Satire

Tuesday 28th February

I have always loved Satire.  ‘That was the week that was’ is the first I can remember.  Millicent Martin singing and David Frost’s caustic barbs at the establishment.  And then there was Beyond the Fringe with Jonathan Miller and co. Pete and Dud were mildly satirical too.  The Frost Report of course was a great favourite.  A lot of comedy was satirical, poking fun at the Establishment; ‘Not the Nine O’Clock News’ of course, and Rory Bremner, and the infamous Spitting Image.

But of late Satire has almost died on the telly.  Shows like ‘Have I Got News For You’ and ‘Mock The Week’ aren’t quite the same, though still quite amusing.

But wonder of wonders, Satire has returned.  And with a bang too.  And it is now every time we switch the TV on.  Donald Trump is the greatest satirist around, he does by the far the best impersonation of Donald Trump.  His portrayal of a multi- billionaire trashy loud-mouthed repugnant man who has somehow got himself elected as President is brilliant.  It is so funny, and he even writes his own scripts; or actually, just makes it all up as he goes along.  Now, if someone had told us a year ago that a TV Celebrity, a bully on screen, a pushy, brash misogynist, a racist to boot – would appear on our screens with his own comedy show – no-one would have believed it.  Mind you we probably wouldn’t have believed Brexit, or Saint Theresa, or Jeremy driving Labour to electoral oblivion, or Paul the nut Nuttall leading an even more right-wing UKIP either.

I must say it has been a great coup, all the TV stations joining together to entertain us with this wonderful overload of Satire.  Once, when the Donald started ranting I found it all a bit scary, but now that I realise it is only Satire I love it.  Every day, I can’t wait to turn on the news and see what or who he is attacking today.  Saddam was funny in his way, the Ayatollah was mildly amusing, Kim Il Jong is always hilarious and Putin makes me smile too – but for really clever and almost believable satire you cannot beat the Donald.