The Comedy of Hate

As you may or may not know Bernard Manning played the Barrowland on Saturday night past. Alan Anderson, the guy who’s promoting our shows for the comedy festival also put on Bernard.

There was a mild furore, stirred up by AA a month or two ago, when the comedy festival rejected his application to have Manning on as part of the festival.

In this review of the show it states that...well just read it to see what it states. It won’t take long.

Now a few days after the fat balloon has performed, the comedy forums of Chortle are bristling with furious diatribes against Mr Anderson. Some of them of course are funny and some of them are really hate filled.

The choicest cuts are

“Utterly contemptible”

“Idiot or money grabbing cunt? Probably a bit of both I suspect.”

“The Arsene Wenger of racist comedy promotion”

“I genuinely hope one day Alan, that your insistence on triumphalism in the stirring up of racial hatred gets you the prosecution you so richly deserve”

“Surely by putting on this show you have compromised your position as a promoter in showing that you have no respect for your industry.”

“I truly feel that you have let both yourself and comedy in Glasgow down hugely by putting this show on and coming on to this forum defending yourself and your actions just makes you look like an idiot”

He’s also been compared to Vidkun Quisling and pretend historian David Irving.

These are all just the opinions of a handful of comedians and other comedy promoters of course. For my part I don’t really have a problem with the fact that he put Manning on, though I’d rather he’d put on Adam Hills or Daniel Kitson or any other funny and decent act that he’s promoted in the past.

I’ll save any hatred and bile for Alan when he fucks up something to do with our show. Not that he would, pro that he is.

I was always more impressed that he landed the Barrowlands as a venue. However it’s also a bit sad that they’d go for it. I’m sure ten years ago, when every big name touring act was playing there, they would have laughed at the suggestion.