Success

Have been thinking a lot about success recently.  Maybe because I’m not sure what success means to me.  At the moment I think it’s not having to go back to work.  Perhaps it means more work on radio or comedy.  I suppose not being destitue and forced to move back in with my parents at the age of 26 would be a kind of success.

It’s partly because of Ben Elton that I’ve been having these thoughts.  Here was a man who wrote possibly the best sitcom ever.  Blackadder was a great work.  That last episode of Blackadder Goes Forth deserves every merit that it already has bestowed upon it.  But now Ben Elton is regarded, certainly by most comics as a bit of a joke.  He made the god awful ‘Get A Grip’ for ITV and is now more known as a writer of novels and rock band musicals rather than being a funny man.  I wonder if he still thinks of himself as successful. 

The reason that I’m thinking of Ben Elton is because he said that you can’t make jokes about Muslims on the BBC.  I’m not sure that Ben Elton would be given the chance to make jokes about muslims on the BBC anymore.  His whole point seems a bit academic.  It’s kind of similiar to when Rowan Atkinson protested against the Religious Hatred Bill - I for one am still incredibly excited to see the Mr Bean Goes To Jerusalem movie. 

What I think I’m trying to say is that it seems that once the your success has reached its peak and your on the way down you end up blaming the world for changing around you.  Perhaps it’s a way of saying ‘Look we’re edgy and dangerous. Still.’

Aw fuck it, I don’t know what I’m saying.  Maybe I’m thinking that presenting a show on local radio is it for me.  And actually that that’s not a bad thing.  If I get sacked tomorrow I will bore wives and grandchildren how for 20 glorious weeks I was on the radio and met the guitarist in Shed 7.  I will also write to the local paper complaining about how the local council has gone mad with political correctness.

Hmm, think I’ll edit this at some point.  By the way comedian Stewart Lee a very good article on Ben Elton here.

version on the ridiculous

Seems as if the fates are against me.  Sat down to do some work and Sky was showing a back to back marathon of all the Star Trek movies.  Maybe I could do some jokes about Star Trek.  Is it a bit lame to do material on a programme that hasn’t been on TV for near enough ten years?

Anyway seeing as I watched Star Trek, including movie number 7 Generations where Captain Kirk dies and because tonight I’m presenting the covers show ‘Like A Version’ (Geddit!!!) I thought I’d post easily the best cover version ever.  This is William Shatner doing Pulp’s Commons People.  Actually really rather good.  Joe Jackson on backing vocal and Ben Folds at the keyboard.