Deterioration of comedy over the years

Does anyone agree with me in thinking that comedy is gradually getting worse and worse? In the 70s, the comedy was cleverly written and performed by well-educated writers, directors, producers and actors and it was all genuine humour.

Nowadays, most comedy is just people putting on stupid voices and is not actually humour. It's just generating laughs from being silly. Although Ronnie said it wasn't true, there was an article in November about Ronnie Corbett agreeing that comedy is no good any more. Even though this wasn't the truth from Ronnie, I actually agree with it. Stuff is too ridiculous now and is just over-the-top, silly and often too rude.

Nope. There's always been a mixture of good and bad. But we forget the bad and look back to the past with pink specs on.
Or some sort of similar expression.

Quote: lummycorks @ February 2 2011, 8:44 PM GMT

Does anyone agree with me in thinking that comedy is gradually getting worse and worse?

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No, there are loads of really great comedy shows; especially from America.

Quote: lummycorks @ February 2 2011, 8:44 PM GMT

Nowadays, most comedy is just people putting on stupid voices ... It's just generating laughs from being silly.

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They had all that in the 70s, too; see Python, Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, Dick Emery, and so on, and so on.

I think there is more bad comedy; but also there's more good comedy, because there's simply much more now than we had in the 70s. For those of us who would rather enjoy the good stuff than moan about what we don't like, it's a golden age.

Quote: Matthew Stott @ February 2 2011, 8:56 PM GMT

They had all that in the 70s, too; see Python, Some Mothers Do Ave Em, Dick Emery, and so on, and so on.

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And the bloody Goons. The very embodiment of 'just silly voices'.

As I wasn't born during most of the 70s I don't know. But is it not the case that the bad stuff has been burried and we only remember the good stuff?

Ah...Zooo said that some time ago. Well done Zooo.

The seventies certainly had more quality mainstream offerings than today, and it's certainly sad that we seem to have lost the ability to make a modern day Porridge or Good Life or Likely Lads etc, but that doesn't mean there hasn't been a lot of great comedy in recent years.

No I think 70s comedy output is no better or worse overall than today.

'One man's meat is another man's poison' as Dennis Nielson once said.

Now...70s and 80s porn...that was funnier than today's.

When a Scouse tash (like mine) became tangled in a maidens bush - akin to a Velcro© moment - now that was funny - so I've heard.

Back in the 60s and 70s, the fact there were only 3 TV channels meant that only the 'cream' of talent made it to the transmission stage, and producers were able to pick and choose the top quality writers and performers at leisure. Sure, there was some duff material released in that era, or the programme-makers wouldn't be human.

The BBC especially gave a comedy concept the benefit of the doubt in many cases, comissioning entire series rather than pilots, allowing ideas to flourish naturally, without being rushed with un-natural audience ratings expectations, like we see now.

Today, there is too much airtime to fill, with the need for schedules to be filled, making it a bountiful harvest for so-so or talent-free comedy writers and performers.

True talent is struggling to get noticed amongst this sea of dross, and it is not given the chance to evolve naturally, like in the old days.

Comedy is getting increasingly desperate today, relying on shock-tactics and unpleasant characters in an attempt to bludgeon indifferent viewers into submission.

Quote: Juan Kerr @ February 2 2011, 10:41 PM GMT

No I think 70s comedy output is no better or worse overall than today.

'One man's meat is another man's poison' as Dennis Nielson once said.

Now...70s and 80s porn...that was funnier than today's.

When a Scouse tash (like mine) became tangled in a maidens bush - akin to a Velcro© moment - now that was funny - so I've heard.

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Perhaps you could write a thesis on same?

Quote: dellas @ February 3 2011, 7:02 AM GMT

Perhaps you could write a thesis on same?

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Funny you should say that.......

'The Velcro© effect and the sex industry: A study of the hazzards in the porn industry in the 70s and 80s.'

Nostalgia's not as good as it used to be.

https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/yus_my_dear/

Still sure it was better back then?

Not only was everything better back then but there were more sunny afternoons and you could use your jumpers for goal posts without the PC Health & Safety brigade banning you from the park in case it offends Muslims.

I genuinely think we're living in a golden age of TV comedy right now. Sure, there's some absolute dreck out there (particularly from these shores I'm sorry to say) but there's a glut of quality programming to more than balance that out.

Of course that's provided you like all the same things I like.