Examentrainers

Comics being serious? Don?t make me laugh! 1      IF YOU are reading this       understandable that they should       hour bore-in on BBC1 will follow   with a squeaky red plastic   want to give up some of their   the pattern of the past: Lenny   ball attached to the end of   time and energy to helping those 95   Henry, pulling a comic face and   your nose, then read no   less fortunate. Nor do I blame   putting on a silly voice in the 5   further. You will not enjoy 55   other celebrities - ministers,   studio; cut to Lenny Henry in   what follows. Yes, I know that   actors, television cooks, etc - who   sub-Saharan Africa, pulling a   this is the day set aside for   have been roped in to do stupid   long, solemn, caring face and   national hilarity, and I should be   and embarrassing things for the 100   telling us that children are   laughing my head off as I reach   cause. If they stood on their   riddled with disease here, for lack 10   for my chequebook. But I cannot 60   dignity and refused, the tabloids   of nothing more luxurious than   get into the spirit of the thing.   would tear them to shreds:   clean water.   The whole idea of Comic Relief’s   “Humourless Minister Snubs   The trouble is that we have all   Red Nose Day1) fills me with the   Starving Children”. 105   become so conditioned to laugh-   most profound gloom - and I   It is the element of moral   ing when we see Lenny Henry’s 15   know that I am not alone. 65   blackmail, pervading the whole   face - or that of any other national 2      Before I go any further, I   event, that stifles my laughter and   comedian - that we find ourselves   ought to set out exactly what I am   makes me feel sick. For the fact is   looking for laughs in all the wrong   not saying. Above all, I am not   that preaching and comedy simply 110   places: Ho! Ho! There is good old   saying that people should be   do not mix. To be any good, a   Lenny strutting his funky stuff in 20   discouraged from contributing to 70   preacher must be an authority-   some African village. Hang on!   the Comic Relief appeal. On     That wretched child sitting   the whole, Comic Relief has Money given to Comic Relief is   on his knee is all skin and   established a good and now very much more likely to be 115   bones. This isn’t funny. This   improving record over the spent on relieving suffering than   is heart-rending. 25   years for supporting charities is government-to-government aid 6      Britons have long been   that actually do good. It has   contemptuous of the   learnt from its mistakes. Tom Utley   Germans for their   Money given to Comic Relief is   120   supposed lack of a sense of   now very much more likely to be   figure. If a comedian is any good,   humour and their readiness to 30   spent on relieving suffering than   he will subvert authority.   submit to authority. Indeed, it is   is government-to-government 4      There is no more humourless   easy to see Red Nose Day   aid, which, as a pamphlet   activity than analysing what   rendered as an anti-German joke,   published yesterday by the 75   makes us laugh. But subversion is 125   with an authority-figure come-   Centre for Policy Studies makes   obviously the key: the   dian in charge: “Ve vill now show 35   clear, has too often gone to   archbishop slipping on the   you a clip of a humorous tele-   subsidising arms, repression and   banana-skin; John Redwood, the   vision programme. You vill now   corruption. No, most of Comic   cleverest man in the last Tory   larff. Ve vill now show you a clip   Relief’s charities are eminently 80   cabinet, opening and shutting his 130   of people suffering in Efrica. You   worthy causes, and the appeal   mouth like a cod, pretending to   vill now cry. You vill now feel 40   richly deserves everyone’s   know the words of the Welsh   bad zat you vere larffing a   support.   national anthem.   moment ago. You vill now reach 3      Nor am I questioning the 5      The Comic Relief comedians   for your chequebook.” But no   motives of the comedians who 85   clearly understand this point. 135   self-respecting German would   run the appeal. I believe that they   Year after year, they have all   dare attempt such a vulgar 45   are driven by a genuine desire to   looked hideously uncomfortable   manipulation of the emotions.   do good and not, as snide critics   when required to switch from 7      The awful truth is that this   suggest, just to look good. It does   mirth to solemnity, comedian to   utterly humourless event is   not bother me that most of them 90   preacher, in the course of an 140   typically British.   have large houses, with Ferraris   evening’s TV show. All the 50   in the drive. All the more   indications are that tonight’s six-

‘The Daily Telegraph’, March 12, 1999

noot 1: Comic Relief’s Red Nose Day: annual national British charity TV campaign conducted by comedians wearing red noses