Edgy

[poliphilo]

Youtube drew my attention to some comedy sketches it thought I might enjoy. They were from 2005 and they were edgy. I like edgy comedy- only what was edgy 17 years ago ain't edgy today. Edgy comedy addresses itself to current anxieties- and in these sketches there was anxiety about gay sex, anxiety about women ceasing to put up with abusive male behaviour, anxiety about cross-dressing, anxiety about racial issues. Women were never characters in their own right, only props for the two male comics to muck about with. Blackface occurred.

Edges move. They move forwards and backwards as tolerance increases in one area, decreases in another. They move the way coastlines do- leaving what used to be edgy stranded inland or flailing about in open water. None of the sketches would be written or performed today...

I probably watched them first time round. I probably found them funny then. To find them funny now requires an exercise of historical imagination.

I scanned the comments. Quite a few of them were from nazis bewailing the good old days. I felt ashamed of myself for being there and, as undercover journalists used to say when investigating raunchy behaviour in high places, made an excuse (to myself) and left...

Comments

[heleninwales]

Very wise.

[poliphilo]

Comedy is funny stuff. Some of it degrades very quickly and some of it lasts. I watch clips of Father Ted from the 90s and they're as fresh as ever....

[heleninwales]

That's why I've avoided listening again to old comedy favourites like Round The Horne and I'm Sorry I'll Read that again. I'd rather keep the fond memories than find that they don't stand up to a repeat listening. Also of course anything that's topical will date quickly.

[poliphilo]

I love Spike Milligan- but I've been looking at some of his material recently and its very hit and miss.