This week’s Heresy…
Tuesday, 12 May 2009
... might be the funniest episode so far. We’ve got a trio of comedians, Jeremy Hardy, Sue Perkins and Dave Gorman. Normally I’d try to avoid having three comedians at once, but these three are all in that very special category of comics who can engage with the arguments, have a proper conversation and be funny at the same time. None of them is trying to work in “material”, they just create brilliant jokes on the hoof along the way.
They’ve got some pretty meaty topics to deal with too - a current thorny issue, a perennial problem, and a philosophical question.
The received opinions that Hardy, Perkins and Gorman must set out to destroy are:
ONE THIRD WORLD BABY SHOULD BE ENOUGH FOR ANY CELEBRITY
THERE ARE TOO MANY STUDENTS
and
IT IS BETTER TO REGRET SOMETHING YOU HAVE DONE THAN SOMETHING YOU HAVEN’T.
Radio 4, Tuesday at 6.30pm - or you can listen to it here until next Tuesday.
Comments
Clyde at 9:15 am on May 12th, 2009
Woohoo! I cant wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Victoria Coren at 9:30 am on May 12th, 2009
Hmm… Either my self-esteem is too low in the last phase of book-struggling, or that comment’s meant to be sarcastic. If not, hurray and sorry for the aspersion; blame my confidence levels. If so, well, I suppose more exciting things will happen in people’s lives today than the broadcast of a comedy show on Radio 4, but I personally CAN’T THINK WHAT.
Dan at 11:03 am on May 12th, 2009
If you want some transparently non-sarcastic feedback: I listened to the last show on iplayer, and it really made me laugh. (The show, not my listening to it on iplayer.) Not many things do, so I’m grateful for that.
Victoria Coren at 12:40 pm on May 12th, 2009
I apologize for that language - it was intended to convey the frustrated colloquialisms of a wife at the end of her tether. I did try to dilute it with other words like “nincompoop” later on.
But it wasn’t meant to be sexist - I won’t use the same word again, but I can certainly tell you that the category would include Hazel Blears…
And thanks very much Dan for your lovely post.
Clyde at 11:05 am on May 13th, 2009
I was being genuine, not sarcastic. I made my best friend listen to it with me as wel and he enjoyed it too. And despite what you say Vicky i would still love to swim with dolphins.
Victoria Coren at 12:44 pm on May 13th, 2009
Oh! Well, then, thank you very much and I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Sorry…. I’m at the stage where my editor is reading a draft of my book so I’m in a state of 100% fear and 0% self-esteem, just assuming everything I do is rubbish and I shall soon have to run away to South America. Thanks for being so nice.
Clyde at 1:49 pm on May 13th, 2009
I dont think its your fault Vicky. Even face to face people sometimes think im being sarcastic when im not. And im sure the book will be worth the effort.
AndytheDealer at 5:47 pm on May 13th, 2009
Great show Vicky. It became quite philosophical for a comedy programme.
Keep your chin up, I’m sure you’ve nothing to fret over.
David R at 11:45 pm on May 13th, 2009
I have the opposite problem to Clyde in that when I try to be sarcastic, people assume I’m being sincere.
For example, when I say that I think David Cameron has shown great leadership over the MPs’ expenses fiasco, and that this augurs well if he ever becomes prime minister, I am actually being very, very sarcastic.
Also, when I heard that Douglas Hogg had claimed for getting his moat dredged, I jumped up and down and started cheering. Again, this was ironic cheering, and it brought me a lot of pleasure. Much thanks must therefore go to Mr. Hogg and his sparkling clean moat.
David R at 6:58 pm on May 14th, 2009
I suppose what I meant about David Cameron is that it doesn’t seem to me he has shown leadership over the expenses issue, but that he’s simply saying what the public wants to hear. Some of what he said might also not go down too well with his own MPs, and so if he gets into power I think he has to be careful he doesn’t alienate colleagues in his desire to please the public. But I don’t feel too comfortable talking about these type of things. I feel much happier talking about ants.