Entertainment For Lively Minds
People who are so impossibly ludicrous it's actually difficult to mock them successfully.
Posted by Bob on 20 November 2011 - 6:50pm.
I'll start.
Tim Westwood
Gyles Brandreth
Go.
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Brian Sewell
This sounds fun
Liz Jones
Maggoty Lamb
George Lamb
Neil McCormick
Jedward
Neil McCormick.
Good call. What a tool.
LIz Jones
Ludicrous yes. Deranged yes. But still able to openly mock her.
Good call on Brandreth and Westwood.
David
Hasselhoff
Bruce Forsyth
Andy Murray
William Hague
Margaret Thatcher
Carol Thatcher
Whitney Houston
Melvyn Bragg
Murry Hurry
Why the nod for Murray? He strikes me as someone who seems uncomfortable with some of the (mainly media) aspects of his sport but I suspect many of us would be the same. I don't see that as a ludicrous.
On the opposite scale someone like Beckham wanting to be in the Olympic team with a load of 23 year olds does seem ludicrous to me.
Now Carol Thatcher... couldn't agree more. I don't understand any of these people living of second generation fame but her arrogance about it is stupendous. Can we throw in Mark?
Andy Murray
I guess people like their sports stars to be charismatic, and he isn't. He just seems like a normal bloke. But is he ludicrous, or has this just turned into yet another 'people you hate' thread?
Carol Thatcher
I saw her tv programme where she came face to face with the Argentinan mothers who had lost sons in the Belgrano sinking. Her lack of humility was sickening and to be quite frank made me ashamed to be British. No doubt the likes of The Daily Mail would describe it as partiotic. Yes you can throw in Mark too - criminal chancer hiding behind his mummys skirt. Ludicrous aptly describes him.
Ref Andy Murray - in hindsight perhaps he is not ludicrous - I just dont think he should be put in front of a camera. Not good television.
True
But I think he'd prefer not to be in front of a camera either. He seems very uncomfortable with the attention, as does Lewis Hamilton.
Sir
James Of Saville (Deceased)
Anne Widdecombe
David Icke
Boris Johnson
Jeffrey Archer
Boris still has bucketloads of serious mockery
headed in his direction.
yes but if...
...you behave like a caricature, and your whole persona is based on buffoonery - and yet still you get into positions of power - then you're almost immune to mockery and you've created an automatic get-out-of-jail-free card to play. 'Oh, it's just Boris being Boris' etc.
It's funny how cunning/clever people can sometimes get away with cultivating buffoonery - which puts enemies off their guard. I can't think of many examples, but Col Gaddaffi comes to mind. Then again, maybe he was genuinely mad.
Yeh, I stand corrected with Boris.
There are, in fact, people mentioned on this thread who I've never found
amusing on any level.
Cameron and Piers Morgan to name just two.
I just shake my head and despair.
Jeffrey Archole
Is not beyond mockery - he is completely egregious - a delusional convicted criminal. As with Piers Moron he's so unpleasant its hard to find any humour in there that engendering mockery, instead he needs locking up again for being such a pernicious berk
Yes, you're right...
...they're both horrible, vile, loathsome people, but again probably immune to mockery because they're so pumped full of self-importance. Then again, it does no harm to keep trying...
"Then again, it does no harm to keep trying..."
You know - that's genuinely cheered me up as a concept. Ta!
When worlds collide
I wonder
Where the money raised went? I saw this story resurrected in PE a while back and couldn't help that unworthy thought
He's the personification
of Tory Boy, isn't he?
I bet that jacket has elbow patches, too.
To Archolles left
Only visible as a hand on his sleeve - is a policeman
Not that unworthy, mate.
There were a number of questions raised then as there were later when he 'fundraised' for the Kurds.
Having met them both;
Piers Moron is, by some distance, an even more unpleasant, bumptious, arrogant, smug, loudmouthed, conceited prick than 'call me Jeffrey'.
They have no shame; both have hides like armour-plated rhinos.
David...
...Bowie.
Katie
Price
Michelle Bachmann
Graham Norton
Ozzy Osbourne
Cherie Blair
An up for Graham Norton
The word twat was invented for him.
For Norton they may have invented the word "Twat"
Alas it's a thing that interests him not
Don't you think "Bitch!"
suits him better?
Graham Norton (thirded)
plus
Piers Morgan
David Hasselhoff
Ed Milliband
Chris Evans (depends what mood I'm in)
Chris Moyles
Fearne Cotton
I'll give you all of those
but I must state the case for the defence of Fearne Cotton. I watched Children In need with the wife on Friday and the early stages with Terry Wogan and Tess Daly were almost unwatchable such was Wogans air of deliberate incompetence mixed with Dalys utter lack of talent or professionalism it was beyond embarrassing. Enter Ms Cotton to replace Daly and she shone like a beacon of common sense, timing and utter professionalism guiding the ever fading Wogan, stepping in when needed and adding a flow and feel to the event that was on the verge of collapse beforehand. She is no fool, a consummate professional and does not deserve our scorn. However you can have Daly on a plate, idiot.
