You have to have a thick skin to be a columnist. I went off the idea of blogging regularly when I published a think-piece about an offhand remark Josie Long made onstage and Jason Manford responded by saying that I didn’t have to turn every thought into a column. Stewart Lee must have the hide of an elephant as he has managed to turn out enough Observer, Shortlist & New Statesman columns (plus a press release for the band Wolf People who I assume really exist) in five years to fill this book.
Then again, he is probably a better writer than me and someone who has the ability to make pertinent points and get a laugh on subjects as diverse as Spotify playlists, duck pate, UKIP, Bill Hicks, the insect community and Grant ‘who he?’ Shapps. Grayson Perry, no less, has called him “a true artist of comedy” while Al Murray calls him “the Grand Poobah of Stand-Up.” One for either Flintstones fans or Gilbert and Sullivan fans there.
Despite the book title making it sound like the barrel-scrapings of a desperate man trying to earn a crust by stitching together old work, the candid, opinion-packed, self-mocking-yet-haughty prose is consistently excellent and although I’m already an Observer reader I’m more than happy to re-read him. Lee has nurtured the happy knack of sounding like a fully paid up member of the liberal intelligentsia while constantly skewering the liberal intelligentsia. A subtitle could have been Now That’s What I Call Having Your Cake And Eating It. It is a similar technique to the way he balances positive quotes from fans with hateful quotes from enemies on his promotional posters.
Lee set the benchmark for comedy-related books with the densely brilliant, brilliantly dense career-critique How I Escaped My Certain Fate. This newish work does not boast that book’s exemplary copious footnotes. Instead the pages are peppered with online comments responding to Lee’s scribbles at the time of publication. “Who is this fathead and why does he have the weirdest byline photo in the Guardian?” asked James Roberts when Lee wrote about crisps in January 2013. I expect that’s a line he could use on his next tour poster.
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
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Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
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Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
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Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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Stokeylitfest, Twitter
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Tres Ryan, Twitter
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Funday’schild, youtube.
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
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Pudabaya, Twitter
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Emilyistrendy, Youtube
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Chez, Chortle.com
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
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98rosjon, Twitter
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Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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Fowkes81, Twitter
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Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
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Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
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Mrdavisn01, Twitter
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
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Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
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Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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Clampdown59, Twitter.
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
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Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
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Jackmumf, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter