Cunt of the Week: George Freeman

Cunt of the week goes to George Freeman, head of policy at Number 10 and MP for Mid Norfolk, who claims that PIP, the disability benefit, should go to the "really disabled" rather than "taking pills at home, who suffer from anxiety"

Let's have a look at this cunt shall we?

^This is what a man who has no understanding of mental health looks like

This is the Tory government in a nutshell; they genuinely believe such a crude distinction can be made because they are so blithely unaware of life beyond their ivory towers. They really don't care what effect the £3.7billion cuts they plan to roll out in next month's budget will have on the most disadvantaged and vulnerable in our society. Sign this petition to stop these cuts happening!

Altogether now...

Rapid Reviews : The Bedwetter by Sarah Silverman

I'm a fan of Sarah Silverman's comedy but I have to say this 'autobiography' came as something of a mild disappointment.

It's funny, but nowhere near as funny as Silverman is on stage, film or on television. Most of the humour and effort in the narrative seems to come in quiet early, principally in her recounting of her childhood and 'the bedwetting years' with things tailing off rapidly when it comes to her detailing her career and her life in the public eye. Indeed much of her life is either glossed over or omitted completely; we read how Sarah tried out a few open mic nights before securing a regular spot and then the next thing we know she's on TV with the narrative concentrating on her show the hilarious The Sarah Silverman Program and some notorious moments - such as upsetting the Asian community, Christians, Paris Hilton and Britney Spears with her comic material at various stages and upsetting fashionistas with her dress material at an awards ceremony - but there's virtually nothing of her film work, and her relationships in adult life - such as the long term one with fellow comic and TV personality Jimmy Kimmel - are pretty much completely avoided, with the break up between her and Kimmel only mentioned via a photo her father sent her of himself to cheer her up in the photo plate section of the book.

The affection Sarah has for her family really shines through the book which can be nice to read but in some cases does make you feel a little like a witness at an elaborate in joke (such as the chapter dedicated to her father's answer machine messages to her, the humour of which largely seems distinctly lost in translation to the printed word) Equally the insight into her comic persona and how absurd the complaints towards her material are when you dissect them is especially insightful, but ultimately this is a very selective biography and an easy unassuming read. 

I Want Someone To Eat Cheese With (2006)

"Last night I had sex for the first time in five years and I'm feeling pretty invincible"

To say I Want Someone To Eat Cheese With was a labour of love for Jeff Garlin would be an understatement.

 To say it was plain sailing getting it to screen would be an outright lie. 

In 1997 Garlin began the script determined to write, direct and star in the semi-autobiographical tale about an overweight 39 year old Chicago comedian from the Second City troupe who lives at home with his mom is unlucky in love and feels life is passing him by and on occasion is mirroring his favourite movie, Marty.

Garlin struggled to find financing for the project and it fell through twice. He famously claims it was shot in 18 days, but that those days were spread out over two years.  An intimate affair the film is cast mostly from Garlin's circle of comedian friends and familiar faces on the US circuit and on US TV, including Sarah Silverman (excellent and essentially playing herself as the kooky cute screw up who Garlin may or may not end up eating cheese with)  Amy Sedaris, Bonnie Hunt and Dan 'Homer Simpson' Castellaneta.

A sweet and slight little indie, the film occasionally resembles Curb Your Enthusiasm in that Garlin's central character seems to have no filter and is a little over obsessed with the minutiae of life, but it's a film that comes from a much more positive place than Curb despite offering a spot on representation of loneliness,  quiet desperation and an unnerving feeling that you're the odd one out in society. There are some wryly sharp observations about the vacuous inanity of today's culture; prank shows with cruel stunts passing as humour and tween idol Aaron Carter (starring as himself) being cast as Marty in a remake of the classic film, as well as some painfully honest moments depicting life in a slump and comfort eating to get by.

If you like Garlin, Curb or Sarah Silverman then obviously this is a must, but if you also like Woody Allen films, the similarly 'shy mature love'  themed Philip Seymour Hoffman film Jack Goes Boating or just bittersweet low key indie films in general then this is for you. This is my second watch, and it has grown on me.

Out On Blue Six : Katie Melua

Quite an apt song for some poor parts of the UK of late :(


End Transmission

PS: You would not believe some of the downright stupid and ignorant comments I've heard regarding the recent bad weather conditions this week. Seriously some people. I have this to say...

IDS To Face Works and Pensions Committee

If you signed the petition I shared demanding Iain Duncan Smith face a Works and Pensions Committee to hold him to account over his fabrication and misleading use of statistics to justify his changes to the benefits systems and the government's increasingly shoddy treatment over the disabled, then you may have already received an email sending you the excellent news that the petition has been successful!

An amazing 105,000 people signed the petition, standing up to say that this was unacceptable and called for action and this week, the petition was delivered to parliament by Jayne Linney and Debbie Sayers.

In three weeks time IDS will face the committee and be forced to explain how his department releases inaccurate and misleading benefit statistics to the media in order to justify his unfair policies.

You can read about it in The Mirror here

So to IDS, I say this....

Happy Bumday!

Sarah Silverman