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The Mighty Boosh – why?

By mofgimmers on July 16th, 2007 67 comments

theshiteyboosh.jpgWarning – People who are of a pathetic disposition, look away now. I’m about to stick the boot in.

What do you get if you cross weedy voices, pathetic attempts at pop culture jokes, weak scripts, awful acting, annoying ditties, no comedy timing and the occasional nod toward a slightly obscure band? Answer: A cult smash with brain-dead no-marks called The Mighty Boosh. Yep. You heard. The Mighty Boosh is the emperor’s new clothes and you’re too dim to notice.

Being a fan of innovative and interesting Brit comedy, I thought ver Boosh would’ve tickled my pickle. Instead, it left me cold and uninterested… then incredibly angry. When people watch comedy programmes, they are unable to contain themselves. They howl with laughter. The actually hold their sides. Now and again, a programme will capture the mass attention and I’ll miss the point. This happened with Bo’Selecta. People sat me down and wept with laughter as I sat there a bit puzzled. Show over, they calmed down and said “never mind… maybe it’s not for you…” That’s fine. I can admit that people can disagree on shows and we’ll all get along happily ever after. The Mighty Boosh is different…


Quite a few times now (the exact number doesn’t matter one bit), people have sat me down in front of a screen and shown me an episode of the Mighty Boosh. Naturally, they pick one that is either a favourite or one that is deemed to be one of the better ones. Each time, I have failed to even smirk. For me, watching The Boosh is like watching a documentary about jokeless uninteresting dick heads. However, like I said before, I’m happy to dislike something and let other people watch what they want… but with this sorry excuse for a comedy, it’s different… and for one fundamental reason.

When I watch it with a fan, they do not even raise a grin throughout. Why? Well, at first, I put it down to the fact that they could feel my misery resonating through the room. Balls. Again, touching on what I said before, laughter is not something you can control. With Bo’ Selecta, I didn’t laugh whilst all around howled. “You don’t get it?!” people have lobbed in my direction whilst trying not to piss. A friendly shrug confirms that I do get it, I’m just not laughing. The Mighty Boosh has always been watched in silence. Why? Why? WHY?

It’s the emperor’s new clothes thing. People know, deep down, that The Mighty Boosh is a spectacularly unfunny programme. It’s amazing to watch a programme that bad. It’s down there with Two Pints of Lager, Catherine Tate, The Vicar of Dibley and Coupling. How can someone love a show like this and watch in silence just by my presence? Hmmm? I can watch an episode of The Simpsons (that I’ve seen a thousand f*cking times) and still laugh my baps right off at a couple of jokes. I can’t help it. Laughter is UNCONTROLLABLE. Unless you’re watching The Mighty Boosh it seems. The only laugh I got from this shite is that anyone commissioned it. When I say laugh, I mean sobbed uncontrollably.

Watching the horrendous Noel Fielding mew about being the best mod ain’t funny. It really isn’t. Watching Julian Barratt get ‘the funk’ in a box from a pale imitation of Papa Lazarou is about as funny as an injection going through the wall of your stomach. It’s no joke (ho!) that this is by far the most tawdry excuse for counter-culture comedy that ever existed. I imagine that people have wondered out loud about what drugs must’ve been taken during the making. ‘Oh! It’s like [insert comedy show] on acid!’ Acid actually gives you great ideas, just ask The Beatles. In that case, if The Mighty Boosh is a Beatles song, then it’s Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da.

In short, if you like The Mighty Boosh, there is something wrong with you. Your brain has become lazy. The only reason I can think that this programme exists is that it’s a huge joke at the expense of the people who watch it. It’s actually a knock-on from Nathan Barley and designed to shine a light on all you ‘Nathans’ out there. You’ve believed the hype and someone, somewhere is laughing at you sat in a bath full of money. Well, you deserve it. [Mof Gimmers]

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67 Responses to “The Mighty Boosh – why?”

  1. Sarah says:

    You’ve obviously been watching it with the wrong people, because I do literally howl with laughter when I watch it. The first time I watched Milky Joe, I was in tears. And on the live shoe, “Pies”.. I think I actually laugh less though when I’m with my friends all watching it and we’ve seen it before, but I could watch it endlessly with my boyfriend and we’d always be in stitches. I doubt it helps if you’re sitting there with a face like thunder, unwilling to give it a chance. I never laughed at Borat when I watched it with my mum, because she didn’t find it funny, but I laughed when I saw it in the cinema, because no one was there making me feel bad about laughing.

    I could go on and list the things I’ve been laughing out loud at. Of course there will be people who don’t like it – it’s comedy, everyone finds different things funny. I’ve never found Blackadder, Red Dwarf or Only Fools and Horses funny, yet these are ‘classics’.

    You obviously suffer from a case of “I’m better than everyone else”. But the joke’s on you, sir.

