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.
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, 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
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk