Cook'd and Bomb'd

Screenshot of Alan Myatt's wiki profile, showing him ringing a bell while in his town crier getup. He's in this episode of The Naked Week linked in the main post. The text included in the screenshot reads as follows: "Alan Myatt [photo of Alan Wyatt as a town crier] Alan Myatt in Camden Town in 2025 Born 1957 (age 68–69) Occupations Town crier, toastmaster, master of ceremonies, themed character actor"

This gentleman has absolutely impeccable comedy timing and delivery! 18 minutes in on the latest episode of The Naked Week, highly recommended.

"War, Law, and Operation Amol Rajan"
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/forums/index...

Discussion thread for latest Oxide Ghosts tour, with links to the YouTube videos. See also these official accounts:

INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/oxide_ghosts/

YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/@oxideghosts

www.youtube.com/watch?v=CugW...

#BrassEye #ChrisMorris

Screenshot showing Chris Morris clutching the pink cake from the Brass Eye title sequences, featured in a short clip by Michael Cumming, the director.

Back in November 2017, I stumped Michael Cumming - the Brass Eye and Oxide Ghosts director - by asking him about the pink cake in the Brass Eye title sequence.

He's finally solved the mystery:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hdks...

#BrassEye #ChrisMorris #OxideGhosts

I always figured he'd be well into Coyle and Sharpe, but that doesn't seem to be the case going from an off-hand comment during the Four Lions press. You could argue, well, maybe Nichols and May were an influence on Blue Jam, but that seemed organic and more of a reaction to Brass Eye hassles.

Yes he quickly jettisoned them and developed his voice at an astonishing rate. Could still hear a bit of VLS in him at times in the early 90's though. The Bonzo's "Shirt" was a specific named influence. You can also spot him referencing Cook's turn of phrase at times (e.g. smashing faces right off)

BBC Radio 4 Extra - Diary of a Madman by Nikolai Gogol An insight into the mind of a man sliding into madness. Read by Kenneth Williams.

Good morning. Radio 4 Extra are celebrating the centenary of Kenneth William's birth.

At 10.42am you can hear his version of Nikolai Gogol's, incredible "Diary of a Madman", a story which directly influenced Chris Morris & Robert Katz's Rothko monologue/My Wrongs film

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

BBC Sounds - Icklewick FM - Available Episodes Listen to the latest episodes of Icklewick FM on BBC Sounds.

Late to the party here, but Icklewick FM by Amy Gledhill & Chris Canrtrill is absolutely incredible. Has the spirit of Down the Line and the studied silliness and layered sound design of On The Hour.

The first three minutes had me hooked, it's really, really funny.

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand...

Links to the latest Stewart Lee media appearances.

www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/forums/index...

He was on the Gilles Peterson show, 40 minutes in, listen before it drops off iplayer, GP is always great: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Enjoy!

"Nobody wants him," Trump says of Macron after he turned down Gaza board invitation From CNN's Rashard Rose [Picture shows French president Emmanuel Macron reviews troops upon his arrival at the Istres military air force base where he is scheduled to deliver his New Year's address to the armed forces in Istres, France, on January 15.] French president Emmanuel Macron reviews troops upon his arrival at the Istres military air force base where he is scheduled to deliver his New Year's address to the armed forces in Istres, France, on January 15. Philippe Magoni/AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump has dismissed French President Emmanuel Macron’s decision not to join the “Board of Peace” aimed at reconstructing Gaza, saying “nobody wants him.” “Well nobody wants him because he’s going to be out of office very soon, so you know, that’s alright,” Trump told reporters on Monday. “I’ll put a 200% tariff on his wines and champagnes, and he’ll join. But he doesn’t have to join,” Trump told reporters on Monday.

There's a "Yes, Minister" quote for everything.

"Sir Humphrey Appleby: Think of it as a child's tantrum over a rice pudding.

Won't touch it today and yet wants two helpings tomorrow."

Beautifully vitriolic piece, thank you.

This is what "cancellation" actually looks like, but I bet you won't hear Toby Young/Free Speech Union, Spiked, Triggernometry, Andrew Doyle, Piers Morgan or any of those other chancer pricks covering this story.

Props to Robin Ince for leaving the increasingly institutionally transphobic BBC. <3

We're following the last day of the Graham Linehan trial:

"Bumhole of the Bailey: Kamikaze transphobe Graham Linehan, divorced from reality"

www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/forums/index...

#Glinner

YES! I was just writing about him again, Will Franken was waaay ahead of the curve on all this.

Also, he was utterly beloved by that whole scene, but had the dignity and nerve to call them all out - to their faces - knowing that he'd get blacklisted from appearing ever again. Need more like him.

.This thread gathers together some information & conjecture. Circa 2020, conservative comedian Will Franken burned his bridges with Comedy Unleashed, finding they were censorious hypocrites who platformed eugenicists with no comedy skills, i.e. Toby Young.

www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/forums/index...

