The Mark Steel Lectures
- Thread starter Maggot
- Start date
andy2002
To the Bat-poles!
I like Mark Steel and enjoyed Room 101 but I wish people would stop sticking the boot into Ben Elton. Or if they absolutely HAVE to at least have the good grace to mention that he was co-writer on Blackadder and The Young Ones, two of the finest British sitcoms ever made. Admittedly, most if what he's done since has been shite but still...
danny la rouge
Ninja swords for all disabled people
I hate him; he's an unctuous, condescending, smug, liberal twat. And his history is infantile. And his "humour" worse.
Which is why I didn't watch him on Room 101.
Which is why I didn't watch him on Room 101.
ivebeenhigh
Well-Known Member
hmm he hasnt got him in yet?
ivebeenhigh
Well-Known Member
trashpony said:He has now
woah that's spooky. thought thinking about it how could you not.
andy2002 said:
Elton is a grade-A, solid gold, utter utter cunt. Whether along the way he was involved to some extent on creations of some worth is irrelevant
exosculate
a stagger with a beat
Dubversion said:
I normally have some warmth for a twat that did some good in the past. I withdraw that attitude with Ben Elton who to me is such an inhuman, fake, opportunistic, scumbag; that there is not an ounce of warmth left.
andy2002
To the Bat-poles!
Dubversion said:
"To some extent"? He was co-writer on both the shows I mentioned. He was responsible for putting some of the funniest lines in the history of British comedy in the mouths of Rowan Atkinson, Rik Mayall, Alexei Sayle, Adrian Edmondson, Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry. In fact, he helped launch or enhance the careers of every single one of the people on that list. Yes, he's a wanker now (and a supporter of the Iraq War, the fucking bastard) but it would be nice the next time someone decides to put him in Room 101 that they also mention the fairly large role he had in the development of great British comedy. You know, just for the sake of balance...
andy2002 said:
i used the phrase 'to some extent' because off the top of my head I don't actually recall
a) how many writers there were on each show
b) how long Elton was involved
c) how much of the writing he did.
So 'to some extent' is appropriately vague, no? - both 90% and 5% qualify as 'to some extent' in this context, that's the point of the bloody phrase
exosculate
a stagger with a beat
andy2002 said:
He doesn't deserve it in my view, he is such a nasty little scroat.
King Biscuit Time
Well-Known Member
What about Ben Elton ed?
nino_savatte
No pasaran!
editor said:
Good luck, I've tried to lure him to my club but it's like getting in touch with the spirit world.
I agree with Dub on Ben Elton.
Mark Steel is one of my favourites - predictably. I've said before that I used to know his partner very well indeed. He's also done a lot of free benefit gigs as a proportion of gigs he does but I don't get the impression he does many gigs at all. He certainly never used to. The bloke who runs the Chuckle Club always used to say to me that he'd booked Mark Steel a few times when the Chuckle Club started but that Mark didn't seem interested since - and used to try to hassle me to get him to play (and that was paid).
The Radio 4 lectures and "the mark steel solution" were also brilliant.
Mark Steel is one of my favourites - predictably. I've said before that I used to know his partner very well indeed. He's also done a lot of free benefit gigs as a proportion of gigs he does but I don't get the impression he does many gigs at all. He certainly never used to. The bloke who runs the Chuckle Club always used to say to me that he'd booked Mark Steel a few times when the Chuckle Club started but that Mark didn't seem interested since - and used to try to hassle me to get him to play (and that was paid).
The Radio 4 lectures and "the mark steel solution" were also brilliant.
nino_savatte
No pasaran!
nonamenopackdrill said:
Aye, well Eugene Cheese (the proprietor of the Chuckle Club) is a twat.
nino_savatte said:
His name's Paul, and he's not just a twat, but a smelly fat fucker as well. You should try working with him week after week for 3 years. I'm serious - he is the smelliest man alive, and so unfunny it's unbelievable. I remember talking to Stuart Lee after he'd performed and he said that he came back for the venue and the cash but every time he smelled the fat c*** he wondered why he'd bothered.
His wife is possibly the moodiest woman I've ever met. I remember when they split up and he was moping around for a while. We couldn't help but laugh (and I do feel a bit guilty about that). They got back together though...
nino_savatte said:
Which club is yours?
nino_savatte
No pasaran!
nonamenopackdrill said:
The Cake Shop at the Bread & Roses. It's a cabaret club, not another stand up club.
nino_savatte
No pasaran!
nonamenopackdrill said:
Aye, I ken his real name. He 'managed' me for a spell but never gave me a gig at his club. Oh and his wife: what a fucking nightmare!
it's on sundays isn't it?
andy2002
To the Bat-poles!
Dubversion said:
I think the phrase "to some extent" in the context in which you used it came over as a bit dismissive of his contribution, that's all.
For the record he co-wrote Blackadder II-IV with Richard Curtis and co-wrote The Young Ones with Rik Mayall and Lise Mayer (they wrote together he wrote alone). I've no idea how much input each member of the writing teams had but have never read anything suggesting Elton was a bit-part player in either show.
nino_savatte said:
What a pair! I remember Ricky Grover turning up, seeing 39 people there (he hadn't called the night off the day of England v Germany, can't remember the year [I think]) and telling him to fuck off. Funny as fuck.
Structaural
in Chatsubo
andy2002 said:
And hasn't it gone to his head, he's a fucking sell out and a hypocrite. To say that Elton was responsilbe for Laurie and Fry's career is insulting to them.
He co-wrote the song that inaugurated George W. Bush. He wrote the Thin Blue Line. He wrote that god-awful Queen musical. He wrote that fucking cringe-fest Blessed...
That's the second time, btw - Anne Robinson put him in Room 101 too
andy2002
To the Bat-poles!
Structaural said:
I didn't say he was responsible for their careers, I said he'd helped enhance them which he did, Lord Melchett and Prince George being two of the best comedy roles either performer has ever had.
Structaural said:
He hasn't done anything of any worth since Blackadder Goes Forth – I've never suggested he has.
Structaural said:That's the second time, btw - Anne Robinson put him in Room 101 too
I think Alexei Sayle put him in as well.
