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Topic: How much truth?

Message 1 / 6
DavidDec 9, 2011

While I understand that JAM is a game and a lot of what is said is complete fantasy, do you ever wonder how much truth is accidentally spoken? What I mean is, do you ever wonder if panelists are accidentally indiscreet in the panic and rush of trying to keep speaking?

Love, David

<<<< 6403 >>>>

Topic: Re: How much truth?

Message 2 / 6
nylon netDec 9, 2011

Interesting point! I must admit I do listen to Kenneth Williams carefully because he does tend to say some interesting things that may or may not be inadvertently more truthful than he might have said without the panic of having to keep speaking. Having read his diaries does help...

Passionate embraces, Mark

-----Original Message-----
From: drling0@...
Sent: Sat, 10 Dec 2011 01:27:17 -0000
To: just-a-minute@...
Subject: [just-a-minute] How much truth?

While I understand that JAM is a game and a lot of what is said is complete fantasy, do you ever wonder how much truth is accidentally spoken? What I mean is, do you ever wonder if panelists are accidentally indiscreet in the panic and rush of trying to keep speaking?

Love, David

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<<<< 6406 >>>>

Topic: Re: How much truth?

Message 3 / 6
DeanDec 11, 2011

One of the differences between old JAM and the new is that in their different ways Kenneth, Derek, Clement and Peter often talked about their lives but the current ones do not. How often have say Paul Merton or Tony Hawks or Graham Norton mentioned their partners, for example?

From: David

Sent: Saturday, December 10, 2011 2:27 PM

To: just-a-minute@...

Subject: [just-a-minute] How much truth?

<<<< 6408 >>>>

Topic: Re: How much truth?

Message 4 / 6
badger danceDec 12, 2011

> One of the differences between old JAM and the new is....

Not just limited to this programme, I think it's a function of the time we live in and the nature of information.

> How often have say Paul Merton or Tony Hawks or

Graham Norton mentioned their partners, for example?
These days if anyone utters the slightest snippet of personal information on-air or at a recording it will enter the Twitter-Sphere and be updated within Wikipedia within hours.

There is enough of Paul's personal life already laid bare on-line why would anyone in such a situation choose to use those people emotionally close to them within their personal lives for the the entertainment of others, IMHO it would be a 'cheap'. Also consider the nature of the audience today being (I think) somewhat more worldly-wise and informed, I also think that the demographic of the audience has changed in the last 35 years. Many of the type of people that might have listened to the radio as a mass-media in the past, are now within a generation that simply do not use radio and certainly not Radio 4.

Looking at JAM in the context of Radio 4 it was born in a time when Radio 4 was just three months old and will have many listeners from The Home Service a news channel rather than the just for laughs: Light Service.

The only contemporary comedian that I can think that does bring in his personal life is Jimmy Carr as he mentions his girlfriend during some aspects of his stand-up performances.

<<<< 6410 >>>>

Topic: Re: How much truth?

Message 5 / 6
DeanDec 12, 2011

From: badger dance

> How often have say Paul Merton or Tony Hawks or Graham Norton

mentioned their partners, for example?
These days if anyone utters the slightest snippet of personal information on-air or at a recording it will enter the Twitter-Sphere and be updated within Wikipedia within hours.

There is enough of Paul's personal life already laid bare on-line why would anyone in such a situation choose to use those people emotionally close to them within their personal lives for the the entertainment of others, IMHO it would be a 'cheap'.

Dean here: This isn’t the sort of thing I was thinking about. I just think that if the subject was something like “"breakfast”, Peter Jones would almost certainly refer to his wife, in a totally harmless way, while Paul wouldn’t. I think the difference is less that Paul is worried about personal material being spread – there would be no harm in saying Suki likes eggs on toast – than that Paul is a genuine improviser whose first instinct is to create a fantasy, while Peter and the others are more raconteurs whose first instinct is to think of an anecdote from their life.

Gyles Brandreth regularly refers to his wife, indeed she is the regular target of his jokes. Jenny Eclair also often refers to her personal life. I think this is because they are not really improvisers either. Jenny uses her life as a major subject for her stand-up routines.

I think if you and I were on the show, our instinct too would be to think about our own lives. That’s not Paul’s instinct and of course that’s part of what makes him special. He’s wired differently.

<<<< 6411 >>>>

Topic: Re: How much truth?

Message 6 / 6
GeorgeDec 12, 2011

I remember one episode where Clement started to list his telephone number.
He got interrupted by Derek Nimmo who said he was protecting him from getting lots of phone calls.

I think Clement masterfully made out as if that was his real number (and it may have started as such) but probably started changing numbers as soon as he:
a) realised what he was doing
b) had to repeat a number

I think a few foibles have definitely slipped out over the years, but you'd be hard pushed to spot them. :)

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