I concur with your defence
in the light of the Children In Need situation.
If you look at Tess Daly, you just know that there's nothing going on behind those vacant eyes.
After that bit of presenting, even Davina McCall would seem like an improvement.
In retrospect, I too watched Children In Need and I feel maybe I'm being a bit harsh on Ms Cotton.
From previous exposure to her presenting, she has often come across like a giggling, over-excited schoolgirl who's had too much Red Bull.
(Name retracted from original list and replaced with both Tess Daly and Edith Bowman)
Tess Daly / Fearne Cotton...
... I thought it was the same person...
Chris Evans rehabilitated?
Used to think he was a complete prat but now I like him. I think it was his genuine sadness when the BBC controller lost her job over the Russell Brand thing.
Edwina Currie is another one that years ago I may have put on this list but I now like. It's funny how we change our opinions of people.
Ambivalent towards Chris Evans
Sometimes I like him, what hes doing and how it goes about doing it (his autobiography was a pretty good read).
Other times (mainly on the radio) I really can't get on with his "enforced zaniness" and bandwagon jumping
have you read his 2nd autobiography?
After the first one I thought he was ok and quite self depciating, after the 2nd book I was back to tremendous wazzock with no business sense and not a mention of all the people he walked out on his ascent up n down the fame ladder.
Agree
I have only read the second one and I thought it was awful. For some reason I thought it would be better than most, but no.
disagree
I rather enjoyed it. He does have a very high opinion of himself as a presenter, but he is quite clear that in the other parts of his life he is just a chancer who got lucky.
*Sifts through Hot Topics*
...looks in mirror, puts away laptop.
The Gaga
I mean, really?
You couldn't even do the Carrie trick on her, she's had offal on her head already... Honestly, some people, eh?
You couldn't be more wrong
The picture above encapsulates everything pop music should be.
(OOAA... but they're wrong too)
Bowie was great pop music
He achieved great things with a bit of spandex and some hair dye. He didn't need a part of Tate Modern attached to his face. He let the music and/or ambiguous sexual politics do the talking. Not his stylists!
Pshaw.
Don't kid yourself.
theres' so much of her
covered here that that outfit is probably illegal in France.
Lady Gaga
Thought she was brilliantly funny on last nights Alan Carr show. Prepared to put herself up for ridicule and so not like a self obsessed pop star at all. Fair play to her.
Yes.
I won't hear a word against Gaga*. She is emphatically one of the Good Guys. She's fucking marvellous, self-deprecating, funny as hell, a little weird, she makes ace music and - basically - she's got the lot, including a PERFECT sense of the ridiculous and the camp and the OTT.
(*OK, I'll hear ten words against her: her last album wasn't as good as it should've been. But that's really it.)
Lest we forget what a star she is - what a dyed-in-the-wool, born-to-do-it, lighting-up-the-firmament STAR - here she is with Tony Bennett. This never fails to make me grin.
I too expected great things after the Fame Monster
Sadly "Born This Way" just left me cold. All the tracks I've heard from it so far (the singles), have just made me yawn. So much wasted potential. Just really obvious without being unique, a let down doesn't really cover it.
Oh well, at least it sold lots, giving her the opportunity to go and make the schizoid electro-dubstep rock/pop behemoth that "Born This Way" should have been...
She seems like a nice woman
but her songs are rather average.
This video is a bit of a trump card though, it is very good.
Hmm
I see Lady Gaga mocked all the time. There's a very funny (and very mean) gossipy Web site called D-listed that has been referring to her as Lady CaCa for years.
Hmmm...
David Cameron
William Shatner
First time those two have been mentioned in the same breath? Possibly.
Apart when he and Hague
shared a prostitute and Hague fancied a bit of coprophilic business
(sorry)
Oh yes!
well played sir!
I never knew
Bill Shatner was into that sort of thing
Michael
'Everyone's a' Winner
Rick Perry
and, oh, pretty much all that shower of blank-eyed glove puppets. The FPO refers to Graham Norton as that pantomime puff, which seemed apt
Oops
This fella
Ludicrous or idiosyncratic?
May I suggest that the reason these people are so hard to mock is that they have the courage, arrogance or self-belief to go their own way.
I certainly think that's true..
..of Gaga. Bonkers but brilliant. Like Madge with an imagination and a sense of humour.
But...
....not as good.
Doing what Madge did...
years later, but with just as little talent (except a huge talent for self-promotion).
Yep.
"Ludicrousness" might be considered to be curved like the surface of the Earth. Not in all cases, but in many (Tim Westwood, say) one can travel so far "ludicrouswards" that one moves into a category called "number one in a field of one".
Although it might also be observed that, in a parallel with the second law of thermodynamics, the transition upwards from ridiculous to respected is almost impossible while the contrary move is common and often effortless (e.g. Alan Shearer footballer -> Alan Shearer football pundit)
Peter
Hitchens
James Nesbitt
Richard Keys
Paul Weller.
Brian Blessed
The late Richard Whiteley
Dappy
out of N Dubz. See also all of East 17, but especially Brian.
Has anyone mentioned P Diddy yet?
Dappy?
Surely not. Why would anyone view him as a figure worthy of ridicule?
Ha
Brilliant. He looks like a cross between the Sues of Pollard and Perkins in that picture. Lipstick included. Epic.
Add in a bit of Brian Harvey
He of East 17 and "rolling himself under a moving Mercedes at 5 mph" fame. Dappy has the self same height awareness issues in ensuring cap/hat is strategically perched (not worn...big difference) on the upper reaches of his head with at least 4 inches of fresh air in between underside of cap and actual head.
The weapon.
Ah Brian Harvey
Possibly the most ludicrous celeb call for help yet. And every year that dismal E17 Xmas song comes round again which means he'll be a laughing stock for the rest of his life.
So he probably isn't beyond mockery. In fact he's well within range
Stuart Hall
... his football reports are "all about him".
Neil & Christine Hamilton
Are they beyond mocking? Such is the ludicrous nature of their lives, their politics and their very being.....
Queen
How dare you...
... she's lovely.
The queen?
Which Queen?
... of New Orleans?
(very, very sorry)
Post Of The Day
IMHO
OHMS, even...
Of course
Brandreth..
He's clearly a cock...
... but he's very self-deprecating - and he's also very good on "Just A Minute".
Seen Brandreth a couple of times
Hosting the "Midland Dealmaker of the Year" awards at the Birmingham Metropole/Hilton. One of the few presenters of said awards that has had the whole room listening and laughing. Most others (newsreaders/comedians) have usually managed to lose half the room from an early stage.
I would have agreed
But having read his book "Something Sensational to Read in the Train" I'd disagree - he clearly has a sense of humour and has a first class line is self depreciating humour
A few sad cases:
Reg Dwight
Rod Stewart
Cliff Richard
Despite early brilliance, all have become epitomes of mediocrity
The House of Saxe-Coburg
sorry Windsor.
I like Liz though...it's her kids who are ludicrous.
Won't hear
a word said against our Babs.
"ere, you, get aahhhrrrtt of my blog"
Tony
Tony Blackburn.
Disagree
Thought he came across as a genuinely decent bloke on 'I'm a celeb..'. He appears to be self-aware and self-deprecating. Seemed to be a good dad to his small daughter also.
Finally, he also thoroughly knows his soul music.
I used to love his show on Radio London
in the early '80s. Proper soul boy.
How about these?
David Hepworth
Mark Ellen
It's alright, I'll see myself out.
Rod Liddle
Just a preposterous human being. Makes a living by being a professional div. Makes him hard to hate because he tries so hard to be hateful, you want to just hug him because it would annoy him more...
Useless journalist as well.
Oh yes.
He's a very silly boy who probably doesn't even know his own mind anymore. Still, I'm sure he consoles himself counting his ill gotten gains for writing absolute and utter tosh.
Rod Liddle?
Wasn't he Voldermort in the 2nd Harry Potter?
Bonny Greer, lose the big
Bonny Greer, lose the big cigar.
John McCririck
Assiduously eccentric horse racing pundit
Lou Reed...
although I never tire of mocking him and reckon I'm pretty damn good at it.
Michael Gove
strange cove
Usual culprits
Clarkson
May
And the other one.
D Cameron
Top trumps
George Osborne
Is it the name?
Ozzy Osbourne
Sharon Osbourne
Jack Osbourne
The plump girl Osbourne whose name I forget
Peter Oborne
Going back a bit
Paul Daniels
Jim Davidson
Arsene
Wenger
Americans
*taps watch*
What?
All 280 million of them? You spoiling for a fight with MAM?
My money
is on DFB.
He's a big man
but he's in bad shape. With MAM it's a full time job.
Now behave yourself.
GOODBYE ERIC!
Restaurant Critics like
Jay Rayner,
Tracy Macloud,
Giles Coren.
Plus: -
Lloyd ('Irritable Vowel Syndrome') Grossman
Joan Collins
Sarah Palin
Jeremy Kyle
David Starkey
Silvio Berlusconi
Keith Chegwin
Jim Davidson
George Galloway
Russell Grant
Terry Christian
I like this game!
Is that Tracy
McCloud as in The Late Show\A Stab In the Dark \ "bunch of amatewers!" ?
I was wondering the other day what happened to her
Loyd
And here's something else to get irritated about:
There is, in fact, only one L in "Loyd" Grossman.
David Starkey
has become a parody of himself - which is a shame. He may have been annoying as f*ck but he used to put forward challenging reinterpretations of historical figures and events. I can forgive someone being a complete twonk if they can make me reassess what I thought I knew (even if I don't end up agreeing with them).
AC/DC
and Angus Young, but in a good way.
And Slade - for the same reasons. Completely over the top, and the audience love them for it. (Might also apply to Lady Gaga, as above.)
On the other hand:
Sarah Palin. And for that matter, most of the Republican presidential contenders. Their complete lack of shame and ability to turn any criticism into an accusation of bias (and thus a source of fundraising) has passed the point of nonsensical and created its own realm of the absurd.
Liam Gallagher. At least his brother seems to have a level of self awareness and a sense of humour. Didn't Liam seriously claim that Be Here Now is the best Oasis album? Comedy gold.
Louis Walsh
Vernon Kay
That tit with the hat that swears while he's ironically interviewing people for Holy Moly
http://www.holymoly.com/tv/video/x-factor-2011-holy-moly-meets-very-hung...
Nick Grimshaw and the rest of the T4 trendies
Nick
"F@cking" Knowles (as HMHB would have him)
My wife and I were at a pub
My wife and I were at a pub at Guildford to see a chum's band playing. After they'd finished we decided to head off and as we were about to grab the handle of the door it suddenly swung open and a bunch of people bundled in. This took both of us aback as we hadn't expected the door to open. So, anyway, we simultaneously started back with a slightly shocked look on our faces. The lead bundlee was the aforementioned KN. Walking between us and seeing our surprised faces, he looked each of us in the eye and said, I kid you not... "Yes, [...beat...] it is!" Then he smiled smugly and continued bundling into the pub with his little coterie...
David Van Day
Timmy Mallett
The good and the bad
Christopher Biggins & Lionel Blair
(I don't actually dislike either of them, yet their public image is so absurd that they defy mockery, as with Bruce Forsyth)
Melanie Phillips & Douglas Murray
Question Time Pundits so without irony, sense of humour or charisma, that attempts to mock them are wasted efforts.
Melanie Phillips
makes my skin crawl.
Douglas Murray...
God almighty, what a combination of callowness and po-faced dogmatic certainty. Truly beyond mockery.
Our current political
establishment are pretty much beyond mockery. We have been very good in the past in making politicians look foolish (they make a decent fist of it themselves), now it's far too serious and they need to account for themselves & their actions in a way they haven't done thus far. Plus, just to trivialise matters, John Motty Motson and the halfwits who commissioned, produced and bought Pan Am; one of the most ludicrous t.v programmes of recent times.
A European problem
At a time of crisis we have "leaders" from a special needs class outing.
I quite like the fact
we have a world leader named Angela. It sounds kind of warm and fuzzy.
Even if the Germans do insist on pronouncing it "Angular"
Physics love
and she was a physicist which is a rarity in a politician.
"A special needs class outing"?
That's not very kind.
Simon Cowell
is pretty much beyond lampoonery I'd imagine.
One -
Matthew Parris.
two -
Anne Atkins
three -
Melanie Phillips - she is bile on legs.
Four -
Russell Brand - parodies and mocking comment always fall short.
Has anyone mentioned Louie Spence yet?
Shall we include Rob Halford?
...having seen his contribution on the Christmas songs thread, it's hard to think of anything so earnest yet so ridiculous. But then I haven't heard his 17 minute epic about the Loch Ness monster yet.
None More Partridge
Garry Richardson from Radio 5 Live’s Sportsweek – he introduces his show by promising “55 minutes of the best sporting chat” which is straight out of the Partridge lexicon. He also has a belligerent interview technique which usually involves asking 10 different versions of the same question until he gets a satisfactory answer from an evasive guest.
Richard Quest – CNN’s business news correspondent. His voice is exactly the same as Chris Morris’ spoof reporter Ted Maul from Brass Eye & The Day Today. He is so ludicrously OTT, you couldn’t make him up. Even his name sounds like a spoof. His CNN show is called Quest Means Business !
Grace Jones
Saw her do Slave to the Rythmn on some BBC4 clip show where she was wearing what looked like a floor length knitted frock that had its own snood pulled up and covering her head. She could have been singing live but who can tell. Very odd but was very watchable.
Mark E Smith
Leaving aside jokes about the number of band members the Fall have had every anecdote I read about Mr Smith merely underlines the unaccountable force of nature he is.
He has clearly come off the worse in many of his tirades and fights but he is such a one off and seems to operate to some internal logic that makes some kind of skewed sense.
Captain Beefheart
Similar to my Mark E Smith comment really. Every book and article underlines the ludicrous nature of his art but as a big fan of Trout Mask Replica his ludicrous, surreal art makes more sense to me than most records.