WHAT is it, I wondered, as I scrolled through the pages of some of the most excoriating and vicious reviews I’ve seen, that makes any comedian want to post stuff like that on their website?
A milder selection includes:
“A cultural bully from the Oxbridge Mafia who wants to appear morally superior but couldn’t cut the mustard on a panel game.”
“A sneering tosser.” “Stewart Lee is not funny and has nothing to say”
At first, I was beginning to agree with a lot of them as I watched Stewart Lee strut (well, waddle) and sneer across the stage in his Snowflake Tornado show.
Twenty-five minutes into the first of his two hours-plus on stage, I hadn’t laughed and the line about the first rule of comedy – say something funny – was floating to the surface of my thoughts.
Twenty-five minutes into the first of his two hours-plus on stage, I hadn’t laughed and the line about the first rule of comedy – say something funny – was floating to the surface of my thoughts.
Then it clicked – he doesn’t give a fig what people think about him as he looks down from his lofty cerebral crow’s nest on the intellectually inferior plebs beneath him.
I tried to warm to him as he liberally peppered his audience with verbal barbs when they sometimes failed to laud his genius with applause and laughter.
“I thought I’d get more laughs in a university town,” he chided.
Dubbed “the Leonard Cohen of stand up,” he revels in his intellectual superiority, regardless of who among his audience he offends.
But, judging by the roars of laughter in the sell-out show, and reviews regularly scoring 4 or 5 out of 5, what do I know?
At times, as he took the audience to new and unexplored places, the laughter and applause was more sporadic, resembling the sound of seals being fed fish.
He does exercise your brain with gags like: “A man was bitten by a false widow spider on his false leg. He was sent to a doctor of philosophy who gave him anti-irony drugs.”
He does exercise your brain with gags like: “A man was bitten by a false widow spider on his false leg. He was sent to a doctor of philosophy who gave him anti-irony drugs.”
Bitter barbs were aimed at (in my view comedy superiors) including Dave Chappelle, Ricky Gervais and Jimmy Carr – but maybe I was missing the point.
“I haven’t got many friends in comedy. I can’t go out on the town afterwards in case I meet any other comedians”. Enough said.
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
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Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
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Rubyshoes, Twitter
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Mearecate, Youtube
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Bosco239, youtube
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Rudeness, Youtube
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Borathigh5, Youtube
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Al Murray, Comedian
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Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
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Carcrazychica, Youtube
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NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
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Richard Herring, Comedian
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98rosjon, Twitter
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DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
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Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
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Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
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Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
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Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
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John Robins, Comedian
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
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Clampdown59, Twitter.
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Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
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Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
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Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
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Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
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Tres Ryan, Twitter
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Stokeylitfest, Twitter
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Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
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Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
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Aiden Hearn, Twitter
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Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
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Danazawa, Youtube
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Cyberbloke, Twitter
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Z-factor, Twitter.
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World Without End, Twitter
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Shit Crit, Twitter
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Slothy Matt, Twitter
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Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
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Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
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Mrdavisn01, Twitter
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12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
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Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
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Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
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Foxfoxton, Youtube
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
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Guest1001, Youtube
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
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Leach Juice, Twitter
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Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
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Visualiser1, Twitter
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Emilyistrendy, Youtube
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Keilloh, Twitter
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Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
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General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
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Hiewy, Youtube
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Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
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Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
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Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
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Pnethor, pne-online.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
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Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
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Jamespearse, Twitter
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Funday’schild, youtube.
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Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
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Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
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FBC, finalgear.com
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
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Zombie Hamster, Twitter
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Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
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Len Firewood, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter