Oops! Is Alan the new Russell?

Posted by Jane Murphy

As is traditional, Saturday night's British Comedy Awards provided plenty of things for the tabloids' moral bastions to get irate about.

But this year's gong for the most high-profile "foot in mouth" moment has to go to Alan Carr who - sort of - dedicated his Best Comedy Entertainment Personality award to Karen Matthews. D'oh!

In an off-the-cuff aside to reporters backstage, Alan said kidnapper Karen would be his dream guest. "I think she's a gay icon," he explained. "People like a bit of rough don't they? I must be obsessed with her actually, if you look at my Google searches. So I should dedicate this award to her."

Now, it was only a joke - albeit not a very funny one - but Alan's had to issue a swift apology for any offence he may have caused.

And needless to say, a politician has got involved. Shahid Malik - who's MP for Matthews' constituency of Dewsbury - told the press: "I think Alan Carr can be funny on occasion, but I think last night he really let himself down.

"The timing couldn't be worse. I think most people think it to be both sick and insensitive, and people will be disgusted with him at a time when many people are looking very closely at the comic/comedian profession anyway."

Meanwhile, another under-fire comedian Russell Brand received the gong for Best Live Stand-Up Performer. Appearing by video link-up from Hawaii, Russ dedicated his award to his old mate Jonathan Ross.

But should Russell have won? National treasure and 78-year-old doting granddad Andrew Sachs doesn't think so. "It baffles me as to why he is so popular," he told the Daily Telegraph. "There's no style or structure to his work. He speaks off the top off his head. It's hit or miss - miss for me, I'm afraid."

So were Alan and Jonathan deserving winners? Should all future jokes be vetted by a panel of tabloid reporters and politicians before anyone says them out loud? Tell us what you think.

Pictures: PA

SEE ALSO:
Russell's parting shot >>
Russ and Ross are suspended >>
Alan's so fickle! >>

Comments

[Jo]

I can remember a time when my parents nearly passed out when I was caught wathching Billy Connolly. They branded his humour as coarse and foul!?
Today we have the likes of Brand, Ross & Carr - who personally I can't stand - so I don't watch them. I love Jeremy Clarkson - but he has caused offense just recently. It is, as previous poster has said, a matter of personal taste - or as my mum used to say 'horses for courses'.

[Amy]

if u dont like it, dont watch it! give the people who do enjoy watching it a break, and stop watching it just so u can moan about how inappropriate it is!

[Nikki]

I'm 22 and think that these 2 comedians are fantastic. Everyone has different tastes, if we all liked the same things the world would be dull. I made a joke the other day at work that offended a couple of people, i didn't mean to offend people but all jokes somewhere along the line will offend at least one person. We live in a world with different opinions and at the moment many people if this world seems to be trying to stop people having opinions. Its political correctness gone wrong!!!

[Lotty, Dartford]

Oh dear, will all you saddo's get over it. Just because you don't find something funny does not mean it isn't or that other people can't. Maybe you just don't get it?!!!! I find Russell Brand hilarious. And I'm 47. Go and watch "Only fools and horses". With all your whingeing and whining that will all we have left soon.

[jackie]

Get a life I am a pensioner and think Russell Brand is great.

[Paul]

It is fashionable to laugh at brands humour, that doesn't mean he is funny." If you don't like him, you are dull or over twenty five." What a statement (mell). Unless you mean an IQ over 25. I suspect brand will be a distant memory, this time next year. Lets hope so. Awards aren't really a measure of talent,as is often proven, just a reward for creeping up to the people in power. As for tv votes, well we all know how that system works.

[Zane Grant]

There is only one answer to these sick so called comedians. Switch over when they appear on TV and don't waste your money seeing them live.

[Mell]

people just need to get over it.. there are people who like russell and alan (me being one of them having both of there books :)) and there are people who dont
also in everyday life people make prank calls too others and you dont see that on the newsjust because ross and russell our famous theres a big whohar about it.. russell and alan fully deserve they awards
and those who dont think so are either over 25 or just incredibly dull.

[Lesley]

I personally think Brand is far from funny anyway and so don't watch him; any comments he makes I don't know about then. Rossie I thought was quite funny but didn't put him in the same league as Brand - he let himself down here and I'm sure he knows it so let him get back and do what he does best : Friday Night with Rossie and Saturday radio.
As for Alan Carr - perhaps he too should be put off air for 3 months without pay - after all, whats good for the goose is good for the gander.
If people don't like offensive comments from whacky comedians, then don't watch them or listen to them.

[ben edgar]

people need to get over it. anyone under the age of 35 who are offened by brand/ross/carr need to realise the date, its 2008 people, times and comedy move on. long gone are the days you couldnt say bum or willy on telly. fair play to them, its time people stood up and pushed the bounderies.

[pedro]

ross&brand get up in the world as so called celebs then decency &feelings go out the window &they think no one can touch them dont they know the higher the profile the more chance of getting slated for things they do/say or does decency go out the window i for one is glad i am just an ordinary person

[Pam]

The best comedian at the moment is the lovely Michael McIntyre...and he looks wholesome!

[Grahame]

Ok so the Ross/Brand thing overstepped the mark, BUT not much was mentioned about the remarks by a Talksport radio host who claimed his colleague was dead! He kept the 'joke' going for about 30 mins and obviously some of the 'dead' colleagues family were listening. I think that was worse than Ross/Brands antics

[r taylor]

Brand is utter rubbish, He is a freak who appeals to the idiots who think it makes them cool to pretend to laugh at his childish unfunny jokes. Alan Carr is just a bluer more camp copy of Larry Grayson without the charm or talent. Both have won the lottery of luck by being born at the right time. Neither are funny, neither are clever, neither have the talent of Steve Coogan or Jack Dee. Brand and Carr just haven't got it as far as I and millions of others are concerned.

[Nigel Blake]

I think it's high time the press and other people stopped taking the moral high ground on what comedians say or do.
Alan Carr, Russell Brand and "Wossie" are fine in my books, in fact I feel very angry that I and very many other fans have been deprived of Jonathan Ross' highly entertaining saturday morning show as a result of the outcry made by all the morons that never actually heard the original broadcast.

[alan Carr fan]

I think all jokes offend someone somewhere.The world is going mad - too PC for my liking.
If you dont find it funny - don't laugh !

[esther]

NO;NO;;NO;
Much better comics out there.

As for Ross what is he ?