"Ahhh!" "No, not 'Ahhh!'"

January 21, 2010 2:46 PM

Stewart Lee's Special Parable, The Story of The Prodigal Son, and more irreligious fun from the Sunday Heroes: Woman of sinful life, Ian, The Last Supper, Judas, Thomas.
posted by Artw (25 comments total)

I got to see Stewart Lee when I was in the UK last November and it was incredible. This despite the first half of the show being ruined by an insane Maltese heckler. Stewart said it was the worst show he'd done in 15 years and it was still miles better than any comedy show I've ever seen.
posted by ericthegardener at 3:15 PM on January 21, 2010

I love Stewart Lee. Lots more of his stuff can be found in the Audio and Video pages on his website, including his Radio 4 interview with Alan Moore and his TV documentary on the religious protests which plagued Jerry Springer: The Opera.

He also won Celebrity Mastermind the other week. The man was an improv jazz-themed question answering machine.
posted by permafrost at 3:18 PM on January 21, 2010

"Consider the lily."
posted by Electric Dragon at 3:50 PM on January 21, 2010 [2 favorites]

Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 3:51 PM on January 21, 2010 [1 favorite]

Stewart Lee is responsible for the biggest fit of laughter I have ever experienced from a piece of printed text. If I half-remember correctly it was a long rant about the standard of television and was printed in NME in the late 90's. While hilarious, it was his parting shot that was particularly chilling. With unsettling accuracy he rounded off the piece by predicting that should trends continue television of the future would involve "spending half an hour watching the drummer from Curiosity Killed the Cat trying to pick up a glued down pound coin from the pavement."

He summed up the last decade. In around 1997.
posted by fire&wings at 3:54 PM on January 21, 2010 [2 favorites]

"Consider the lily."

That's probably the one to start with for the Sunday Heroes, really.
posted by Artw at 3:59 PM on January 21, 2010

Two of his finest moments:
Political Correctness/Richard Littlejohn

Taxi Driver Argument
posted by panboi at 4:00 PM on January 21, 2010 [4 favorites]

Pause for a Thought for the Day 1 2
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 4:02 PM on January 21, 2010

Much of the anti-religious stuff is from This Morning with Richard Not Judy which was broadcast on the BBC on Sunday afternoons (!) resulting in many very upset people
posted by East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 at 4:15 PM on January 21, 2010

12.15 is barely the afteroon on a Sunday! I'd usually only just got up when I watched it.

Ah.... youth!
posted by Artw at 4:18 PM on January 21, 2010

(You know, I should have saved this post up for Easter)
posted by Artw at 4:20 PM on January 21, 2010

Thanks for this thread! I loves me some Stu.

The bad man hit my nice face.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 4:21 PM on January 21, 2010

The political correctness video is one of the best pieces of standup I've ever seen.
posted by handee at 4:22 PM on January 21, 2010 [1 favorite]

Lee and Herring in all their varieties were a staple of my teenage years. Utterly brilliant.

I still find I can often identify people I will likely be friends with by how they respond to the words "moon on a stick."

Stewart Lee has also written a good piece on cultural comedy and why Germans don't "do" standup.

By the way, if anyone can find me video footage of Stewart Lee's sketch where he explains the events of Genesis by drawing diagrams on a flipchart I'll buy them a pint.
posted by garius at 4:33 PM on January 21, 2010 [3 favorites]

I like Stewart Lee and have enjoyed most of his routines.

However, "You may drink your weak lemon drink now... or you can wait until later", Simon Quinlank was the star of Fist of Fun.
posted by selton at 4:33 PM on January 21, 2010

I always like spotting The Actor Kevin Eldon in things. It was fun seeing him in Dead Set just recently.
posted by Artw at 4:39 PM on January 21, 2010 [1 favorite]

Stewart Lee is a horrible man and you should all be ashmed of yourself.
Disgusted of Tumbridge Wells.
posted by Damienmce at 4:58 PM on January 21, 2010 [1 favorite]

P.S. I am w**king as you read this.
posted by greycap at 10:54 PM on January 21, 2010 [1 favorite]

Or as I write this, even - in fairness it has been about 15 years since I heard that joke used on their radio shows....
posted by greycap at 10:58 PM on January 21, 2010

I always like spotting The Actor Kevin Eldon in things.

Whenever I see Kevin Eldon on TV or mention him in speech or even just think about him, it's always The Actor Kevin Eldon, never just Kevin Eldon.
posted by permafrost at 1:57 AM on January 22, 2010 [3 favorites]

EMRKC94 - Much of the anti-religious stuff is from This Morning with Richard Not Judy which was broadcast on the BBC on Sunday afternoons (!) resulting in many very upset people

I don't think that the content is anti-religion, but rather asks the questions any child in Sunday school would ask. The Pause for Thought for the Day lampooned the smug allegorical moralising tales of Thought for the Day, rather than religion itself. It was always a fresh breeze through the stultified easy-listening of the Sunday schedule that I enjoyed immensely. I don't remember anyone getting upset about it, but then I have not been exposed much to the residents of Daily Mail Island until recently. Irreverent, but not anti-religion.

It was a pity the Curious Orange (Paul Putner) and Things Falling Out of Cupboards were not funny, but they did give my face a rest in between the rest of the programme. Their obsession with sprout faced Leonardo DiCaprio was somehow much more amusing, although equally repetitive.
posted by asok at 2:50 AM on January 22, 2010

You didn't like the Curious Orange?!
posted by ericthegardener at 5:51 AM on January 22, 2010

My god... The later, more horrific days of The Curious Orange... And Nostradamus... and Rod Hull. They knew how to do a slide into terrifying lunacy well.
posted by Artw at 9:16 AM on January 22, 2010

wow. never heard of this guy before, but this is amazing stuff.
posted by shmegegge at 9:23 AM on January 22, 2010

Stewart Lee has also written a good piece on cultural comedy and why Germans don't "do" standup.

that is one hell of an article. thanks for that.
posted by shmegegge at 9:33 AM on January 22, 2010