You Can't Teach An Old Dog New Tricks?

Well, my dear’s I beg to differ.
If the title seems a bit cryptic then (you’re probably a bit dumb) I’ll inform you that today’s blog entry is based on the whole idea of new vs. old comedy, along with the general ‘ageism’ (if any) in the world of ‘being funny.’

Now, I for one think most of today’s comedy has ‘lost its way’ my comedy age is probably a lot closer to my parents in that what I enjoy would probably be the same as a 40-50 year old.

I love the likes of the old sitcoms such as ‘Only Fools and Horses’, ‘Dad’s Army’, ‘Some Mother’s Do Ave’ Em’ (Ooooooh Betty! *in best Frank Spencer Impression*) and such and such...along with the old comedians such as Morecambe and Wise, The Two Ronnies’ and the even older kind such as the wonderful Laurel & Hardy & Buster Keaton (I’m a 1920’s/silent film/mindless slapstick fanatic anyway.)

Those wonderful ‘golden years’ of comedy when all the family could sit down and have a good giggle at the TV without worrying about a swear word or general crude remark coming out of it, making the entire family togetherness very awkward and sending Granny into a ‘not in my day’ rant.
And even if these ‘golden comedies/comedians’ did make a slightly risqué remark then society was much more ‘innocent’ anyway and it would usually go straight over people’s heads...and it was never overdone so it was to better effect, instead of using the ‘f’ word every other word like Gordon ‘effing’ Ramsay.

Then you have which I think was the best era for comedy (and for everything really, apart from Margaret Thatcher and leg warmers of course...no, not Margaret Thatcher IN Leg Warmers *shudders*)
the wonderful  1980’s. With the likes of Rik Mayall and Ade Edmundson gracing our screens and the birth of alternative comedy along with a whole new class of comedians taking over.  When stand up comedy really was an ‘art’ and you started right from the bottom. It was clever, it was new...and more importantly, it was FUNNY.

And it makes me sad to see that most 90’s comedy geniuses are now seen as ‘old hat’ or ‘dated’ too. The wonderful comedians that I grew up with and made my childhood cheerful, the people I was excited to see on my TV screen and who made me laugh until I needed an ambulance (that didn’t happen, it very nearly did at Vic & Bob once but I survived...just, but either way it would have been a wonderful way to go) – the absolutely wonderful comedy gods that are Vic Reeves & Bob Mortimer and the king of the sketch show (in my opinion anyway) Harry Enfield, along with his equally as talented and underrated partner in crime, Paul Whitehouse. These were another group of extremely clever and hilarious comedy pioneers who brought a new wave of surreal and new comedy to our screens. 

(I also have to mention the fact that the BBC told Harry Enfield that he and Paul Whitehouse were now ‘too old to be funny’ when they were pitching their new sketch show...so, what? Do you get to a certain age and then your funny bone drops out as well as your teeth? According to the BBC you do.....)

All of it was wonderful, clever, extremely well written, well acted, with the best comedians you could get for generations. They each brought new and exciting ideas and comedy characters to their own time and decade.

Whereas now, sadly, I think it’s extremely rare to find a ‘good’ comedy that I can really enjoy. I always say that after the year 2000, it all went down hill. Nothing was exciting anymore, not for me personally anyway. Ricky Gervais and Little Britain came along and I suppose that they tried to bring the same new ideas and new wave of comedy to our screens, but I don’t know, it just wasn’t the same for me. People who know me will know that I don’t find Gervais in the slightest bit funny. I’m not going to be personal because he’s a human being at the end of the day and I don’t know him personally, but in terms of comedy, no, I don’t think he’s a ‘legend’ or a ‘comedy hero’, I don’t even find him funny, I find him offensive and I think he goes about things in totally the wrong way. People could argue that he’s got that 80’s anarchic style, but again I disagree, the 80’s where hard times and alternative comedy mostly sprung from that, they were rebelling against something, whereas I think people like Gervias are just doing it for doing it sake, basically because in today’s society, you just can.

So using swear words and ‘blue’ material in comedy becomes less effective, it becomes offensive for the sake of it and crosses that line between making you laugh because it was funny to making you laugh because of the shock value or embarrassment, or just because someone said a ‘dirty’ word...*goes into patronising teacher mode* It’s not clever and it certainly isn’t funny.

Just to say, because I mentioned Little Britain earlier, I have to admit that I do like them, I’ve met them and they’re lovely guys but I lost interest in their show after Series 1 because sadly, after that, they too walked into the ‘shock value’ funny category rather than actually trying to clever.  (Seeing an old woman piss on the floor? Or throw up everywhere at the mention of someone of a different race? Funny?  Clever? I don’t think so.)

So yes, to cut a long rant short (Hallelujah! I hear you cry) I’m very much old headed when it comes to comedy, I hanker after the days of the 80’s and 90’s where comedy was exciting, clever and damn right hilarious.  I’m sad these days that I look forward to watching a new comedy show with high hopes only to be mostly disappointed and that I seem to be losing track in the stand up world because no one is standing out to me, so I stick with my ‘old uns.’

I long for that excited feeling of finding a new comedy that makes me laugh and makes me passionate about it again. Everyone knows that feeling of finding something new that makes you think ‘Yes! I want to do this, I want to be a part of this industry!’  Granted, there have been a few shows in recent years that have brought that feeling to the surface, but very few and far between.

So until things change and people get their shit act together, I’ll keep my 50 year old comedy head on and laugh along with Frank Spencer being hopelessly and slightly voo-dooishly (yes, it’s a word) unlucky, Oliver Hardy putting Stan Laurel through arduous torture and abuse and Michael Palin hitting John Cleese around the face with a 5ft fish. 

See what I mean? Clever...in it’s own special little way.