
Comedy: an opiate for the masses
Two big things in my life are music and comedy. During the long Covid-19 lockdown, I cited a different song each day that has meant something to me over my lifetime. In 2022/203 I did something similar with comedy sketches; again searching Youtube for videos I have particularly enjoyed over the many years I have watched the output of talented comedians who often critique the dark realities such as government corruption through the medium of laughter.
However, please note that comedy is a tricky thing and what can be funny for one person can be insulting to another. I personally do not find strong language offensive when it is used for comedic effect so I may from time to time cite sketches that contain strong language. When I do this I shall warn the reader so they can skip over these sketches if they are offended by strong language.
At the bottom of this page, you will find a Youtube video which contains the comedy sketches in the order I have cited them on this website that you can play for your enjoyment.
List Sketches by: Comedians
Sketches categorised by Weeks
A random set of seven sketches from the Comedy collection (Month 1: 1st April 2022 — Week 53: 31st March 2023)
Week 8: 40 – 45 Years, Harry Enfield (Month 2)
Another funny sketch from Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse. In this series part of the charm of this humour was simply capturing the odd characteristics of certain iconic characters that exist in every generation in this strange world we all find ourselves in. The ultra posh private Harley Street specialist routine is just so funny as in high powered medicine you do end up getting some characters, especially at the top echelons of the profession.
Week 13: Career Skills, Armstrong and Miller (Month 3)
Once again this sketch is a classic from the Armstrong and Miller series. Quick tip for those who are considering how to conduct a job interview. When your prospective employer asks you what do you see are your faults make sure you answer something like you find it hard to take breaks because you are so passionate about your work. 😉
Week 19: Hacker Lies In PMQs, Yes Prime Minister (Month 5)
After living in the UK for just over 30 years, I have come to the conclusion that one of the ways the British cope with their corrupt politicians is by laughing at them. Although this method helps makes coping with the worst excesses of the British class system bearable, I wonder if it might inadvertently stifle true political progress in the UK? Certainly Boris Johnson is one of the most terrible, lying corrupt Prime Ministers Britain has had for well over a century. Yet so much of his appeal to the voting public is he was able to play the fool and make people laugh. Although I enjoy British humour very much, I do hope that one day the Brits come to realise that the amount of corruption in their political system probably rivals some of archetypal African nations to which so many Brits feel superior in relation to their "mother of all Parliaments".
Week 24: Small Talk, The Two Ronnies (Month 6)
Time for change of comedy genre. The two Ronnies are the type of comedians that you could safely take you neighbourhood monk to and they would probably not be offended. Ronnie Barker was very gifted at coming up with clever ideas for sketches and this one, while not a play on words, is nonetheless clever in its execution. It also has a nice little punchline to bring the sketch to a fitting conclusion
Week 29: The Room Next Door – Liz Truss and the Big Pie, Michael Spicer (Month 7)
Last week I cited a Mash report sketch which contained an appearance from Michael Spicer who has his own Youtube series called the Room Next Door. The premise of this comedy is he is pretending to be a hidden media advisor speaking into the earpiece of hapless politicians to help them get through their interviews. Probably one of the most hapless politician of all time is the former Prime Minister of the UK whose tenure lasted all of 45 days after she managed to crash UK Sterling and the economy. In this sketch, Spicer is trying to navigate Truss through an interview with Laura Kuenssberg which of course, as with all Truss interviews, did not go at all well even though she did try to throw her Chancellor under the bus ("it was all Qwasi's fault!").
Week 38: Going around for a birthday tea, Peter Kay (Month 9)
Peter Kay is a master of observation and so much stand up comedy relies on observing the funny little things that we all do as foible-ladened human beings.
Week 49: Happy Couples, Armstrong and Miller (Month 12)
A nice little thematic compilation of sketches by Armstrong and Miller exploring the age old dynamics (fluid or turbulent?) of couples. Some quite funny punch lines in this set.
Year 2023: Occasional Post
RIP Matthew Perry (1969 - 2023)
RIP Barry Humphreys (1934 - 2023)
Month 12: March 2023
Week 53 - The final Sketch: Head to head discussion of the Beatles, Alas Smith and Jones
Week 52: Aeroplanes, Dave Allen
Week 51: Tunnel Contractor, Alas Smith and Jones
Week 50: Moments of Wonder: Computers, Philomena Cunk
Week 49: Happy Couples, Armstrong and Miller
Month 10: January 2023
Week 44: The work outing Part 2, The IT Crowd
Week 43: Striding Man - Fired, Armstrong & Miller
Week 42: Information, Armstrong and Millar
Week 41: Morecambe and Wise Christmas show 1978
Month 8: November 2022
Week 35: Boys are always more popular when they are murdered, Diane Morgan
Week 34: Dating a Republican, Garfunkel & Oates
Week 33: Cabinet Ministers Charity Appeal, Larry & Paul
Week 32: Braverman Shanty, The Marsh Family
Month 6: September 2022
Week 27: Mr Bean goes to the Dentist
Week 26 Butler of the Year, Morecambe & Wise
Week 25: Dr Death, The Two Ronnies
Week 24: Small Talk, The Two Ronnies
Week 23: Work outing part I, The IT Crowd
Month 11: February 2023
Week 48: Flight Announcement, Saturday Night Live
Week 47: Northerner terrifies Londoners by saying "Hello", The Mash Report
Week 46: Enlightenment - The little flowers, Armstrong and Miller
Week 45: Silly Money - Investment Bankers, Bird & Fortune
Month 9: December 2022
Week 40: The Private Eye The Year In Review 2022
Week 39: Blackadder The Third's Cunning Compilation, Blackadder
Week 38: Going around for a birthday tea, Peter Kay
Week 37: The Guys Who Wrote Frosty The Snowman, Ryan George
Week 36: Karaoke, Peter Kay
Month 7: October 2022
Week 31: Liv Truss Final Speech as Prime Minister, Nerine Skinner
Week 30: The Market are Spooked!, Matt Green
Week 29: The Room Next Door - Liz Truss and the Big Pie, Michael Spicer
Week 28: Why everyone on Strictly sleeps together, The Mash Report
Month 5: August 2022
Week 22: Honest Government ad PG Version
Week 21: Liv Struss Campaign Video, Nerine Skinner Comedy
Week 20: The Scammer Broke his phone after losing $2,000, Kitboger
Week 19: Hacker Lies In PMQs, Yes Prime Minister
The videos below will play all the Youtube videos in the order they were added.
If you click on the button in the top right
corner of the video below, it will bring up the full play list of videos and you can scroll down to select whichever one you want to play. Enjoy!
