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Edinburgh Fringe, Best Jokes

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Altfish
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Edinburgh Fringe, Best Jokes

#1 Post by Altfish » August 20th, 2013, 8:14 am

Top Ten jokes from Edinburgh Fringe...

1.Rob Auton - “I heard a rumour that Cadbury is bringing out an oriental chocolate bar. Could be a Chinese Wispa.”

2.Alex Horne - “I used to work in a shoe-recycling shop. It was sole-destroying.”

3.Alfie Moore - “I’m in a same-sex marriage… the sex is always the same.”

4.Tim Vine - “My friend told me he was going to a fancy dress party as an Italian island. I said to him ‘Don’t be Sicily.’”

5.Gary Delaney - “I can give you the cause of anaphylactic shock in a nutshell.”

6.Phil Wang - “The Pope is a lot like Doctor Who. He never dies, just keeps being replaced by white men.”

7.Marcus Brigstocke - “You know you are fat when you hug a child and it gets lost.”

8.Liam Williams - “The universe implodes. No matter.”

9.Bobby Mair - “I was adopted at birth and have never met my mum. That makes it very difficult to enjoy any lapdance.”

10.Chris Coltrane - “The good thing about lending someone your time machine is that you basically get it back immediately.”

Last year's winner...

Stewart Francis - “You know who really gives kids a bad name? Posh and Becks.”

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Dave B
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Re: Edinburgh Fringe, Best Jokes

#2 Post by Dave B » August 20th, 2013, 9:24 am

I wonder if the fact that they are all men means sexism on the part of the selectors and voters or are women not so good at punnish jokes?

Good though and just shows the groan/laugh power of the pun - just about my favourite joke form as well.
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Altfish
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Re: Edinburgh Fringe, Best Jokes

#3 Post by Altfish » August 20th, 2013, 11:27 am

Dave B wrote:I wonder if the fact that they are all men means sexism on the part of the selectors and voters or are women not so good at punnish jokes?
I'd not noticed that

Nick
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Re: Edinburgh Fringe, Best Jokes

#4 Post by Nick » August 20th, 2013, 5:15 pm

I don't think women are, in general, as funny as men. There are exceptions of course, Jo Brand and Sandi Toksvig (sp?) for example, but too often the pre-prepared nature seeps through.

And I think women are less likely to be funny by virtue of their appearance. Think Emo Phillips, or Ken Dodd. Are there any female equivalents? It may be a sub-conscious sexual differentiation on the part of the audience, but I don't think humour should or can be an exercise in being PC.

Also, I think that more men are more egotistical and exhibitionist, which may or may not be a good thing....

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Dave B
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Re: Edinburgh Fringe, Best Jokes

#5 Post by Dave B » August 20th, 2013, 5:46 pm

I don't think women are, in general, as funny as men.
:supershock:

There was a big argument about this very subject a few weeks ago - lots of nasty things said by both sides. I think there are, and have been, a lot of funny women, Linda Smith for starters, then there's Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French and lots more. Perhaps it is just the pun format being popular that is skewing things this time?
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Alan H
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Re: Edinburgh Fringe, Best Jokes

#6 Post by Alan H » August 20th, 2013, 5:48 pm

Nick wrote:It may be a sub-conscious sexual differentiation on the part of the audience
Or by the commissioners of TV programmes and shows?
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Dave B
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Re: Edinburgh Fringe, Best Jokes

#7 Post by Dave B » August 20th, 2013, 5:52 pm

Alan H wrote:
Nick wrote:It may be a sub-conscious sexual differentiation on the part of the audience
Or by the commissioners of TV programmes and shows?
Yes, I noticed that there was a short list selected by media people then a vote by the punters from that. Wonder if the full list was published? Doubt it.
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animist
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Re: Edinburgh Fringe, Best Jokes

#8 Post by animist » August 20th, 2013, 5:56 pm

Dave B wrote:
I don't think women are, in general, as funny as men.
:supershock:

There was a big argument about this very subject a few weeks ago - lots of nasty things said by both sides. I think there are, and have been, a lot of funny women, Linda Smith for starters, then there's Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French and lots more. Perhaps it is just the pun format being popular that is skewing things this time?
a few weeks ago, Dave? months and months, unless I missed an intervening round of insult. Was it not that paragon of humanism, the blessed Hitch, who started it off, and very stupid he was, IMHO, to do so?

I think Nick is, like Hitch, talking up his sexist arse, and I have known (and suffered from the wit of) many funny women. Nick, mebbe your comment about male exhibitionism destroys your own argument, since men, more than women, probably still have to prove themselves by, and preferably get paid for, being "funny". Not knocking Altfish's OP, but the standard of humour in the sample was, er, variable

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Dave B
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Re: Edinburgh Fringe, Best Jokes

#9 Post by Dave B » August 20th, 2013, 6:06 pm

IIRC sexism in humour has raised its helmet since the late Hitch's comments - may have been an echo of those though.
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Tetenterre
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Re: Edinburgh Fringe, Best Jokes

#10 Post by Tetenterre » August 20th, 2013, 8:36 pm

animist wrote: the standard of humour in the sample was, er, variable
Variable? Conspicuous by it's absence, more like.

But, with the exception of Sandi Toksvig, I don't find any of the women mentioned particularly funny. OTOH, give me Nina Conti (Nintendo Continue, according to my autocorrect) and I'll be in stitches...


