Obituary: Satire 1960-2009
Wednesday 27th May 2009, 9:30AM BST.
British satire died today with the announcement that former pop star David Van Day is considering standing as an MP. British Satire was 49.
British Satire was born in the 1960 stage show Beyond the Fringe and came to prominence over the next four decades.
However, British Satire’s health began to fail in recent years as it found itself in a world increasingly beyond comedy.
The announcement that Mr Van Day – formerly fifty cents of the 1980s pop duo Dollar – was considering standing against Conservative Mid Bedfordshire MP Nadine Dorries is understood to have been too much for British Satire to deal with.
Parody, a close friend of British Satire, said it had been unable to cope with a world that “you simply couldn’t make up any more”.
“Years ago the idea of former pop stars standing for Parliament after being on ‘I’m a Celebrity’ would have been seen as an absurd joke, the type of thing British Satire did so well,” said Parody.
“But when it started to come true Satire felt there was no place left for it in the modern world.
“Seriously, is this what we’ve got to look forward to? Celebrity candidates?
“Honestly, that Esther Rantzen will be standing next…”
Obituary by Andrew Owen
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I say, steady on – this paper’s getting more like the damned Guardian every day. Supposing this sort of subversive filth was to fall into the hands of the impressionable, or even worse women or servants?
I think I’m going to have to calm down with my well-thumbed copy of Shirley Tart’s “Members of the Royal Family that I have had the Privilege of Meeting” (Lick, Fawn & Grovel publications £25, available from all good bookshops).
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Quite surreal – perhaps they should join together as the Bauhaus party.
Is it me, or is David ‘SWP’ Cameron offering a revolutionary party – destroying the Conservative party and handing control of government to the masses “..man on the street” (SIC).
You must see through this – he can’t follow through without quitting the party. He can’t. If there were real intention to make changes as large as the cumulative promiserati are making right now, then the parties would see a leeching of members, forming a breakaway group or anarchistic activity – no, nothing.. more of the same, just talk till you vote them in.
Careful what you wish for.
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