Vik Iyer thinks comics are better out of the establishment

Watching Russell Brand joust with Boris Johnson and Melanie Philips on Question Time gave the BBC’s venerated debating institution a certain, shall we say, Wrestlemania feel.

Brand can be eloquent and heartfelt - and he had the good grace to ensure that for once London’s Mayor did not have the most stupid haircut on the panel.

But do we really want comedians on Question Time?

Comedy and politics seem to be intertwining in an age where MPs responded to the expenses scandal by demanding an austerity-breaking pay rise.

If the parties all sound the same, a comedian can provide that free-wheeling opinion the audience crave.

Comedians are warming to the task. Satirist Beppe Grillo enjoyed electoral success in Italy and Eddie Izzard apparently fancies a dab at the London mayoralty. What next? Maybe Frankie Boyle could be a peace envoy, using his withering put downs to persuade warring parties that they are in fact ‘massive numpties’. Well, I guess it beats Tony Blair.

But you wonder who’s going to be left to tell the jokes? Sarah 'Worst Timing Ever' Teather MP? ( See)

There’s a big danger here. The more comedy gets serious, the more a scandal-hungry media will see comedians as fair game.

The Jimmy Carr affair summed up the Brave New World. Ten years ago, I’m not sure a comedian legally paying a reasonable amount of tax would have been much of a story.

Satirists and comedians should be accountable for their jokes and ideas. But their lifestyles? Do you really need to be fully audited before making jokes about bankers?

I look forward to the Daily Mail confirming Les Dawson actually liked his mother-in-law.

Carr was not even an activist comedian like the Marks, Steel and Thomas. Yet he dutifully apologised, perhaps all too keenly aware of how important ‘brand’ is when it comes to DVD sales, telly bookings and stadium tours.

This surely cannot be good for comedians. Soon, those with chequered pasts may think they are not entitled to make any political jokes. That would certainly suit politicians and their allies in the media.

Make no mistake - I want to see comedy as nihilistic and as politically charged as possible. That is what I aspire to do in my work and it is what I consume more often than not.

But Question Time is their territory. Comedians are at their best when being funny and stripping down the real dangers of our age through stand-up or, even better, through theatre, film and television.

I don’t want to see court jesters sitting to the right of David Dimbleby who amuse us while the ‘grown ups’ agree that there really is “no choice” but to attack Iraq and bail out banks.

Remember that now there’s always Twitter for those of a ranty disposition (like me).

But it’s time to leave the comedians’ chair on Question Time to Boris Johnson.

• Vik Iyer is the creator of satirical website Newsfox and he also tweets @theNewsfox.

Published: 10 Jul 2013