Giants?

[poliphilo]

Channel 5 has a little competition on to find Britain's favourite living comedian. I look at the names on offer and think, "pah, none of them compares to the great names of the past. Ronnie Barker- omigod!"

But isn't that always the way? It's very hard to see contemporaries as giants. It's even harder if they're younger than you are. The guys I think of as giants are all older than me and mostly dead. This is true, not only of comedians, but of actors, writers, musicians, artists, you name it.

For someone to seem like a giant you need to have had your first look at them when you were a kid- before your critical faculties kicked in.

The only exceptions to the rule are sports stars. The results, the scores, the victories provide an objective measure of greatness. Tiger Woods may be nobbut a lad but there's no arguing against his record.

Comments

[jackiejj.livejournal.com]

My daughter, nephew, and I saw the British comedy Shawn of the Dead yesterday. The comedic timing was impeccable, and even the zombie attacks were rather gently done and loopily funny!

The best, funniest parts were the throwaway moments, as when the oblivious Shawn, shopping in the grocery store, slips squishily on blood, hardly notices, and then walks to the counter. Or when he opens the grovery cooler to find a drink, ignoring completely the bloody handprint on the glass.

It's wonderful, dry British comedy. The audience loved it. On the drive home, we three were all laughing and recalling our favorite lines--"Shawn! There's a--girl in the garden!" "She's so--drunk!"

And the Zombies! They walked so amusingly, without any evil intent, really. Wherever Shawn traveled (in his usual troubled state, without paying the slightest attention to his world), there they would be, wobbling along with their arms outstretched.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I must make a point of seeing that.

It's a bit of a surprise really. Most films starring British TV comics are a dead loss. In fact most British films are a dead loss, no matter who's in them. It's nice when, once in a while, we get it right.

[jackiejj.livejournal.com]

Most films starring British TV comics are a dead loss. In fact most British films are a dead loss, no matter who's in them.

I didn't realize Shawn was played by a British TV comic. In any case, the movie role was for a rather likeable but clueless person who bumbled through life managing to never really connect with anyone unless bopped on the head--and, of course, zombies in one's garden eventually force one to grapple.

Oh, it was witty!