Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Is Michael McIntyre an artist? Does the joke stand alongside the libretto, the pirouette and the poem as a bona fide form of artistic expression? Absolutely, is the contention of the UK Comedy Guild, which has backed a call to the Arts Council to start offering grants to the men and women who know exactly why the chicken crossed the road.
The plea – made in a po-faced open letter – does not convince. Enough of what the Arts Council funds ends up unintentionally amusing: it has no business deliberately targeting the funny bone. Consider the practicalities. A comedian needs no equipment beyond a camera, or a stage and a microphone. Such things are not expensive. And the market works: good comedians fast earn a reputation and make money from gigs, tours and television appearances. Bad ones do not. The state should not be offering financial support to stand-ups who trot out “knock, knock” lines to a yawning pub. There has, in fact, never been a better time to make jokes for a living. Nearly 10 times as many people watch comedy shows held in arenas than did in 2007. YouTube offers a new generation of comics the chance to build a following without leaving home. Yes, the Oscars committee rarely descends to recognise films that Will Ferrell might have auditioned for, but that is because, even in cinematic form, comedy props up the hierarchy of artistic ambition.
Stand-up, for its part, can only be thought of as a performance, not a work of art. That is not to diminish the effort that can go into sculpting a punchline. It is to say the Arts Council should stick to funding the less popular, more cumbersome art forms that aim to touch the soul, not just tickle the ribs. As the audience for poetry and opera dwindles, comedy is sure to have the last laugh, in any case.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments