Britainology 43: Edinburgh Festival Fringe feat. Alex Kealy

Doug Stanhope says some incredibly left shit like every third bit.

RE: Sadowitz. Firstly, I do think that it was an exceptionally poor decision to cancel his second show, not only for people who had bought tickets but also because it was obvious what the culture war outcome would be. Of course you can't really expect everyone to works at the Fringe to be a comedy nerd but I also think that the management at the Pleasance has no excuse for not knowing who Sadowitz is and what his act is, especially when they've booked him in the first place. But at the same time, I think we can reasonably question whether his act really works anymore? Alternative cult comedian he may be, his act relies on a kind of liberal deniability, that he's not being entirely serious, and the extremity of his material does often go far enough that even that is questionable, hence why it can be an exciting and challenging act. But there is so much more open, genuine hatred in the world that has increasingly leaked into the mainstream, and I can understand why someone looking in from the outside (or even from the inside) wouldn't see that deniability or agree that it really exists. Simply put I don't think irony can cut it any more.

Hey buddy, I got some awesome startups for ya: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/08/14/business/worker-productivity-tracking.html

Philly has a fringe arts. Interested to hear how it is different. I'll post back with notes. Go birds.

To Nate's point about US visa system vs UK, there is an optional $2500 premium fast processing fee on H1B visas.

I was in Edinburgh years ago and, since I’m a dumb American, I didn’t know what the Fringe was and was surprised to find all these people around and shows happening. Anyways I went to a jazz club that had a jam session and after I played for a bit I had all these folks asking me where I was performing and if they could get tickets. I told them I was just a tourist and that I was at best an average jazz musician.

I think with the right wing comics as well is that they make a big deal about being right wing, almost as an identity (which is hilarious for people who say they hate identity politics), and then forget they're supposed to be telling jokes. It's almost as if it was never about the comedy in the first place 😆

Most tragic Fringe show I ever went to was obviously free fringe, there were the same number of people in the audience (three, me and my mates) as up on stage. Bit of a shame because they were actually really really good comedians. Absolute worst was upstairs in The Mockingbird and it was a fucking fever dream of a show

I think this happened during the darker days of COVID-19, but one day I saw a news agent where almost every paper had the exact same front page (I think it was a notice from the government) and the lone dissenting voice was one of the Sunday Sport papers with one of its inimitable headlines. Blithely—and no doubt due to America Brain contracted during extended time spent in Columbia—I declared that it was the only free press in Britain and I've had to stay committed to that foolish claim ever since. (This is also probably a symptom of America Brain.)

It’s Britain time

If the Partridge pitches to Tony Hayes scene were written today Making a Murderer the musical would be in it

@alexkealy