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Johnny Vegas
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, sootyj said:
Bit shocking what happened the other night, what do you all think about it?
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, Richard Wells said:
What happened ?
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, sootyj said:
Invited a female audience member on stage, and groped her. Good article in O bserver on this, may post it up later.
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, Aaron said:
Yeah, if you're going to ask people's opinions, it's a good idea to at least make some mention of what the hell you're on about. Even better to post a link to an article or something.
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, zooo said:
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/theatre/2008/05/johnny_vegas.html
I just read this.
Sounds pretty horrific, if true.
Maybe he was pissed.
Also, there are rumours she was a plant...?
Who knows.
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, Martin Holmes said:
Some people thought he went too far, but others think they are making a big deal out of nothing. Not been there it's difficult to say whether he crossed the line or not.
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, zooo said:
Exactly.
We can't really have a valid opinion.
But we can still talk about it! 
Otherwise we could hardly talk about anything at all, let's face it.
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, Aaron said:
Quote: zooo @ May 4 2008, 2:45 PM BSThttp://blogs.guardian.co.uk/theatre/2008/05/johnny_vegas.html
I just read this.
Sounds pretty horrific, if true.
Maybe he was pissed.
Also, there are rumours she was a plant...?
Who knows.
View original
Cripes. Yeah. Not quite sure what to say to that. Anyone have any links to articles which aren't so emotionally involved and, ultimately, biased?
Quote: zooo @ May 4 2008, 6:01 PM BSTExactly.
We can't really have a valid opinion.
But we can still talk about it!
Otherwise we could hardly talk about anything at all, let's face it.
View original
I don't think we ever say much, do we?
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, zooo said:
Not a lot!
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, Gavin said:
I dunno maybe she was a "plant" like a highly evolved Sun flower.
Or Venus Fly trap...
Who knows! Johnny Knows but he aint telling.
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, Perry Nium said:
I think...actually I don't know what to think.
Speechless.
Actually I will say this; if I was in the audience and thought there was something improper going on I wouldn't just sit there, I'd have to do something. If the story is true, it's fucking disgusting and Vegas just dropped several miles in my estimation.
But I suspect she was a plant, or a friend, or at least a willing participant.
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, David Chapman said:
Was it Anne Robinson?
She likes being groped in public.
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, Splodge said:
I wasn't surprised about him doing this, because anyone who is a fan of low rent Friday night Channel 4 entertainment will remember him doing this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kX2bIQQtVKk
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, Winterlight said:
It's a very biased article, isn't it?!
Obviously, I wasn't there, so don't know what happened.
However, do you think that Simon Munnery would have taken to the stage to cover the pair with a coat? That's what makes me think it was a setup. I doubt two professional comics would commit such suicide on stage.
Do you think the 'James Williams' from NOTBBC is the same James Williams who posts on here?
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, Aaron said:
I'd guess that it's quite likely.
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, sootyj said:
If so, what on earth was the joke?
Also Vegas is not well known, for subtle Andy Kaufmanesque trickery.
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, zooo said:
There are many things one can do for publicity. I personally would not choose to make everyone think I was a disgusting sex pest.
But then Johnny Vegas is an enigma.
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, Aaron said:
I would guess that, if that was his motive, he would have assumed that people would "get" it as just part of his stage persona, albeit a little further on than what he may have done previously.
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, zooo said:
I suppose so.
Backfired a bit then!
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, John Kelly said:
I very rarely go to stand-up, but I did go to this. I was in the front row of the circle rather than the stalls, so possibly didn't see everthing as clearly as some at the front.
Nobody knew Johnny Vegas was coming on, as they'd just billed the third act as a mystery guest. When he did come on, he made a very dramatic start, throwing himself into the audience, but he also seemed quite nervous and hyped-up. He was obviously trying to be a weird mixture of funny and poignant.
Then he started focussing on this young woman in the front row, who was clearly not, in my opinion, planted there. She seemed very nervous, but it was very hard to tell how much she was happy to go along with what followed. He was supposedly re-enacting Sleeping Beauty and he was going to wake her up. She was carried on stage and Vegas sat astride her and kissed and fondled her. It was really hard to tell how much he was doing it for real and how much he was playing it up.
At the end I felt uneasy about what I had seen, and worried that the woman had felt pressured into going along with it. Someone on a blog said she ran off looking very happy at the end, but I certainly didn't see that. If she was o.k. about what happened, then it can hardly be called sexual assault, but it certainly left an unpleasant taste in the mouth, excuse the pun. It's fair to say that a huge number of media trendy types were in the audience, the sort who you would expect to scream blue murder if they felt something was politically incorrect, and I didn't hear anyone say or do anything, but the uncertainty about the compliance or otherwise of the woman made it very difficult to judge. Indeed, a very politically correct comedian like Stewart Lee was compering the show and certainly didn't feel the need to intervene, and seems to have stayed completely silent about it since. However, I did feel Vegas was exploiting his position as a celebrity.
