Potentially late notice, but: Disability comedy

[sami]

(Slightly off-topic, but I'm kind of out of touch with a lot of things right now, and this is really the only disability-related forum I'm a member of.)

There's a BBC Radio 4 Comedy called "Richard Herring's Objective". It's the current episode of the "Comedy of the Week" podcast (which you can get via iTunes, or... I don't know), or it's currently available for one more day on the iPlayer.

From that page:

Richard Herring examines 'The Wheelchair' the representative symbol of disability on disability access signs and asks if there is equal access. He wonders if it is still the case that we see the disability rather than the person.

Written by and starring Richard Herring, with Emma Kennedy and special guest, comedian Francesca Martinez.

Produced by Tilusha Ghelani

The second series of Richard Herring's Objective pokes and prods a variety controversial objects and see if the controversy falls out. Through vox pops, interviews and stand up comedy Richard examines the objects' history, meaning and significance and challenges our assumed logic and stereotypes. Can we reclaim these objects away from their unfortunate associations?

In series one the comedian investigated 'The Hitler Moustache', 'The Hoodie' and 'The St. George's Flag' and in the new series he'll be training his beady eye on 'The Golliwog', 'The Wheelchair', 'Page 3' and 'The Old School Tie'.

I'm listening to it now and finding it entertaining. I was outright delighted by Francesca Martinez asking Richard if there was "anything [he] can't do" and then following that up with the standard set of patronising questions people with disabilities can get. (Martinez is a stand-up comedienne with cerebral palsy.)

I'm not sure "wonders if there is equal access" is an accurate description, though - more "snarks a lot about the fact that there isn't".

Unfortunately, there isn't a transcript available that I know of, which may or may not be ironic - since it is just starting as a purely radio program, I'm not sure.

Comments

[pne]

the "Comedy of the Week" podcast (which you can get via iTunes, or... I don't know)

The podcast series page is http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/comedy , which also lists the pure-RSS file http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/comedy/rss.xml which contains the relevant episode as http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/comedy/comedy_20111121-0400a.mp3 - so that could work. (I've no idea how long that file will stick around for, though.)

[inoru_no_hoshi]

It is indeed hilariously ironic that there's no transcript available (to our current knowledge). I'd definitely be interested in reading it, should one ever turn up!

[sami]

I'll type up some highlights, at least, since there's definitely someone interested. :)

[inoru_no_hoshi]

Well, I'd go and try to listen, but without video - specifically faces - as a point of reference, I'd be so lost haha. :D

[sami]

That makes sense!

I have been thinking about this a bit, because it simultaneously makes sense and makes *no sense whatsoever* not to do transcripts for radio programs. On the one hand, radio is audio-only, and is therefore not really aimed at a deaf audience. But my initial reaction when I thought about it, of, "But what would be the point?" is pretty much entirely because I have strong associations of radio = music. But if your radio programming includes lots of speech-only stuff, which the UK's does, then there actually is a good reason to provide transcripts... so yeah.

Time for me to do some typing up today - I didn't get to it yesterday.

[inoru_no_hoshi]

Well, with music I'm rather obsessive about looking up the lyrics, just so I can tell if I'm hearing it right. (For instance, some songs from my childhood, I KNOW I have the wrong lyrics memorised because that's how I always heard them and I haven't taken the time to retrain my brain. :P) I hardly listen to actual radio though, because between the way it gets distorted by the speakers and then interacts with my hearing aid, I can only really get the words if it's a song I knew anyway (and turned up decently, of course)!

But the speaking parts - yes, transcripts would be a lovely, lovely thing, because sometimes radio shows sound like they'd be awesome! (Even better if I can read the transcript as I listen. Then I get the right cadence/etc. :D) But mostly, I don't worry about radio shows for the same reason I don't listen to audiobooks: too much work. :P I mean, I could go and read an actual book. Or get the audio/visual+subs from TV or a movie. Etc., etc.

(Mishearing radio ads can be hilarious though. :D)

But basically: if the subject is interesting and there's a transcript available, I'll read said. /long comment

[daughtercell]

Thanks for sharing! I've downloaded it to listen to later. :)