Comedy Competitions
There's just some unholy and wrong about making comedy into a competition. I went along to the BBC Talent stand-up comedy thingy tonight at the Hyena to watch 12 acts get put through the rigours of performing short sets to an increasingly tired audience while simultaneously getting judged on their merits. Although I was not participating, I managed to get exceedingly nervous about the whole show, almost as though I was up there with the acts and having to face the same pressures.

I'm also turning into a comedy snob. I spent a lot of last night shaking my head with my arms folded. One song about a tortoise made my chest tighten and I felt physically ill, embarrassed to have witnessed the event. I hope I don't come across like that doing my stuff.

There were some genuine laughs. The compere was very good, and some of the acts came out with lines which I enjoyed. I went along with the aim of supporting certain acts and felt that I was supporting a worthy subset of the showcase.