Ed West writes about a right wing stand up comedian who is appearing at the Edinburgh Festival this year. His name is Tom Greeves. Some of you may have read his stuff on Conservative Home. Ed makes a very good point that most comics seem to be from the left. I have never understood this because I have always felt that while the left can be incredibly po-faced at times, right wingers find it much easier to laugh at themselves because they don't take themselves so seriously. I can find left wing humour funny, even if it ias based around insulting people I respect. What I'd love to see is the left's reaction to a right wing stand up routine. I'm going to be in Edinburgh the week after next, so I think I will buy a ticket to see Tom.
UPDATE: Bugger, his show finishes on the 17th. But if you want to catch him, HERE are the details.
The Right has gifted us comedians such as Jim Davidson and Jimmy Tarbuck. Kenny Everett appeared at a rally for the Tory party.
ReplyDeleteIt was only really with the advent of alternative comedy in the early to mid Eighties that left-wing comedy gained traction.
I don't think there are that many overtly political comics these days, though I agree that the general orientation of contemporary comedy feels left/liberal just as the general sense of comedy in the seventies felt right/conservative.
Perhaps it's because the BBC will only employ left wing comics.
ReplyDeleteI've a sneaking suspicion that the prevalence of lefty/liberal comedians seen on the box is related to the views of those who commission the programmes...
ReplyDelete"The Right has gifted us comedians such as Jim Davidson and Jimmy Tarbuck."
ReplyDeleteWho said the Right can't do funny?
Make sure you catch Gyles Brandreth's show, I thought it was very witty and well delivered
ReplyDeleteThe reason there are few right wing comics is that being right wing makes you persona non grata to the BBC and Channel Four, so it is a stance which drastically curtails your career prospects.
ReplyDeleteDon't hold your breath for this chap to appear on The News Quiz.
In the link it lists David Mitchel as a left wing comic. Really?
ReplyDeleteThe link lists David Mitchel as a left wing comic. Really?
ReplyDeleteTom's not that right-wing (well, maybe the bit about baby-eating)... he's hysterically funny though :)
ReplyDeleteWell worth catching him in Edinburgh.
@Simon
ReplyDelete"...the advent of alternative comedy ..."
Many people do not realise that the expression "alternative comedy" is actually a contraction.
The full phrase is "alternative TO comedy".
OK, so who are these funny right-wing comics that the BBC is refusing to broadcast? Just give us a few names.
ReplyDeleteAs a right winger, isn't your argument "let the market decide..."
ReplyDeleteIt would appear that regardless of what left-wingers say or do, if the market has decided that "right wing comics are not in fashion, then that's the market for you, eh?
Obviously, we're discounting the old guard such as Jim Davidson.
I've no doubt you've recently found yourself nodding like the Churchill dog to this http://www.talkcarswell.com/show.aspx?id=1535