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.