Stewart Lee declared he’s ‘not the cheeky chappy next door’ in response to criticism from the likes of fellow comic Lee Mack who accused him of being part of the ‘Oxbridge mafia’.
I’m not the cheeky chappy next door,’ declared Stewart Lee helpfully at the top of Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle (BBC2), just in case we were in any doubt. And what a relief that was from the faux mateyness of clichéd panel game banter, the safe zone of popular comedy. Lee’s sour chops are the perfect antidote to a world that’s pathologically pleased with itself.
Lee’s shtick hovers on the grumpy git line but rarely crosses it: he communicates a restless disillusion with the state of things without coming off as a terminal pessimist. His rebuttal of fellow comedian
Lee Mack’s claim that he ‘couldn’t cut the mustard’ on a panel show – ‘you don’t cut mustard, you spread it’ – was a priceless piece of tongue-in-cheek, prompted by Mack’s reference to Lee as a ‘cultural bully from the Oxbridge mafia’.
Lee’s riposte was an exercise in neatly judged apathy: ‘What have I ever done to him? Nothing.’ It undercut the idea that panel shows are comedy’s Holy Grail rather than scripted easy paycheques.
The second episode is even better, Lee building an entire 15-minute rant around a taxi driver’s (alleged) off-the-cuff remark to him that ‘these days you get arrested and thrown into jail if you say you’re English, don’t you?’
Alleged? Not content to undermine the absurdity of that casual racism, Lee gleefully undermined his own reputation, floating the idea that he fictionalises the folk bigotry of taxi drivers to suit his own nefarious punchlines. It’s comedy that makes you stop and think, and there’s not enough of it about.
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter