Palaisglide, I do find it interesting that comedy, and what people find funny over the ages, does seem to change and adapt and evolve. My parents would have taken the same view as you - certainly wouldn't have watched 'The Young Ones' or 'Blackadder' or even 'Monty Python'. In fact now I come to think of it, they didn't even find 'The Goons' funny - far too progressive for them. My mum didn't like anything which she described as 'far fetched'. They didn't approve of Porridge ('there is nothing funny about being in prison'), although once I had grown up, and a lifetime at Her Majesty's Pleasure did not seem like a career path I was about to take, they enjoyed watching the re-runs.
But by contrast, when I watch very old comedy, from before I was born, a lot of it seems to me to be incredibly weak, and I can't understand how the supposedly great comedians of those bygone ages managed to make a living. And yet the contemporary audiences were lapping it up.
That being said, there seem to be some comedians who are timeless Laurel and Hardy for instance, in a way that most of us would fail to laugh at Charlie Chaplin any more, or the brilliant Tony Hancock. I think the timeless ones are the ones who create great characters with whom one empathises. I am not sure that Rik Mayall's particular brand of humour will stand the test of time. Some of it went a bit far for me - never liked Bottom for instance. But comedy in the 1970s did need a bit of an injection of creativity. The predictable sitcoms, the daft Carry On films (although I have some affection for them because as a child I thought they were good) the boring Saturday night bow-tie men with the one liners. We had had enough.
My son doesn't care for the Young Ones, although he does like some of the 'old stuff' we show him. In my opinion, the 'Comic Strip presents...' films were far funnier. (Bad News, and More Bad News, and the one where the salesmen get stuck in a broken car and can't switch off the Spandau Ballet CD - priceless!).
I think Rik Mayall and Co just caught the Zeitgeist, and for those of us who were young at the time, it's a bit like finding out that an old friend has died before his time, which as you say, is always sad.
Busy Bee, it is called progress, my Dad dragged me to the local Hippodrome first house to see live shows, he laughed his head off at what I as a lad thought very smutty, not spelled out but insinuation, the audiences would be in tears, I was always glad when the singers came on that rather uncomfortable feeling left in the wonder of music.
The wartime Radio shows ITMA and such joked about the times and things we knew about, we would be glued to the old Cosser Radio all the family all having a good laugh and we needed it.
Times changed and the Films brought us comedians who were stars of the silver screen, more sophisticated to us brought up on home grown comics whose lavatory humour was the joke for the film, we still laughed because we still needed to and forget the day to day austerity. The children were off on their own road by then, we had a very early TV, mum and I were BBC kids were ITV neither seeing the point of the other, such is life, they now have cable's boxes, X type thingees and games stations, so many hand held controllers I never know where to start, they still complain there is nothing worth watching yet fight the children over what to watch on the main set. I have lived too long.
David, it would be a dull old world if we all agreed all of the time, discussion is the spice of life, without disagreement there would be no discussion.
"David, it would be a dull old world if we all agreed all of the time, discussion is the spice of life, without disagreement there would be no discussion."
Twas just the timing. Frank.
From someone who was around in the ITMA, Worker's Playtime and Wilfred Pickles' Have a go Joe, days.
I grew up with Monty Python - which, of course, our parents hated and which I now find tedious- but for those of you who loved Rik, try and watch his most recent tv appearances as Greg Davies's Dad in 'Man Down', not sure how they'll do the next series.
I love all the current crop of comics - Russell Howard, Jon Richardson etc along with my girls. I don't dictate what they should watch or enjoy - they should find their own 'heroes' just as my sister and me did, but my oldest daughter adores Blackadder and loved him as Lord Flashheart.....' woof - smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast'
Thanks for the laughs Rik.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Posts
Totally gutted. I grew up watching the Young Ones and Bottom. Very funny talented guy.
Palaisglide, I do find it interesting that comedy, and what people find funny over the ages, does seem to change and adapt and evolve. My parents would have taken the same view as you - certainly wouldn't have watched 'The Young Ones' or 'Blackadder' or even 'Monty Python'. In fact now I come to think of it, they didn't even find 'The Goons' funny - far too progressive for them. My mum didn't like anything which she described as 'far fetched'. They didn't approve of Porridge ('there is nothing funny about being in prison'), although once I had grown up, and a lifetime at Her Majesty's Pleasure did not seem like a career path I was about to take, they enjoyed watching the re-runs.
But by contrast, when I watch very old comedy, from before I was born, a lot of it seems to me to be incredibly weak, and I can't understand how the supposedly great comedians of those bygone ages managed to make a living. And yet the contemporary audiences were lapping it up.
That being said, there seem to be some comedians who are timeless Laurel and Hardy for instance, in a way that most of us would fail to laugh at Charlie Chaplin any more, or the brilliant Tony Hancock. I think the timeless ones are the ones who create great characters with whom one empathises. I am not sure that Rik Mayall's particular brand of humour will stand the test of time. Some of it went a bit far for me - never liked Bottom for instance. But comedy in the 1970s did need a bit of an injection of creativity. The predictable sitcoms, the daft Carry On films (although I have some affection for them because as a child I thought they were good) the boring Saturday night bow-tie men with the one liners. We had had enough.
My son doesn't care for the Young Ones, although he does like some of the 'old stuff' we show him. In my opinion, the 'Comic Strip presents...' films were far funnier. (Bad News, and More Bad News, and the one where the salesmen get stuck in a broken car and can't switch off the Spandau Ballet CD - priceless!).
I think Rik Mayall and Co just caught the Zeitgeist, and for those of us who were young at the time, it's a bit like finding out that an old friend has died before his time, which as you say, is always sad.
This is a first for me, Frank....never disagreed with you before.
Of course, that's your viewpoint and you're entitled to it... but another thread, another day, eh?
Busy Bee, it is called progress, my Dad dragged me to the local Hippodrome first house to see live shows, he laughed his head off at what I as a lad thought very smutty, not spelled out but insinuation, the audiences would be in tears, I was always glad when the singers came on that rather uncomfortable feeling left in the wonder of music.
The wartime Radio shows ITMA and such joked about the times and things we knew about, we would be glued to the old Cosser Radio all the family all having a good laugh and we needed it.
Times changed and the Films brought us comedians who were stars of the silver screen, more sophisticated to us brought up on home grown comics whose lavatory humour was the joke for the film, we still laughed because we still needed to and forget the day to day austerity. The children were off on their own road by then, we had a very early TV, mum and I were BBC kids were ITV neither seeing the point of the other, such is life, they now have cable's boxes, X type thingees and games stations, so many hand held controllers I never know where to start, they still complain there is nothing worth watching yet fight the children over what to watch on the main set. I have lived too long.
David, it would be a dull old world if we all agreed all of the time, discussion is the spice of life, without disagreement there would be no discussion.
Frank.
"David, it would be a dull old world if we all agreed all of the time, discussion is the spice of life, without disagreement there would be no discussion."
Twas just the timing. Frank.
From someone who was around in the ITMA, Worker's Playtime and Wilfred Pickles' Have a go Joe, days.
I grew up with Monty Python - which, of course, our parents hated and which I now find tedious- but for those of you who loved Rik, try and watch his most recent tv appearances as Greg Davies's Dad in 'Man Down', not sure how they'll do the next series.
I love all the current crop of comics - Russell Howard, Jon Richardson etc along with my girls. I don't dictate what they should watch or enjoy - they should find their own 'heroes' just as my sister and me did, but my oldest daughter adores Blackadder and loved him as Lord Flashheart.....' woof - smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast'
Thanks for the laughs Rik.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...