04/49373/im_a_one-liner_guy..._but_no_ones_ever_made_it_onto_the_mount_rushmore_of_comedy_with_that_attitude

Oh my God, he's dyslexic 🙏

Quote from: Jimmy CarrDyslexia is a way of putting a label on the 10 per cent of society whose minds work in a very slightly different way. I don't think it's a particularly helpful label because it makes people feel like they're learning disabled. We should celebrate difference.
Quote from: Jimmy CarrWhy are they called Sunshine Variety coaches when all the kids on them look the fucking same?


Captain Z

I initially disliked him intently when he suddenly became ubiquitous on Channel 4 in the early 00s, possibly because he had seemingly very little personality but I can't remember exactly why. I started to soften towards him when Bo Selecta ran a series of trailers that were a parody of Channel 4's own trailers at the time - quick cuts between lots of different presenters answering inconsequential questions. The Bo Selecta version obviously replaced all the celebs with rubber-masked versions, apart from Jimmy Carr who was played by himself.

madhair60

That's reminded me of Leigh's take on The Friday Night Project and now I've got the giggles.

madhair60 mentions Bo in the USA

Utter Shit

Quote from: Bennett Brauer on October 05, 2021, 11:49:22 PM
Oh my God, he's dyslexic 🙏

It doesn't give him a free pass because the impact is just the same, but I think Carr more than most comedians can honestly say 'it's just a joke' and not indicative of his actual beliefs. His entire act is just about wordplay, there's no opinion there. Although I guess you can still infer what type of person he is from the fact he is willing to tell a joke that is likely to have an negative impact on people.

FWIW I'd say that in any case it is a rare example of a Carr joke that doesn't even work. I mean...it isn't true that all SEN kids look the same, is it?

sevendaughters

love this book. he talks openly about tax avoidance and realises that it was moral deficiency that saw him hoard away millions of pounds from the exchequer, and realises he errored. he also reveals his child is named Rockefeller.

thr0b

Used to irrationally hate him, now I look forward to him popping up on telly. You know even if it's on a mediocre panel show, if he's there as a guest he will at least put in the effort to elevate it somewhat.

He's a fairly ubiquitous face on Comedy Central these days, which having ended most UK production now subsists on a diet of non-stop-Friends and mediocre panel shows. It's surprising he's never become an ITV face - his style is perfectly suited to Big Bollocks Light Entertainment.

Bennett Brauer

Quote from: Utter Shit on October 06, 2021, 10:31:56 AM
It doesn't give him a free pass because the impact is just the same, but I think Carr more than most comedians can honestly say 'it's just a joke' and not indicative of his actual beliefs. His entire act is just about wordplay, there's no opinion there. Although I guess you can still infer what type of person he is from the fact he is willing to tell a joke that is likely to have an negative impact on people.

FWIW I'd say that in any case it is a rare example of a Carr joke that doesn't even work. I mean...it isn't true that all SEN kids look the same, is it?

In the context of the routine he was referring specifically to children with Down's Syndrome, but whatever, a group that the Nazis wanted out of the way, and some people in this country today unfortunately. You can say it's just words but I'd guess he'd calculated the collateral damage of the joke would be minimal.

Would he make a joke about black people that plays on the old trope about them all looking the same? Rhetorical question, looks like I've found the level of the room, honking laugh.

lipsink

I did think his Rob Riggle joke on Rob Lowe's roast was pretty good:

"Rob served in Afghanistan before becoming a standup comic. Then, the real bombing began."

jenna appleseed

Quote from: Bennett Brauer on October 06, 2021, 12:43:15 PM
In the context of the routine he was referring specifically to children with Down's Syndrome, but whatever, a group that the Nazis wanted out of the way, and some people in this country today unfortunately. You can say it's just words but I'd guess he'd calculated the collateral damage of the joke would be minimal.

