Quote: Matthew Stott @ October 5 2009, 9:31 AM BSTHer husband/boyfriend (are they married?) seems like he might be a touch on the depressive side too. Or at least a little glum.
Nah, I think Julian's pretty normal and well adjusted!
Especially compared to Noel. Who although jolly cheerful, is so f**king emo it hurts.
Ricky Gervais seems very happy and pretty normal to me too.
I'm a little bit bored of comedians with 'problems' to be honest.
Quote: Dolly Dagger @ October 5 2009, 10:19 AM BSTThis reminds me of HG Wells' The Time Machine, where the people of the future (Eloi?) live such comfortable lives that they are completely apathetic and lack any curiosity.
OK, but Time Machine was a comment on the dangers of creating an underclass, and that there's no comfort to be had whilst such social divisions exist. In the (hypothetical and probably impossible) perfect society, there wouldn't be an underclass.
Quote: zooo @ October 5 2009, 12:40 PM BSTI'm a little bit bored of comedians with 'problems' to be honest.
What, you're tired of hearing about them, or you think they overstate their problems?
Tired of the cliche I suppose. The 'depressed comedian'.
I don't doubt that they have the problems. 
A number of comedians (well in fact people considered successful in general) lost a parent at a young age; eg Eddie Izzard and Alan Davies.
I often wonder if real success involves not feeling you need to achieve anything overtly impressive. David Mitchell said he got interested in comedy because it seemed like the cleverest thing to do. He wanted to be, or be seen as, clever, rather than be happy more directly.
Stephen Fry is a classic example of someone suffering from Dominant Goal syndrome, where he feels his achievments are never good enough.
It was nice to hear him talk with such respect about his 'ordinary' brother.
Quote: zooo @ October 5 2009, 12:40 PM BSTI'm a little bit bored of comedians with 'problems' to be honest.
I love the romanticism of it and am slightly dissapointed that non of the recent comedians are depressives. Even the ones that have been mentioned have been around for at least five years or so. Does anyone know of any really recent comedians who suffer from depression? I know it's a wierd enquiry but I was actually thinking about this the other day at work.
I, on the other hand, find the whole 'romanticism' of it rather tedious. Comedians scarcely have the monopoly on mental ill-health, do they?
Some people seem to think it's 'really cool' and some kind of achievement, to have a bit of mental illness.
yes I hate those sort of people. On the writing course I have been on almost every single person was either a recovering balemic, alcoholic or manic depressive.
But I think there is something cool if the person really is tortured. That is why I am quite doubtful over people like Bill Bailey claiming to suffer from mental illness, I just don't believe he is genuinely nuts.
Quote: Ronnie Anderson @ October 5 2009, 2:29 PM BSTyes I hate those sort of people. On the writing course I have been on almost every single person was either a recovering balemic, alcoholic or manic depressive.
The pitiful scum.
Quote: Ronnie Anderson @ October 5 2009, 2:29 PM BSTBut I think there is something cool if the person really is tortured.
No, Ronnie, there isn't. Why would you think this?
Quote: Ronnie Anderson @ October 5 2009, 2:29 PM BSTBut I think there is something cool if the person really is tortured. That is why I am quite doubtful over people like Bill Bailey claiming to suffer from mental illness, I just don't believe he is genuinely nuts.
Mental illness doesn't necessarily mean you're nuts!
People find someone having a genuine rant very funny. I remember a terrible caravanning weekend years ago where I moaned constantly, but my husband found my constant ranting hilarious and thought the weekend was a great success. At one point he had to pull over the car on a lay-by because my moaning about the temperature in the caravan made him double up laughing.
Quote: john lucas 101 @ October 5 2009, 2:35 PM BSTNo, Ronnie, there isn't. Why would you think this?
The romanticism, I know if they are genuinely are tortured it is a horrible thing.
However, you must admit not just comedians but a lot of inconic of the last thirty years have had their status elevated through being mentally ill rather than artistic merit such as Ian Curtis and the biggest example is Kurt Cobain, who admitted to not being a great lyricist, but he is now seen as some genius poet just coz he was a bit mad and killed himself.
Also, I know having a mental illness doesn't mean you're nuts. Though ideally I'd like my depressed comedians to be a bit mental.
Quote: Ronnie Anderson @ October 5 2009, 2:42 PM BSTKurt Cobain, who admitted to not being a great lyricist, but he is now seen as some genius poet just coz he was a bit mad and killed himself.
Well it's not his fault if people choose to elevate his lyrics in such a way. I think we should be criticising the people who romanticise his death, not him for killing himself.
This is a very good question that's been raised.
I don't think I can think of a single comedian that doesn't have something psychologically 'wrong' (for want of a better phrase). The only one/s I can think of, I genuinely suspect that there's something going on there that just hasn't been made public (and have always thought this, not just now I read the thread).
...sorry for clunky sentences, I'm not feeling me best.