Even on a weekend journalists are contacting me asking me to discuss offensiveness in comedy and whether things have gone too far either from the comedian's or the complainer's point of view. Plenty of other comics are clearly being asked the same thing or thinking about it at least David Mitchell wrote this article for the Observer and yesterday Shazia Mirza's excellent article about this subject was in the Guardian. I had been thinking along the same lines as her, that offence itself is getting devalued and that it seems inappropriate how many people appear to be getting off on being offended. The thing about being offended is that you're not supposed to enjoy it. I suggested to David Mitchell on Twitter is that all comedians and broadcasters should act as terrorists and all agree to become more offensive and push things too far, all the time, until people stop complaining about everything and then we can return to our normal levels of offence. I realised this was quite a good idea for AIOTM 5, which I was struggling (as usual) to write. And I realised at the same time I could probably say everything I wanted to say on the subject and then just direct any curious journalists to the podcast and not have to deal with them. It was at least an idea.

I also started work on a bit about a yoghurt based incident that had happened to me at the supermarket on Thursday. Most comedians only have one over long routine about buying yoghurts at a supermarket, but I was working on my second. Take that other comedians. Pull your fingers out. Not enough people realise the humorous implications of yoghurt based fury.

I didn't have that much written by the end of the day, and no idea for a narrative for the show. The strain and stress of doing this every week can get slightly overwhelming. Annoyingly once it's all done and dusted the relief is so great that I forget how difficult it's all been, but then it starts again. I may have said this before but it's very like writing an Edinburgh show every single week, but only performing it once and recording that first performance. Given it takes about 40 previews to get my Edinburgh shows up to the required standard, it is sort of ridiculous to record the first one. And yet, it feels like it's kind of working. Apart from for the 16 people who have given it one star reviews on iTunes. And at times like this when I am toiling and struggling it's really great to read how this show is a slap in the face for all genuine comedy fans and that I don't put any work into it.

It makes me laugh really and I know most of you are enjoying, certainly enough of you to make it worth the effort, but I do love how ungracious people can be about something they are getting for nothing, and don't have to listen to if they don't want to. But that brings us right back to all the twats getting offended by things that they don't have to watch or that they haven't actually seen. And anyway the twats just give me more material for the show, so I am grateful both for their contribution and for the fact that I am not them.

[ Email this edition of Warming Up to a friend ]