Ben Elton: "Yappy The Pekingese" (1986)

Ben Elton, back when he was openly doing "a bit of politics", puts in an impressive rant on the then 80s yuppy obsession with Pekingese dogs. ( http://tinyurl.com/p3tbu ) Being Ben Elton, he has a bit of sympathy for the plight of the Pekanese, bred to be the "John Selwyn Gummer of the animal kingdom", but as he says, nothing opens a dogs bottom faster than a pair of hand stitched Gucci shoes...

80s POP CULTURE REFERENCES:
* Pekingese dogs ( http://tinyurl.com/p3tbu )
* UK Yuppies ( http://tinyurl.com/mhdex )
* Sir Geoffry Howe ( http://tinyurl.com/zyx96 ), then UK Foreign Secretary
* Ronald Reagan
* Tax on cigarettes ( http://tinyurl.com/q8o35 ) courtesy of the Chancellor of the Exchquer. (At the time, Nigel Lawson.)
* London Weekend Television ( http://tinyurl.com/f2ele )
* Ford Fiesta ( http://tinyurl.com/qkj8p )
* Dire Straits ( http://tinyurl.com/bpkle )
* The Nolan Sisters ( http://tinyurl.com/eh6sy )
* John Selwyn Gummer ( http://tinyurl.com/j7tnk )
* Sony Walkman
* All-Bran ( http://tinyurl.com/qgutt )
* Charles & Di (On a skiing holiday!)
* The TARDIS. ( "Doctor Who" was in the news, as it had been suspended for 18 months. )
* Cruise Missles ( http://tinyurl.com/nh7lu )

UK SLANG:
"Fags" = cigarettes
"Goolies" = testicles
"Jobby" = excrement
"Dildo" = in this context, "idiot". (Not used much these days, as people are more aware of it's correct meaning.)
"Naff off" = "F*ck off". (Presumably inspired by the 70s prison sitcom "Porrige" using the Polari word "naff" as a synonym for "f*ck". ( http://www.chris-d.net/polari/ )

Category:

Comedy

Tags:

• ben
• elton
• benelton
• pekanese
• yuppy
• 80s
• 1986
• comedy
• stand-up
• standup
• stand
• up
• topical
• politics

[jake27smith]

P.S Ricky Gervais is also shit.

[alephnaughtpix]

To be fair, I agree with you on this as well. :)

[electricrussell]

He did co-write The Young Ones and Blackadder. So he's got nothing to prove.

[kenfig]

I dont know why so many are focusing on how Elton lives his life or what he does in his spare time/ who he works with etc.,. 1: He has NEVER been a politician & though like many of us didnt like the Thatcher govt. policies,he never said he didnt like ALL their policies ; 2: He doesnt OWE anybody ANYTHING with his viewpoints, also considering that millions of peoples political views modify as times/policies change & 3: its COMEDY for gods sake & not ALL about politics.Finally,hes VERY funny

[MrCaporegime]

Thumbs up if Ben was your first taste of stand-up and if your curious as to why you ever found him funny in the first place.

[itsbanffdavehere]

Ben Elton was a great stand-up act in his day, one of the best!

What a lot of younger people don't fully appreciate when watching this, is that Alternative comedy was revolutionary at the time. It was in it's early stages of evolution here. There was a real buzz surrounding alternative comedy. The sort of buzz normally associated with a pop group, and hasn't happened in comedy since. It was a very exciting time. I was there and I loved it!

[Innersymbiance]

Please all you Haters and bloody foreign idiots "Sell out" what the f*ck are you on about (let a lone, what are you ON!). Ben worked on a whole bunch of English Series. If you don't get his humor, then you're either Dead, not English or Both. I find Ben's material funny 15 years later, I still laugh my ass off. (The Puddles of Piss..).

Sell out?.. go, shut the frick up!! already!

[gaelemaat]

Thank you for a damned good laugh! I really

enjoy Ben Elton's comedy routines. I'm hoping

to locate the one about the mating habits of the

southern right whale.  Screamingly funny! I'd be eternally grateful for a link to it...

Gaele.

[JAYROX1969]

Hes a sellout!!!!!!!!!!

[vaj99]

@polystachya Why duz his dad(whos an oxford don) talk posh, and not he?

[paulspydar]

wow !  £1.50p a packet!! wonder if that was 10 or 20?

[pizzaandmetal]

Sell out.

[vaj99]

Is he a real cockney?

[AricornMartian]

Yapyapyapyapyapyapyap...and his name was Yappy!

I knew his name was Yappy 'cause he had a lovely little collar on, it said: "This dog's name is Yappy. If this dog should dare to roam, run it over 'cause we bloody hate it!"

Ben Elton's brilliant!