Willi's Guide to Glitz and Glamour 2.1

In this post-modern world, everything is essentially regurgitated, interchangeable and unoriginal. That doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing. Though for example, when examining the Hollywood comedy club, you do notice there are a group of stars who often appear in each others films. You know the ones. Here's a list of just a few to refresh the memory: Will Ferrell, Ben Stiller, Paul Rudd, Vince Vaughn, Owen Wilson, Luke Wilson, Steve Carell, Seth Rogen, the fat curly haired guy who appears in a lot of Seth Rogen films etc. The films they're in, though sometimes similar, do to an extent, have an originally funny voice and feel to them. That's certainly how I felt when watching "Anchorman" and "The 40 Year Old Virgin" around 5-6 years ago. Perhaps after one too many generic Ferrell, Rogen or Stiller flicks, the formula has gone stale. But the fact remains, the rotating faces of these films continue to attract and entertain big audiences.

In Britain, television's comedy elite offer up their smorgasbord of hilarity by appearing on a variety of panel-based game shows. The likes of David Mitchell, Bill Bailey, Russell Howard, Sean Lock, Jimmy Carr and...David Walliams who annoyingly simpers to the camera and plays at being camp to get a cheap laugh at every opportunity. With this type of show, there seems to be a danger that the comedians' own cult of personality threatens to cloud public opinion of their ability to tickle the nations funny bone. As viewers, we might enjoy their witticisms and observations on everyday life however there's a fine line between being considered amusing and grating on the audience.


The meandering point is, even though we may enjoy the comedy offerings we're currently served, from both Britian and the U.S, have they alll become a bit too samey? Where is the next great comic sitcom coming from? To me, modern examples such as 'Gavin and Stacey' don't cut it and whilst we can all buy the Christmas DVDs of a gaggle of comedians and see them work their magic on stage, what other platforms will we see them perform on besides pontificating on reality TV star and model Jordan spilling out of a nightclub or mocking the latest MP to get caught with his pants down? Admittedly stand-up comedian Jack Dee's creation, 'Lead Balloon', has displayed some creativity. The self-reflexive sitcom focuses on Dee's character and the travails of his life as a comedy writer and performer. Likewise with Hollywood comedy, what's next? America has sketch show 'Saturday Night Live' to spawn budding comic geniuses but what happens once that initial flush of the new fades away? Is Seth Rogen doomed to always be the effortlessly cool, pot-smoking, responsibility avoiding anti-hero? We've seen that in "40 Year Old Virgin"," Knocked Up", "Zack and Miri Make a Porno" and "Pineapple Express". Let's look to something authentic and original in this new comedy decade and hope for a re-birth of ideas to reinvigorate the laugh factory.