Why do people still write everything in uppercase?

like our dear prez would say “we need to debate this issue”…
that article by sipho must have set a record for comments on 2ov.

would love to see Sipho and Loyiso in a ring….

Just because it’s the best of a bad bunch doesn’t mean it’s any good. In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.

The fact that there’s an audience says nothing about the quality of what’s on offer, ask the millions that tune in to Jersey Shore.

I love lamp…

How did we get from crap comedians to Hitler? Lets focus on the subject people – taking a stand against mediocrity! I’m afraid you lose all credibiliy the instant you say that Britney Spears is anything other than crap. Millions of Americans love spray on cheese, Curling is an olympic sport, JZ is president, Robert Mugabe has a following, Millions of Germans love the Hoff’s music and Katie Price still walks the planet. Because something or someone has a following does NOT mean it’s any good. It usually means that there is either nothing better on offer, or a large group of people share a common shit taste.

How different are we when it comes to comedy? What is funny for one person is offensive to another. Ask anyone at a post-comedy-show drink who their favourite act was and the answer will vary greatly.

Comedians have for generations been mouthpieces for social issues, – they can say publicly what some only dare to think – and this has become a vital component in airing social issues in a ‘non confrontational’ manner. Loyiso Gola does this brilliantly – he has risked it all, tried it all and continues to grow as a comedian.

Does that mean that all comedians should go this route? Is a good fart joke passé? Obviously not.

Impersonators, Ventriloquists, Musical Comedy, Improv, the down-right-dirty guy, the one-liner king, the intellectual….we will always enjoy (and expect) diversity within the broadest selections of comedy genres and styles.

That is the beauty of it – whether you like or dislike Loyiso’s comedy (I think he is the funniest guy in SA today and so does the Wall Street Journal!) – he has done a great deal for comedy in this country.

And because of it – we have so much more access and choice as an audience – so you can decide for yourself if you like him or not (his one man show is in a few days) or any of the other comedians listed above. What a wonderful thing “choice” is – once you have it.

Ok, this is just silly now. I promised myself I wouldn’t get involved, but I feel there are few things that NEED to be pointed out.

When Alternative comedy started in South Africa in the mid 90′s we were 2 decades behind the USA and the UK when it came to the progression of comedy.

When the UK were watching “The Young Ones” in 1982 we were still being served jokes about mother in laws, Van and people walking into bars.

Alternative comedy has a long way to go in SA. Yes, there are too many over done jokes, too many easy jokes, not enough comics pushing themselves to be new, fresh and ground breaking. (At times myself included)

But when you live in a country when the average person still finds the base, middle of the road comedy funnier than alternative stand up, what else can you do?

What has started happening and will happen more and more as generations grow up with alternative stand up, then more and more people will become comedy literate.

You have to remember that most of us writing on this wall grew up with bootleg versions of Eddie Murphy, Monty Python and The Young Ones.

The VAST majority of this country did not, and so to make a living unfortunately we do have to write some material for the common denominator, I personally try stay clear of this as much as possible, just ask any corporate bookers. I am not corporate friendly and is hurts my wallet in a big way.

What I find frustrating about Sipho’s rant was that he tarred all comics with the same brush. And brought writing comedy for TV into that tar brushing as well. There is a very big difference between writing stand up and writing sketches, sit-coms and political satire.

Yes, John Stewarts show is far better, yes American and UK sitcoms are far better, but as Warren Robertson pointed out so well, they have a far bigger budget and far more writers, with far more experience.

This new comedy wave in South Africa is so new, we are breaking rules and finding our way quite often in the dark, but we are finding our way.

And if you hate sit-coms in this country, sorry, but blame the channels and the production companies, I’ve been involved in many, many pitches, of very alternative TV shows, that were trashed, or asked to be changed to the point that it turned into Three’s Company rather than The Office.

We have some amazing comedians in the country, what comedy really needs now is a proper comedy circuit, so comics can craft their material and make a living without having pander to corporate functions to make a living. Or unfortunately the middle of the road comedy you all seem to be complaining about will never go away, cause it’s not financially worth a comics while to be very alternative.

Oh and I filled the Baxter for 3 nights doing my one man show, does that mean all those people are idiots too? Cause I’m definitely not a nice middle of the road comic, I’m a rant comic and most people in this country don’t like that. So believe me, there is a growing group of people who want that comedy, long may it continue.

Oh and sorry if the grammars bad, or the spellings terrible, I’m a comedian not a writer, I use spoken word, not the written.

I like lamp, and Jay

Well Put Snoddie!!! When did you become a ginger? Or have you been lying to me the whole time? Please don’t bite me…

Wow Steve tell us what you really feel. ha ha ha ha.

Um I only filled the Baxter for 3 days, but you obviously do not get the irony that I was trying to put across.

And you’ll notice how I mentioned no names and did not get personal, and um, have never watched Mr Bones. or Mr Bones II, but then if you’d read my entire post, you would have seen that I was trying to get that exact point across that until the SA public becomes more comedy literate then thats what comedy will be in the country.

In a weird way, we agree 100%

Well except for the being kak part. But then the best thing about the style of comedy i do is that I know that I won’t have everyone loving me, but I don’t do comedy to appeal to the masses, if I did, I wouldn’t write what I do.

Um, but that is your point about Mr Bones isn’t it, hmmmm, wow so actually you do dig me, you just don’t know it yet, awesome. See you at the next show.

Have a lovely day.

I’m sure you’re not kak, in fact I’m pretty sure you’re pretty kiff.

Hey snoddie, we are indeed agreeing about the original post. I’m actually convinced that Sipho Hlongwane is just a Seth pseudonym – has anyone seen him in real life?

I don’t think you’re funny, but that’s surely just the part and parcel of having a niche style? Maybe it will grow on me, who knows.

The mr bones thing wasn’t directed at you( should have had its own paragraph-sorry) but was referring to Warren’s article, where he brings in the Shusterian Scale – and what works in terms of tv revenue is not necessarily regarded as ‘funny’ by all. (I haven’t watched either, but still have fond memories of ‘vintage Shuster’ – bit scared to watch oh shucks it’s UNTAG now to be honest).