Tim Minchin was supposed to perform a new song he calls “Woody Allen Jesus” on Jonathan Ross’s TV program tonight. Even though the producers and directors had read the lyrics, and even after the taping, a network exec cut the segment. Minchin blogged:
On Tuesday night last week, we taped the show. I met Tom [Cruise] (he’s nice and quite laid-back off camera, and not very short) and the divine Downton ladies (swoon) and the lovely Inbetweeners chaps (yay) and I did my song and everyone laughed and Tom said it was great and when it was done I ran off set onto the back of a waiting motorbike, got from South Bank to the Hammersmith Apollo in 13 minutes, walked into the building, straight on to stage to sing White Wine in the Sun with Professor Brian Cox. Rock n roll.
Subsequently, Suzi and her team edited the show and everybody was happy. …
And then someone got nervous and sent the tape to ITV’s director of television, Peter Fincham.
And Peter Fincham demanded that I be cut from the show.
He did this because he’s scared of the ranty, shit-stirring, right-wing press, and of the small minority of Brits who believe they have a right to go through life protected from anything that challenges them in any way.
Yesterday I wrote a big rant about comedy and risk and conservatism; about the fact that my joke has no victim; about sacredness (oh God, not again!) and about the importance of laughing at dumb but pervasive ideas. But I trashed it because it’s boring and takes it all too seriously. It’s hardly the end of the world.
But I have to admit I’m really fucking disappointed. …
Anywaaaaaaaaaay… the fun news is that I already had the footage of the song when they cut it. Yay. And so you can decide for yourself how offensive it is! Yippee.
Thanks for the tip, Gale!
Praise be to Tim Minchin for giving me the word “parthenogenesis”. And to the interweb that still can’t be censored.
This is even better with the ‘Let It Snow’ feature YouTube has enabled this week.
It makes sacrilege seem so wholesome.
Tim Minchin is brilliant.
Singing “White Wine in the Sun” with Brian Cox!? GAH!
Still kicking myself for not seeing his second show here in Seattle where I only later found out he did “White Wine in the Sun”.
What a clever song! Thanks for posting.
I’ve been calling for a nebish neurotic Jesus for ages! Or at least a John Tuturo-ee or Adrian Brodi-ish one.
@1 Not much of a Shriekback fan, are you? They held the title of “Best Use of the Word “parthenogenesis” in a Rock Song” for decades. They might have to relinquish it. A subject for Line Out!
Awesome awesome awesome!
it is offensive. wonderfully so.
Love it. Thanks.
@6 For remembering Shriekback and the song “Nemesis”, you win the Internets for the day.
“Praise Be To Jesus.”
Obviously, ITV must hate Jesus.
So, does that mean that you got to go to the first performance? If so, you’re still one up on me. I had to be out-of-town at a conference during both of those shows.
I hope that the DVD that J. Ross mentioned will be released in the US.
Folks should click to Tim’s blog and scroll past the video for an article that he did about Father Christmas.
“Praise be to Magic, Woody Allen, Zombie, Superman, Komodo Dragon, Telepathic, Vampire, Quantum, Hovercraft, “Me”, Jesus”
I wasn’t paying good attention before. This guy is a genius!
I think the best part of that is the satire of the tune itself; this is clearly a send-up of the now classic, droning, “alternative” piano tune, including the totally overdone trick of repeating a lyric twice, and then the third time cutting off the beginning of the phrase, thereby reversing the original meaning of the lyric. Genius, indeed. Every time I think Minchin can’t possibly top himself, he does. The guy is a treasure.
@14 Indeed “the guy is a treasure”. Which is why I hope that we in North Amer. get to have more chances to see him and his vids.
That song is still going through my head. If I were seeing family for the holidays I’d still be able to sing some of it (and hum the rest).
It’s a great addition to the cannon of holiday-time songs for free-thinkers and other science-minded types.
@12 Buy yourself a region-free DVD player!
That’s what I did…it’s a non-stop Tim Minchin party over here.
i believe in Jesus as my savior. i also believe Tim m is a genius and this song is brilliant. yes its OK to believe both!