Stewart Lee returns to TV with this new show, and when he left – all of ten years ago – I mourned his passing. Together with Richard Herring he crafted two shows (Fist of Fun & TMWRNJ) which were full of life, joy, and intelligence.
A favourite memory from the show involves a repeated joke where a guest would make a lazy ‘political’ gag at a soft target, only for Stewart and Richard to deconstruct it to the point of absurdity and humiliation.
It was a surprise to me, then, that the ostensible targets of Stewart Lee’s new show were so soft. Celebrity books, Harry Potter, slapstick British sitcoms. He is no longer the arrogant young star, but a paunchy middle aged man, who has experienced some of life’s indignities, and his sarcasm veers close to bitterness. The intelligence still burns brightly, and the forensic analysis is combined with a new, daring, tendency to torture his audience by the repetition of a line until it becomes almost performance art. And I think that it is here that we find the real target of Mr Lee’s ridicule. Us – his audience.
Both shows so far have started by attacking some aspect of modern popular culture. We laugh along with him while he points out how ghastly they are. And then he slips in something like; ‘Have I read Harry Potter? No! But I have read the entire works of William Blake!’ which sounds a lot like literary snobbery. And we laugh along – only a bit more nervously. We are suddenly not so sure of our ground. Is he saying, not in so many words, ‘You laugh at how crap celebrity books are, but you still buy them, don’t you? You are the people who make this stuff popular.’
So perhaps his targets are not so soft at all. Its easy to mock a celebrity biography, certainly. Not so safe to mock us for buying them. At one point – when discussing the credit crunch – he demands that all those watching on a flat screen TV they have not paid for turn off the set and read a book instead. You haven’t earned the right to watch, he says, you are the cause of all the problems.
Still, he makes me laugh but he makes me pay for the laughter with thought. The world needs more from Stewart Lee.
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, 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
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph