Simon Amstell is cool. OK - in a nerdy, weedy, twitty kind of way - but that's kind of how I like my heroes. Nothing too arrogant, preferable self effacing, funny yet deep, provoking but with compassion.
His latest project aired last night on the BBC iplayer. Not a lot of fanfare - but I'd heard a few days earlier on some vogon group's newsfeed that it was coming - and was predictably excited. I've been to a few of his shows and have already booked tickets for November for his forthcoming stand-up tour - so this was a complete bonus.
He is well known for his hosting of 'Buzzcocks' a few years back - and had some success with his sitcom 'Grandma's House' - but it's his standup that I enjoy best. Alone on stage, allowing an audience to judge & laugh at your absurdities, vulnerabilities and - well, life - is a hell of a strong thing to do. All the more impressive when the delivery evokes a seeming weakness of will and lack of confidence that drags our collective subconscious with you. It's the ability to play this dichotomy - involving our deeper feelings with clever narratives and guiding the open exploration of our relationships with the world and each other - a fabulous and majestically honed skill.
So 'Carnage'.
A film written and directed by Mr Amstell about veganism. For which he initially - in character - apologises. Carefully avoiding - or rather studiously lampooning the stereotypes that typify the vegan community - it was amusing (for a 40 year strong vegan / 3rd generation veggie) to spot the real clips (some of the more ludicrous ones) from the spoofs. In the spirit of Brass Eye - the gold-standard of mockumentaries, the action was fast, furious and so beautifully dovetailed, that it was almost impossible to unravel what you were supposed to be shocked by, from the amusing throwaway gags; through the emotional sci-fi drama to 'The Animals Film' (or rather 'Earthlings' for those too young for VHS) reality-exposed, snippets. Nothing too heavy, nothing too light - a pastiche of playful proselytisation.
Beautifully observed - set in the future (UK 2067) - it expanded on part of 'Numb' - his 2012 routine - where I presume this, his 'Vegan manifesto' idea sprouted from. So - although I alluded to Brass Eye - it also reminded me of Charlie Brooker's 'Black Mirror' series - unsettlingly modern, set in a near future - albeit more utopian not dystopian, and way lighter in tone. (Although that could just be my take - smugly drifting above the darkness of the underlying subject matter - I was enjoying the parallels and deft comedic devices rather being reminded of any angst-ridden, lifestyle references being exhumed from burdens of denialism.)
A fabulous new angle on promoting the ethos of plant-based eating. An delicious epiphanic about-face, from veganism to carnism. Reminiscent of a similar observation that labelling 'Organic Food' to differentiate it from 'Food' is also ass backward - as all 'Food' was organic until they started pumping chemicals all over it and charging us a premium for stuff that they didn't adulterate so.
A splendid and FUNNY way of reminding us not to be too serious about really serious stuff. Bravo Simon - you really have made a mark here I feel - and a worthy, thoroughly worthwhile one at that.
Strangely there were two pieces of news that followed today (in my bubble anyhow) - that seem to make the piece even more prescient. The tide seems to be turning for bovine lactations - here are a few news reports that seem to show that the world is turning inexorably towards compassion and away from exploitation. This one from the US: Elmhurst Dairy and one from London: The Field's Beneath.
It's true - really look deep into any one of those mother's eyes - if you are able - and it's unlikely that you could easily mooove (sorry) to drinking animal-based milk again. Or as Simon expertly put it in 'Numb' those years ago.. "did you see cows feeding their calves and think - 'yeah, that's probably for me'."
