Richard Osman on Have I got News For You

[TiggyD]

Was crap.

Jeremy Clarkson was host so Richard made joke after joke after joke at his expense. Clarkson didn't really react so Osman's constant jokes ended up rather tiresome and bullyish. There was hideously clunky editing at the end with a contretemps between the two of them so goodness knows what happened there. Paul did his best to salvage the mood with some clowning, but it wasn't enough.

Very poor Richard.

It is perfectly possible to be posh and left wing, you know! There is a long an honourable tradition of it......

But it's fascinating that stereotypes run so deep that someone can watch Ian Hislop on anything for more than 5 minute and still think he's a Tory!

Have always thought Ian H has far more digs at Labour than Tory politicians.

It depends, Clawdy.

1. Which party is the current government
2. Which party is making the most headlines
3. Which party is keeping something quiet, and on.

Having read Private Eye for some years both it and Ian Hislop seem to be equal opportunity abusers. The party that gets the most column inches is the one that is doing the daftest thing at the time. Recently that has been Labour as they have been morphing into the Tories, contradicting themselves and introducing some odd electoral changes... and now the Corbyn Shadow cabinet will feed satirists very well indeed.

It's wasn't just a visceral response to a stereotype Bertrand

IH seemed to be quite energised and passionate when belittling JC. Quite unlike his usual impish, mischievous self. I got the impression that he really doesn't think much of the man and assumed he was probably Tory... although of course he could be pro Labour and just disapprove of JC I suppose.

But I found it fascinating that IH seemed discomfited by some members of the audience cheering when JC was mentioned... and RO said he liked him. His body language became rather defensive, with crossed arms, etc.

It was fascinating to watch. I don't watch HIGNFY very often, rather occasionally, but I have never seen IH so personally and emotionally involved in the debate. Well that's how it seemed to me.

He does get like that, quite often. If something has offended his idea of rightness, or if someone appears to have missed the obvious, he can get very passionate - the political leanings of the person involved doesn't seem to matter.

I thought it was quite a good episode, though I haven't watched it in a while. I wouldn't feel sorry for JC at all, he knew exactly what he was in for. I didn't find RO overly harsh at all (though I missed the first ten minutes, maybe there was more extreme stuff there?). My favourite was his reaction to JC having also punched Piers Morgan; "And nobody's going to fire you for that."

IH is definitely lefty, I'm baffled that people could think an affluent background makes you a Tory by default. He may not be a fan of Corbyn, but nor are most of mainstream Labour.

What people think having an affluent background makes you a Tory by default Cel?

it was very....subdeud (sp) wasn't it? not the laff a minute stuff as usual.

And agree about RO, he came across as a complete nasty nob.

Yes, Clarko was asking for it by appearing on it, but it was a bit much.

but the worst one I ever saw, (ans even though he was asking for trouble I felt a teeny pang of sympathy) was when Prescott was host and Ian wouldn't let a thing go. accusation after accusation. that put me off Ian.

Ian, let he who is without sin.......

Perhaps you're disappointed there wasn't enough piss taking out of Corbyn as we were all expecting? The producers of HIGNFY knew that Clarkson would get ribbed. Why else have him host? Clarkson himself relished the chance to get his mug on the BBC.

Hislop would have filled in with the piss taking had Osman not been there anyway.

That said, I think the show has had it's day ~ long ago....

The point is about Hislop is that he is totally without sin and hence gets to cast as many rocks as he likes

Just to reassure you- I do think most people who go on HIGNIFY have actually seen the programme- they're not sweet innocent little baa-lambs!

He's a Tory which makes him fair game for many. Plus been editing a very unfunny, self regarding publication for years. That makes him rather sinful if you ask me..

Ian Hislop is not a Tory.

I agree Ian Hislop deffo isn't a Tory. I'm not quite sure what his political leanings are - he seems to be fairly doggedly equal opportunties in his dislike of them all.

I think the only politician I heard him be nice about was Vincent Cable (LibDem) though I don't think that makes him a LibDem supporter by any stretch. He's fairly anti-Europe too.

Not that there's anything wrong with hating the lot of them of course and I'm sure it would be hard not to given his job and what he will have been privy too all these years as Private Eye editor.

I'd vote for him though should he ever to decide to stand

Sorry typo -privy 'to' not 'too'

I thought Richard Osman was really funny - very quick-witted and on the ball.

Ian Hislop afaik is what you might call a one-nation Conservative, so not really a fan of Cameron, but something of a traditionalist.

Hislop on his politics: When asked how he voted, by William Hague when he presented HIGNFY, Hislop replied "I don't know if anyone's ever told you this William, but it's a secret ballot. Suffice to say, it wasn't for your lot".

He is not a political tribalist, having voted for all the three main parties, as well as the Greens. 'Most of your judgments are about whether people are behaving well or not in your eyes – and that doesn’t matter whether they are left or right. You know, are they corrupt or are they bent or are they trying to make things better or worse for people? That is where my bottom line is, and so that must be what drives me.’ www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/9692766/Inside-the-Private-world-of-Ian-Hislop.html

The piece is quite revealing, if you know nothing about the 'anomolous God botherer'

OurBlanche, thanks for posting that link. I enjoyed reading it.

On the subject of Ian's lack of sin, I once read a quote from Francis Wheen that said the wildest Ian gets is maybe about once a year, he drinks a bit too much and forgets to take his contact lenses out before going to sleep and that's it.

Also would agree he is equal opportunities in terms of slagging off politicians. There was one HIGNFY with MP Tom Watson and I think it turned out Watson had been helping one of the journos involved in some way with the phone-hacking find a lawyer and helping him out etc and Ian said Tom had gone up in his estimation. It was like a declaration of love

Before I read that quote from IH above, I was just coming on to say that I bet he's a floating voter. He knows too much about all of them, so probably goes for the least worst at whatever point an election happens.

Fwiw I'm really quite posh, and at the same time really quite left wing, so am quite aware that it can happen: I even know who Bertrand Russell is (the person, not the poster). Perhaps it was lazy of me to call him a 'smug Tory', when I really meant 'smug member of the establishment'. Notwithstanding the history of Private Eye, I do think all the media are singing from the same hymn sheet at the moment. It was refreshing to see RO challenge that.