Rupert Bear
Sunday 13th February 2022 5:54pm [Edited]
56 posts
Quote: gappy @ 13th February 2022, 5:34 PM
Sorry, Rupert, but this statement doesn't stand up to any sort of scrutiny. Comedy is not "the opposite of censorship" - there is some correlation between humour and the testing of taboos or the exploration of complex issues, but that's not what you've said, you've said something far more blunt, and effectively meaningless. You just continue to throw absolutes past us and into an ever-growing pot (I see the EU is now in there, along with pinkoes, queers, climate scientists and a virus). You say you have an academic background, but I cannot find any rigour behind your thought, and I still maintain you don't really know what your argument is, or how 21st century politics relates to Eric Morecambe. If I'm wrong, I invite you to explain it to me - forget all the arguments with Teddy, or whatever, and explain your thesis about why nothing nowadays is as funny as Mr Bean (spoiler - loads of things are)
Also the idea that writing under a censorious regime takes no skill is risible, but we'll leave that aside for now.
Remember when comedy was comedy? Probably not, but people were getting Knighthoods for their contributions, I'm thinking Billy Connelly, Ken Dodd, Lenny Henry ... These people were household names on the level of pop-stars. They had a talent that couldn't be copied and that's because they were left alone to get on with it without political interference.
And now? Obviously those of us here are nowhere near that level, but I'm looking at the Critique thread and among the dozen I've read I haven't found one that even made me smile. To each his own, but if you have to be careful what you say it's not going to work. My opinion is my own, feel free to disagree but please don't equate today's comedians with the greats that went before them.
Your personal thoughts towards me are of no interest to me. Below this thread is another one I've just started. Maybe you find it funny, maybe not, but honestly, I couldn't care less.
Now a question for you. Find me one world famous comedian that hails from a society where free speech is restricted.