It's been very interesting since to see how different parts of the media reinterpret it to their own agendas.
As I say, I very rarely go to stand-up, so I haven't got much to compare it with. I came away thinking, God, that's a very cynical take on the world a lot of comedians have nowadays. It was a relief in a way afterwards to see that it did make an impression, and that there has been a debate about it in the media, although many of the reactions seems to have exaggerated on both sides.
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, zooo said:
Innnnteresting.
Kids, don't get on stage with a comedian who has just split up with his wife and hasn't had a shag for some time.
Especially if he's got a few hundred pounds on you.
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, sootyj said:
One has to wander what the reaction, would have been if it was Russell Brand, or oither supposed sex symbol....
That said, it's hard to be a party pooper, or kill joy infront of hundreds of people. The pressure not to speak up is strong, shame is the key for how most people get away with sexual assaults.
I have a strong suspicion that the girl just wants a low profile and to forget all about it.
It's also legendary the crap that entertainers of all stripes get away with.
If I going to be honest as a standup, I've picked on hecklers a couple of times, and it's a thrill.
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, zooo said:
Russell Brand's nice to people. Not cruel or humiliating.
But I get your point!
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, Charley said:
Hey I can tink of worse things than being groped by Johnny V. Like set alight & stabbed through the thorax.
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, M Lewis said:
Quote: Charley @ May 7 2008, 6:41 PM BSTHey I can tink of worse things than being groped by Johnny V. Like set alight & stabbed through the thorax.
View original
I'd go to that gig.
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, Scatterbrained Floozy said:
Quote: zooo @ May 7 2008, 6:07 PM BST
Kids, don't get on stage with a comedian who has just split up with his wife and hasn't had a shag for some time.
Especially if he's got a few hundred pounds on you.
View original
I hope that was said with a cheesy smile and thumbs-up?
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, zooo said:
Of course!
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, Charley said:
Quote: M Lewis @ May 7 2008, 7:12 PM BSTI'd go to that gig.
View original
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, David Chapman said:
So it seems that the fucking holier than thou Grauniad made it all up.
Sounds about right to me with their Eltonesque right-on political correct attitude.
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, Aaron said:
Oh?
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, Perry Nium said:
Nobody's mentioned anything about (an uncommonly sober) Vegas on Jonathan Ross last night. Wossy probed him about the "incident" but Vegas basically said nothing improper went on but he'll say no more about it because he feels uncomfortable about having to "defend his act". Fair enough I suppose.
But I know that if I was a celeb of Vegas's stature I'd be very keen to set the record straight. Could it be that the story goes like this:
Vegas gets a woman up on stage. Vegas enacts a bizarre Sleeping Beauty fantasy. Vegas fondles and fingers a woman on stage. People object. A LOT of people. Vegas's agents / advisors shit themselves and immediately book him on Jonny Ross in a damage limitation exercise. Case closed.
It may be that this is all bullshit - but from what I've read a lot of people felt intensely uncomfortable in the audience that night and Vegas had a great opportunity on Ross's show to give the lowdown on what happened. But he didn't.
I wasn't there so I don't even know why I'm writing this. I normally detest reactionary gun-jumpers but you can't ignore the amount of people that are saying something wrong went on that night.
What worries me the most is people talking about the girl in question, as if it makes it alright because she didn't object to what was going on. Well anyone that's been to a comedy club before will know that if you get dragged onstage, you do things you wouldn't normally do, simply because of peer pressure. The performer and audience are all willing you to go that extra mile and you do, against your better judgement.
I've experienced it myself at the hands of the comedy duo Die Clatterschenkenfietermaus. (Great act by the way) But if a friend had told me to get on my knees in front of 200 people and pretend to perform oral sex on another man, I'd tell him to fuck right off. But because I was in a comedy club, I felt I couldn't say no because it'd ruin the act and I'd come off looking a killjoy twat. So I did it. I was also made to lay face-down on the stage for fucking ages as part of their act. Of course what I didn't tell them was that I was recovering from a broken shoulder at the time. So there I was, lying on the stage face down in fucking agony, pretending to laugh along with what was happening. It all seemed quite natural at the time but the next morning I had to go to hospital because my shoulder had completely frozen, and I was sat there thinking to myself "You stupid twat, why didn't you just say "no"?"
And there's the issue I think. If this Vegas incident did happen, (and I'm still unconvinced it did) but IF it did, I imagine the girl in question went home afterwards and questioned her motives in letting it happen just like I did.
I've nothing personally against audience participation but the humour doesn't have to come from a bad place. Obviously there's gonna be pisstaking but there's a fine line and I personally HATE it when comedy turns into bullying.
Ooo that was a long post.
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, sootyj said:
Very confessional and interesting.
I'm a distinctively big, jolly looking guy, who isn't especially smiley, so I get very used to getting picked on in audiences. In fairness I've walked out a couple of times, I don't mind some ribbing, but I won't be abused.
