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Friday, December 23, 2011

Comedy / Music / TV Tim Minchin's Woody Allen Jesus: Too Blasphemous for British TV

Posted by Jen Graves on Fri, Dec 23, 2011 at 2:35 PM

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!

Comments (18) RSS

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Praise be to Tim Minchin for giving me the word "parthenogenesis". And to the interweb that still can't be censored.

Posted by Vince on December 23, 2011 at 2:49 PM

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.

Posted by Enigma

on December 23, 2011 at 2:52 PM

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".

Posted by OuterCow on December 23, 2011 at 3:02 PM

What a clever song! Thanks for posting.

Posted by gloomy gus on December 23, 2011 at 3:05 PM

I've been calling for a nebish neurotic Jesus for ages! Or at least a John Tuturo-ee or Adrian Brodi-ish one.

Posted by knobtheunicorn on December 23, 2011 at 3:08 PM

@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!

Posted by Some Old Nobodaddy Logged In on December 23, 2011 at 3:19 PM

Awesome awesome awesome!

Posted by Suz on December 23, 2011 at 3:36 PM

it is offensive. wonderfully so.

Posted by aardvark on December 23, 2011 at 3:54 PM

Love it. Thanks.

Posted by Reverse Polarity on December 23, 2011 at 3:55 PM

@6 For remembering Shriekback and the song "Nemesis", you win the Internets for the day.

Posted by Zuulabelle

on December 23, 2011 at 3:57 PM

"Praise Be To Jesus."

Obviously, ITV must hate Jesus.

Posted by Brooklyn Reader on December 23, 2011 at 5:13 PM

@3: 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".

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"

Posted by Hyzenthlayk9

on December 23, 2011 at 7:24 PM

I wasn't paying good attention before. This guy is a genius!

Posted by Luisa on December 24, 2011 at 12:16 AM

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.

Posted by Alice Dreger

on December 24, 2011 at 8:51 AM

@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.

Posted by Hyzenthlayk9

on December 24, 2011 at 10:01 AM

@12 Buy yourself a region-free DVD player!

That's what I did...it's a non-stop Tim Minchin party over here.

Posted by pg13 on December 24, 2011 at 11:57 AM

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!

Posted by kataan on December 27, 2011 at 5:15 PM

Why I Love This Song: Despite all the intelligence it holds it holds something even more glorious that transcends it's philosophical and religious implications... Whether you believe in the bible or not it points out that there isn't one ounce of mysticism left in our culture that can't be explained away. And when it can't be explained it is turned into a popular culture icon. If Jesus was around today he would have to be subsequently labelled as any of the above (or all) to be able to wrap our minds around. This is only offensive to people really who dont want to admit that they have no imagination.

Posted by maurissah on April 8, 2012 at 12:17 PM