Comedy Archeology - Silly For The Sake Of It

I think that it’s become obvious by now that, amongst the different types of comedy that I like, comedy that is silly for the sake of being silly is one of them. In fact, that’s maybe not even quite the right description. “Comedy that exists in its own universe and primarily entertains the performers first with other people being on the same wavelength a nice bonus” is probably a more accurate description for these ones.

Reeves & Mortimer
Vic and Bob have consistently been making stuff that clearly amuses each other first and foremost for a good few decades now and I’m completely on board with all of it (I wasn’t always but I’ll cover that off in another post). It’s a combination of stupid jokes, weird songs, surreal sketches and reinventions of celebrities combined with a love of naff, low fi D-list celebrity that all combine together to make something uniquely Vc and Bob. They give the impression that they do stuff because it’s fun and, if it’s not fun, they just won't do it.

The Mighty Boosh
A comedy duo who are the very definition of having their own universe, The Boosh started out on Radio 4 (with Lee Mack as a regular oddly enough - he doesn’t seem like he would necessarily be at home in a surreal setting) before transferring to BBC Three for a series which highlighted their distinctive visual aesthetic. It follows the traditional character dynamic of each one thinking that they are higher status than the other when, in reality, they’re both idiots. Like Reeves & Mortimer, they have a love of the low fi and odd drawings / animation but with a stronger love of the comedy song, particularly their distinctive “crimping” (an element which was an acknowledged influence on US cartoon series Regular Show).

Tim & Eric: Awesome Show, Great Job!
Adult Swim has a reputation for producing extremely surreal and really very niche shows, some of which even attract the label of anti-comedy. I would that Tim & Eric fall more into the comedy realm but they have a very distinctive comedy flavour which is not necessarily for everyone and can push things beyond the tolerance limit. That said, I do enjoy their show which is largely a spoof of ramshackle public access TV and commercials with a selection of outsider performers that they mold into a bizarre repertory company. They also attract a number of high profile guest stars such as Jeff Goldblum, Ben Stiller, Paul Rudd, Will Ferrell, Ted Danson and, in recurring roles, Weird Al Yankovic as Uncle Muscles and John C Reilly as Dr Steve Brule (who gets his own equally weird spin off Check It Out With Dr Steve Brule). It is definitely not to everyone’s taste but I definitely enjoy it.

The silly, daft and surreal always appeals to me - a healthy dose of nonsense is always appreciated. Sometimes though, comedy doesn’t always land on the first attempt and it takes a bit of time and exposure to sink in... (There’s your hook for next time.)