Brand and Ross Wireless Wirewalkers
By Graham Davies
Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross are essentially paid danger money to walk the line of comedic acceptability. As Ross’s remuneration is £18 million over 3 years the BBC must accept that the danger is ever present and they should police situation accordingly.
Comedy is the high wire act of entertainment. Just because the ‘Sachs attack’ was perpetrated by experienced wirewalkers, it was not necessarily funny. More like third form humour with all the short trousered sophistication of Bart and his prank calls to Mo.
Such is the ego of these hapless radio hacks that they are only happy when they are being recorded, so how wonderful when the fall guy is not in and the moment is captured on an answer phone. So the victim can enjoy their genius again and again.
To take nine minutes on air to snigger about sex with an actor’s grand-daughter, it must have been very funny indeed. No wonder it was signed off as top quality broadcast material.
With a wife who is an accomplished writer, more than a bit of experience in broadcast and a speech impediment, we would all imagine that Ross understands that what you say is important.
Politicians and leaders in business know all to well that if they don’t get the words right they well might be asked to get out. This is why humour should be treated like caviar and not spread around like marmalade.
Sadly, Ross is starting to believe his own label as ‘Jonathon Ross the funny man’. In doing so, he has forgotten the fundamentals of comedy. Be outspoken, be outrageous, be ingenious, be clever but most of all….. …….be funny.
Thursday, 30 October 2008
Monday, 27 October 2008
Tory Talk Talk
By Graham Davies
The war time maxim was loose lips sink ships. Today it has changed to loose lips on ships sink careers.
George Osbourne initially thought that he could use this to his advantage. He let slip, at some length, that he had heard the maestro of manipulation Mandelson speak his mind about what makes Gordon Brown so awful. How naïve: breaking a confidence only to tell us all something that was obvious.
As George comes from excellent stock, he should have known the rules of tiger hunting. Check there is only one of them and make sure you kill with the first shot. If you don’t, it will have your arm off before there is time to reload.
As it happened, unfortunate George found the response came from a different direction: a similarly plummy chum who believed in quid pro quo.
The exposure of a conservative plot to ram-raid a Russian oligarch’s petty cash tin showed how seedy things can get, even in very glamorous surroundings. The ensuing he said, she said, they said left us all past caring.
George will hang on to his job by his fingernails. However, I hope he remembers a key concept: in any presentation situation you must resist the desire to tell all. Editing for impact is the best way to create maximum effect…and maximum career longevity.
By Graham Davies
The war time maxim was loose lips sink ships. Today it has changed to loose lips on ships sink careers.
George Osbourne initially thought that he could use this to his advantage. He let slip, at some length, that he had heard the maestro of manipulation Mandelson speak his mind about what makes Gordon Brown so awful. How naïve: breaking a confidence only to tell us all something that was obvious.
As George comes from excellent stock, he should have known the rules of tiger hunting. Check there is only one of them and make sure you kill with the first shot. If you don’t, it will have your arm off before there is time to reload.
As it happened, unfortunate George found the response came from a different direction: a similarly plummy chum who believed in quid pro quo.
The exposure of a conservative plot to ram-raid a Russian oligarch’s petty cash tin showed how seedy things can get, even in very glamorous surroundings. The ensuing he said, she said, they said left us all past caring.
George will hang on to his job by his fingernails. However, I hope he remembers a key concept: in any presentation situation you must resist the desire to tell all. Editing for impact is the best way to create maximum effect…and maximum career longevity.
Thursday, 16 October 2008
Brown's day has come
by Graham Davies
Some people are designed for disasters. Gordon Brown is one of them. During the jolliest of times, his demeanour is a cross between that of an emergency surgeon and an undertaker. Even when he is talking about good news, there seems to be an undertone of misery. He is banned from the House of Commons bar during Happy Hour.
But I think we can all agree that he is now the right man in the right job at the right time. He automatically presents himself as the only one with the intellect, experience and core attitude that the country needs. Frankly, we want a prime minister to look miserable at the moment. Somehow, I can’t imagine the solution to banking crisis being as well presented by posh DavenGeorge, fresh from the school debating club.
It is actually very difficult to think of anything that Brown could have presented better over the last 10 days. There was one occasion last week when he was speaking at an awards dinner about a subject that was totally unrelated to the credit crunch. Suddenly a mobile phone went off in the audience very loudly. Usually, this is an uncomfortable embarrassment for a senior political figure. They are usually incapable of the fast verbal footwork that turns the interruption into a positive. However, on the sixth reign Brown looked up, smiled just slightly, and said “I hope that isn’t another bank going down.”
It was a comedy triumph. I have never seen him look so liberated. He is in danger of becoming a serious politician with an effective sense of humour. What a frightening thought.
by Graham Davies
Some people are designed for disasters. Gordon Brown is one of them. During the jolliest of times, his demeanour is a cross between that of an emergency surgeon and an undertaker. Even when he is talking about good news, there seems to be an undertone of misery. He is banned from the House of Commons bar during Happy Hour.
But I think we can all agree that he is now the right man in the right job at the right time. He automatically presents himself as the only one with the intellect, experience and core attitude that the country needs. Frankly, we want a prime minister to look miserable at the moment. Somehow, I can’t imagine the solution to banking crisis being as well presented by posh DavenGeorge, fresh from the school debating club.
It is actually very difficult to think of anything that Brown could have presented better over the last 10 days. There was one occasion last week when he was speaking at an awards dinner about a subject that was totally unrelated to the credit crunch. Suddenly a mobile phone went off in the audience very loudly. Usually, this is an uncomfortable embarrassment for a senior political figure. They are usually incapable of the fast verbal footwork that turns the interruption into a positive. However, on the sixth reign Brown looked up, smiled just slightly, and said “I hope that isn’t another bank going down.”
It was a comedy triumph. I have never seen him look so liberated. He is in danger of becoming a serious politician with an effective sense of humour. What a frightening thought.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
