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The ‘If You Prefer a Milder Comedian, Please Ask for One’ EP
Following his hugely acclaimed TV come-back, Lee finds himself spent and in search of ideas for a new Edinburgh show. On a long walk across London, he endures a coffee shop humiliation involving a loyalty card, which suggests itself as a comedy routine about everyday life that anyone could enjoy. Later that month, thanks to Jeremy Clarkson's jokes about Gordon Brown's blindness and the appearance of a well-meaning young comedian in a pear cider advert, a show is born.
Featuring a transcript of the show fully annotated with footnotes, The 'If You Prefer A Milder Comedian EP, Please Ask For One' EP confirms Stewart Lee as the most original, daring and brilliant comedian of his generation.
Featuring a transcript of the show fully annotated with footnotes, The 'If You Prefer A Milder Comedian EP, Please Ask For One' EP confirms Stewart Lee as the most original, daring and brilliant comedian of his generation.
104 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
16 people are currently reading
356 people want to read
About the author
Stewart Lee
35 books235 followersFrom Wikipedia (accessed Oct 2010):
Stewart Lee (born 5 April 1968, Wellington, Shropshire) is an English stand-up comedian, writer and director known for being one half of the 1990s comedy duo Lee and Herring, and for co-writing and directing the critically-acclaimed and controversial stage show Jerry Springer - The Opera. In a review of the comedy of the previous decade, a 2009 article in The Times referred to Lee as "the comedian's comedian, and for good reason" and named him "face of the decade".
Lee has been described as "Unflinching in his scathing satire, unapologetic in his liberal, middle-class, highbrow appeal, and fiercely intelligent, his comedy certainly does not pander to the masses". His stand-up features frequent use of "repetition, call-backs, nonchalant delivery and deconstruction".
Stewart Lee (born 5 April 1968, Wellington, Shropshire) is an English stand-up comedian, writer and director known for being one half of the 1990s comedy duo Lee and Herring, and for co-writing and directing the critically-acclaimed and controversial stage show Jerry Springer - The Opera. In a review of the comedy of the previous decade, a 2009 article in The Times referred to Lee as "the comedian's comedian, and for good reason" and named him "face of the decade".
Lee has been described as "Unflinching in his scathing satire, unapologetic in his liberal, middle-class, highbrow appeal, and fiercely intelligent, his comedy certainly does not pander to the masses". His stand-up features frequent use of "repetition, call-backs, nonchalant delivery and deconstruction".
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
January 9, 2012
I went to see Stewart Lee do the show after this, where he stretched out one or two ideas into interminable self referential jokes for his own amusement, like on this one, which I also saw. Anyway, at that show, there was a lot of people - myself included - who wanted to be the Best Stew Fan in the room. I did it by laughing about 4/10s of a second before less clued up people did, but I think some people were a tenth ahead of me, but what could I do? I suppose I could have gone to see the show again and laughed even before the joke was alluded to. Next time.
So one man decided to win the Best Stew Fan prize by, rather than applauding Stew when he made a funny allusion, saying, in a sort of mid-loud voice "Steeewwww... urt. Steeewwww... urt."
"Steeewwww... urt."
It's the most annoying thing I have ever heard. He kept doing it, and I think Stew noticed it, but just frowned, as to acknowledge it would give it power, like an Old Person's racism.
This book only took me one day to read, as I am the best at reading.
So one man decided to win the Best Stew Fan prize by, rather than applauding Stew when he made a funny allusion, saying, in a sort of mid-loud voice "Steeewwww... urt. Steeewwww... urt."
"Steeewwww... urt."
It's the most annoying thing I have ever heard. He kept doing it, and I think Stew noticed it, but just frowned, as to acknowledge it would give it power, like an Old Person's racism.
This book only took me one day to read, as I am the best at reading.
July 17, 2014
This book is the EP to the album that was How I Escaped My Certain Fate, and contains the transcript to Stew's 2010 show If You Prefer a Milder Comedian, Please Ask for One. Not living in the UK any more, these books are the nearest I get to still watching live stand-up. Fortunately I am one of the Guardian-reading minority that thinks Stew is a meta-comedian of genius, as opposed to most people who seem to find him (to quote some of the critiques he's gathered on his website) ‘a sneering tosser’, ‘the most overrated smug twat ever’, and ‘a shit comedian doing an impression of a shit comedian’.
