The Secret Reviewer #2: Joke Fatigue

The Secret Reviewer

Every month our clandestine critic - a professional comedy pundit, writing exclusively for BCG Pro - will reveal the murky truths behind that infamous trade, and live comedy generally. Raves, rants, star ratings and stars vanishing: get set for a rare snoop beyond the curtain. This month: Why comedy reviewers often seem to hate jokes.

There's a trope that crops up pretty regularly when you get chatting to comedians about reviews, particularly when the act in question has a relatively traditional attitude to the artform (the type who reckon it isn't an artform at all, essentially). It's the idea that comedy reviewers don't really care about the actual comedy, the making-people-laugh part.

Here's the situation: a well-honed stand-up will go...

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Published: Wednesday 1st May 2019

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