The joke's on me
Giacinto Palmieri on an unexpected laugh
03/08/2009 … During a recent preview of my Edinburgh show an episode occurred to me that made me think about comedy, its pleasures and its risks.
Latest Opinions
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.
Mon 03 August 2009
Wed 29 July 2009
The Story Of O
Adam Hills unlocks the secret of tOp cOmedy
29/07/2009 … There is a new tide swelling through ranks of comedians at this year's Edinburgh Festival - a tide so subtle and unnoticed that it has largely gone subtly unnoticed.
© C4 Writing wrongs...
Dave Gorman is angered by a 'dangerously bad' piece of journalism
29/07/2009 … Comedy journalism - by which I mean journalism about comedy as opposed to journalism that is comic - can easily rile those of us who work in the industry.
Tue 28 July 2009
Girls just wanna have... some goddam recognition
Susan Calman challenges journaists' lazy assumptions
28/07/2009 … There can’t be more than four or five female comics, can there?The Edinburgh Festival is upon us and with it a further crop of articles about how funny women are.
Mon 27 July 2009
Comedy from the bottle
Do great stand-ups have to drink? asks Louise Curé-Freeman
27/07/2009 … A couple of nights ago I found out that I was disabled.
Thu 23 July 2009
MySpace invaders
Christopher Hogg on the Bermuda Triange of comedy
23/07/2009 … Let’s face it, unless you are the crème de menthe of comedy, the chances of you reaching a large audience through a slot on TV or radio is about as statistically…
Thu 09 July 2009
Controversy is nothing to be scared off
Let's all be grown-ups, Vikki Littlemore urges
09/07/2009 … In television’s wholesome and repressed past, comedians dared not offend the British public with profanities and sexually explicit vulgarities, so confined themselves…
Sun 05 July 2009
Family comedy *does* still exist
But maybe not where you expect, says Chris Thomas
05/07/2009 … Many people ache on about how ‘comedy isn’t what it used to be’, and that there is far too much crude humour, swearing, violence and sexiness on our screens.