Stewart Lee was on TV for two hours last night, but it felt much longer
We can’t be sure which part of his marathon snooze-athon appealed most to the BBC. But I’ll go out on a limb and suggest it was when Lee put the boot into Brexit supporters.
“It wasn’t just racists who voted to leave Europe,” he sneered. “C***s did as well, stupid f***ing c***s”. Wow. Such wit! Such subtle elegance! Truly he is the Oscar Wilde of our times…
Lardy Lee describes modern Britain as “a chaotic inferno of hate”. The seaside town of Southend, where he recorded the show, is “a hive of racists”.And non-city people are ignorant “trolls”.
He claims to be playing a caricature of himself, but there’s too much venom in his material for it to be just an act.
Educated at private school and Oxford, Lee represents a privileged world view that sees itself as radical but really isn’t. He once said that comedy’s job isn’t to protect power structures, but doesn’t seem to have noticed how corrupt, unaccountable, inefficient and institutionally anti-democratic the EU is.
Lee had a dig at me for saying his anti- comedy shtick appealed to the “Metropolitan liberal elite”. But that’s a fact.
The Times newspaper recently – madly – dubbed him the funniest person alive. The establishment seal of approval. That’s how unthreatening he is.
And here’s a scary thing, scarier even than the thought of Big Mo in Victoria’s Secret lace-time baby-doll lingerie: thousands of posers and snobs agree. Many of them work in TV and share his contempt for everyday people and popular comedy.
Lee hates Fools & Horses and lays into more successful turns (Jimmy Carr, Corden, McIntyre, drivelling goon Russell Howard…), stomping on their DVDs.
He is a Twitter mob made flesh, and over-nourished flesh at that – an intolerant smartarse who despises anyone he disagrees with.
Lee’s act is the comedy of self-indulgence. It isn’t anything most people would recognise as humour. But then it’s not meant for us.
We’re just the mugs whose licence fee money has subsidised his bile-spewing career for decades.
I’d rather neck a Novichok smoothie than suffer that again.
● Lee wore a Les Rallizes Dénudés T-shirt. The 60s band were renowned for their tediously repetitive instrumental passages and painful use of guitar feedback. Pretentious? Naturally.
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter