The State of Play in the World Today
Looks like someone at Fairfax has noticed there isn't much Australian comedy on the commercial networks these... Read More »
Comedy Reviews
Seek your own pleasure without justification from critics
We disagree with pretty much every word of this, but it’s still definitely worth a look if you’re interested in the mindset of Helen Razer, one of Australia’s more high profile comedy reviewers. The thought that reviewing comedy is a misuse of the alphabet occurs to me often. As I submit reviews for publication, most... Read More »
You Have To Wonder Who Commissions This Stuff
SBS has delayed its launch of upcoming Paul McDermott chat show, Room 101. The series sees McDermott’s return to television chatting to celebrities such as Ray Martin, Julia Zemiro, HG Nelson, Julia Morris, Matt Preston, Noni Hazlehurst, about their pet hates. Originally due to premiere next Monday at 9:30pm, it has been held by SBS... Read More »
Not This Old Shit Again
We go on and on about this so often even we’re sick of it. No, not Josh Thomas: the twin evils of Australian criticism – critics siding with their mates instead of the viewing public, and critics who think the best way to support the local industry is… oh wait, since when was “supporting the... Read More »
Age Ain’t Nothing But A Number
How to explain this? Currently halfway through its ten-episode second season, Please Like Me steadily gaining the attention of local audiences. Perhaps it was ‘Josh Thomas baggage’ – as cultural critic Dion Kagan dubs it in his wonderful Metro Magazine article – that kept local audiences away. “Josh Thomas Baggage”. There’s the name of our... Read More »
Yet Another Theory About Please Like Me
Okay, so despite Please Like Me tanking in the ratings- yes, despite wall-to-wall media attention in this country it rates less than, oh, every other show you’ve ever heard of – local critics continue to go nuts over it. Here’s a quick cross-section that’s been brought to our attention: There’s this: American and Australian critics... Read More »
The Right Kind of Chap
We’ve been pretty hard on Fairfax’s television reviewers these last few years, what with their blatant nepotism and incessant championing of complete shit. But of late we’ve been wondering: have we gotten them all wrong? Back when Marieke Hardy’s Laid was more than just a punchline to a joke about wasting taxpayer funds, Fairfax’s writers... Read More »
Negotiable Affection
Remember how we were slightly puzzled about an article by David Dale in the Fairfax press a week or so ago that was talking up the amazing comedy prowess of the current ABC Head of Comedy? You know, this kind of crap: In the first half of the year, the ABC scored handsomely with local... Read More »
Jonah Week 2: Slip Sliding Away
Wow, Jonah really is stirring up some serious shit: A new Australian television comedy about a rebellious Tongan teenager has been condemned as “self indulgent” and “deeply offensive” to Pacific Islanders. Chris Lilley’s six-part ABC TV comedy series Jonah From Tonga follows the life of a 14-year-old schoolboy and his run-ins with family, friends and... Read More »
Again With The Dodgy Comedy Festival Reviews
The Sunday Age‘s entertainment section – “M: Melbourne Inside Out” – has a section titled “8 Days: Your One-Stop Guide To The Week Ahead”. The second listing in today’s edition is this: “Comedy Writer, comedian and poet Ben Pobjie is talking rage at this year’s Comedy Festival. His show, Trigger Warning, takes to task the... Read More »