This one includes even more reflective introductory materials, footnotes and appendices, so the actual routine is presented alongside the convoluted thought processes of the man who came up with it, including details of where the jokes came from, what he was worrying about at the time, how he was hounded by the Mail on Sunday, and general details of what appears to be a protracted mid-life crisis for the fat Terry Christian. This routine is particularly navel-gazing because in part it's about the nature of comedy itself, and how British stand-up is becoming polarised between the extremes of Michael MacIntyre (twee, uninventive ‘have-you-ever-noticed’ style mass comedy) and Frankie Boyle (hate-filled ‘rape-and-child-abuse’ shock comedy) – although it has to be said that what annoys Stew most about these two is probably their financial success.
It's impossible to quote, because Stew's jokes nowadays take half an hour to set up and don't pay off until an hour later, but if you're interested in stand-up comedy as a form and as a social indicator, this is great. Also he makes me piss myself laughing more intelligently than anyone else I know, and he definitely doesn't ‘exude an aura of creepy molesty smugness’.
This one includes even more reflective introductory materials, footnotes and appendices, so the actual routine is presented alongside the convoluted thought processes of the man who came up with it, including details of where the jokes came from, what he was worrying about at the time, how he was hounded by the Mail on Sunday, and general details of what appears to be a protracted mid-life crisis for the fat Terry Christian. This routine is particularly navel-gazing because in part it's about the nature of comedy itself, and how British stand-up is becoming polarised between the extremes of Michael MacIntyre (twee, uninventive ‘have-you-ever-noticed’ style mass comedy) and Frankie Boyle (hate-filled ‘rape-and-child-abuse’ shock comedy) – although it has to be said that what annoys Stew most about these two is probably their financial success.
It's impossible to quote, because Stew's jokes nowadays take half an hour to set up and don't pay off until an hour later, but if you're interested in stand-up comedy as a form and as a social indicator, this is great. Also he makes me piss myself laughing more intelligently than anyone else I know, and he definitely doesn't ‘exude an aura of creepy molesty smugness’.
April 22, 2022
The book is a transcript of his show, with copious footnotes commenting on the underlying thinking and intent of the text. A great window into his craft.
December 11, 2019
Like his previous book How I Escaped My Certain Fate that annotated 3 of his previous live shows, Stewart Lee!: The 'If You Prefer a Milder Comedian, Please Ask for One' EP covers his live show from 2009 of the same name. I was lucky enough to see the show live twice and have since watched the DVD recording of the show several times, so this book is perfect for an obsessive like myself. It gives a thorough (and funny) insight into the background and context of how the show came together.
He, for me, is one of the 2 best comics of the last 5 years (the other is Doug Stanhope btw).
Re-read in Dec 2019 after reading 'March Of The Lemmings'. I still think this is his best routine.
He, for me, is one of the 2 best comics of the last 5 years (the other is Doug Stanhope btw).
Re-read in Dec 2019 after reading 'March Of The Lemmings'. I still think this is his best routine.
December 22, 2022
Like most of Stewart Lee’s output this is very much love it or hate it stuff. Self-referential, repetitive and deliberately difficult to read (individual footnotes extending over multiple pages, verbatim transcription of various verbal tics etc). As one of the quotes on the cover more or less puts it (in a way not intended to be flattering), this the opposite of what really good comedy is supposed to be. Not only do I love it for that, but like many Stewart Lee fans I wish to signal that I love it (and get it) just a little bit more than everybody else. This, coupled with virtually everything else about my worldview and cultural consumption habits, puts me squarely into one of the core demographics that Lee mercilessly lampoons at his live shows (which I slavishly go to every year in the faint hope of catching his attention and approval). It’s pathetic really.
January 21, 2024
I said to him, 'Grandad, what was it like flying over Dresden after the Dresden firebombing?' And he said, 'Well, I'll give it to you straight, like a pear cider that's made from 100 per cent pears. There was nothing moving down there. Just a dog.'
Not necessarily my personal fav (Carpet Remnant World-heads where are u) but maybe his best show overall?? Just perfect bit after perfect bit, and ends with a pure chaos somehow gathered up into something genuinely reflective about the position of the stand-up comedian as an artist. The Top Gear routine still leaves me open-mouthed in shock lol.
