Spike Milligan

[allthingszep]

i love the sincere look on his face at 1.10,when you know he really wants to crack up laughing,timing is so good,love this clip

[Ypipable]

I still say we should have called it Buffalo

[StanPomeray]

The canned laughter kills it - the raspberry sound wasn't THAT funny, especially not after the 15th time! Good sketch though - really does look extremely surreal.

[Tillyvalle]

Miss you Spike :(

[mikesoundcity]

Brilliant! But what a shame about the ott canned laughter, :-(

[Selz1977]

LMAO I love this sketch, their facial expressions crack me up! Check out the bloke on the far left's face at 2:42... hilarious :)

[Selz1977]

Sorry I meant 2:40

[Systemnotadown]

My god! That laugh is loud!

[b6gm6n]

Funny? Spike? he's just standing there... in a dress, pursing his lips to that old tune from the 1920's... I think he's one of the very few who could do that and pas on a timeless comedy only a few amongst us have the talent and genius to espouse...

[RealUnimportant]

It's not a tune from the 20s, it's one of his own creations from the Goon Show days - the original performer was Harry Secombe, although it's been re-recorded for this show.

[nigelbleddfa]

I believe the guy appearing with Spike is John Bluthall

[johnlemesurier]

Extolling the values (and possibly perils) of eating fresh fruit, here's Jack Hodges, the "Raspberry King", with a flatulently winning number from 1927...

[fatboyslim142]

@RealUnimportant Actually it WAS a song by Jack Hodges.

[scrumpbee]

Cheers for that Clint,it's been bugging me who the singer was.Oh and Spike you will never be beaten as a comedian.

[gpmweb01]

It's the most basic and childish joke - blowing raspberries but it is so funnny. The genius is using the joke in this context. Perfect.

[clintpw75]

Genius is a word often overused to describe people with a mediocre talent. But Spike truly was a genius.

[clintpw75]

You'll no doubt recognise "Frank" from the Vicar of Dibley in this clip. He said himself that the best moments of working with Spike were when he would ad-lib over what were already very funny scripts

[differous01]

Hilarious. Spike's comic timing here is excelent, the way he looks at the singer and presents his 'line' - I find myself laughing so much and he doesn't have to say anything.

[Digitaaliklosetti]

spike milligan is pretty funny you guys

[egapnala65]

Yep, one of the very, very greatest.

[egapnala65]

You might also want to check out what Schopenhauer wrote about "Philosophy In The Universities". You will find it in the "Parerga". Good man, Schopenhauer. Certainly could spot a fake from miles away.

[egapnala65]

I know the sketch backwards already. What point are you making? It plays with the documentary medium? So did Milligan. It subverted reality? So did Milligan. I could go on but I think you get the picture.

[fartjoke2000]

actually, my point was smth about how the said sketch takes apart the practice of victimization so common in the media, through cleese's traumatized witness (every bit of it - from lighting to syntax and intonation) and jones's sympathetic interviewer. but i promise to be more specific when ill write my article. btw, what is that "reality" thingy you keep referring to?

[egapnala65]

Yes, it is a subversion of the documentary form. No argument.

It could be seen as a response to the then current debates about homosexuality being legalised etc.

That does not mean you can simplistically compare it to the Goon Show and say Milligan was simply a stand up comedy icon/gagsmith.

[fartjoke2000]

i wasn't comparing it to the goon show (unless ALL of it sounds like "carry on"!, i wouldn't know) but to "q". and if you can point me to clips where he does anything on the level of that python number (as opposed to making funny sounds with his tongue or being not nearly as funny as the actual dalecs) i will be very grateful

[egapnala65]

No, you WERE saying that Spike Milligan was inferior to the likes of Python etc. Beside them he was a gagsmith.

The Goon show proves you to be totally wrong which is why your argument holds no water whatsoever.

Personally I think Milligan was more at home in the audio medium. Perhaps you haven't done sufficient research?

Your article,if this is a fair example of your approach, sounds to me like a crock of undigested, illinformed, utterly baseless crap. Typical academia in other words.

