Now being funny is a serious business. If you can make a name on panel game shows and then fill out stadia with your well rehearsed schtick you can make money hand over fist. In the last ten years, people like Michael Macintyre have followed the well worn path of monetary success by following this route, and by all accounts the double M himself is now worth 10 million or more. To achieve such an impact in no time at all from no fanbase and with little more than observational comedy aimed at twenty and thirty somethings is clearly an achievement.
Other comics have to take what little acclaim and marketing opportunities come their way. Stewart Lee has been working as a comic for 25 years. Some brief dalliances with fame have brought him name recognition and a comfortable middle class existence with his middle class children and his aspirations for them to be advocates of social change. For all of the millions of a Russell Howard or a Macintyre or a Lee Mack, Lee has just about convinced the Beeb to fund three series of stand-up showing in graveyard slots to his middle class audience.
Series three begins with this overt comparison with Lee telling a joke worthy of Lee Mack before deconstructing it and Mack’s view of him(“A cultural bully from the Oxbridge Mafia who wants to appear morally superior but couldn’t cut the mustard on a panel game”). As the opening episode unravels, we get into the subject of what is funny and implicitly whether repetition or iteration adds to humour or not. As his fellow talking head, Chris Morris, tells him it’s almost like he is convincing the audience that they are not having a good time and making them laugh whilst he does so.
The second show in the season takes us into a common Lee area, prejudice, as he follows the logic of UKIP pronouncements on immigration to their logical conclusion. The final sequence involves Kevin Eldon attempting to evolve from fish to mammal only to be stopped by the UKIP time machine keeping Britain British and inevitably ensuring none us existed anyway. This second show is pure brilliance as Lee weaves his seemingly random improvisations to a point where such a sketch is the only possible ending to the show. Genius.
That he enjoys the nuisance others find him, especially successful money train comedians, and that he enjoys Morris’ acerbic provocations within the show, sums Lee up. An artful, imaginative irritant, hugely self aware of compromise and exploitation and his own place preaching to the converted. The craft and direction of each show belies the limited setting of the stand-up stage and Lee transcends comedy to be both meaningful and hugely funny. Whilst Mack peddles his updated wink wink gags and Macintyre’s suburban stylings are popular, they are clearly eating their hearts out whilst Lee turns their activity into performance art.
It’s great to have him back and here’s one element of the license fee that is a great investment. Lee never was the 41st best, but his current work suggest he’s in a league of his own.
You can catch Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle on iPlayer.
And you can see his own collection of others slagging him off at his website here.
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
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Carcrazychica, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
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Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
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Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
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Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
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Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
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Jackmumf, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
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Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
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Meninblack, Twitter
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Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
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Iain, eatenbymissionaries
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Visualiser1, Twitter
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Emilyistrendy, Youtube
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Shit Crit, Twitter
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
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GRTak, finalgear.com
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
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Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
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Gwaites, Digitalspy
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Mrdavisn01, Twitter
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Guest1001, Youtube
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
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Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
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Funday’schild, youtube.
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Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
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Lents, redandwhitekop.com
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Mpf1947, Youtube
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Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
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Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
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Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
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Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Cyberbloke, Twitter
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Sam Rooney, Youtube
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Fowkes81, Twitter
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Kozzy06, Youtube
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Borathigh5, Youtube
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Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph