Last night’s Comic Relief featured an appearance by Dom Joly’s angry cyclist character, who has previously been seen in the latest series of his hidden camera show, Trigger Happy (not Trigger Happy TV) which can be found on Channel 4’s digital video service All 4.
The main joke is Joly angrily insisting that wherever he happens to be riding is a cycle lane.
Whether or not you see this as just a daft joke or something offensive may depend on how you perceive the attitude of the comedian behind it.
While it’s worth noting that much of Joly’s shtick involves exaggerating emotions for comic effect, he has hit out cyclists before.
In a 2015 article about a series of Twitter arguments resulting from his complaints about cycle lane construction works, he began:
“If I’ve learned one thing from writing this column for the past 15 years, it’s who gets easily offended. There are the vociferous fans of Paul McCartney. There are Scientologists. There are the Scots and the Welsh. And there are cyclists. Cyclists are a particularly angry bunch – possibly it has something to do with the constant leg shaving or maybe it’s the effect of tight Lycra around the genitalia? Whatever, they are angry and, what’s even worse, unbelievably self-righteous.”
16 thoughts on “Video: Trigger Happy’s angry cyclist appears on Comic Relief”
One thing I’ve noticed about
One thing I’ve noticed about a lot of modern comedians is that if the joke doesn’t work it must be the recipients fault not the comedians. ’nuff said.
Gus T wrote:
In which case, I take full responsibilty, it’s all my fault.
Mind you, I’m married so I’m used to everything being my fault.
Dom Jolly wrote:
Maybe the regular threat of physical and verbal assault that cyclists experience would foster that kind attitude as a self defence mechanism?
The irony of him taking the
The irony of him taking the piss of people doing something for charity. When he was doing something for charity….. Or was there no irony….or was he taking the piss out of comic relief whilst making a video… Or was he taking the piss put of himself doing a video for comic relief….. I’m pretty confused!
Just as funny as the Top Gear
Just as funny as the Top Gear episode a couple of years ago about cycling, i.e. not funny. In fact, probably worse.
His first series, way back
His first series, way back when was funny, but he’s been doing this for years, it’s worn a bit thin.
Dom Joly is NOT a comedian.
Dom Joly is NOT a comedian.
He’s right though, we are
He’s right though, we are touchy. Well, I am.
I think it’s either/or:
I think it’s either/or: either you’re a comedian, and you’re doing a funny joke, or you hate people riding bikes, and you want to make a rather nasty point based on a lack of understanding. It doesn’t work trying to put the two together.
I watched DJ on the
I watched DJ on the celebrity version of Bear Gryll’s Island…the man is a total tw@
This ‘comedy’ was distinctly unfunny, had he acted like that around my way, he’d have received more than a few slaps…and most likely would have had to have colorectal surgery to remove his bike.
…acting like a spong is not comedy…
I see way more angry drivers.
I see way more angry drivers.
He ripped the “bike lane!”
He ripped the “bike lane!” thing from Portlandia anyway (an actually funny show).
Credit where credit’s due, Trigger Happy TV was hysterical, or it least it was when I was 11.
Jackson wrote:
I was about to say that, and the Portlandia sketch *is* funny (“I’m stopping, I’m stopping, I’ve stopped”). Funnier than Trigger Happy.
Best sketch on the original Trigger Happy TV IMO was the one with a bloke dressed as a snail crossing a zebra crossing.
Lets all remember. Joly made
Lets all remember. Joly made his money by scaring old people by shouting at them.. you know.. for “comedy”.
He hasn’t done anything new in 20 years.
I’m half Scottish, half Welsh
I’m half Scottish, half Welsh, chair of the Scientology Society Paul McCartney Fan Club and as soon as I’ve rinsed the Immac off my legs and genitalia I’m going to pull on my leggings and jolly well cycle over to Mr. Joly’s house and pistol-whip him for suggesting I might be angry when all I’m doing is saving the planet and the animals and all the little children, which is more than I can say for him!
The video of the cyclists
The video of the cyclists singing “you’re in a bike lane” while crossing a busy bridge was funnier and didn’t cost license fee payers money.
I’m sure van drivers will sit there laughing as they cement their prejudices even further.
Luckily, I can just watch a different, funnier video clip instead!