[fartjoke2000]

i was jokingly referring to an article i might some day write. and I was saying that 1) Q is totally inferior to MPFC 2) the quote you brought would sit comfortably in a carry on

[egapnala65]

Aha "reality". Well, in the current context I use it to refer to the perceived, empirical, experienced, everyday way of things. People walking on pavements, people not flying through the air or perched in trees etc.

It is that "reality" that Milligan totally subverted.

[fartjoke2000]

well, that was my little check. i was expecting at least some citation of the incongruity theory, with reference to francis hutcheson, kant et al. that you bring in the concept of subversion here shows you're most likely completely unfamiliar with it. lick my ass and suck my balls!

[egapnala65]

And supposing I dont agree with francis hutcheson? Kant is highly ambiguous, cf. Hegel and Schopenhauer. Presumably your Hegelian, I'm more of a Schopenhauerian myself

I dont deal in the latest fashionable theories I'm afraid. Reality is not some form of subjective metatext. I would have thought the Paul Demann debacle and the holocaust put an end to that crap once and for all.

[fartjoke2000]

no, no, no. while the departments of analytical philosophy still refuse to acknowledge the great shift that one swiss and few frenchmen brought to the study of man, language and ideology, lit and media deps revel in it. and ol' paul is old school deconstruction anyways, now we got all culturalist (and want nothing to do with a dated concept like "subjective")... and i am a pround barthean AND trey parkerian. and lets end this right here

[egapnala65]

Why? I am quite happy to continue. Running scared?

Tell you what. Instead of continuing to posture and pose and trying to impress me with "radical" non sequiturs go and listen to some Goon shows and THEN comment on Spike Milligan.

Suggestions;The Last Tram, Tales From Old Dartmoor, The Scarlet Capsule (deconstructing "Quatermass and the Pit"),The Call Of The West, then sit in a corner and think over what you have just heard.

Insubstantial media trendie.

[fartjoke2000]

the notion that anyone could be "Running scared" of loosing a youtube argument is very funny indeed. i don't feel like continuing it cause having established the differences in final vocabularies (rorty's term) that rule out fruitful negotiation, all is left now is name calling, and that i gladly leave to you. and do back it up it with some more appeals to authoritah, that i really liked

[egapnala65]

Oh, I don't think so. What really needs to happen is for you to stop theorising yourself into a corner and actually do the research I suggest. Then you will be left a better informed person all round.

Go on . Be a devil. Go and get some Goon shows in!! Libraries are good for stuff like that.

People at the time linked the Goon show to Ionesco, Beckett et al. Milligan said he and the others were simply having a laugh.

[egapnala65]

"What's that your wearing?"

"It's the new anti sex league belt?"

"Oh, I don't think I'll come" Goon Show "1985" 1954

Pretty strong stuff for its time. Still got broadcast though.

Don't kid yourself. In terms of using sound effects, making intellectual process and its subversion the central element of comedy, deconstructing the very nature of how you listen and conjouring mental images through suggestion rather than blatancy, Spike was there first.

[fartjoke2000]

the innuendo based joke you quoted is the stuff of "carry on camping" and other masterpieces from that particular series of feature films. totally.

"mice and men", life of brian - now thats where chris morris, trey parker, ben elton and peter richardson got their game

[egapnala65]

Er.. No Spike also satirised politicians and got into trouble for it. He was one of the first to imagine life inside the house of commons. (Jet propelled guided Naafi)

He has two characters living in dustbins quoting Macmillan's "Never had it so good". (Red Fort)

He wanted to do more satire but the BBC vetoed it. The Pythons ran into the same problem.

You need to go and listen more closely.

[fartjoke2000]

er.. no people satirised politicians and got into trouble for it in ancient greece, 17th century france, soviet russia etc ad infinitum. i was talking about discourse, not getting in trouble

[egapnala65]

Define what you mean by discourse and explain how Ben Elton talking about toilets is inherently more challenging politically than anything the Goons did.

Please cite examples from Foucault, Derrida et al to back up your claims.