You have my sympathy, you know? It's 2010, it's a weird time for stand-up. 'Cause you sit at home, don't you, all of you, watching Michael McIntyre on the television, spoon-feeding you his warm diarrhoea. I'm not going to be doing that. I haven't noticed anything about your lives. They're not of interest to me. This is a letter from a pirate. It's not about going to the shops or anything.
Although, saw him live at the Leicester Square Theatre today and he said he was gonna do a show this autumn based around observational comedy from the point of view of a werewolf so maybe this is about to be bested...
August 8, 2022
It's hard to get sentimental around a comedian whose vocation is flouting his audience's trust; Stewart Lee doesn't want you to like him, he wants to see how you react to him. I adore his process, and I think he's a genius. The footnotes enlighten the reader to Lee's decision-making, pointing out where he'd improvise (ultimately revealing that all of his improvisations were tried and tested ruthlessly, as he'd concocted the perfect sounds, scrapes, and beats through live practice that elevated the evolving text). It's a show about making a show, containing jokes about making jokes, prodding at what attracts audiences, corporate television deals, and 'sell-out' advertisement offers. It all really goes back to that one Comedy Vehicle episode where he says something like... 'I loved that Stewart Lee. Can't tell you one of his jokes but I agreed the fuck out of them'...
My dad got me into Stewart Lee, probably when I was about 14 and I didn't understand half the things he said but I was totally enamoured in his persona. (I suppose you can get sentimental about him...). I'd feel like I was watching a puzzle being solved, and his act didn't resemble any other comedy special I'd seen.
Here, you see a master at work. The "If You Prefer..." transcript is filtered through long asides where the writer reveals his hand. Pick up a Stewart Lee transcript rather than your usual novel, and a whole new world of writing, editing, and performing is opened up to you. I'm really grateful that I'm alive at a time while Lee is operating.
My dad got me into Stewart Lee, probably when I was about 14 and I didn't understand half the things he said but I was totally enamoured in his persona. (I suppose you can get sentimental about him...). I'd feel like I was watching a puzzle being solved, and his act didn't resemble any other comedy special I'd seen.
Here, you see a master at work. The "If You Prefer..." transcript is filtered through long asides where the writer reveals his hand. Pick up a Stewart Lee transcript rather than your usual novel, and a whole new world of writing, editing, and performing is opened up to you. I'm really grateful that I'm alive at a time while Lee is operating.
August 31, 2023
One of my favourite memories as a teenager is my Dad making me watch Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle. I'm sure he thought I wasn't enjoying it or even paying attention but I was.
In sixth form I took English Language as a subject right (stay with me) and for one of our modules we had to write some sort of magazine article about something we loved. I forget what mine was about and evidently it wasn't very good because I remember getting a crap mark for it but there was one boy in the class and he produced an article on his favourite comedy programme.
Now. This boy. He was an old soul, right. The kid was 16 years old and he wore slacks. He enjoyed stuff - music, film and TV exclusively from the 1970s and 80s. (I know I do but I like the cool stuff like The Clash, Breakfast Club and Porridge) so it was no surprise to anyone that he wrote what was basically a love letter to Only Fools and Horses. So! We had to do one of those awful peer review things and I handed my piece of crap to the girl sitting next to me (like you normally would) but this kid walks across the room and asks me to read his. Why, I have no idea. I was probably the only person with nothing in front of me or maybe he knew that despite the subject matter his piece was beautifully written and he wanted to show off (he's a teacher now so make of that what you will.)He writes for two pages in incredibly tiny font about this show and I can feel myself start to skim read it when I notice, at last, he's wrapping it up. The grand finale is in sight. He's crafted his 'article' around not just the greatest Only Fools and Horses gag but, boldly stating, the greatest gag in British television history. And can you guess what it was? Of course you can!
The kid is sitting across the room watching me, thinking I'm laughing at his article when I'm in fact remembering Stewart Lee banging his head against various surfaces at this never ending and always apparently funny joke of Del Boy falling through the bar. I ended up giving the kid a good peer mark because, hey like I said, it was beautifully written but also because he'd proved a point he didn't even know existed.
