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