I have always enjoyed comedy and particularly comedy that takes everyday happenings and slightly embellishes them. These are the jokes where you as the audience can identify with the event. An excellent example of this would be Peter Kaye’s stand-up routines.
I too can remember parents wanting to clean the house before going on holiday and people saying ‘I wonder who that is’ when the phone rings rather than getting up and finding out!
But I now realise that today’s comedians do the same things but with subjects that are alien to me. Therefore, although much of their material will make me smile, there are other parts where I end up taking their embroidered everyday events as the way it actually is.
Because of this, I well remember a segment of Jack Whitehall’s act where he implied that the in place for the West London upper class young people was a particular restaurant. The fact that he made it sound like some yuppie hangout for posers with nothing better to do immediately put me off.
I imagined that the place was overpriced and, having passed one or two of this chain I also assumed that it was an overpriced and self-congratulatory chicken and chips shop. Furthermore, it seemed like the sort of place where staff would expect you to know the ropes and be particularly unhelpful.
However, last week, after several years, I entered a …….. Nandos! I have to tell you Jack that you totally misled me. The staff were so helpful, the food was delicious and the prices were not exorbitant. Indeed, I am sure I will be back there soon.
So I learnt two things from this. Firstly, it is important to make your own mind up in all things, not just on fast food, but on more important things such as people. Secondly, today’s comedians have a new younger set of everyday experiences to draw on and that their comedy also relies on stretching the everyday a bit.
So Jack, I wont be suing you for misrepresentation, but if you fancy buying me a chicken and chips while explaining to me the contents of peri-peri sauce I would not complain!
