YBA Influence on British comedy?

Monarch of the Glen. Landseer 1851

I have been enjoying fine and young British comedy of Christopher Morris, regarded as an anarchist in residence for a brief period in 1997, creating BRASS EYE. (This may predate Gervais, but not the YBA) The documentary spoof ran for less than one season (6 Episodes) before being withdrawn, it was finally back on air in 2001 after the audiences criticism had waned.

The show had been cut after producing a work, a Special Presentation about Pedophilia, and the reaction to a sketch wherein the host's child was rejected by an presumably convicted pedophile, finding something not attractive about the child. The host, being the father was mortified and demanded to know why, it had spoiled the tell all documentary he was presenting... this was enough to cause some moral outrage.

I can explain affording the series and the work of other British comedians such as Johnny Vaughn, or Vegas, the blog as a philosophical luxury. The earlier Millennium produced a now ABC repeated series called IDEAL, Vegas is Moz, a small- time drug dealer and we learn through his experiences a lot about drug effects, masterfully achieved, and subculture.

It is all framed, within an intricate set of a disgusting council flat which he never leaves, coming across as having a character of its own because of its chambers and pockets of surreality, socio-pathy & paranoia and at times, frightening violence, amidst the fatiguing facade of good times and recreation that heavy drug users insist drugs provide.

Its underlying theme of crime is a kinky, corrupted, deforming, amoral, sulfuric atmosphere, that lets Underbelly be the glamourous example of TV apathy and cheap titillation that it actually is.

My point being that I can tie so much within the explorations of BRASS EYE and IDEAL as to suggest some response in culture and acceptance to the energy of the YBA, BRASS EYE features episodes titles that, a YBA artist may correspond (possibly utilizing the part of the brain Brass Eye knows as "Shatner's Bassoon...#", no less....)to, in terms of approach and the long- drawn bow and boundary breaking, outrageous and adult humour.

For example in BRASS EYE the episode about SCIENCE, I could equate the zeitgeist of MARK QUINN, for ANIMALS the obvious example would be HIRST for CRIME you may find parallel to the work of the CHAPMAN BROTHERS. DRUGS: TRACEY EMIN ("Alcohol isn't a drug, its a drink!--#") etc. These could be, though speculative assumptions, actually quite effective comparisons.

Brass Eye
www.channel4.com/programmes/brass-eye

Ideal (Thursday 1130 pm ABC2)
http://www.babycow.co.uk/flashmen.html


# Brass Eye- Drugs

Note This is an edited quote a stream of consciousness I was performing in the late hours of yesterday evening, pending a Friday I was not looking forward to, and for a change as well considering the practical component of the course, however, the rest can be found on my own, soon to be interesting, blogging page, detailed as a cut and paste below, for fans of the oblique literal.

http://wwwtripodotrex.blogspot.com