THIS BLOG WAS WRITTEN AND WAS INTENDED TO BE POSTED ON FRIDAY 23rd OCTOBER. IT IS BEING POSTED ON SUNDAY 25th OCTOBER BECAUSE I WAS UNABLE TO POST IT.
THE MORAL TO THIS IS: DON’T START A BLOG WITH WORDPRESS.
NOW READ ON, AS IF IT WERE LAST FRIDAY…
Copstick & me: It was not just the hair that was out of control
This evening, comedy critic Kate Copstick and I recorded our 36th weekly Grouchy Club Podcast.
Copstick had bumped into someone this week who told her that, last weekend, he had got unbelievably drunk, booked into a hotel from Friday to Monday and, still drunk, simply listened to the previous 35 Grouchy Club Podcasts one after the other.
This sounds made-up, but is true.
I can only worry for his mental well-being.
Copstick and I usually do not discuss in advance what we are going to talk about but we usually stumble into some subject.
That was going to change this evening.
I thought it would be interesting to talk about How to interview someone.
So we actually had a topic.
But, as it turned out, we never discussed it.
The podcast recording ended 24 minutes later.
This is a short extract. If anyone understands what was going on, do let us know… I think printing a conversation, word-for-word without editing, can have its own type of surreal splendour…
COPSTICK
Talking of Richard Gadd…
JOHN
… and who isn’t?
COPSTICK
Well we are. Spencer Jones, who was also up in Edinburgh, with a show that…
JOHN
… tragically I should have nominated and didn’t…
COPSTICK
It should have been nominated for all manner of loveliness… I’m just wondering… It crossed my mind… he’s doing terribly well on the old television advert front. He did a credit card advert where he was getting married, which was all lovely and very sweet. And now he’s doing something for dentists, where he’s grinning and clowning into camera with a set of ghastly fake teeth, encouraging people to go and get their teeth fixed for their selfie – Do it for your selfie!
JOHN
I dislike him now. It’s the part I was born to play. (RATTLES TEETH)
COPSTICK
That looked every bit as gross as it sounded, people of the ether. I just wonder, if you are trying to be taken seriously as a Gaulier-inspired, trend-setting…
JOHN
Train set?’
COPSTICK
…free-thinking, creative, clowning comic of the one-hour show format… I wonder if it makes it more difficult to be taken seriously when people are going: Oh, you’re the bloke from the advert, with the bad teeth, aren’t you?
JOHN
I don’t think so, because Dr Ryegold…
COPSTICK
George Ryegold
JOHN
… he’s in lots of adverts. He’s in about three adverts.
COPSTICK
Ah, yes, but his character in those adverts…
JOHN
… is the character, yes.
COPSTICK
… is really quite George Ryegold.
JOHN
Yes.
COPSTICK
The SpecSavers one with the dead cat.
JOHN
Yes, he’s George as opposed to Toby.
COPSTICK
He’d kind of George-ish. He’s not quite as rancid and humanity-loathing and drunk and perverted as George, because it’s difficult to do that in an advert…
JOHN
I’d buy the product!
COPSTICK
… for SpecSavers.
JOHN
I’d buy it.
COPSTICK
SpecSavers?
JOHN
I dunno. there’s something about a dead cat. Yeah, dead cats…
COPSTICK
Yeah. The dead cat. Should’ve gone to SpecSavers.
JOHN
Indeed. How we laughed.
COPSTICK
It’s quite ‘him’ – I mean it’s quite George. this… I dunno… If you’re meant to be… I don’t know… It was just that, last year, Spencer did say it did quite get to him a bit that he was constantly being stopped and asked if he was the one that was getting married.
JOHN
That’s OK. It’s recognition.
COPSTICK
Yes, but…
JOHN
I was trying to think of other people who…
COPSTICK
… is there the wrong kind of recognition? Look, this is a topic, John. we have hit on a topic!
JOHN
Can I point out…
COPSTICK
Is there the wrong kind of recognition?
JOHN
Can I point out that, although she’s a bit further along in the process, Nicole Kidman is now appearing with meerkats.
COPSTICK
I know!
JOHN
Very impressive.
COPSTICK
How badly must her career be going? Or How much money must they have?
JOHN
Well, I did think how much money because, well, Hollywood stars do do lots of ads in Japan, don’t they, and…
COPSTICK
Well, Arnold Schwarzenegger did it before her…
JOHN
… with the meerkats, yes.
COPSTICK
… with the meerkats AND now Sylvester Stallone is advertising Warburton’s bread.
JOHN
You’re joking!
COPSTICK
No! Sylvester Stallone is advertising Warburton’s bread.
The full 24-minute podcast can be heard HERE.
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