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