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, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube