Karl Pilkington appreciation thread

[Alastair]

The whole comedy came from the spontaneous things Karl said and did. They're not funny when you can tell it's predetermined and predictable. Same for Top Gear where you know exactly what's going to happen. At least Top Gear does have the decency to regularly admit it's predictable, playing to characters and not what it once was.

And season 3 was massively uncomfortable, laughing at dwarfism stopped being funny a long time ago.

The thing is though, unless you are incredibly cynical (in which case you are always going to lean towards the negative opinion), you really can't tell whether he's being spontaneous or not. And yes, I grant you that it was cringeworthy in season 3 on occasion due to what you mention - but no more cringeworthy than watching 45,000 people cheer on a racist every week at a certain football ground.

 

[Martin]

Because the football team I support and the actions of one of its players has everything to do with mocking little people, and whenever he gets cheered, it's absolutely just because he made a racist comment.

Bringing that up is far more cringey and #EPL than Top Gear and Karl Pilkington.

 

[Adam]

The whole comedy came from the spontaneous things Karl said and did. They're not funny when you can tell it's predetermined and predictable. Same for Top Gear where you know exactly what's going to happen. At least Top Gear does have the decency to regularly admit it's predictable, playing to characters and not what it once was.

And season 3 was massively uncomfortable, laughing at dwarfism stopped being funny a long time ago.

The thing is though, unless you are incredibly cynical (in which case you are always going to lean towards the negative opinion), you really can't tell whether he's being spontaneous or not. And yes, I grant you that it was cringeworthy in season 3 on occasion due to what you mention - but no more cringeworthy than watching 45,000 people cheer on a racist every week at a certain football ground.

Stamford Bridge?

 

[Alastair]

Because the football team I support and the actions of one of its players has everything to do with mocking little people, and whenever he gets cheered, it's absolutely just because he made a racist comment.

Bringing that up is far more cringey and #EPL than Top Gear and Karl Pilkington.

Just pointing it out.

The whole comedy came from the spontaneous things Karl said and did. They're not funny when you can tell it's predetermined and predictable. Same for Top Gear where you know exactly what's going to happen. At least Top Gear does have the decency to regularly admit it's predictable, playing to characters and not what it once was.

And season 3 was massively uncomfortable, laughing at dwarfism stopped being funny a long time ago.

The thing is though, unless you are incredibly cynical (in which case you are always going to lean towards the negative opinion), you really can't tell whether he's being spontaneous or not. And yes, I grant you that it was cringeworthy in season 3 on occasion due to what you mention - but no more cringeworthy than watching 45,000 people cheer on a racist every week at a certain football ground.

Stamford Bridge?

41,000

 

[Martin]

Because the football team I support and the actions of one of its players has everything to do with mocking little people, and whenever he gets cheered, it's absolutely just because he made a racist comment.

Bringing that up is far more cringey and #EPL than Top Gear and Karl Pilkington.

Just pointing it out.

I know this is derailing the topic, but what's the connection? Is it somehow hypocritical to not enjoy mocking little people because I support a team that employs a player found guilty of making a racist comment?

 

[Alastair]

Because the football team I support and the actions of one of its players has everything to do with mocking little people, and whenever he gets cheered, it's absolutely just because he made a racist comment.

Bringing that up is far more cringey and #EPL than Top Gear and Karl Pilkington.

Just pointing it out.

I know this is derailing the topic, but what's the connection? Is it somehow hypocritical to not enjoy mocking little people because I support a team that employs a player found guilty of making a racist comment?

The connection is that there are many instances of discrimination on people's behalf that are ignored because of their overall entertainment value. I don't remember specifics but Karl did make some dwarf references, Suarez was racist - but people are willing to look past it because they are both entertaining in various ways.