Summary
Overview
Comedian Stuart Lee discusses his current show 'Stuart Lee versus the Man-Wolf,' his creative process, the politics of comedy, and his career spanning over three decades. The conversation explores his character-based approach to stand-up, his critique of Netflix comedians and the far-right, his adoption story, and his philosophical approach to comedy as an art form. Lee reveals personal insights about his health, hearing loss, possible autism diagnosis, and his relationship with comedy as both refuge and profession.
The Spotify Dilemma and Creative Independence
Lee opens by revealing he had removed his content from Spotify in solidarity with Neil Young over the Joe Rogan controversy, creating an awkward but humorous tension about recording this podcast at Spotify HQ. He discusses his failed attempts to break into American comedy, including development deals that went nowhere for 15 years, and shares anecdotes about working with Alan Rickman, Peter Fonda, and Daryl Hannah on a film that never materialized. The conversation establishes Lee's principled approach to his career and his discomfort with corporate platforms.
- Lee removed his content from Spotify after Neil Young, in protest of Joe Rogan, though Joni Mitchell beat him to being second
- He worked on a film for 15 years that never got made, with Alan Rickman, Peter Fonda, and Daryl Hannah all attached
- Peter Fonda didn't want to talk about Easy Rider but couldn't help sharing stories within minutes
- Lee's Montreal Festival performances in New York went to silence because audiences didn't understand him
" I wouldn't have done it if I'd known "
The Man-Wolf Show and Satirizing Netflix Comedy
Lee describes his current show 'Stuart Lee versus the Man-Wolf,' which features him transforming into a werewolf character to parody the style of reactionary Netflix comedians like Joe Rogan. The show has become increasingly relevant as political events have sharpened its critique. Lee explains that the werewolf character represents comedians who don't think about the validity of their targets, unlike the politically correct alternative comedy tradition he comes from. Ironically, the nasty reactionary material is often the funniest part of the show.
- The show is in three parts with Lee dressing as a werewolf to mock perceived alpha male inadequacy
- World events keep making the show more relevant - it becomes more focused by current politics
- The werewolf character can be aggressive in ways Lee normally avoids, allowing him to 'run the room'
- Writing the nasty werewolf material is liberating because there are no restrictions on targets
" As someone from the 1980s liberal alternative comedy tradition, we were encouraged by what you now call wokeness to think about the validity of our targets, whether those people deserved it. They used to call it political correctness. And I am politically correct. I try to be politically correct. "
" The Netflix comedian doesn't have to think about that. In fact there's a positive financial value to them not thinking about it because if they create offense it creates interest, it tends not to lead to cancellation although they like to think that it does, tends to lead to an inflation of your market value. "
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