"Tim Dillon Alleges Palantir and Peter Thiel Courting Influencers, Including JD Vance Podcast, to Promote Surveillance Initiatives Comedian Tim Dillon has alleged that Palantir Technologies, backed by Peter Thiel, is actively attempting to influence public opinion by courting influencers to promote its surveillance initiatives. Dillon revealed that he has been invited multiple times to Thiel's residence to discuss topics such as media and culture but declined to attend. He predicts a forthcoming surge in public figures advocating for Palantir's role in counter-terrorism and surveillance. This effort coincides with JD Vance appearing on comedian Theo Von's podcast, where he seemingly supports Palantir-related narratives. The coordinated timing suggests a strategic campaign to generate favorable discourse around Palantir's surveillance activities." Note from me: This is seemingly (unfortunately) a GPT interpretation of a short video. Please use the following link so you can watch the video for yourself, although I vouch for the accuracy of the transcript in this instance https://deepnewz.com/policy/tim-dillon-alleges-palantir-peter-thiel-courting-influencers-including-jd-vance-76dc43d1

I've been trying to find concrete proof that Peter Thiel funded the "Comedy Unleashed" movement for a while now, if anyone can help.
It's been known for years that Thiel inspired and funded the "Free Speech" Union in order to normalise race science and transphobia, but culture needs more attention.

Thanks for getting back to me, I appreciate the info! It's hard to know what to believe now, especially as so many notable shows were taped so the reels could be reused. Good luck with your research :-)

Quoting Laura Lexx from Chortle: "Best gig as a punter One year at the Edinburgh Fringe the group of comedians called Invisible Dot organised buses out to a coastal venue where there was a gig with Stewart Lee and Josie Long and a load of other people and I laughed so hard at Stewart Lee. I think someone heckled him about hurrying up and he lay on the stage just listing flavours of crisps and it was so funny. Everything about travelling to that, the feeling of something special happening, and then an incredibly good line-up afterwards was magical."

Quoting from The List (abridged for space) "Stellar line-up like to be beside the seaside The Invisible Dot’s secret venue for tonight’s gig is revealed to be the Portobello Town Hall, which, when you think about it, makes a lot of sense – it’s the only venue in the seaside suburb big enough to hold the few hundred people boarding buses on George Street. The large auditorium, with its folding chairs in the middle and balconies up above, has a kind of old-time music hall ambience, which is enhanced by the haze from an unseen smoke machine and the brass quartet kicking off the show. As they play a few bars, the audience is happily surprised to learn the identity of the secret special guest compere who walks on stage: it’s Daniel Kitson. The bearded funnyman, enjoying a night off from his five star show at the Traverse, is on top form, bantering with hecklers and poking fun at the tradition of audience interaction with a brusque, ‘Right. You. Name.’ The stellar line-up don’t disappoint either: Kevin Eldon and Tim Key take different approaches to comedic poetry, and Josie Long contrasts her bubbly, let’s-all-have-a-hug shtick with some cutting political commentary. The highlight of the night is headliner Stewart Lee, whose decision to respond to a heckler with a solid minute of silence results in something akin to magic: laughter ebbs and flows around the hall like the tide as each member of the audience marvels at Lee’s boldness and unflappable composure. The rest of his set, while extremely good, pales in comparison, and he has the common sense to wrap it up soon after and leave us on a high. Everyone files onto buses for the return journey into town, the music hall vibe of community and shared laughter alive and well.

Stewart Lee lying on stage, viewed from above. He's holding his mic up with his right hand, and has his legs crossed casually, while relaxing with his left hand tucked behind his head. Please see https://www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/forums/index.php?msg=5695991 for more info about the show concerned for dates etc.

Posted to Flickr by someone with the caption "Stewart Lee went a bit mental." This comes from the same show as the other shot, and sees Stew sat on the edge of the stage with his feet dangling in the air, while he speaks into the mic. To his left, we can see that the mic stand has been toppled over.

Stewart Lee's crisps bit and crowd work circa 2010, reviewed by Laura Lexx and The List. With thanks to buzby for the finds.

#LauraLexx #StewartLee #Crisps #Plain

Sorry, I do use hashtags as I figure that's helpful for people who want to mute shitters like yer man.

@thejudyroom.com Hi I'm hoping you can help me with a query. Are messages like this one just engagement-farming, or was the Judy Garland Show almost wiped?

I can't find anything to verify this claim so far, just loads of dodgy accounts all seemingly farming engagement. Ta.

bsky.app/profile/paul...

Gervais also shared a video on his Instagram page, where he vented about the situation and said he was “fucking sick and tired of the powers that be banning my fucking billboard and adverts for Dutch Barn”. “Sometimes there’s just nothing wrong with them,” he said. “One that was meant for the tube station just had me having a drink, and it just said, ‘one day you’ll be underground for good’. That was it. They went, ‘no, can’t have that’. Because it might make people think because life’s short, we should drink to excess. Who’s fucking thinking that? “Oh my god, cowardly fucking c***s. Do you think it’s my attitude? But you can’t win, because you’re not allowed to say alcohol’s good for you or it does think or it makes you feel confident or it makes you feel attractive. Which is fine. I went the other way.” He went on to claim: “There was one advert, I was reading from my laptop from government websites just saying about all the dangers from alcohol. They went, ‘no we don’t like that’. Do you know why? Because they don’t like the truth either, because that puts off other advertisers. “Fuck me, honestly. So this is what we’re going to do. Fuck ’em. I’m going to sell directly to you… save donkeys, fuck censors, Dutch Barn.”

