Lazy Comedy Slags

With Stewart Lee back on our boxes, it got me thinking about a sketch he and Richard Herring used to do called 'Lazy Comedy Slags' in which they would pick apart the unimaginative gags a lot of stand ups had been using over and over again.

With this in mind, I would like to nominate some comedians, who are in essence, 'Lazy Comedy Slags'.

My first nomination is Paul Merton -

He's been doing the exact same schtick on HIGNFY since dinosaurs roamed the Earth and namely the Missing Words round.

Host: The Tories want to put a BLANK on the BLANK.

Paul Merton: Is it frog? Do they want to put a frog...on the moon? Yes, the Tories want to put a frog on the moon. It will ease traffic congestion on the M25 apparently. Is it not a frog on the moon? I definitely heard that David Cameron wants to put a frog on the moon.

(audience goes crazy ape shit bonkers with laughter, I contemplate buying a sniper rifle)

My next nomination is Justin Lee Collins -

Aside from looking like a paedophillic archery teacher, his only comedy skill is to talk in a very loud and excitable manner.

JLC: Phwoar! It must be great being in Girls Aloud. Come on, high five! Come on ladies and gentlemen, a round of applause for Girls Aloud...they are rockin'! Speaking of rockin', Alan and I were rockin' in the bed last night, weren't we Alan?

Alan Carr: Oh f**k off.

My final nomination (and it's a controversial one) is Michael McIntyre -

Plum voiced, oriental faced, overweight Chesire cat, relies strictly on his delivery to gain laughs (much in the same way as Lee Evans and Joe Pasquale) to cover his piss poor material. Failing miserably to borrow every nuance from Basil Faulty, all we're left with is a funny looking bloke squeeling in a high pitched posh tone.

MM: My wife asked me to do the washing up yesterday...The washing up I said?!...I can't do the washing up I replied!...Why is it even called washing up ladies and gentlemen?...I'm taller then a sink...I wash down...not up!

(audience explodes into fits of laughter, I give Al Qaeda McIntyre's address)

Perhaps my criticism is overly harsh or you totally agree with me. Either way, display your approval, nominate other Lazy Comedy Slags or more likely, vent your disdain and slag me off for being too thick to 'get it'.

The first two do ring true to an extent! But I don't really get your Michael McIntyre bit.

Everyone who hates him seems to mostly be influenced by how he looks and his accent, which is a bit shallow really. If you don't like his jokes, however, fair enough.
I think his material is brilliant though. It is basic observational stuff, nothing edgy, but still very, very funny.

Aaargh. Can't bear Michael McIntyre. His voice just grates- a faked wobbly RP accent. Combined with his over made-up face and perma-grin... Eugh. I can't get past that I'm afraid. I did enjoy him on HIGNFY when he was sat next to Merton (who is ok but I agree is a bit of a one trick pony), as Merton was obviously irritated. He said about 4 words during the whole episode, sitting there impassive while MM just squawked away making 'tongue-in-cheek' observations...

I also nominate Alan sodding Davies- the same old schtick every week on QI, repeating other people's gags, treading on other peoples laughs.. when someone else says something the audience likes AD takes over, miming it and mugging.. He's like a cross between Peter Glaze and David Frost.

Walliams and Lucas.

Jimmy Carr.

Rory McGrath.

Renegade Carpark.

Catherine Tate

Quote: Maurice Minor @ April 15 2009, 6:41 PM BST

I also nominate Alan sodding Davies- the same old schtick every week on QI, repeating other people's gags, treading on other peoples laughs.. when someone else says something the audience likes AD takes over, miming it and mugging.. He's like a cross between Peter Glaze and David Frost.

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That was the one I was gonna say, always picking the obvious wrong answer too.

Alan Davis - totally agree, he just jumps on every joke going and adds very little in terms of comic interplay.

Walliams and Lucas - totally disagree - from Mash and Peas to George Dawes, they've pioneered a lot of new comedy. Now they've got their dough from Little Britain, I hope they will move into more experimental territory.

Jimmy Carr - totatlly disagree - I've seen his stand up and ad libs on panel shows. Quality material well delivered.

Rory McGrath - Yep, was kind of funny once, now is a bland Bill Oddie sort of a presenter.

Renegade Carpark - absolute twaddle. (whether I write absolute twaddle or I think your opinion is absolute twaddle - I'll leave that for you to decide).

Catherine Tate - totally agree. Doesn't matter what she does now, just seems to be a retread of 'Am I bovvered?'

Catherine Tate

Little Britain

Paul Merton

Tony Hancock - hasn't done anything for decades, they lazy git.

Quote: Balf @ April 15 2009, 8:13 PM BST

Tony Hancock - hasn't done anything for decades, they lazy git.

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Tony Hancock dead still has more oringinality and spark then Julian Clary alive.

True, true

Little Britain pioneered a lot of new comedy?!? Their first series was a complete rip off the League of Gentlemen and Reeves and Mortimer. I seem to remember nearly every character related to LoG in some way. The most element in Little Britain is the endless repetition, which is ripped off from The Fast Show. In fact, its one of the most unoriginal shows I can think of. It's the unthinking man's Dick Emery.

Quote: Yellows 586 @ April 15 2009, 9:33 PM BST

It's the unthinking man's Dick Emery.

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I think you've broken the insult barrier.

No, Walliams and Lucas pioneered a lot of new (and cutting edge) comedy - including the hilariously brilliant Rock Profiles.

The first series of Little Britain was quite the eye opener when it first appeared on BBC Three. Obviously, the success of the show was it's own undoing. Several series of the same characters later and it's now become boring and trite. BBC Worldwide throwing money at them probably had something to do with it appearing on our screens a hell of a lot longer than it should.

Anyways, back to Lazy Comedy Slags - Marcus Brigstocke began his career with the fantastically cool We Are History. He's now become just another Radio 2 DJ with all the wit and charm of a dead mollosk.

His cringeworthy Daily Show rip off The Late Edition is beyond awful and his latest series, I've Never Seen Star Wars, is just simpering celebrity fodder presented by a now smug and smarmy Brigstocke. He am rubbish.

I do not think it pays to be over-analytical about comedy, but the problem with a lot of these comedians is that they are so overexposed it becomes difficult not to see through their often very limited schtick.