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kindkitI've started watching QI again. I didn't watch it for a long time, because I got seriously disillusioned with Stephen Fry after he said/tweeted several failtastic things, and with the show after the epically awful "Girls and Boys" episode, which repeated a lot of stupid crap about gender rather than questioning "common knowledge" as QI is supposed to do. But I've returned; I do enjoy the format and the guests (especially permanent guest Alan Davies, plus folks like David Mitchell, Rich Hall, and Jo Brand, although she hasn't been on for a while). And I like Fry when he's not so far up himself that he goes stupid from lack of oxygen.
Returning to QI led me to other Brit panel shows, which led me to discover the truly delicious Liam Fox/Adam Werritty scandal (slash mark used advisedly). Here's a summary that's as short as I can make it: Liam Fox is a Conservative MP and was, from 2010 until a few days ago, Secretary of State for Defence. He resigned after the media began reporting on his personal, business, and political relationship with Adam Werritty. Werritty and Fox are close friends--Werritty was best man as Fox's 2005 wedding--despite a 17-year-age difference (Fox is 50, Werritty 33), and Werritty has accompanied Fox on a bunch of official trips, sat in on sensitive meetings despite not having security clearance, called himself Fox's "advisor" despite having no government position, and basically brokered access to Fox for various foreign governments and business interests. Oh, and Fox let Werritty live rent-free in Fox's London flat (and then stuck the bill on his government expense account), and at one point was actually, but off the books, paying him a salary.
No one's outright said "OMG, they are SO DOING IT," but the coverage I've seen has gleefully emphasized the subtext. To the point where a Tory MP on Have I Got News For You complained about the "innuendo" and was quite deservedly laughed at, since when it comes to innuendo, nothing beats the right-wing (generally) Tory-loving British tabloids. I could almost bring myself to feel sorry for Fox and Werritty, were it not for the massive hypocrisy (if they're a couple, then what a surprise, it's another closeted right-wing politician), the corruption (funnelling government money to your secret boyfriend/girlfriend is never a good idea), and the general odiousness of both men.
And yet I kind of want RPF about them. Tragically, there doesn't seem to be any (yet?).
On the subject of comedy news, I've finally brought myself to watch an episode of Good News World, the successor to the much-lamented Good News Week (an Australian news quiz show starring Paul McDermott). World is a sketch show, and I'm baffled as to who thought it was a good idea to take a bunch of brilliant improvisers (McDermott, Mikey Robbins, Claire Hooper, Cal Wilson, Tom Gleeson) and put them in something entirely scripted where they can't play off each other. And yet . . . I expected to hate this show. Judging by the forums on the Channel 10 website, it is widely loathed. Instead I found it mildly funny and occasionally (e.g. Paul's love song to right-wing politician Tony Abbott) delightful. Not that I wouldn't trade it in an instant to have Good News Week back.
It probably says something (bad) about me that I'm more informed about Australian politics, and maybe UK politics as well, than US politics. I think that's because when it's happening in my own country, it's too depressing to bear. My country has slid so far to the right that (according to something I read in the New Yorker) people at Republican rallies have cheered for the idea of letting people without health insurance die. A good old graft-and-sex scandal would be light relief. (Unfortunately, the last sex scandal we had ended the career of a liberal who'd been awfully valuable on a lot of issues despite apparently being creepy in his personal life.)
A second factor is that UK and Australian comedy-news shows are funnier and include more gay. I'll bet Jon Stewart has never sung about his desire for Mitt Romney's manly bod.
Returning to QI led me to other Brit panel shows, which led me to discover the truly delicious Liam Fox/Adam Werritty scandal (slash mark used advisedly). Here's a summary that's as short as I can make it: Liam Fox is a Conservative MP and was, from 2010 until a few days ago, Secretary of State for Defence. He resigned after the media began reporting on his personal, business, and political relationship with Adam Werritty. Werritty and Fox are close friends--Werritty was best man as Fox's 2005 wedding--despite a 17-year-age difference (Fox is 50, Werritty 33), and Werritty has accompanied Fox on a bunch of official trips, sat in on sensitive meetings despite not having security clearance, called himself Fox's "advisor" despite having no government position, and basically brokered access to Fox for various foreign governments and business interests. Oh, and Fox let Werritty live rent-free in Fox's London flat (and then stuck the bill on his government expense account), and at one point was actually, but off the books, paying him a salary.
No one's outright said "OMG, they are SO DOING IT," but the coverage I've seen has gleefully emphasized the subtext. To the point where a Tory MP on Have I Got News For You complained about the "innuendo" and was quite deservedly laughed at, since when it comes to innuendo, nothing beats the right-wing (generally) Tory-loving British tabloids. I could almost bring myself to feel sorry for Fox and Werritty, were it not for the massive hypocrisy (if they're a couple, then what a surprise, it's another closeted right-wing politician), the corruption (funnelling government money to your secret boyfriend/girlfriend is never a good idea), and the general odiousness of both men.
And yet I kind of want RPF about them. Tragically, there doesn't seem to be any (yet?).
On the subject of comedy news, I've finally brought myself to watch an episode of Good News World, the successor to the much-lamented Good News Week (an Australian news quiz show starring Paul McDermott). World is a sketch show, and I'm baffled as to who thought it was a good idea to take a bunch of brilliant improvisers (McDermott, Mikey Robbins, Claire Hooper, Cal Wilson, Tom Gleeson) and put them in something entirely scripted where they can't play off each other. And yet . . . I expected to hate this show. Judging by the forums on the Channel 10 website, it is widely loathed. Instead I found it mildly funny and occasionally (e.g. Paul's love song to right-wing politician Tony Abbott) delightful. Not that I wouldn't trade it in an instant to have Good News Week back.
It probably says something (bad) about me that I'm more informed about Australian politics, and maybe UK politics as well, than US politics. I think that's because when it's happening in my own country, it's too depressing to bear. My country has slid so far to the right that (according to something I read in the New Yorker) people at Republican rallies have cheered for the idea of letting people without health insurance die. A good old graft-and-sex scandal would be light relief. (Unfortunately, the last sex scandal we had ended the career of a liberal who'd been awfully valuable on a lot of issues despite apparently being creepy in his personal life.)
A second factor is that UK and Australian comedy-news shows are funnier and include more gay. I'll bet Jon Stewart has never sung about his desire for Mitt Romney's manly bod.
no subject
Date: 2011-10-22 06:35 pm (UTC)