Yes, this show – If You Prefer a Milder Comedian, Please Ask For One – is the one that got the Daily Mail in a tizz over the summer. But after watching the full performance, the most shocking thing is coming away with evidence of just how papers willfully twist reality to shape their own ends. Stewart Lee, cruel and insensitive? Stewart Lee, boorish and ugly? What a deliberate and crass misinterpretation of what the man’s about.
Because Stewart Lee, should you be young or unfortunate enough not to have encountered him in his younger, more televisually exposed days with Richard Herring, is an exquisite satirist. His laid-back, sarcastic manner suggests someone who doesn’t care, but if you listen to the actual words (the words, Daily Mail) it’s clear that he’s pained by the facile and knee-jerk elements of our society – which he then adopts and rips apart from the inside. The effect is subtle but the method is confrontational; he faces down the audience and takes us to task for laughing at unusual moments, stopping to explain the structure of one particular joke, breaking it down into its constituent parts. Meta-comedy, if you like.
We’ve also got to take a moment to mention his style. That repetitious style that’s so very literary. We’ve got literate comedians, who might chuck in a reference to Dryden or Joyce, but Lee has a rhythm to his routines that’s almost poetic in its meter. And it’s a measure of his talent that, even with the careful and lengthy build-up, the punchline still catches you off guard. Yes, he’s clever, but not – as so often accused – clever-clever.
But what you really want to know is: is he funny? Of course he is. Would we have rambled on for several paragraphs of gushing praise if we’d sat there stony-faced, silently appreciating form and phrase? It’s not a book reading. Laughs are first and foremost, provoked by a man in complete control of his craft. This really is a show you cannot miss.
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
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Hiewy, Youtube
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Fowkes81, Twitter
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Guest1001, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
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Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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Funday’schild, youtube.
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy