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