Warming Up

Richard Herring’s Objective is getting another repeat on Radio 4 Extra (you can listen to episode 1 here) and the Hitler Moustache episode has just gone up. 

Amazingly it’s 10 years since the stand up show of that name was beginning germination. And a lot has changed in that decade. I confidently predicted that the UK would never fall for fascism but warned of the importance of voting to prevent right wing parties gaining a hold. Back then the fear came from Nick Griffin and the BNP, who were probably never a serious threat, but UKIP and Nigel were to be a bit more persuasive as it turned out. But the point held good. The complacency of the unengaged electorate or the failings of our politicians led to UKIP gaining seats in the European elections and ultimately to Brexit and now the hope with a warning of Hitler Moustache seems like a long time ago.

I haven’t listened back, but I feel that this show might already seem dated, even though it’s less than a decade old. Or maybe it’s a prescient masterpiece. Who knows?

I am not sure I could debate the use of racist language in the same way as I did in the stage show now either and not convinced that my arguments entirely hold up - I might be wrong. I think that me attempting the same stunt now would be a very different kettle of fish. A man with a Hitler Moustache walking the streets of the UK would maybe get more aggro and possibly praise than I got back in that unpleasant (for me) year or so. I suspect I wouldn’t escape without a few punches this time and might have more congratulations (like the chilling one from a white van man (in both senses) who I passed on Shepherd’s Bush Green at midnight (“Well done mate, you’re a man after my own heart.”)

Comedy is meant to be of its time and I am not surprised that there are jokes I did in the 1990s that I wouldn’t want to do now in the nearly 2020s, just as jokes from the 1960s would have often felt redundant to me in the 1990s. It’s a bit more surprising that the ground has shifted enough in a decade to change the appreciation of some work. But back in the noughties I think we were hopeful that things had moved on far enough towards equality that we could joke about or discuss subjects that seem a lot more thorny now. A big part of this is that we were wrong about things having moved on, another part of it is people becoming ever more sensitive to jokes and not appreciating context in the same way.

But where having a Hitler Moustache in 2009 felt mildly provocative, but mostly ridiculous and self-defeating, now its meaning would be much more confused and even more frightening. Both for me and the people looking at it. 

I am still proud of that show and the Objective series includes some of the best stuff that I ever did on the radio, but it’s just interesting how quickly things move on. And how hopeful my idea of celebrating democracy and using our votes for good turned out to be. 

God knows how it will seem in 10 years time.

Or how many people will have the moustache on a non-ironic level.]

Finally confirmed the guest for the long sold out Birmingham gig next Saturday. I’ll be chatting to Adrian Chiles. Keep an eye on Twitter where I will be RTing any returns or spare tickets. And a few of my comps might get let go on the day so keep an eye on the website too.

And lots of the new gigs are selling fast, so book ahead