C4's "Shocking Comedy" series of programmes

Late last night on Channel 4, Christ; I've never seen so many desperate, low-rent, self-satisfied "comedians" talk with such absurd fascination about as dull a topic as "offensive jokes". Cue a smorgasboard of stand-up clips where smug wankers substitute their lack of comedic talent by telling crude, witless jokes dealing in race, terrorism, and mental illness in attempt to sound edgy. Don't think I'm some prude, I could care less if someone tells a joke about Princess Diana - what I take offense to is how low C4 have sunk in a pitiful effort to defend their position as a hip, daring, "f**k you" station.

Didn't manage to catch it myself, but the Roy Chubby Brown thing on Tuesday (I think) was rather interesting.

I did see about it - and thought about commenting (without watching it) just on the principal of such a programme.

What is the point?

@ Aaron

Yes, in a human-zoo kind of way. I'd have never have guessed that those kind of racist, homophobic, misogynistic, hateful, vile, moronic stand-up acts still existed. I'm not sure how much his routine was edited for effect, but either way most of his jokes seemed much more political than in jest. His explosion while reading the newspaper reminded me of the idiot farm-boys that went to my primary school, and seemed about as educated.

I watched about 5 mins of it. The was this one "comic" called Jeff Jeffries I think? He said something really smug and trying to be offensive about 9/11 and took a drink trying to be nonshulant, dick.

There was one comedian who was a complete prick. He said something along the lines of 'if you can do a joke on the day then the audience will love you.' You think hes referring to other comedians, then he goes 'I did a joke...' what a smug wanker. You can't review yourself! Also the joke was shit. It was on 9/11 and he said does anyone want to play jenga. Do you get it? see it funny because the world trade centre collapsed, so does jenga, hilarious. What a c**t.

Quote: Leevil @ May 10, 2007, 7:00 PM

I watched about 5 mins of it. The was this one "comic" called Jeff Jeffries I think? He said something really smug and trying to be offensive about 9/11 and took a drink trying to be nonshulant, dick.

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Was he Australian?

Quote: Retinend @ May 10, 2007, 6:56 PM

@ Aaron
I'd have never have guessed that those kind of racist, homophobic, misogynistic, hateful, vile, moronic stand-up acts still existed ...... His explosion while reading the newspaper reminded me of the idiot farm-boys that went to my primary school, and seemed about as educated.

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Maybe your 'idiot farm-boys' are now all doing stand-up.

Quote: Retinend @ May 10, 2007, 6:56 PM

@ Aaron

Yes, in a human-zoo kind of way. I'd have never have guessed that those kind of racist, homophobic, misogynistic, hateful, vile, moronic stand-up acts still existed. I'm not sure how much his routine was edited for effect, but either way most of his jokes seemed much more political than in jest. His explosion while reading the newspaper reminded me of the idiot farm-boys that went to my primary school, and seemed about as educated.

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To me, it seemed that the whole thing was heavily edited to show a really negative side of him, and produced by someone who obviously does not properly understand the views portrayed. Whilst some of RCB's material, and RV's comments, may have been a little distasteful, shall we say, I don't believe that they are made maliciously.

Quote: zooo @ May 10, 2007, 8:36 PM

Was he Australian?

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Think so.

Jim Jeffries is the guy who got punched on stage

Some of them comedians really didn't suit being offensive, i got the feeling that by night they tell crude, racist, sexixt jokes but by day the hold a collection box for the red cross, the only reason they are labeled as comedians is because they got up on stage and told a joke they probably googled the night before.
I thought that RCB thing was a interesting watch, there seems to be a bad feeling towards comedians that tell offensive jokes now, but at east he is good at telling them, not like that prick Jim Davidson.

One thing that they definitely didn't edit about Roy Chubby Brown's documentary though is the cheers and baying from the crowd when he starts talking about asylum seekers. He was remarkably stupid to appear on that documentary and his defence that, 'well, Bernard Manning doesn't think I'm a racist' was unintentionally hilarious.

I think he was deluding himself a little when he talked about the industry being in decline as well. If he is getting smaller crowds than in the past then it is probably because people don't find him as funny as they used to. The shock value has gone and there's not that much left.

As a huge fan of RCB i thought the documentry was done in a way to make him look bad, and it was bad at doing that. Having met Roy in real life before, he is one of the nicest people i have ever met. Plus, in the many DVDs of his i own, there is always a number of black, asian, arabic, etc persons sitting in the crowd and are always in histerics. When the documentor said "The line between Royston Vasey and ROy Chubby Brown is becoming blury" i was laughing at him, what sort of idiot couldn't see, even from that documentry, that there wasn't a huge difference between the man and the act? It did annoy me.

Were they cracking up at the "spear in the back" gag?