Quote: sootyj @ 10th February 2014, 6:21 PM GMTThere was a time in the US when no one would have thought Jews could do comedy.
What? Did you mean UK?
The last series of QI wasn't bad... and I think they even had all female guests once or twice. It'd be great if they replaced Alan Davies with Sandi Toksvig or Sue Perkins.
That's kinda the problem.
Replace Alan Davies with another panellist, who's a bit super annuated, already has a weekly Radio 4 gig.
And happens to be woman.
That's half the solution. BBC panel comedy maybe tired, chauvinist and dull you're suggesting a solution to one of those problems.
A question of sports bras
What I like pun downs, so shoot me
Quote: Mr Writer Like In The Song @ 10th February 2014, 3:40 PM GMTSometimes a form of affirmative action is needed to shift entrenched ideas. Given some of the opinions expressed on this thread, I think we're definitely at such a time.
That's what I like to see, a good old fashioned diktat, it doesn't matter if it's right or it's wrong, it has been decreed and thus is shall be made so. If we can't convince people of our ideology, we shall punish the non-believers until they come around.
Newsnight featured a discussion on the quotas this very evening and the female comics admitted that they didn't like the panel show format, it didn't suit their particular skill set or comedic style - and that is fair enough. Panel shows are certainly popular but they're not the zenith of comedy achievement and as mentioned previously, would be fantastic to have different formats to show off their talents.
This tokenism will neither improve panel shows or combat sexism. It is ultimately self defeating and it's the punters who will suffer for this PC pandering and unwanted intrusion for the 'greater good'.
Given some of the opinions expressed on this thread, meritocracy is doomed.
Quote: Stylee TingTing @ 10th February 2014, 11:46 PM GMTI'm Sorry I Haven't A Penis
They can make one on the NHS with fat from your bottom these days.
So if I lost mine in an industrial accident, I'd get an absolute whopper.
Quote: Renegade Carpark @ 10th February 2014, 11:46 PM GMTThat's what I like to see, a good old fashioned diktat, it doesn't matter if it's right or it's wrong, it has been decreed and thus is shall be made so. If we can't convince people of our ideology, we shall punish the non-believers until they come around.
Newsnight featured a discussion on the quotas this very evening and the female comics admitted that they didn't like the panel show format, it didn't suit their particular skill set or comedic style - and that is fair enough. Panel shows are certainly popular but they're not the zenith of comedy achievement and as mentioned previously, would be fantastic to have different formats to show off their talents.
This tokenism will neither improve panel shows or combat sexism. It is ultimately self defeating and it's the punters who will suffer for this PC pandering and unwanted intrusion for the 'greater good'.
Given some of the opinions expressed on this thread, meritocracy is doomed.
You haven't given me a list of young Oxbridge people dominating panel shows. Or the list of awful but undeniably hard-working circuit acts who should be on panel shows instead of women.
The "young Oxbridge" thing was very weird, given that panel shows are notably un-dominated by them. It makes me think that you see the world in terms of special interest groups that are "brutalising" you.
Quote: Mr Writer Like In The Song @ 11th February 2014, 12:12 AM GMTYou haven't given me a list of young Oxbridge people dominating panel shows. Or the list of awful but undeniably hard-working circuit acts who should be on panel shows instead of women.
I already gave you one list of comics and asked for one in return, you failed to deliver and then asked me for another list. Now you have the audacity to complain about it. You sir, are listless. 
But just to get you started how about Jack Whitehall, Miranda Hart, Watson and Oliver and Miles Jupp? If you could please pedantically twist my argument by pointing out that these posh comedians who went to private schools and speak with an RP accent aren't all technically graduates from Oxford or Cambridge, then that would be aces.
As long as we can get away from the points I've made concerning panel shows and tokenism and railroad this debate into something completely different, then that would also be appreciated.
Quote: Renegade Carpark @ 11th February 2014, 12:41 AM GMTI already gave you one list of comics and asked for one in return, you failed to deliver and then asked me for another list. Now you have the audacity to complain about it. You sir, are listless.
But just to get you started how about Jack Whitehall, Miranda Hart, Watson and Oliver and Miles Jupp? If you could please pedantically twist my argument by pointing out that these posh comedians who went to private schools and speak with an RP accent aren't all technically graduates from Oxford or Cambridge, then that would be aces.
As long as we can get away from the points I've made concerning panel shows and tokenism and railroad this debate into something completely different, then that would also be appreciated.
None of those people went to Oxbridge. What were you on about? That they speak with a posh accent?
I repeat, you see the world in terms of scary special interest groups. Which is entirely relevant to this topic.
Quote: Mr Writer Like In The Song @ 11th February 2014, 12:51 AM GMTNone of those people went to Oxbridge.
Then why did you say they did? I suppose you could have claimed they were all Jewish.
Only the funny ones...
I can only think of one person under the age of 35 who has appeared on Mock The Week who went to Oxbridge. A woman. Holly Walsh, History of Art.
Still, we know who these male Oxbridge people in tight trousers are now. Miranda Hart* and Miles Jupp**.
*UWE
**Edinburgh
Quote: Mr Writer Like In The Song @ 11th February 2014, 12:53 AM GMTThen why did you say they did? I suppose you could have claimed they were all Jewish.
Are you really going down this route? Even though I heavily inferred that you shouldn't make pedantically laborious observations and was dropping you huge hints about my dislike for posh comics who get a free ride? Do you have some form of medical certificate or 'syndrome' I should be aware of that makes it impossible for you to 'catch my gist'?
If this is the best you can to undermine my argument, it's not very good. 
Quote: Renegade Carpark @ 11th February 2014, 1:07 AM GMTAre you really going down this route? Even though I heavily inferred that you shouldn't make pedantically laborious observations and was dropping you huge hints about my dislike for posh comics who get a free ride? Do you have some form of medical certificate or 'syndrome' I should be aware of that makes it impossible for you to 'catch my gist'?
If this is the best you can to undermine my argument, it's not very good.
The only conclusions I have about your gist, I have already stated. So, it's not about Oxbridge, or tight trousers, or haircuts - it's about posh people?
Sorry, posh people, and women?
What's your real name?
Yeah, maybe that's an unfair question. But it's exasperating when people throw out unfair abuse about others while hiding behind anonymity.
(My name is fairly easy to find here, I think)