British Comedy Guide

NJ: Slaving, all my love for you

The pick of my sketches this week:

JUSTIN:
In this life, you only get what you pay for...as the Tesco security guard said to Antony Worrell Thompson. Some companies are challenging this adage thanks to the government's controversial Get Britain Working programme. Here to discuss the issue is Conservative MP, Kay Scatalog.

KAY:
Hello.

JUSTIN:
The Get Britain Working programme, is it slave labour?

KAY:
Of course it isn't. It's a way to give young people valuable work experience.

JUSTIN:
But they don't get paid.

KAY:
They get JSA.

JUSTIN:
A Joke Slave Allowance?

KAY:
No, erm...

JUSTIN:
Jack. Screwed again.

KAY:
No. Jobseeker's Allowance.

JUSTIN:
But no wages?

KAY:
Well no.

JUSTIN:
What happens if they misbehave? Can you sell them on to a different firm?

KAY:
Listen, can you stop insinuating that these people are slaves. It's wildly inaccurate and offensive.

JUSTIN:
Answer me this. At break time, are these people allowed to sit at the front of the canteen?

KAY:
They can sit where they like.

JUSTIN:
What happened when a normal worker comes in, do they have to move to the back?

KAY:
I can see what you're doing, but you can forget it. They're not slaves.

JUSTIN:
Have any of these 'workers' gone on to get a full time job? You know, one with a wage?

KAY:
They have. One of our apprentices at a television production company has just been taken on. He's going to be the chauffeur for Celebrity Juice.

JUSTIN:
What are his duties?

KAY:
He's got to pick up Cotton.

I liked the idea. Think the introduction could be better and not sure how many newsjack listeners will be viewers of celebrity juice.

Good first gag, I thought. I wouldn't bother with the 'here to discuss the issue', it feels a bit general; you really need to (subtly) introduce your 'slave labour' angle with a joke.

If I'm honest, if seems a bit sparse at the beginning. Lose the JSA jokes as they don't really work and concentrate on the slavery juxtaposition. The Cotton gag at the end is a bit dodgy, I thought. Maybe her making a reference to them buying their freedom or something would twist it better?

Dan

Quote: swerytd @ March 2 2012, 11:25 AM GMT

Maybe her making a reference to them buying their freedom or something would twist it better?

On reflection, you're probably right. I did like the original punch though, I though it was the strongest part. (That probably says more about the quality of the rest of the sketch though.)

Thanks very much for the feedback chaps, it's really helpful.

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