The American magazine writer EB White once declared: “Humour can be dissected, as a frog can, but the thing dies in the process and the innards are discouraging to any but the pure scientific mind.”
Stewart Lee’s comic style is a gleeful two fingers up to this gloomily unambitious rule: he makes jokes and then self-consciously analyses them, and the analysis itself is a further joke that can be analysed, and so on for as long as he sees fit. The disassembled amphibian is really Schrödinger’s frog: both alive and dead simultaneously.
Even when, as here, Lee is pretend-self-hatingly monetising a collection of detritus, he goes the extra mile. Where other comedians might slap together a sheaf of newspaper columns with a desultory introduction, Lee festoons them with lengthy footnotes in a different voice. As he explains, the columnist persona “Stewart Lee” is a different character from the standup persona “Stewart Lee”, and both are different from the compiler of this collection. “The only voice you can trust in this entire book is the one the footnotes are written in,” Lee writes in the introduction, and since this text is not in a footnote, it’s obviously a lie as well.
The book is all about lies, of course, since it gathers Lee’s Observer columns about Brexit between 2016 and 2019, written in the character of a man not quite in command of his “over-finessed language” but with a deeply felt tone of abusive despair. Mercilessly he reproduces the most insulting comments left below his pieces online, like little turds proudly deposited by uncomprehending dogs, who are now deservingly shamed anew to a wider audience, for ever.
On many pages the footnotes, which recount tastily bleak showbiz anecdotes or run off on whimsically discursive tangents, take up more space than the main text, so it’s a bit like reading a critical edition of Milton, only funnier. While also (like Brexit) more depressing, particularly in the haunting scene where footnoter “Stewart Lee” recounts meeting Michael Gove – with whom he once worked on a 1990s comedy TV show – in a motorway service station in the autumn of 2018.
“What are you going to do about the mess you have got everyone into?” the comedian asks. “‘I don’t know,’ said Gove, looking genuinely bewildered.” Right. Thanks.
Certain running themes emerge. The footnoter “Stewart Lee” enjoys getting the names of things deliberately wrong, as when he repeatedly refers to the Scottish singer Pat Kane’s old band as “The Kane Gang”, and he often complains – rather like the politicians he despises – that his critics have taken him out of context. Every so often, the columnist “Stewart Lee” squeezes another middle name into the moniker by which he refers to our current prime minister, until it has become “Boris Piccaninny Watermelon Letterbox Cake Disaster Johnson”. There is in the columns a broad streak of toilet humour, which signals when the columnist “Stewart Lee” is too wearied to keep up the pretence of poshness, but which also accurately mimics the way pro-Brexit arguments have been conducted by men and women pistoning their rancid gums with no regard to how things actually are in the world. Thus: “This apparently showed that there was no need for a British border in Ireland, because of blah blah blah shit piss wank.”
This is all very entertaining, but the device whereby one persona footnotes another really blossoms with a full commented transcript of Lee’s standup show, Content Provider, as performed in April 2018 in front of BBC cameras in Southend, a town he eulogises at one point as “this hive of racists”. I should at this point say that for literally decades, my friends have been telling me that I should check out Lee’s work because I would really like it, which is precisely why I have always avoided it until now. It is therefore really irritating to find that I like it quite as much as they said I would.
But it’s the commentary that really, as they say, “adds value”. The footnote-composing “Stewart Lee” discusses issues of timing, vocal timbre, and music-hall history with nerdy delight and flashes of knowing pomposity. The footnoter “Stewart Lee” also expresses regret for some of the standup “Stewart Lee’s” improvising decisions, straight-facedly overexplains jokes, and goes on withering rants about rival comedians. It’s just a shame there is no two-page exposition of the sonorous phrase “Taiwanese fist glove”.
The overall effect of this metatextual performance is rather like a reversal of Nabokov’s Pale Fire: as if the sober artisan poet John Shade were offering commentary on the insane fantasies of Charles Kinbote. And just as neither of those characters is Nabokov himself, so neither of these Lees is Stewart Lee: his relentless, onion-layered self-irony is actually a brilliant vanishing act.
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, 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
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com