While I always remember that set and I enjoy telling that sixth form story to anyone who'll listen (not many) it's been years since I've watched any Stewart Lee stuff - not since I left home - and I've never read anything of his until now so while it deserves the five stars because it's brilliant, it deserves them for reminding me of those happy times, watching him with Dad.
(I really hope Dad doesn't read this. I have a rep to maintain.)
In sixth form I took English Language as a subject right (stay with me) and for one of our modules we had to write some sort of magazine article about something we loved. I forget what mine was about and evidently it wasn't very good because I remember getting a crap mark for it but there was one boy in the class and he produced an article on his favourite comedy programme.
Now. This boy. He was an old soul, right. The kid was 16 years old and he wore slacks. He enjoyed stuff - music, film and TV exclusively from the 1970s and 80s. (I know I do but I like the cool stuff like The Clash, Breakfast Club and Porridge) so it was no surprise to anyone that he wrote what was basically a love letter to Only Fools and Horses. So! We had to do one of those awful peer review things and I handed my piece of crap to the girl sitting next to me (like you normally would) but this kid walks across the room and asks me to read his. Why, I have no idea. I was probably the only person with nothing in front of me or maybe he knew that despite the subject matter his piece was beautifully written and he wanted to show off (he's a teacher now so make of that what you will.)He writes for two pages in incredibly tiny font about this show and I can feel myself start to skim read it when I notice, at last, he's wrapping it up. The grand finale is in sight. He's crafted his 'article' around not just the greatest Only Fools and Horses gag but, boldly stating, the greatest gag in British television history. And can you guess what it was? Of course you can!
The kid is sitting across the room watching me, thinking I'm laughing at his article when I'm in fact remembering Stewart Lee banging his head against various surfaces at this never ending and always apparently funny joke of Del Boy falling through the bar. I ended up giving the kid a good peer mark because, hey like I said, it was beautifully written but also because he'd proved a point he didn't even know existed.
While I always remember that set and I enjoy telling that sixth form story to anyone who'll listen (not many) it's been years since I've watched any Stewart Lee stuff - not since I left home - and I've never read anything of his until now so while it deserves the five stars because it's brilliant, it deserves them for reminding me of those happy times, watching him with Dad.
(I really hope Dad doesn't read this. I have a rep to maintain.)
August 12, 2016
I'll admit that I am terribly biased when it comes to Stewart Lee because I loved him when I was a teenager and he was skinny and not old. Luckily for me, Lee is still incredibly funny (and admittedly, still adorably cute - though that's possibly not an adjective normally attributed to him).
This book is basically a transcript of his "If you prefer a milder comedian, please ask for one" show but with DVD extras (aka, the best footnotes of any author ever). It's probably not the thing if you're not familiar with Lee's style or his delivery - you won't hear his voice when you're reading and I think that's important because. Well. It's a transcript isn't it? The awkward pauses and repetition and failboatiness of his style is an integral part of what makes Stewart Lee funny and without prior knowledge of this...well, maybe get a DVD rather than a book.
This book is basically a transcript of his "If you prefer a milder comedian, please ask for one" show but with DVD extras (aka, the best footnotes of any author ever). It's probably not the thing if you're not familiar with Lee's style or his delivery - you won't hear his voice when you're reading and I think that's important because. Well. It's a transcript isn't it? The awkward pauses and repetition and failboatiness of his style is an integral part of what makes Stewart Lee funny and without prior knowledge of this...well, maybe get a DVD rather than a book.
July 4, 2017
I really, really liked the previous book, which has clearly inspired this spin-off from a later tour. So there is no point repeating myself, suffice to say the routine is good (though it is scary seeing how many "ers", pauses and repeats there are when printed word for word) and the commentary is both funny and enlightening. However, the introduction was less detailed, with fewer 'worldly' insights, although the afterword about the Daily Mail reminded me why journalists get such a bad reputation.
I doubt Lee decreed the price himself, but £7.99* for an annotated transcript seemed excessive too.
*I actually bought the book used in Oxfam for £4 on Bloomsbury Street, a fee that is still excessive, means Lee doesn't get further royalties, and furthers my ambition to be part of the pilloried Metropolitan Liberal Elite, despite neither living in a city, nor having a remotely elite career.
I doubt Lee decreed the price himself, but £7.99* for an annotated transcript seemed excessive too.
