Brian Logan is an idiot
Let’s be clear. Richard Herring’s latest stand-up show, Hitler Moustache, is a passionate and heart-felt attack on racism. How do I know?
Because last night, I went to see the show.
If the spitting fury Herring shows towards those who failed to vote in the recent European elections, and so allowed two BNP members to get elected (‘that’s not a joke, by the way’ he growled), isn’t genuine then Herring is as good an actor as he is a comedian.
Yes, the show’s poster gives pause and provokes an instinctive liberal recoil. Yes, in the show he toys with issues of racism to the point where the audience holds its breath. He uses the word ‘paki’ over and over again and you wonder and worry where he’s going with it. But. But. When you get there and you see what he’s doing, it’s immensely satisfying (and reassuring) and, yes, funny.
In the end, the show is a scabrous, uplifting, profane, inspiring, and fantastically funny plea for tolerance and a love letter to common humanity and compassion. Take out the swearing and Herring could do this show at schools and what a huge service that would be.
Any comedy critic worth the title, particularly one working for the Guardian, would have done the (not at all onerous) spadework to find this out. As Herring himself says, of Guardian critic Brian Logan’s article: ‘It’s either malicious or incompetent as far as I can see neither of which reflects very well on him as a critic’.
Update 31/7: Herring gets a right of reply in the Guardian. Logan, in hole, continues to dig.
Posted on July 30th, 2009 at 12:03pm under Culture, media and sport
…sheesh. I wonder if I can get a job as a London theatre critic. I mean, I don’t live in London, and don’t plan to travel to the theatres, but seemingly that’s no major obstacle…
*clap clap clap*
Logan is a pest. I have listened to Herring and read his piece. Logan has no place whatsoever reviewing comedy, and he’s one of the reasons I’m questioning my subscription to The Guardian. No critic or journo should ever commit to paper what he/she knows fuck all about. Even projection should be informed. Fuck me, what is this? Fox?
A critic talks shit… The Pope is a Catholic, bears defecate in woods… insert cliché of choice.
Never, ever, take any notice of critics. If they had anything useful to add to the arts, they would be playwrights, actors, producers – anything other than critics. They are the parasites that feed on the arts. Ignore them.
Quite right there longrider.
This is one group of people who really do belong on the “B” Ark.
I caught a couple on the radio Friday afternoon whilst on taxi duty on route to the Lake District and almost had an accident when one of them claimed that being a film critic was a trade.
Politicians will be claiming to be a profession next!
I read Logan’s piece and was horrified that Richard Herring had turned into the love child of Jim Davidson and Leni Riefenstahl, especially as his comedy partner has been the excellent Stewart Lee.
I’m even more horrified, if relieved, that Logan wrote that article in the Guardian apparently not giving a frakk that he’s maligned Herring so badly. What a controversy slut!