When I have finished laughing I may reply.

[egapnala65]

Actually dont bother. I can tell a "master baiter" when I hear one.

[fartjoke2000]

i wasn't going to, too much effort for youtube. but do check out that python sketch i mentioned earlier

[fartjoke2000]

nice talking btw, despite all the condescending ad hominem shit you feel obliged to throw in to establish your superiority beyond any doubt

[egapnala65]

Er.. no. You were the one to drag postmodernism into things. I am simply trying to discover how much you ACTUALLY know about it.

You are the one who is here slagging off Milligan and saying that he is merely a gag writer. I just want to see whether there is anything beyond your pose.

[fartjoke2000]

oh, now i really feel obliged to prove myself to you. still, you and you only started with the ad hominem

[egapnala65]

Oh dear. I hear the sound of a hasty retreat being made.

Just when it was getting interesting as well.

Are you going to answer my queries or are you simply going to play "victim"?

Perhaps you should think twice about starting discussions you are clearly out of your depth with.

[fartjoke2000]

nay, im not victimizing myself! just pointing to a rhetorical fallacy

somehow, i can manage without saying that you are an idiot in my every comment. can you?

[egapnala65]

Fartjoke, before you make an even bigger fool of yourself, check out "The Goon Show". It set the template for all the surreal humour (including Python) that followed. Milligan was using false endings (Checkout the Goon show "The Last Tram") and fake continuity announcements way back in the 1950s.

There ia absolutley nothing Python did that Milligan did'nt do first.

It's like saying Delta Blues singers are inferior to rock bands.

[elbethere]

How True!

[fartjoke2000]

i never claimed he didn't introduce what you rather accurately call false endings and fake continuity announcements; what im saying is that pythons are so much more than "surreal" (a largely meaningless and hard to operate with category btw) comedy in the sense that he is. despite aforementioned innovations spike is a traditional deliverer of "light entertainment" in his attitude towards humor and language

[fartjoke2000]

spike is neat, but he's a "comedian" in the good old tried and true sense of the word. he's out to elicit the laughter reflex, tickle your funny bone etc, assuming that that laughter is a definite and repeatable response to humorous stimuli and that funniness is an innate quality of humor rather than a process of negotiation

[fartjoke2000]

what you get with pythons is not a random collection of 'laughs', 'gags' and 'goofs', but a humorous discourse characterized by enormous deconstructive potency. for illustration check their "mice men" number, or any such bit as "strange women lying in ponds"

yes, there is a lot of spike in MP, but there is also a healthy portion of "the comic strip presents", "young ones", "brass eye" and "south park", all stuff of which old spike wouldn't dare dreaming

[egapnala65]

As to Chris Morris et al. As much as I like the attitude, there is nothing there that wasnt done before. His surreal elements often seem forced and self conscious wheras Milligan was just being natural.

If you want true subversion go and check out the "Goon Show" "Call of the West" and imagine how it sounded to a 1950's audience.

[fartjoke2000]

"self conscious wheras Milligan was just being natural" - this is not how you win an argument those days, love. the little buzz word that no one can help using - postmodernism - is all about questioning the very notion "natural" and being very very very self conscious

[fartjoke2000]

very notion OF

[egapnala65]

"Somebodies supplying the Indians with saxophones. (Spit)" "I think I know who they are." (Ting) "Bring that thing closer will you! Where are they hiding?" "America." "Make a note of that address" "How do you spell it?" "Dont worry, just write it down" "Ok." "Now read it back" "(gibberish)" "Sounds like the place to me." Call of the West 1958

[kirkwallboy]

Hard to believe he came from a different era from the Python team, fighting in WW2 before they were born. In the great scheme of things he was highly original and creative, and should never be forgotten.

[doylie45]

He was there inspiration.

[mooghead]

kirkwallboy  well said....I knew he was ill!

[fritzfritz18]

if you google 'q6 milligan', you will find the Qseries tribute site with lots of scripts and pics and vids from Spike Milligan's finest TV hour. And a DVD petition to sign!

