Why Is Michael McIntyre Popular?
Michael McIntyre is marmite. Love him or hate him McIntyre has seemingly made his way to the top of the UK comedy game faster than it takes to make a round of toast. And it is a love or hate thing, the adoration and the bile that he inspires hasn’t been seen in comedy for a long time.
It’s easy to pinpoint why some people dislike him, well it is to me as I’m in that camp. The mannerisms and the delivery can grate, his sets are filled with observations not jokes and he’s everywhere. But you can say all of those things about Peter Kay too and he has never been on the receiving end of the rancour that McIntyre rattles out of people. Maybe it’s some kind of reverse class snobbery, McIntyre as Middle England with none of the ersatz romanticism of the working-class hero that Kay originally feasted on. Or maybe it’s because Kay occasionally provides insight in his routines… and personality.
But why such love for McIntyre and why now?
As with music and fashion and numerous other things, comedy goes through cycles. People have grown tired of the comedy that we’ve dined on over the past decade.
Snark, born of Heat and online culture has become little more than spite and faceless spite at that. Picking away at the perfect people, which was once crunchy and fresh has become a relentless hatchet job, never stopping until they’re a bloody mess on the floor.
The bear-pit of the panel-show, where machismo is de facto and you either sling one-line zingers or gush offensive diatribes to survive, has nowhere left to go. 'Manuelgate' involving Jonathon Ross, Russell Brand and an answering machine, spooked the suits and has blunted broadcast comedy. I’m looking at you Mock The Week.
While after the bounty of Bush, satire seems staid. Add the expenses scandal and the economic crisis and it comes as little surprise that people do not want to hear about politicians in their leisure time.
Instead audiences can be forgiven for wishing for a little escapism, though the student-friendly pseudo-surrealism of The Mighty Boosh is too niche to fill this gap nor does it possess the bland warmth.
McIntyre’s routines are safe and have a familiarity that can conjure a sense of community, a coming together through shared experiences so to speak. Like nostalgia, it’s a defence mechanism in these hard times. Just look at the return of Wispas or old-fashioned Saturday night TV. And like nostalgia, it’s worrying to linger too long in it, regressive by its very nature. Stodge is only good for a while.
But it’s all just a laugh isn’t it… isn’t it? Time for some more toast me thinks.
1 Comment – Postiwch sylw
Bluebirds25
Rhoddwyd sylw 28 mis yn ôl - 10th January 2010 - 12:50pm
I love him because he is not afraid to be silly and to raise a smile :)
His routines are hilarious and it cheers you up as well as being easy enough for people to understand.Some children cannot understand adult comedians because of the adult sense of humour but McIntyre reaches all ages :)