*I actually bought the book used in Oxfam for £4 on Bloomsbury Street, a fee that is still excessive, means Lee doesn't get further royalties, and furthers my ambition to be part of the pilloried Metropolitan Liberal Elite, despite neither living in a city, nor having a remotely elite career.
April 17, 2023
Stewart Lee signed this for me, ergo it gets an extra star. Not really. It's a solid breakdown of the build-up, fallout and show of If You Prefer... and, like the annals of context in How I Escaped My Certain Fate, reads well and utilises appendix after appendix, break after break, and flows very nicely because of it. Lee manages to save the beauty of his act yet picks it apart step by step for those wanting to know how he works to keep what looks like improvisation as closely compact and planned out as possible. The man is on another level.
December 22, 2020
After watching everything I can get my hands on (via YouTube of course) of Stewart’s work, I was a little apprehensive of ‘seeing how the sausage is made’. I needn’t have worried. It’s made from the finest ingredients, using much more care and attention than I - or you - thought possible.
I’m genuinely humbled by the dedication and craft this underrated man displays, and I’m glad he’s finally earned some money from me. Not much money, but some; it’s what he would have wanted.
I’m genuinely humbled by the dedication and craft this underrated man displays, and I’m glad he’s finally earned some money from me. Not much money, but some; it’s what he would have wanted.
February 4, 2018
perfect reading for a hungover saturday when moving from under the duvet on the sofa is simply not an option.
stewart lee is my favourite comedian. until i came across him i would have thought that reading a transcript of a stand-up set would kill the material, but lee is so good that reading it with his annotations and anecdotes set in footnotes only adds to the hilarity. great little book.
stewart lee is my favourite comedian. until i came across him i would have thought that reading a transcript of a stand-up set would kill the material, but lee is so good that reading it with his annotations and anecdotes set in footnotes only adds to the hilarity. great little book.
May 29, 2019
I already love Stewart Lee, so I was always at risk of bias here. But I really enjoyed this, having never seen this actual show.
What makes it for me is the annotations, which sometimes are there as other "jokes" (or as close to jokes as he likes to do), sometimes to describe why / how he is doing what he is doing, and sometimes giving some insight into the man instead of the character.
What makes it for me is the annotations, which sometimes are there as other "jokes" (or as close to jokes as he likes to do), sometimes to describe why / how he is doing what he is doing, and sometimes giving some insight into the man instead of the character.
October 13, 2018
I love Lee’s annotated transcripts — they are funny in a different way from live performance and give a very intriguing glimpse into the planning for a comedy show. (I am a Stewart Lee fan, so take that into account. YMMV)
November 2, 2022
A short book, but an interesting retreading of old ground; the insights on the construction of Lee's routine and the intent behind the various performance beats was fascinating. The appended article on his piece about Michael McIntyre being taken out of context was very entertaining as well.
October 2, 2017
Genuinely made me laugh out loud a few times, and it's fascinating to read the footnotes for his thoughts behind the material.
August 3, 2024
Obviously not as comprehensive as How I Escaped My Certain Fate, but still essential reading for comedians.
October 14, 2015
There's been a depressing tendency in recent years towards replacing the traditional 'comedy cash-in' book with a straightforward script book, containing the lines as hear on screen or on stage with the odd perfunctory stage direction thrown in for good measure. Good for people looking for a quick and easy Christmas present for that difficult to buy for relative that they saw chuckle at something once, not so good for the person who's already seen or heard it all before and has no intention of acting it all out by themselves, which is why the average charity shop is groaning under the weight of the things. Still, face, bovvered?
Given his elaborately-expressed antipathy towards the antics of the stadium-straddling week-mocking Russell Comedians they have now, it's hardly surprising that when Stewart Lee gets the opportunity to put together a script book, he tries to make it as unlike an actual identifiable script book as possible. His previous book How I Escaped My Certain Fate presented transcripts of three of his earlier stand-up shows, liberally interrupted by footnotes, annotations, revisions, disclaimers, suggested alternatives, and bits and pieces from entirely different shows and articles altogether. This shorter companion volume - styled as an 'EP' in tribute to the mini-albums regularly issued by post-punk bands which he had treasured and devoured as a youngster - focuses on 2009's coffee jobsworth saga If You Prefer A Milder Comedian, Please Ask For One, and continues the same formula with added commentary on the actual mechanics of performing the show, including a lengthy discussion on the correct force, direction and angle with which to run a microphone across a bit of card and get a reaction from the audience.
