Chortle's Opinions section is an arena for fans to share their views on any aspect of comedy.
We invite general comment pieces about particular aspects of the comedy scene (although reviews of individual shows or performers tend not to be suited to this section except in very rare circumstances). Contributions should be at least 500 words in length, in a similar tone to something you might read in a broadsheet newspaper, and emailed to steve@chortle.co.uk
We reserve the right to edit pieces – although we will be careful not to change the meaning of anything – or not to use them at all. By submitting an article you grant Chortle indefinite licence to use it freely; though you retain the copyright on it to use it elsewhere.
Comic Alfie Moore on comedy's bad-taste goalposts
12/11/2012 … The subject of race and religion is never far away in the modern comedy arena, which got me thinking where the goalposts are sited in respect of all things ‘sensitive’.
No? Well, that's the problem with live comedy, says Lewis Schaffer
11/11/2012 … Back in New York in the mid-Nineties, a TV producer asked me to test an idea he had.
09/11/2012 … The furore regarding offensive comedy and the biggest bête noire, the ‘rape joke’, shows no sign of abating.
Laughing Horse boss Alex Petty's take on the state of the comedy club business
04/11/2012 … The seeds of failure in any business are most often sown when a business is at its most successful.
Joe Milnes gripes about sitcom writing competitions
02/11/2012 … Disclaimer: This piece stems primarily from a place of bitterness and resentment, which as any two-bit therapist could explain, is really a manifestation of feelings…
In a new series of monthly columns, Chortle editor Steve Bennett looks at the crisis in comedy clubs
01/11/2012 … Stand-up is said to be enjoying a boom - with more people than ever flocking to big gigs in arenas and major theatres, and comedians rarely off our TV screens.
Producer Samantha Martin defends E4's latest hidden camera show
29/10/2012 … I have never felt the need to comment or defend a show I’ve worked on before, probably because one look at my CV will tell you what an evil son-of-a-bitch I am…
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