Now I think of it I've seen some much lesser standups do similar stuff, and it's horrible to watch. It's funny, but in a nasty cruel sort of way. When the audience is riled up, who wants to be the one who says no. And that whole thing of pushing people around on stage, and maybe getting a bit "hands on," it's not that unknown.
I think Johnny is a pretty extreme improver, who fights the audience, makes stuff up, and drinks enough to lower his inhibitions. I doubt he ever scripted "touch up girl." I think he famously looks for his comedic thread on stage, and then mines it.
As for Jonathon Ross, I suspect he's doing what ever his expensive lawyers tell him.
A similarly genius comic Andy Kauffman ruined his own TV career with being unpredictable.
I think we can forgot how primal, and savage real comedy can be.
n.b. as for The Guardian, pious wankers. Bloody typical find a 3rd rate feminist comic, and ask her to do a hatchet job. Bet Sarah Silverman wouldn't return their calls.
Feminist comedian, why do the words, contradiction and terms come to mind.
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, Aaron said:
I too thought it was a bit weird he didn't say anything more on FNwJR, and that it was perhaps a little suspicious that he was on when he was (but then, there's a new series of Ideal, so nowhere near impossible that he was booked anyway). But he, rightly or wrongly, obviously believes that it's all been blown up out of recognition, so I'm not sure how much more he could have said?
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, sootyj said:
Like I say, Johnny is probably doing what ever his lawyers tell him to, and his agent.
Remember if he says anything, the red tops will be waving cheque books to find any one to contradict him.
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, Aaron said:
No doubt they are anyway.
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, sootyj said:
I'm sure, but if the specific girl isn't saying anything, they're probably looking for something specific to bounce off of.
E.g. I never hit a woman, this woman says diferet for £50,000, and for £100,000 they'll say he's got a small cock too.
And a large parrot arf arf!
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, Mark said:
Quote: Aaron @ May 11 2008, 10:24 AM BSTI too thought it was a bit weird he didn't say anything more on FNwJR, and that it was perhaps a little suspicious that he was on when he was
View original
He had been booked for a long time to appear last Friday to promote Ideal, so from his point of view it was quite unfortunate timing.
As for why he didn't say much about it to Jonathan - I think it might have something to do with the fact his lawyers have issued libel proccedings against The Guardian. I'm pretty sure his lawyers would have told him to try and avoid the subject as one isn't supposed to comment on things going to court?
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, sootyj said:
I read the Guardian pretty much every day. Still like to see the pompous wine sipping liberals, take a beating.
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, Perry Nium said:
Quote: Splodge @ May 4 2008, 9:55 PM BSTI wasn't surprised about him doing this, because anyone who is a fan of low rent Friday night Channel 4 entertainment will remember him doing this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kX2bIQQtVKk
View original
Just watched this.
Note to self: Don't go to a Johnny Vegas gig wearing white trainers. That's pretty out there, though. A fat man sticking his finger up his arse and wiping shit on your trainers does not a good night out make. that's the first time I've seen Vegas in full-flow and it's just disturbing. I think he's a great actor and has really blown me away in Ideal, but no. That's just unpleasant.
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, sootyj said:
Just watched the clip myself, bloody hell that is a but too much.
I mean that poor guy he sat on.
Funny though no one seems to think that was sexual harrasment, one rule for one, and one for t'other.
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, zooo said:
He didn't stick his fingers in that guy's vagina.
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, Aaron said:
LOL. You're on top form this morning afternoon, zooo!
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, sootyj said:
How do we know that for either of them?
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, zooo said:
We don't!
We also don't know enough to be complaining 'One rule for one, and one for the other'!
Quote: Aaron @ May 11 2008, 12:09 PM BSTLOL. You're on top form this morning afternoon, zooo!
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It must be because I've had a DIP DAB!
For breakfast.
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, Aaron said:
Even I don't do that!
Still.
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, sootyj said:
Only looking at the most roughest outline of what happened.
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, sen XD said:
I only know Johnny Vegas from Black Books. Yes, I live under a rock..
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, Perry Nium said:
Vegas was in black books? Which one?
I've since been told by an uber-reliable source that the article in question is bullshit, and that Vegas has been done a massive disservice. I'm happy (and relieved) to accept that on her say-so.
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, David Chapman said:
Quote: Perry Nium @ June 22 2008, 12:06 AM BSTVegas was in black books? Which one?
I've since been told by an uber-reliable source that the article in question is bullshit, and that Vegas has been done a massive disservice. I'm happy (and relieved) to accept that on her say-so.
View original
I think that's what I said earlier.
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, Perry Nium said:
So you did. Wasn't listening, sorry.
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, Matthew Stott said:
Quote: Perry Nium @ June 22 2008, 12:06 AM BSTVegas was in black books? Which one?
View original
Wasnt he Frans pervy landlord, who was moving her walls in at night to make a new room next door?
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, Aaron said:
Correct.
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, Perry Nium said:
of course!