Would he make a joke about black people that plays on the old trope about them all looking the same? Rhetorical question, looks like I've found the level of the room, honking laugh.

stolen from an ancient (late 90s I think) email forward type list of "ever wondered why..." type 'whimsical' observations attributed to some American humorous newspaper columnist - 'Ever wondered how they make all the Down Syndrome kids look the same?'

thenoise

And he stole his joke about putting smarties tubes on cats legs to make them walk like a robot from Viz.

Cold Meat Platter

He truly is the new Bob Monkhouse, in that all of his jokes were nicked as well.
He offered to finance Stewart Lee's stand up DVD which was nice, though.


Twit 2


MigraineBoy

I'm in no hurry to pick this up, but I will say his piece in Adam Kay's 'Dear NHS' book was incredibly touching.

Mobbd

Quote from: thenoise on October 07, 2021, 05:50:18 AM
And he stole his joke about putting smarties tubes on cats legs to make them walk like a robot from Viz.

No way! That was always a Carr gag I liked. And now I know why.  Motherfucker!

Bennett Brauer

Quote from: jenna appleseed on October 07, 2021, 01:01:26 AM
stolen from an ancient (late 90s I think) email forward type list of "ever wondered why..." type 'whimsical' observations attributed to some American humorous newspaper columnist - 'Ever wondered how they make all the Down Syndrome kids look the same?'

With the pretend misunderstanding of 'variety' meaning light entertainment it's a shit joke all round, but mainly just a horrible target. In "all the kids on them look the fucking same", there's an implied hatred in that 'fucking' that sounds dehumanisingly nasty to me.

Anyway, I don't deny that he has some good lines, but since the tax avoidance he comes across as a snake-oil salesman re-manipulating his reputation. It isn't enough that he admitted his money-grubbing was wrong four years ago, now he has spin it as his dark night of the soul. "James Corden called me around midnight that same day the story hit the papers. And then the next night, he called again. And the next night. He was and is a fucking great guy. And frankly, I needed it. So, a lesson I learned is if a friend is going through hard times, call, text, reach out." Shut up.

Elderly Sumo Prophecy

Is James Corden a fucking great guy? I've heard he's a fucking great big cunt.


checkoutgirl

Being mates with James Corden is almost too perfect and sets the seal on his character for me quite nicely. Like Ricky Gervais seeing no problem getting all matey with that cunt Jonathan Ross.

"Going through hard times" indeed. What a knob. These people are not like us. Don't be fooled when they pretend to be.

Bennett Brauer

Quote from: checkoutgirl on October 08, 2021, 12:44:23 AM
These people are not like us. Don't be fooled when they pretend to be.

Yep. No chance of us lot meeting Prince Andrew.  😒

 

Rolf Lundgren

I've never bought his reason for being a virgin until he was 26 because he was very religious. Would have more respect if he said he struggled with women for whatever reason but feels like he has to save face by being pious.

There's an interesting article on the BBC about him revealing he's massively into NLP which says a lot. Also claims anyone can do comedy and it's completely a learned skill but think he's doing a lot of comedians a disservice. Of course the harder you work and more you practice, the better you get but there are people who do have the advantage of being naturally funny and those who could practice for years and still be awful. Not everyone who learns comedy goes on national tours for a reason.


Petey Pate

Jimmy had a run-in with an incessant heckler in Poole last night. Can't really fault him for getting security to throw out someone who was ruining his show. There's some footage of the incident here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPfTj3gI1mI

up_the_hampipe

Quote from: Gurke and Hare on September 30, 2021, 02:36:02 PM
I suspect a particular issue people on here would have an issue with him is that he has clearly - and I'm sure he's admitted as much in the past - has treated comedy as a stepping stone to a TV presenting career, rather than as an end in itself.

I don't know if anyone does give a shit about that, nor should they. It's also not entirely true. A lot of comedians want to get on TV, and those that use stand-up as a stepping stone wouldn't still be touring and writing as relentlessly as he does. I don't like him really, but let's be fair, it's just cos his jokes can be crap and he's a bit annoying.