  2. Hello There says:

    Right. We can tell that you don’t get any joy whatsoever out of watching ‘The Mighty Boosh’ but people such as myself do!

    I find it funny and worth watching and i am a big Simpsons fan also.
    So i would appreciate if you didn’t slag it off!

  3. Andrew Watts says:

    well, you’re certainly full of crap aren’t you. Fine, you don’t like the show, but to decnounce all that do as either idiots or whey-faced trend followers? That’s a little arrogant, isn’t it? “I don’t get it, so everyone who likes it must be stupid.” Sounds like flawless logic to me. I find it astounding that you can compare the boosh to pathetic catchprhase comedy like catherine tate, when it is so obviously the antidote to that mire of turgid, samey crap we wade through nowadays (bovvered, want that one etc). The Mighty Boosh is full of innovation, invention, creativity and genuine talent, and I personally have laughed myself to tears watching it on numerous occasions. Don’t attempt to generalise your own narrow experience to the whole of society. Oh, and you don’t think the creators of the simpsons are laughing all the way to the bank, having just finished season 42 or whatever the fuck they’re up to now?

  4. Andrew Watts says:

    oh, and I hate the league of gentlemen, that’s bollocks. Merry fucking christmas.

  5. B says:

    You uncultured cocksucker.

    You can’t write for shit so don’t you dare pass judgement on one of the best shows to ever come out of Britain.

    I understand if you don’t ‘get it’, but to write an entire article (?) on why people shouldn’t watch it is just fucking arrogant.

    Go and watch Friends or Everybody Loves Raymond.

  6. fats says:

    this is an outrage!!!!!!!!!!!

  7. Steve-O says:

    haha!

    Boosh fans get so riled when anybody slags off there show. Must be cos deep down they know its s***.

    If you like the show fair enough, but don’t start saying things like its original, or the best show in britain and all that b******s.

    Statements like this “one of the best shows to ever come out of Britain.” are insulting to genuine british comedy legends e.g. The Python gang, Chris Morris, Ricky Gervais, the league of gentlemen and many other comedians that aren’t noel fielding or julian barrat)

    read this defence of the programme also;

    http://www.tvscoop.tv/2007/07/why_i_love_the_1.html

    Found this very amusing, basically says the show is good because it has heart, in other words its greatest quality is how hard it tries to be funny.

    Also mentions the odd couple formula which has been done a million times before and has been done a million times better. Seriously watch ‘pinky and the brain’ its smarter, funnier and the writing and comedy timing is better.

    I’m sick of hearing that the reason people don’t like the programme is cos they don’t get it. Or maybe its because they don’t think its funny, obviously laughing for the sake laughing is a common trait amongst boosh fans, evident by there choice of comedy.

    “Noel Fielding, possibly the sexiest beast now roaming the TV jungle.” Ignoring the fact that this arguemnet is both crap and shallow, Saw the guy on buzzcocks and he has some serious plaque issues, he needs a new dentist. This comment also sums up the shows fan base. Do you honestly believe the reason some guys don’t like the show is cos noel fielding is good looking.

    Seriously this show is terrible, i’m sure barrat and fielding play boggle, find a bunch of words put them together and hey presto! a script!

  8. emma says:

    Posted by: yerma | November 25, 2007 11:39 PM

    IF YO UDONT LIKE IT SWITCH IT OF THATS WHY THRERES AN OPTION YO SAD TOSSERS

    i agree why do boring old people have to moan about everything i expect your some sado who sits at home watching midsummer night murders thinking about all the wrong things the youth of today are doing your boring! your sold out! and you get your kicks from sitting at a comp slagging of a show you dont like its a tv show for gods sake SWITCH IT OFF normally i wouldnt reply to tossers like you but i was browsing through and i happen to extremely like the mighty boosh!!

  9. emma says:

    “I’ll assume that The Mighty Boosh only attracts people who live in bedsits, smoke too much weed and spend all their time on forums trying to be witty and pithy. See you on Bit Torrent real music fans.”

    in my oppinion you are an apsolutely awfull writer all that stuff you were saying earlyer up there about beign a writer and stuf i m not sure you are going to get into any good magzines or pappers by slagging people off like that do you even have a boss and may i ask how are you making a profit from publishing this on the internet?? and secondly i watch the mightyboosh regularyly and i dont smoke weed i dont live in a bed sit and this is the first time ive commented on a forum infact i go to privrate school am a well manored 15 year old girl and happen to enjoy a program that some sold out writer doesnt enjoy should i be subjected to such insults as this i do not think that your logic is very sesible at all and i think you hae become bitter and fed up with the fact that you have anoyed the fams of a show who have obviously outwitted you so you have retired to being childish and pathetic trust me if i ever see you name on any article i wil not bother reading it next time!
    ema

  10. Anonymous says:

    haha! ‘midsummer night murders’

    Is that Shakespeare’s ITV Drama Premiere?