As everyone predicted, Gervais was lying and trying to jump on the "wah I've been 'cancelled'" bandwagon. Absolutely desperate stuff.

www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/forums/index...

#RickyGervais

The utterly incomparable Nichols and May.

David Hockney’s Nichols Canyon is an exploration of the richness and beauty of colour. At first glance, it may seem as though the viewer has been transported to the tropics. Lush shades stand out in a way that usually may only be found in a warm environment which is sustained daily by the sun and rain. Hockney has created a Fauvist composition. The technique used to create this painting ensures that his choice of shade can't be misinterpreted. Each hue remains fairly undiluted, reflecting the vivid scene that the painter sees both before him and in his mind’s eye. Nichols Canyon is a real region. It exists in Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles County, CA. It starts at Hollywood Blvd. on its south end and snakes its path north into the slopes underneath Mulholland Drive. The environment created by Hockney on canvas is warm and welcoming. Nichols Canyon has a characteristic, year-round, spring-bolstered brook and waterfall more than 60′ high and a few normal and man-made little waterfalls. Over time, the Los Angeles' way of life and scene have become distinctly essential elements of Hockney’s work. There have been other imperative changes in his work, too. He began utilising acrylics as opposed to oil paint and he made expanding utilisation of photography for documenting and planning his landscapes. Hockney is maybe the most vital English living craftsman today. The force of each splendid stroke of the brush requests consideration, bringing the eye to wander everywhere throughout the canvas. As Hockney did with Nichols Canyon, Fauvist painters are known for using pigments straight from the tube. Henri Matisse and André Derain used unnaturalistic shading and striking brushstrokes in their compositions. When their work in the Fauvist style emerged in the late spring of 1905, witty pundit Louis Vauxcelles called the artists fauves or wild beasts because of the uncontrolled nature of their brushstrokes.

David Hockney :
Nichols Canyon, 1980

Acrylic on canvas | 84 x 60"

More info in the alt text 👇

That I would enjoy, I think! The best recent representation of internet culture for me was probably dotted throughout Bo Burnham's masterpiece, "Inside."

Yeah, quite honestly, I just didn't like some of the performers and they were a huge issue for me which I couldn't get over. I will have to try it again, really want to dig out the Banksy parody booklet. And I have something VERY cool to try and sort out for the 20th anniversary!

Thanks for the plug, appreciate it :-) I'm still catching up, Julia Faure Walker did an incredible job and it was very cathartic to finally see someone in a position of influence say, "nah, look, he's not rational is he? He's just a big old self-absorbed hater who likes being a dick to people."

Btw, if you want to follow Glinner vs Sophie today, the best way where everything is all in one place is Cookd & Bombd. Starts around page 34...

www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/forums/index...

Glad you enjoyed it :-) Sadly I could never get into it beyond the pilot. Was a good effort though and it definitely has its fans.

I dug out a few old Nathan Barley things recently actually, if I have time I'll hunt more out for this anniversary.

www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/forums/index...

You can see the original character breakdown which was used for casting here: www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/forums/index...

#NathanBarley

"NATHAN BARLEY MARATHON (20TH ANNIVERSAY) 20 years since Channel 4 aired Nathan Barley, Charlie Brooker's "self-facilitating media node" has gone from absurdist parody to frightening reality. Brimming with up-and-coming talent like Julian Barratt (The Mighty Boosh), and fellow Booshers Noel Fielding and Richard Ayoade, as well as some blink-and-you'll-miss-'em cameos from Stephen Mangan (Episodes), Mat Horne (Gavin & Stacey) and Sherlock's Benedict Cumberbatch, we think it's time Nathan Barley was given the praise it deserved! A flop when it originally aired, but a cult hit on DVD, Nathan Barley is love-it-or-hate it telly from the minds of Chris Morris and Charlie Brooker, set in Hosegate, a metropolitan borough filled with twits, buffoons, imbeciles, gufftraps and fools. All our screenings are 18+. The film will begin at the advertised time above."

With thanks to DBC: Cultplex in Manchester will be having a "Nathan Barley marathon" to celebrate the 20 year anniversary of Chris Morris and Charlie Brooker's sitcom.

Tickets and info here, Saturday 15th November:
cultplex.co.uk/Cultplex.dll...

Have fun.

#ChrisMorris #CharlieBrooker

Dudley Moore - Goodbye, George (1967) YouTube video by Easy Sounds

It's a joy to listen to the bedazzled soundtrack again, I'd entirely forgotten Bob Efford's extraordinary tenor saxophone on Goodbye George.

I just love Dudley; incredibly talented jazz musician & one of the single greatest and most likeable comedy performers ever.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eIJ...