The Life And Times Of Vivienne Vyle Page 17

But why exactly, why is this taken for granted, despite the quality of the new product? And what is the reasoning behind it if the writer's previous show has been a failure, 'the BBC just know your face now they've seen it around BH and you're already on the payroll, so here you are'? This is an incredibly cosy, lazy, undisciplined, unstructured, unfair practice that results in us the viewers getting substandard TV. Why not use genuine talent spotters to unearth good new material and cut out the rubbish made by industry regulars and celebrities (not just comedians) who want to have a go at their own show and are rarely refused by the TV companies.

Quote: Donna123 @ July 4 2010, 12:13 PM BST

Ha. I find it a bit of a disgrace for people to cite Jennifer Saunders as a loud-mouthed attention seeker! For goodness sake this woman has won a BAFTA AND Emmys. People are entitled to their own opinions on different things, and Vivienne Vyle may not have been everyone's favourite character, but there is no need to diminish Jennifer as a person! This isn't her best show, but it isn't unwatchable and I do find myself laughing at bits throughout the shows. Have a bit of compassion people!

Oh and I know I am defending Jennifer and David Chapman says... but you, sire, seem like a prick I think this show is alright actually

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But why do people - usually women - come on here to defend her, post once and you never hear from them again.

Seems a mite suspicicious to me - and what do BAFTAs really mean?

Quote: Chappers @ July 4 2010, 7:49 PM BST

But why do people - usually women - come on here to defend her, post once and you never hear from them again.

Seems a mite suspicicious to me - and what do BAFTAs really mean?

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it means British Academy of Film and Television Awards.

The backlash against this show, in my opinion, due to the following:

1. People now expect everything that Jennifer Saunders writes to be in the vein of the utterly brilliant Absolutely Fabulous - her 'flagship' show and career best work. It is what she is known for internationally and people think of it when they think of her. They are surprised to see Jam & Jerusalem and The Life And Times Of Vivienne Vyle. Jennifer Saunders, however, is a hugely creative and versatile comedienne as writer and star - she can not be expected to do everything in the style of Absolutely Fabulous. If she did - people woud still criticise her!

2. The most worrying aspect of the backlash is that clearly, many people have only one idea about what comedy is and the effect it should have. There are quite enough comedies with obvious verbal puns, repetitive gags and the usual slapstick and toilet humour. They are very popular - they have been coming out constantly since the seventies with very little change in tone - perhaps a little ruder. They are laugh-out-loud funny - that is their appeal. Often, they do not require much thought to be entertained by them.
The Life And Times Of Vivienne Vyle is not like that - and thank goodness for that! It does get a little tiring when mainstream comedies tread the same path so often - but its obviously what a lot of people like. Good for them - but different does not mean wrong.

The Life And Times Of Vivienne Vyle is a bitter, biting and black comedy. The satire is angry and often disturbing and uncomfortabe, but undeniably acute. A criticism is that it is too close to real trash talk show to be a parody. This is the point, I think. The show within the show is not the whole. What is so devastating about it is the exposé of the culture behind and around these progammes - the perverseness and exploitation that both the creators and the public are complicit in. It is designed to make the audience laugh occasionally, instead of crying, to provoke thought and to unsettle. Viewers of this show will never be able to watch the talk-shows it parodies in the same way again.

It would be a shame if we did not see more of this, or if people did not grow to appreciate the show and others that are similar. This is Saunders and co-writer Tanya Byron demonstrating thier stunning virtuousity.

I think the main problem is it's not funny.

I laughed - isn't that odd. In spite of an absence of bum jokes, silly similies and puns and all of the other schtick that populates more mainstream comedies, I laughed. Mind you - I laughed in a different way - and that's the point.
Comedy doesn't always equate to light entertainment.

Quote: ToddB @ February 17 2011, 5:13 PM GMT

Mind you - I laughed in a different way - and that's the point.

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How then? Not with your mouth upturned and noises coming out of it?

Occasionally - and sometimes in my head, like when you have a funny thought. Have you ever done that?

Sorry. I really shouldn't get dragged into these pointless arguments. The trouble is Jeremy Kyle who she was parodying is bad enough as it is and anyone not of that type (what a snob I am) can see that Vivienne Vyle was just totally unnecessary as the whole idea of chavs like that is a joke anyway.

Only a little of the humour is in the parodying of the genre - the real black comedy, as I have said, is in what goes on behind the scenes.

Quote: Griff @ February 17 2011, 5:33 PM GMT

This is Chappers you're talking to...

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Yes - and I'm quite enjoying that chat.

Toddb do you have a fullsize tattoo of Jennifer Saunders on your body?

nb there are 2 kinds of comedy

Funny

Not funny.

No, but if I had to pick a comedian to have a tattoo of, I'd have Jennifer. Barry Humphries is my other favourite, but I think Jennifer Saunders would look better as a tattoo.
Jennifer Saunders is one of a handful of British comedians who helped bring British comedy out of the seventies - she also appears to be one of the handful who do not want to go back there.
I agree with your two types of comedy - I just think funny is a mercurial term.

Quote: ToddB @ February 17 2011, 6:26 PM GMT

No, but if I had to pick a comedian to have a tattoo of, I'd have Jennifer. Barry Humphries is my other favourite, but I think Jennifer Saunders would look better as a tattoo.
Jennifer Saunders is one of a handful of British comedians who helped bring British comedy out of the seventies - she also appears to be one of the handful who do not want to go back there.
I agree with your two types of comedy - I just think funny is a mercurial term.

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I think I'd rather watch Kath and Kim.

I love them - consensus at last!

Todd, you are disturbingly insistent in this belief that anyone who doesn't appreciate Absolutely Fabulous, The Life And Times Of Vivienne Vyle or Jam & Jerusalem is just because they don't include enough poos and bums and wees. Not so. Vyle in particular was just really, really unfunny - evidently not to you, but to many, if not most; and particularly perhaps, to the commissioners.