The other day the wonderful
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(a rather well-known genius of a scriptwriter responsible for the best sketch show of the 1990s as well as the best sitcom and who should be on your F-list if not already) posted a link to Joe Rogan and Carlos Mencia clashing about the thieving of stand-up material.
I’ve thought about this subject since I first attended shows on the Edinburgh Fringe in the early 1990s. Among the shows was an Australian female comic who did a routine that was a verbatim rip off of some Pamela Stephenson performed material in Not the Nine O’clock News. I irritated my then girlfriend immensely by finishing off each set with the punchline before the act reached it. I didn’t heckle, but now, probably would.
That year I also went to see Michael Redmond, a lugubrious Irish comic (Father Sloan in Father Ted); Stewart Lee; and Bruce MOrton. Each was outstanding with individualised well written acts. Lee has appeared ona radio show I was listening to at the time called Lionel Nimrod’s Inexplicable World, and was the one name I really recognised.
Morton used a joke I’ve heard many times subsequently (delivered by other lesser comics) . Morton was bald, and midway through the set said,
“I went to the hairdressers the other day. I asked for highlights. They showed me action replays of previous haircuts.”
Which was funny because it was delivered deadpan, a propos nothing at all, and he was bald. When used by a snub nosed mainstream comic with lots of hair – it loses rather a lot.
Redmond in particular had a brilliant opening. He stood on stage with his sunken eyes, mad hair, and large drooping moustache, and said after a couple of minutes, “People often say to me, “Hey you. Get out of my garden.”" which was the most perfect opening I’ve heard in a stand up show. I’ve even referred to it here on this LJ.
Anyway, on
‘s posting some of the comments referred to Joe Pasquale and referred to Stewart Lee. A quick google search revealed the following video – showing Lee at his best, and based around the great Michael Redmond line referred to above.
That Michael Redmond joke I’m pretty sure was used previously by Peter Cook or Spike Milligan … Although in its original(?) form, it went something like:
“I bumped into [name of celebrity] the other day. He said ‘What the hell are you doing in my kitchen?’”
I wish I could prove this. I lean towards Milligan as the source of the line, just about. Possibly on a Michael Parkinson show. Hmm. I do know someone who might know. I’ll email them and they’ll probably answer within a week or two.