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Nick
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Re: Edinburgh Fringe, Best Jokes

#11 Post by Nick » August 22nd, 2013, 2:34 pm

animist wrote:
Dave B wrote:
I don't think women are, in general, as funny as men.
:supershock:

There was a big argument about this very subject a few weeks ago - lots of nasty things said by both sides. I think there are, and have been, a lot of funny women, Linda Smith for starters, then there's Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French and lots more. Perhaps it is just the pun format being popular that is skewing things this time?
I don't find them particularly funny, myself, but that doesn't mean that others don't. I am also not saying that there are no funny women. Joan Rivers and the clever musical one off "Whose Line is it Anyway".
I think Nick is, like Hitch, talking up his sexist arse,
You're too kind.... :wink:
and I have known (and suffered from the wit of) many funny women. Nick, mebbe your comment about male exhibitionism destroys your own argument, since men, more than women, probably still have to prove themselves by, and preferably get paid for, being "funny".
I think I'd agree with that, animist, so I'm not sure why it destroys anything I've said (which is an opinion, not an argument). :shrug:
Not knocking Altfish's OP, but the standard of humour in the sample was, er, variable
I think something is lost when they are written not spoken; it's a different type of humour. Two of my favourite comedians, Steve Wright and Milton Jones, would come across poorly in print, I think....

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Dave B
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Re: Edinburgh Fringe, Best Jokes

#12 Post by Dave B » August 22nd, 2013, 6:44 pm

Yech, can't stand Milton Jones.
the clever musical one off "Whose Line is it Anyway".
Not seen the prog for years but Josie Lawrence used to be one of my favourites - she does sing . .

[urlhttp://edition.cnn.com/2013/08/01/showbiz/edinburgh-fringe-festival-13-comedians]CNN's[/url] choice of female comedians from this year's Fringe are:
Janeane Garofalo, Gemma Whelan, Sarah Millican and Caroline Rhea. I can only admit to ever hearing Millican. Outside the Fringe I think there is a rich choice of funny women - but I am not going to try to list them here and now!
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Fia
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Re: Edinburgh Fringe, Best Jokes

#13 Post by Fia » August 22nd, 2013, 9:59 pm

OK, guys, guess you need a brief female perspective :)

In my experience men tend to tell jokes, women tend to tell (often convoluted) stories. When I worked in bars I was astounded how some men could swap jokes all evening, without ever asking or betraying anything personal. In polite company with men, we'll titter at a joke because it's polite. Men seem to tell them to pointlessly fill perfectly natural gaps in conversation. But when it's just women we tend to tell stories. We understand men don't want to hear them, which is why so I loved Jo Brand when she first performed at the Edinburgh Festival many years ago. Our laughter is at the absurdities of our lives and inevitably personally revealing. We understand men generally communicate with their own gender differently.

I would imagine the 'market' for comedy is as male dominated as the commissioners, producers and promoters. I can assure you that women are funny, but not necessarily to the profit orientated market. I usually enjoy more laughter with a few women around my kitchen table. Having said that: Jo Brand, Sandi Toksvig, Nina Conti, Josie Lawrence, Ellen DeGeneres and Susan Calman would be welcome to the assorted female throng anytime :laughter:

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Re: Edinburgh Fringe, Best Jokes

#14 Post by Dave B » August 22nd, 2013, 10:08 pm

There are "tale telling men" as well who are very funny, Fia. Been too long now but their used to be a Welsh bloke who told of "experiences" in his life and others with a similar comedy technique. There is an American on the R4 16.30 comedy slot, David Sedaris, who has me creased up with his relating of his life story.

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Fia
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Re: Edinburgh Fringe, Best Jokes

#15 Post by Fia » August 22nd, 2013, 10:27 pm

Would fully agree re David Sedaris. The first time I heard him on R4 - having missed the intro and not looked up the listings - it was a good 20 minutes before I realised he was male :redface:

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Re: Edinburgh Fringe, Best Jokes

#16 Post by Tetenterre » August 22nd, 2013, 11:49 pm

Dave B wrote:used to be a Welsh bloke who told of "experiences" in his life and others with a similar comedy technique.
Rhod Gilbert? I really like the way he constructs his tales.


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Dave B
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Re: Edinburgh Fringe, Best Jokes

#17 Post by Dave B » August 23rd, 2013, 9:24 am

Fia wrote:Would fully agree re David Sedaris. The first time I heard him on R4 - having missed the intro and not looked up the listings - it was a good 20 minutes before I realised he was male :redface:
Perhaps his being gay has something to do with it?
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etoile
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Re: Edinburgh Fringe, Best Jokes

#18 Post by etoile » August 23rd, 2013, 10:16 am

Just catching up on this thread, (know nothing of the 'Hitch debate), but really, the whole women not being funny thing is so tired. Say something often enough to try to create it as reality, sheesh! I worked with enough women who could crush with a quip or have a room full of 50 in stitches to know it's not true. And I don't think either sex can claim to own any particular brand of humour, physical or verbal or whatever.
Don't think Sue Perkins or Miranda Hart got a mention in any of those list but some more suggestions through the ages, GInger Rogers, Joyce Grenfell, Jane Austen(?). Always there just not appreciated as such and often backing up the blokes taking all the credit like Margaret Dumont and the Marx brothers.

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Dave B
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Re: Edinburgh Fringe, Best Jokes

#19 Post by Dave B » August 23rd, 2013, 11:28 am

I am going to make myself unpopular by saying that not all comedians, of either gender, write all their own material, but they do have the skills to deliver it and that is all important. The real skills as a comedian probably show up when ad libbing, as in the various quiz shows (though I have my doubts about much of the stuff in "Clue", but that is still great!) And most of the compeers' stuff is scripted in advance - though the good ones get extra material in.
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Alan C.
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Re: Edinburgh Fringe, Best Jokes

#20 Post by Alan C. » August 23rd, 2013, 2:49 pm

etoile
Just catching up on this thread, (know nothing of the 'Hitch debate),
Christopher Hitchens: Why Women Still Aren't Funny
5 minute video.
Abstinence Makes the Church Grow Fondlers.

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