It's a programme I've enjoyed since the days of Willie Rushton, and praised several times on this very blog as being, by and large, an oasis of old-fashioned, funny, BBC comedy - rather than the usual humour-deficient, over-politicised stuff the BBC now churns out.
(I've even transcribed some of Jack Dee's funnier introductions for your delectation (assuming he wrote them)).
(I've even transcribed some of Jack Dee's funnier introductions for your delectation (assuming he wrote them)).
So what's happened?
Well, yes, ISIHAC has always dropped in the odd political joke, but this week's programme began with what can only be described as a string of bog-standard, predictable, left-wing, Radio 4-style political jokes.
Well, yes, ISIHAC has always dropped in the odd political joke, but this week's programme began with what can only be described as a string of bog-standard, predictable, left-wing, Radio 4-style political jokes.
I'll quote a tweet about it that is absolutely spot-on in describing what you missed, if you didn't hear it:
Mike Yardley: Just listening to BBC Radio 4's I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue in the car. Switched it off. Ridiculous anti Brexit and anti Tory bias. No balance whatsoever. No jokes about Corbyn and McDonnell. Just spite about Farage & Boris & public schools and an effort to link Mosley to Tories.
Replies say:
Peter Charles: Yes I am afraid that the BBC's social engineering agenda has even infected ISIHAC. The changes in panel members is all part of that.
Mark Lees: I am a huge fan of the BBC but unfortunately this is correct, a lot BBC produced humour is the same. Remain-centric jokes, written by Remainers for Remainers at the expense of Leavers.
Should I transcribe the 'offending' jokes? Yes!:
- Shropshire is famous for its rich folklore. A favourite story is that of the Magic Princess who found a toad in her garden that was very sad because he was very ugly. So she granted him a wish. The toad's wish was to have a human body. So the Princess kissed the toad and, sure enough, his body turned into human form. But not his head. So the Princess offered him a second wish and he said he wanted to be leader of The Brexit Party.
- Shrewsbury School is one of those public schools targeted for abolition under a Labour government as they are deemed elitist. But Shrewsbury protests the school is open to any pupil who can pass the entrance exam. Question 1: how many offshore investment funds does Father have? Question 2: List them, using both sides of the paper.
- Sir Oswald Mosley was brought up near Market Drayton, became a Conservative MP and in 1920 married Lady Cynthia Curzon. And during the marriage Mosley conducted affairs with his wife's younger sister Lady Alexandra and with her mother Marchioness Curzon. As an MP back then this would have made Mosley the object of severe party disapproval. Today it'll make him Prime Minister.
Couldn't they have left us ISIHAC? Is that too much to ask?