    Have you ever heard of punctuation? Seriously can we please have comments from a boosh fan that isn’t twelve years old.

  11. Lisa says:

    This is the first time i’ve been on this webpage and cannot believe the filth becoming my eyes!!! Im 28 years old, a model part time (thats fashion NOT glamour) and have a first class degree in law/policing (am therefore not some childlike, ugly, dumb idot with a crap job). The Mighty Boosh is the most entertaining programm ever to grace our TV screens; and although Noel Fielding isn’t the usualy type of guy I would go for, he is definately the most beautiful person I have ever seen. His eyes and smile are enchanting and his humour and personality mesmorising – he’s also so talented!! To those of you who don’t like the show – then thats your opinion; I would expect something so original, so far from the mundane shite that consumes this world, not be everyones cup of tea. Oppose to ‘dissing’ your comments – I feel for you in that you don’t posses the qualities that allow you to appreciate such a great show.

  12. Lazlo Toth says:

    Meh. It’s the opinion of a random Internet hipster who showed up on a Google search versus my own spontaneous laughter. I came across the Mighty Boosh by accident, with no “hype” and no expectations. (I’m an American. You’ll probably write me off from that alone, but trust me, I’m Not With These Guys.)

    I happened across a clip on Youtube, the bit about “Old Gregg,” and it was… garishly amusing. Not enough that I was an instant fan, but enough that I was curious where the hell it came from. It was a boring day.

    I grabbed the full episode and decided, you know, in full context it was sort of amusing. I like surreal comedy with no pretense of a realistic premise. I do enjoy more sophisticated comedy, but I don’t see why something deserves so much bile just for being… a bit goofy. Perhaps I enjoy Mighty Boosh BECAUSE it’s not especially bright.

    Or maybe I enjoy things that I’m explicitly told I’m not supposed to like, by people who deliberately align their tastes with the crowd — for OR against.

    Or maybe I just have rotten tastes. I did enjoy certain late episodes of the Monkees, after all. But then, you can watch the same episode of the Simpsons HOW many times and still be amused, which implies you’re either amnesiac or simple, and thus we’re on equal footing at very least.

  13. Briandroid says:

    After a long and succesful track-record of introducing my Belgian Anglo-comedy-loving friends to some corkers (usually after a trip back home) -everything from The Office to Rising Damp and all points inbetween, my streak ended with Boosh.
    I picked a DVD up on the recommendation of friends back in England, eager to produce the latest comedy smash, and was ashamed to give it to my Belgian friends after cringing through it myself.
    Truly dreadful, a low point in comedy, but I gave it to them objectively, saying try this one out. Maybe my lack of enthusiasm shone through, but they gave it me back somewhat unimpressed, and I fear they’ll never trust my recommendations again.
    I found this thread by typing in “Is Mighty Boosh crap ?”, certain that hundreds of sites would say “unequivocally Yes!”
    If you guys like it fair enough, but I regret associating myself with it.
    (I partially redeemed myself by saying that I thought it was utter wank-stain as well)

  14. bron says:

    THE BOOSH RULES

  15. thehousden says:

    The Boosh isnt that bad! and it’s not all about Noel and his (unbearabley) good looks
    its about the crimps, the costumes, the stories and the magic :)
    watching the boosh is like being in a club where everyone knows the secret password of crimp lyrics (but where noone knowes the unanswered questions of what the black bits in bananas are…)

    so give it a chance :)
    or maybe you’re just too old and not open-minded enough to appreciate it.
    either way…i’ll support it to the end :)

  16. Sian says:

    I’d like to say, alot of people seem to be ‘making digs’ at British comdies lately. I think the best way to sum it up is a quote from the Simpsons ‘Americans don’t understand the subltied of British humour’ The Boosh is funny in an abstract and new way, it has a huge fanbase of mainly teenagers becaus ethey really get the way it goes, its a kids show for the grown ups who are still young at heart and willing to act like a fool but still have fun, I means that’s what Noel and Julian themselves are. So yes some may say it’s rubbish and say it doesn’t make you luagh but all us open minded people who can appreciate abstractness do like it and think you are a right idiot

  17. Me, The one and only says:

    Insulting people who have a different sense of humour than you is really quiet a low and silly thing to do, we all have different tastes and obviously yours isn’t the surreal type that likes the Boosh. I do on the other hand, me and my friend shave watched every episode at least 3 times and still find it funny, laugh when we quote it back and generally ahve a good laugh, even more so now we have watched the commentaries on the DVD and found these to be just as funny as the show itself. Maybe you don’t like the Boosh and you don’t find it funny but some people do and they aren’t idiots and don’t have something wrong with them. I adore the Boosh and think it’s one that will become a classic like Faulty Towers, The Pythons, Only Fools and Horses and The Vicar of Dibley, all of which I also adore, yet I am also an intelligant person who works hard and finds the Boosh a welcome escape from the harsh realities of life




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