Quote: DougWonnacott @ 10th January 2014, 1:40 PM GMTI liked it. Philomena's over the shoulder look of confusion when she wasn't understanding the Time expert was masterfully done and had me crying with laughter.
I laughed at this section too, very Prof. Brian Cox.
What is Limmy's brilliance?
I enjoyed the extra Philomena Cunk section. I also loved Barry Shitpeas when he said "If Dolphins are the best thing it has to offer, then we might as well concrete over the sea".
But thank goodness there's no more of that interview slot from the first series.
Quote: Renegade Carpark @ 9th January 2014, 10:51 PM GMTAnd thanks to her tight leggings, we got to see her Cunk when she crossed the 'Marillion Line'.
The unusual thing is, I remember that bit as well from my first viewing the other day. With your comment in mind, I decided to rewatch her segment again tonight, while everyone was out, so I could concentrate more, a bit drunk and a little bit high, purely to clarify if they were in fact 'leggings' or 'tight trousers' because I had been wondering about the difference, and I know that female sartorial legwear can often affect the nuance between a good sketch and a really great sketch. Do you know what I found? That bit is no longer on the iPlayer episode that I rewatched three times. I mean, I'm pretty thorough when it comes to dissecting the comedic structure of a joke and well, blow me, it's almost like some exec somewhere in the BBCsaid, like, "hey maybe we should get rid of that gratuitous camel shot? I don't know, maybe to prevent school mentality numbnuts from reducing the character acting to a 1 second possible flange sighting?"
I personally think it's political correctness gone equali-mental! I know you'll get what I am saying!
Quote: danphobic @ 12th January 2014, 3:15 AM GMTit's almost like some exec somewhere in the BBC said, like, "hey maybe we should get rid of that gratuitous camel shot? I don't know, maybe to prevent school mentality numbnuts from reducing the character acting to a 1 second possible flange sighting?"
Did the same BBC exec cut out Brooker's joke about Mel B's giant cameltoe? It's funny when someone famous on the telly says something, isn't it? Plus they don't have to put up with hypocritical school mentality numbnuts on comedy forums.
The benefits thing...oh dear.
Now let me start by saying I believe every country should have a welfare system to help those who need it. The elderly, the underprivilged, the ill and the long term unemployed who are doing everything they can to find a paying job. However, I know from constant daily experience that our welfare system is a joke and that there are far too many who are allowed to get by exploiting it.
So although usually I agree with Brooker when he talks about media circus paranoia and people trying to outdo one another in being disgusted, most of his piece on Benefits Street fell flat to me because it came off exactly how I've heard people who don't have to deal with benefit cheats often enough to realise how genuinely disgusting and demanding said people are. Can totally get the hate for Kate Hopkins but as a whole the piece felt contrarian more than anything.
I thought it was a big improvement.
Benefits Street is a huge cheat, most of the people have jobs, but thanks to uncontrolled rents and a low minimun wage a lot of people work whilst recieving family benefit, tax credits et
But back to the show I miss the really mad telly stuff, but Brooker's lines are back on form.
Quote: Gelgoog @ 17th January 2014, 7:22 PM GMTpeople trying to outdo one another in being disgusted
Yours sincerely,
Disgusted of BCG
I don't agree with everything Brooker has to say - especially about America - bleeding lefty stereotype, but I can understand the basis for his criticism.
The Barry / Philamena section where they talk about going on Twitter and calling them all 'bastard scum' somehow reminds me of your criticism for some strange reason.
Watched eps 1 & 2. It's much better than series 1, because it's more focused on criticising the week's TV, and isn't a rattlebag of random bits of culture (therefore effectively making it Screenwipe with a new name, but no matter).
To be honest, I tire of people ridiculing adverts and The Voice and stuff like that - not only is it a straw target of barndoorial proportions, but it's not even as if this stuff is accidentally bad, it's calculatedly made that way to attract a certain demographic...and attract another demographic to add further free promo by wasting a lot of breath, ink, bandwidth and broadcast time deriding it. At least Brooker is far funnier at taking potshots at this stuff than pretty much anyone else, but it stil feels redundant to me.
I really hope his next series is another Newswipe, in which the best parts of the the last two shows would have fit snugly. That was not only full of good gags, but had some serious points to make. Laughing at frivolous telly might be diverting, but intelligently revealing the flaws and prejudices of ostensibly serious telly is far more valuable to my mind. And if you can balance that deconstructive incision with a really good willy joke, then everyone's happy.
Quote: Renegade Carpark @ 17th January 2014, 10:26 PM GMTYours sincerely,
Disgusted of BCG
I don't agree with everything Brooker has to say - especially about America - bleeding lefty stereotype, but I can understand the basis for his criticism.
The Barry / Philamena section where they talk about going on Twitter and calling them all 'bastard scum' somehow reminds me of your criticism for some strange reason.
If you want to assume and ignore where I mention having first hand daily experience with a segment of those who are on benefits and have made a lifestyle from it. I even for a brief period after graduating in 2009 had to claim jobseeker's allowance, a fact I'm not proud of despite the fact I was actively looking for work the whole time.
It's a valid debate that the UK needs to have, but the second you complain about the mess our benefits system is you instantly get labelled as some right wing alarmist screaming for the 'final solution'. Heaven forbid people might be speaking from ongoing first hand experience as opposed to something they were served up on the picture box.
On a much lighter note, I'm glad the panel segment at the end is gone. Wasn't really a good fit with the rest of the show.
Quote: Gelgoog @ 18th January 2014, 7:33 PM GMTIf you want to assume and ignore where I mention having first hand daily experience with a segment of those who are on benefits and have made a lifestyle from it. I even for a brief period after graduating in 2009 had to claim jobseeker's allowance, a fact I'm not proud of despite the fact I was actively looking for work the whole time.
I'd rather not get into a massive political / ideological / philosophical debate on the rights and wrongs of state benefits including the minimum wage, high rents, rapacious utility bills, immigration, lack of decent work, inflation, the decline of social climbing, lack of education, using tax money to subsidise exploitative employers, etc., etc.
I don't know you, I don't know your first hand experience and I don't even know if you are speaking the truth. But what is true is that Channel 4 was supposed to show 6 episodes of Benefits Street and instead only showed 5 episodes because they cut out a working couple who lived on the street as it didn't fit 'the narrative'. It also emerged that certain scenarios were dreamed up by the production company and residents on the street were bribed to carry them out.
What Barry and Philomena were saying with the Twitter posts was that they were able to enjoy the calculated 'hate fest' that both Channel 4 and the production company wanted to invoke. Viewers were manipulated to feel a certain way and being too ignorant to know that they too were being exploited, jumped in with both feet. People would rather blame and punish then fix something it would appear. This desire to punish the poor for being poor and dividing society is all the rage doncha know?
Fair enough. I'm just really tired of the idea it's better to shame those who can see the problems with our benefit system rather than acknowledge and address the problems so it can get back to helping the people who really need it.
Apologies for any offence I caused you.
Quote: Gelgoog @ 18th January 2014, 7:33 PM GMTI even for a brief period after graduating in 2009 had to claim jobseeker's allowance, a fact I'm not proud of despite the fact I was actively looking for work the whole time.
Did you have kids or a partner or whatever, were there jobs where you were applying?
Were you able to work or do you have a disability? Have you any idea how little the disability discrimination act expects of employers?
Yes some people abuse the system, it's shame you have to wreck so many lives to get to them.
Quote: Gelgoog @ 18th January 2014, 7:59 PM GMTFair enough. I'm just really tired of the idea it's better to shame those who can see the problems with our benefit system rather than acknowledge and address the problems so it can get back to helping the people who really need it.
Apologies for any offence I caused you.
No need to apologise whatsoever, everyone is welcome to their views and opinions. If you've had bad first hand experiences, then of course it's going to have a bearing on your perceptions.
You've caused me zero offence and please keep posting about Charlie Brooker and the BCG in general.
(I have been warned by the Mods in the past that I can be a smidge confrontational - damn them!)
Very good tonight. Philomena stole the show with her line about people experiencing past lives not remembering they were monkeys.
As others have pointed out, these fake reports were ripped totally from The Daily Show with Jon Stewart - as was 10 O'clock Live.
I hope Brooker does a whole segment about British telly ripping off the Americans, particularly emphasising his own thieving plagiarism, the dirty robber.
the nappy thing was faked, it looked a bit improbable
but otherwise good fun, Limmys a bit pointless.
