To his critics, Stewart Lee is little more than a champagne socialist: an audience-hating, Oxbridge-educated comedian who cracks cheap jokes at the expense of the establishment for an audience of similarly well-off lefties. To these accusations, Stewwy responds that we should all just be thankful he is no longer the “amphetamine communist” of his earlier years.
Over the course of two hours, the topics covered at the satirical comedian’s latest show, Much A-Stew About Nothing, oscillate between the Tories, celebrities who support the Tories, UKIP, political correctness, immigration, unemployment, middle-age, and he even squeezes in a line about Russell Brand. In short, while Lee’s personal circumstances may have changed (in his own words, he is now an “impotent, vasectomised, 45-year-old father of two”), his angle has not. And, it appears, neither has his audience. It is for this reason that, unlike too many comedians with a similar stage-life spanning decades, Lee cannot get away with recycling old jokes. We are thankful for this; he is the same old Stew that my parents also love, typical in the topical issues he challenges through laughter.
For the most part, this is a good thing. Comedians reminiscent of the 90s Golden anti-PC Age are now few and far between, at least in the mainstream comedy circuit. It is easy to criticise UKIP MEP Paul Nutall for his bigoted anti-immigration slurs, but few others today could do it with the intelligence, wit and coherence of Lee; a lesson in the history of European immigration, beginning at the moment fish stepped on to land, revealed the absurdity of Nutall’s remarks, and had the audience in fits.
At the dawn of 2014, where his history of immigration concludes, Lee has plenty of new things to hate: Twitter, which he refers to as a “voluntary state surveillance system”; dog owners, who perpetually allow their mutts to shit outside his comfortable suburban abode; and what he describes as the rampant multiculturalism in the UK today, in which state schools are encouraged to celebrate Diwali, Chinese New Year, and “LGBT harvest day”, where we can find “all the fruits”, apparently.
I take issue with Lee on jokes like the latter. Ultimately, his success lies in his ability to challenge social anxieties through comedy. So it wasn’t really his whining about these pressures that made me feel uncomfortable so much, but more because of the sheer number of jokes that made punch lines out of stigmatised groups. Too often, I was forced to wonder whether we had really made it to the 21st century after all, or if I had been transported to a bygone era when being ‘liberal’ did not necessarily mean you agreed with gay or minority rights.
According to Twitter and other corners of the pixelated realm that Lee tries to avoid, in previous warmup performances he has reaped laughs from similar lines about Chelsea Manning’s gender and anal sex. Far from challenging stereotypes, Lee seems to be reinforcing them.
His comments about “oligarchs” (bankers, politicians and everyone else who lives in London now, according to Lee) would have been quite funny too if he hadn’t gone on with quite so much disdain about “their prostitutes”. More than once I almost choked on my own laughter when a funny joke took a politically tasteless turn for the worse.
Stewart Lee knows the power he wields over an audience. His tales are captivating, and his politics are, for the most part, refreshing. We are invited to laugh at how fed up he is with society – and laugh at ourselves, too, when we don’t respond well enough to his one-liners. Nonetheless, it is a shame that a brilliant comedian, who is still heralded as a beacon of political satire, does not allow the real victims of social anxiety “in” on the joke, and instead makes jokes of them.
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, 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
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012