[fartjoke2000]

so oafish compared to the pythons

[GremlinFFS]

bit like your name innit :-)

[fartjoke2000]

wow, you fucking nailed me. i was totally unaware of that my moniker is stupid and infantile and YOU brought it to light, cleverly ridiculing me and uncovering my follies

[sinablake]

idiot. without spike there would be no python!

[fartjoke2000]

i am perfectly aware that pythons acknowledge his influence in certain aspects of the structure of sketches (no punch lines etc) etc but they really took it to different places entirely. he was still delivering 'light entertainment', while the pythons invented deconstructive comedy, which is way above and beyond spike's artistic limits

[pogon63]

I get sometimes get bored with the Python's stuff.

Some of Spike's stuff is 'hit and miss', but I would always find this funny.

Spike was a comic genius and unlike much of the Python's output it will never become dated.

[fartjoke2000]

pythons are the inventors and the greatest practitioners of postmodern comedy, spike isanother, if very good one, deliverer of 'laughs', 'gags' and 'goofs'. this sketch is as dated as it comes. both 80s alternative comedy (young ones) and the best in contemporary series (south park) are influenced by pythons

[pogon63]

The sketch is as fresh as ever and far from being 'as dated as it comes'.

Much humour is derived from ridiculing those who take themselves too seriously.

Pseudo-intellectuals richly deserve having their pomposity and pretentiousness challenged, and its a terrible shame Spike's not still around to blow a few rasberries at your po-faced analysis of comic genius.

[fartjoke2000]

my god. you absolutely nailed me and put me to shame. how shall i ever use the 'fartjoke' username again...

if you want a sublime spoof of the academic discourse, try abofal's 'tricky linguistics' number. a brilliant demonstration of what spike could never achieve

and there is no denying pythons' legacy is infinitely more influential than spike's. time will put him right where he belongs, with carry ons and the two ronnies

[Rasperdan]

Yer sounds great that ... Pile of shyt mind. No spike .... no Python, simple as. Every artist is a thief mind you remember that. There has never been an artist that could achieve everything. So I dont get your point realy ????

[zzuzzupetals]

Whenever I'm feeling down, or naffed off I just watch this, and in no time I'm laughing my head off: Spike, what a genious, missed so much, superb !!

[themeters]

Singer is John Bluthall. (If you're a Brit. he's more recently in Vicar of Dibley

[bazzatheblue]

What`s the name of the fella doing the vocals?My fave part is David Lodge playing the frying pan and looking very serious about it too.Hilarious.

[laurabryannan]

I have a recording of this song, but how wonderful to see this live! Thanks for uploading.

[itshouldntbeallowed]

the first time i saw this I almost peed myself laughing. so happy to find it here all these years later!

[rancidcustard]

madcap brilliance thanx Spike

[sfkcbf]

I watch this from time to time on a regular basis because it makes so much more sense than much of what is going on in the nation and the world today.

[tammas2000]

The greatest ever - bar none - the essence of madcap irish humour! But.........whadawegonna do now? whaddawegonna do now? whaddawegonna do now?

[toaster009]

spike looks like helen mirren here

[supernffc]

RIP Spike. The guy was a pure comic genius

[tod42uk]

I was feeling a bit frazzeled as I'm trying to stop smoking, this great piece of Spike made me forget about my craving

[skipsimon]

Ironically, I'm smoking like a trooper as I watch this and all I crave is more Spike! Btw which 'Q' was this 8, 9? I probably saw it first time around but I don't remember it.

[acex20]

i have been looking for this for ages comic geinious R.I.P spike you make us all laugh even after death

[lokitoyz]

A perfect combination of silliness and slapstick. This kind of humor is sorely missing from the world. I am determined to bring it back.

[lokitoyz]

Absolute genius! Where can I get more? Is all of his work of this caliber?

[blozers]

awsome love it

[lokitoyz]

I'm just discovering spike and I needed to laugh because I haven't in a very long time thank you.

[ianpdavies]

Love it. Spike in make up! Laughed a load. Thanks Spike!

