Modern comedians aren’t up to the task

Modern highbrow comedians may have third level qualifications, but unfortunately they have lost the art of extracting spontaneous laughter from an audience. Or could it be possible people no longer laugh as much?

Observe an audience of a present-day funny-man; the spectators wait for a few people to first grasp the joke, which they respond to with a forced laugh, then 90per cent join in and the remaining 10 per cent either find it distasteful or fail to see the fun. A good comedian should be capable of melting the most sophisticated audience to the simplicity of a child — leaving them uproariously happy.

To Tell You The Truth, the TV programme about Tommy Tiernan shows his dry, slimy, ghoulish form of wit is boring and low class. It is hard to see him as an enigma to so many in his 18 years of show business.

Compared with famous comedians like Tom and Pascal, Pat Shortt, Benny Hill, Abbot and Costello, Laurel and Hardy, George Formby or the Bowery Boys — he wouldn’ t hold a candle to them.

Any of those characters would keep one spellbound; tears of laughter running down their cheeks from start to finish of show.

James Gleeson

Thurles

Co Tipperary