Page 115 - The Language of Humour

102 STAND-UP COMEDY
Bobby Sands [IRA hunger striker] says to Peter Sutcliffe
[Yorkshire ‘Ripper’], ‘I bet I’ve had more hot dinners than you’ve
had women.’

Activity with text
In its beginnings this comedy provided an alternative to the bland
sitcoms on television. Its topics and language broke the usual limits
imposed, creating ‘dangerous comedy’. What features identify these
extracts as alternative, rather than mainstream comedy? (No
commentary follows this activity.)

1 I say, I say, I say—what’s the difference between a pelican,
the Inland Revenue and the South East Gas Board? They
can all stick their bills up their arses. Why has Conservative
Central Office got no toilets? Because everyone shits on
everyone else. Hey, here’s a cracker—what is the
difference between a flock of Newfoundland geese and five
hundred missiles homing in on London and the Home
Counties? Answer, as far as the Fylingdales Early Warning
System is concerned, there isn’t any difference.
(Jim Barclay)
2 I’ve just been to New York and when I went through
Immigration, they asked me if I was gay. I said, ‘No, but
I’ve slept with a lot of guys who are.’… neither the British
nor American governments will recognise AIDS as a
disease. Now, that’s strange because they both recognise
homosexuality as a disease. If they think it’s a disease, then
if you’re gay, don’t go to work tomorrow—just ring in
sick. ‘What’s wrong?’ ‘Still queer.’ ‘Hope you get better.’
‘Hope I don’t’
(Simon Fanshawe)