This isn't just recommended if you saw the show and enjoyed it; it's recommended if you saw the show and enjoyed it and want even more to go with it. I have an unfortunate track record of annoying people by praising Stewart Lee (see http://timworthington.blogspot.co.uk/... if you don't believe me), but if he's going to put out books this good, they're just going to have to keep on getting annoyed. Shiver me timbers. Yours, B. Beard.
Given his elaborately-expressed antipathy towards the antics of the stadium-straddling week-mocking Russell Comedians they have now, it's hardly surprising that when Stewart Lee gets the opportunity to put together a script book, he tries to make it as unlike an actual identifiable script book as possible. His previous book How I Escaped My Certain Fate presented transcripts of three of his earlier stand-up shows, liberally interrupted by footnotes, annotations, revisions, disclaimers, suggested alternatives, and bits and pieces from entirely different shows and articles altogether. This shorter companion volume - styled as an 'EP' in tribute to the mini-albums regularly issued by post-punk bands which he had treasured and devoured as a youngster - focuses on 2009's coffee jobsworth saga If You Prefer A Milder Comedian, Please Ask For One, and continues the same formula with added commentary on the actual mechanics of performing the show, including a lengthy discussion on the correct force, direction and angle with which to run a microphone across a bit of card and get a reaction from the audience.
This isn't just recommended if you saw the show and enjoyed it; it's recommended if you saw the show and enjoyed it and want even more to go with it. I have an unfortunate track record of annoying people by praising Stewart Lee (see http://timworthington.blogspot.co.uk/... if you don't believe me), but if he's going to put out books this good, they're just going to have to keep on getting annoyed. Shiver me timbers. Yours, B. Beard.
October 30, 2014
I sometimes vacillate between thinking Stewart Lee is the most brilliant stand-up artist that’s not been fully recognised and that he’s just crap. Either way I don’t really care because he never fails to amuse me. He’s never going to be a big, road-show stadium-filler; his type of intimate stand-up just would not work in an x-thousand seater stadium, but I would like to think that he could be acknowledged more than he is - at least enough to make a reasonable living for his family. And anyway he seems to offend so many people that it’s highly unlikely that he’d ever get to the position of doing such a show. That’s another reason why I like the guy.
Watching the MacIntyre-Kay clones it’s easy to get drawn in to the phoney spontaneity of it in spite of the fact that you know there’s a team of writers carefully crafting that spontaneity. Stewart Lee presents us with the deliberate thought process and development of his performances. I’ve not seen him live - when he performed at two venues within travelling distance of where I live the parasite ticket-tout sites had the prices up over a hundred quid. I have to be content with re-playing the Comedy Vehicle TV series and the repeats of Fist of Fun and Lionel Nimrod on the radio.
Watching the MacIntyre-Kay clones it’s easy to get drawn in to the phoney spontaneity of it in spite of the fact that you know there’s a team of writers carefully crafting that spontaneity. Stewart Lee presents us with the deliberate thought process and development of his performances. I’ve not seen him live - when he performed at two venues within travelling distance of where I live the parasite ticket-tout sites had the prices up over a hundred quid. I have to be content with re-playing the Comedy Vehicle TV series and the repeats of Fist of Fun and Lionel Nimrod on the radio.
October 21, 2014
It's essentially a transcript of a show, with annotations. There are some funny bits...
However it under-delivers on the promise that it 'confirms Stuart Lee as the most...brilliant comedian of his generation.' Toby Young, from BBC radio 4 is quoted on the back of the book as thinking that Lee's comedy does 'the opposite of what really good comedy should do.' And this is closer to the truth, but not fair. Well, he does go on about Michael MacIntyre just a little too much (gives away his true feelings for the man). But I truly got a sense of the occasion witnessed by those in attendance on that final night of Lee's tour. There was a camaraderie amongst those present, and one which sustains. I get the sense of an amassed army of Lee-appreciators who will label me as dim-witted for not laughing enough at his material, and will ascribe my 2-star rating to ignorance, defending his faux-failing comedic approach as genius, to the bitter end. Which the book does on page 104, thankfully.
