Gervais & Merchant: an appraisal

[mrmcfister]

WZR..you seem to be alluding to..graduates = assumed intelligence. Dodgy ground.Be proud,never vain!

[Jacques]

Office - very funny

Extra's - piss poor

Jacques is a graduate with several professional qualifications at post-graduate level.




/confused

[stripeysydney]

I think that his almighty Wazzer has shot himself in the foot with this thread, alluding to the thought that if you've obtained a degree you have a higher, nay, right to state that your taste in, lets say for instance, comedy is the right one and everybody else is a thicko because they just don't 'get it'. Some of the worst people I've met with a total lack of social skills were Grads, and some of the best people I've met were grads...

I find that Gervais is a one trick-pony and a very irritating one at that, he strikes me as someone who thinks that he is a lot funnier than he really is and as someone I know who's had the misfortune to 'work' with Gervais ( My friends description of Gervais ryhmes with James Blunt) and is usually fulsome in his praise of other actors/actresses was withering in his criticism of Gervais. He also said that in playing Brent he was just playing himself.

I did a bit of a litmus test among relatives and friends on whether or not they find Mr Gervais funny or not and some of the results surprised me, Mrs Stripey can't stand him, but her sister has all his DvDs, as the Yanks would say, "Go figure"; and a friend of mine who's an Indian immigrant who's been here for ten years ( funnily enough a 'grad' of English literature) responded with the reply " I just don't get the office" and he much prefered Peter Kays "Phoenix Nights".

I find comedy subjective just like rock and roll and it was the original prince of darkness himself, Mr keef Richard's, who commented that "Rock and roll should never be analysed too much", the same goes for comedy and here endeth the lesson.

[Pervert]

Lest people misinterpret the graduate side of things, Wazza was perhaps alluding to the fashion among students (mercilessly demonstrated in a number of Viz's Student Grant strips) to embrace the "in" comedy and quote from it endlessly. Then to drop it like a hot potato in order to follow the next big thing.

In a world filled with catchphrases, it says something that the closest Gervais got to one in The Office was a ridiculous dance. Extras had only his dire, retro sitcom "Are you havin' a laugh, is he havin' a laugh?"

Some great comedy shows have been nothing but catchphrases (The Fast Show, Little Britain, Chewin' The Fat). It's been left to some darker or weirder shows (yes, The Office and Extras, but also The League Of Gentlemen, Phoenix Nights, Green Wing, Peep Show and The Mighty Boosh) to move things along.

[colonel]

I'm a graduate and I find Gervais unfunny, patronising and arrogant.

A bit like WZR then.

[stripeysydney]

So basically the count on Gervais being untalented and a first class wanker is about twenty for and against two or three against, is that telling you something Wazzer?

[Sam Slater]

Doesn't he still hold the world record for downloaded podcasts, as well as the record for the fastest selling tour in British history (for a comedian)?

[Trumpton]

I'm a graduate and I don't find Gervais or Merchant funny/humourous in the slightest. I think G got lucky. 'The Office' was loved by a small clique of Guardian reading media luvvies who whooped it up. The BBC noticed this and re-ran the first series almost immediately after it had ended. Then they proceeded to shove everything else G has done down our throats until we've been literally beaten into submission. "You vill vatch Herr Gevais!! You svineunt!! Ve vill show our glorious leader very funzin show over unt over again!!!".

[Ace]

Mitchell and Webb are far funnier than the two blokes we are assessing