Robin Ince versus the Moral Majority

Robin Ince versus the Moral Majority

13 August, 2009
by: Emma

'That Guardian comedy piece' has become a real talking point of late and no wonder after a G2 article on the 'New Offenders of Stand-Up Comedy' caused outrage by depicting Richard Herring as a racist. Poor old Robin Ince also came bottom of their 'comedy barometer' for being an outraged leftie mocking outraged right-wing tabloids. Tsk tsk, the shame of being bottom of the comedy barometer.

However, it appears Ince has a counter-attack for The Guardian in his new show: ridicule everybody. From Natasha Kaplinsky's tedious thoughts on baby formula and honey (Observer) to Guantanamo torture victim Binyam Mohamed TREATED LIKE ROYALTY enjoying custard doughnuts on the plane home (Express), Ince gives such an amusing analysis of disturbing press content that you begin to wonder why you buy newspapers in the first place. During a particularly funny Daily Mail piece contemplating what Samuel Beckett would have made of different face creams, he triumphantly unfolds the article (including the famous picture of a crinkly Beckett) to reveal the headline 'Waiting For Botox.' "I love the Daily Mail for that", says Ince "but just because it has six letters doesn't make it a pun."

Typically, there are lots rants, rambles and musings with no one clear message as such. He himself tells us when recently confronted by a heckler shouting: "What are you actually angry about?", he's not quite sure. He discusses the malaise of the iPhone generation, our consumerist lust for new things, bad journalists like Melanie Phillips who ignore facts like Holocaust deniers and of course there's a little bit on religion. Ince is a proud atheist but doesn't care what anyone else believes as long as they are decent human beings. When someone recently asked him how he could not believe in God yet still be a moral person, he reflects: "Well the reason I don't go around hitting children with claw hammers is just a gut instinct really." There may not be a defined structure here but that is what makes his shows so enjoyable; it really is like watching someone's mind unravel on stage. One minute he can be talking about his hero Carl Sagan and the next he's distracted by a Cafe Nero loyalty card that's fallen out of his pocket ("I can't believe I've still only got one Cafe Nero stamp!").

This is every bit as good as last year's show Bleeding Heart Liberal, if not more. Again he ran out of time; again I was left wanting to smash the clock on the wall and shout: "You may want to go home to your wife and child but we love sitting here in this infernally hot room. Please continue!"

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Emma