However it under-delivers on the promise that it 'confirms Stuart Lee as the most...brilliant comedian of his generation.' Toby Young, from BBC radio 4 is quoted on the back of the book as thinking that Lee's comedy does 'the opposite of what really good comedy should do.' And this is closer to the truth, but not fair. Well, he does go on about Michael MacIntyre just a little too much (gives away his true feelings for the man). But I truly got a sense of the occasion witnessed by those in attendance on that final night of Lee's tour. There was a camaraderie amongst those present, and one which sustains. I get the sense of an amassed army of Lee-appreciators who will label me as dim-witted for not laughing enough at his material, and will ascribe my 2-star rating to ignorance, defending his faux-failing comedic approach as genius, to the bitter end. Which the book does on page 104, thankfully.
November 28, 2015
Part of what I enjoy most about Stewart Lee ' s stand up, is when he deconstructs his own routines live on stage - essentially creating humour by explaining why something should be funny and how he is manipulating things to make people laugh. This book is a transcript of one of his stand up shows, accompanied with a large amount of footnotes talking about how and why the show is constructed in the way that it is.
I originally saw this show live , at Wolverhampton Civic Hall, and have seen the DVD several times. Nevertheless, the book is still worth buying and reading as there is enough in the footnotes to interest the reader... saying that, I'm a long standing Stewart Lee fan since his Fist of Fun days so I am incapable of producing an unbiased review.
Why only four stars? I didn't really like the '100% pear' bit of the routine when I originally saw it live.
I originally saw this show live , at Wolverhampton Civic Hall, and have seen the DVD several times. Nevertheless, the book is still worth buying and reading as there is enough in the footnotes to interest the reader... saying that, I'm a long standing Stewart Lee fan since his Fist of Fun days so I am incapable of producing an unbiased review.
Why only four stars? I didn't really like the '100% pear' bit of the routine when I originally saw it live.
August 7, 2012
A follow up to 'How I Escaped My Certain Fate' which is where I would recommend anyone start. This is more of the same, although I do think the stand up show is funnier that the previous three (of the four shows covered by the two books, I do think they get slowly better and funnier, and having seen the next show live, it does continue the trend); I just hope he keeps doing this for his stand up shows.
March 18, 2012
It's thin - it was a single train-ride to read - but very entertaining, assuming you like Lee's standup. It's basically a transcript of the DVD by the same name with copious (as in, 4 pages long, in one case) footnotes regarding the pacing, development and strategies behind the material. There's a bigger one in the same format, with 3 previous shows and an introduction/autobiographical section too, which I'm reading now.
November 1, 2013
Like a quick snack after the grand three-course meal of How I Escaped My Certain Fate, this was again a lovely insight into Lee's thought processes when both writing and performing his comedy. I'm a huge fan of his, and while it sometimes feels like he's hectoring me for liking more mainstream comedy, he is undeniably funny when you bother to pay attention to what he's saying. A day's read at most, but a good day.
April 18, 2013
Not just a book but a manifesto.
For an alternative way of doing comedy.
For an alternative way of thinking.
For an alternative way of making a living as a creative person in a mainstream world.
Has inspired many people I know who do just that.
Also a great, funny, well written read. A great example of how to explain the thinking behind a particular public persona.
For an alternative way of doing comedy.
For an alternative way of thinking.
For an alternative way of making a living as a creative person in a mainstream world.
Has inspired many people I know who do just that.
Also a great, funny, well written read. A great example of how to explain the thinking behind a particular public persona.
June 14, 2012
These books (it looks like he's going to keep on doing them) are perfect for Stewart Lee - basically extending the Penn & Teller-y unpacking of comedy he does in his shows off the stage and onto paper. Funny and fascinating.
February 7, 2013
Having only discovered Stewart Lee in recent years, due to my OH obsession with him, I found the insight into his way of thinking fascinating. I especially enjoyed the Michael McIntyre tirades - as I find M M grating and patronising...
July 1, 2020
A great supplement to How I Escaped My Certain fate. I find Lee hugely funny, and the apparent self-awareness with which he deconstructs and criticizes his own work is both intriguing and entertaining
September 16, 2013
Just as perceptive and funny as How I Escaped My Certain Fate. (You should probably read that first.) And the routine footnoted here is edgier and more theatrically daring. Let's hope Lee does get round to writing TV Comedian, his promised next book.
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