[steptoe83]

This is classic spike :)

[chavslayer666]

and on spikes tombstone was the following: "told you i was ill". a genius, a great man and soreley missed.

[warnerbooks]

genius............

[fresian]

what is that song

[fritzfritz18]

"everything is fresh today" by Jack Hodges

[b6gm6n]

what a piece of shit.... HA... I'm joking... he's the man! so funny...

[mickleem]

every so often a comic genius is born..spike was that one.children could watch this and it will make them laugh..i have witnessed this! this great, sadly late man was the best..good humour for the whole family..may i meet him one day..thanks spike..

[doylie45]

And now tell me that Ricky whatshisname and the knobs from Little Britain are great comics. True comedy without the foul language.

[AngryOfMayfair]

Gotta love Spike Milligan...

A one-off, truly original comic genius.

Fantastic.

[Graham1954]

Terrence 'Spike' Milligan suffered with chronic depression for all of his adult life. He spent time in a mental hospital in the 1950's because of it.

He certainly was a one off genius.

[AngryOfMayfair]

Hilarious... just fantastic.

We miss you Spike.

[plugsnowdon]

medical benefits of shellshock ?

[Dirlewanger]

The guys fucking nuts!!

And he's bloody brilliant a great sketch is "loose your furniture" arf!

[taff1976]

I guess Spike really must have had a bad blow to the head during the war. Crazy, fantastic and very stupid and silly. Ace!

[tottymansing]

you cant get much better than this..

todays huomour is not the same

tottymansing

[tottymansing]

try watching this without laughing

[deiseltrain]

utterly,utterly stupid - more please - comedy doesn't

get any better than this. GREAT!!

[johnlemesurier]

Search for "Everything Is Fresh Today" on Google & you will find the lyrics (thanks Mel Priddle!) the song is also on a CD compilation "A Box of British Humour" I just love singing along...

[erasershed1976]

comedy lol.

[welovebikes]

Spike beats most of the so called comedians of today, who usually have to resort to swearing to raise a laugh. Toolpusher, these weren't issues at the time as people could laugh at one another without causing offence and to Cool2BCeltic, thats exactly what Spike's job was, to make people laugh, which you say spoils the performance, because everyone is laughing at everything! Thats funnier then the video!

[tripsyman]

excellent post

[studboydave]

This is so funny. Thank you for posting.

[xraymond10]

I like the album version better.

[Cool2BCeltic]

A great comedy performance by an all time great. But it's spoiled by the audience laughing at everything. I hope they bring this out on dvd with the audience laughter edited out.

[lynchk2006]

Funny as hell, I cry everytime he blows that kazzo thing!

[malcstag]

Can any one get Q series> Spike brilliant!

[GUSFERON]

classic spike lol

[dpitd]

i watched this on Q but it seems to have an extra verse on this version and better film.whatever its still genius.

[oobleckboy]

Shear magic, Mr. McGonagall. Shear Magic.

[trevor112]

Oh gawd we miss you Spike

[HGtibby]

Q Milligan, theres a lot of it about thank goodness.

[godspal1]

Spike is actually fairly gud lukin for a girl.

[thewetdogproject]

Spike was a genius. Example above.

[Trixiebellebadmum]

Why-ever not? I'm sure the Vikings wouldn't mind.

[Toolpusher]

I think it's more the likes of the Pakistani Daleks sketch, the constant references to Hitler, and the pervy Arab Sheiks that would cause issues ;)

[coetmor]

They won't release Q because it's not very PC. Shame.

[Trixiebellebadmum]

SHUFTI!!!! I WANT TO MARRY YOU!!!! This is the funneist thing I've seen for about 15 yrs!

[braggman06]

absolutely brilliant delivery of those rasberries!!

[BondVidMan]

I remember this being on Spike's Q series on BBC2, and watching this as a young boy. I wish BBC would release the Q series on DVD.

[Skezbow]

lol i only just rember it from being a kid and i am 18, i havent seen it right thru, it was wonderfull, thanks to the person who posted it!