I think there is plenty of scope for hilarity without personal cruelty.

This is obviously grand as an aspiration, but it doesn't seem to be borne out by the evidence. 🙂

So many comics either make jokes at other people's expense, or make jokes at their own expense. You can't make jokes at your own expense on a current affairs programme, so you're going to mostly make jokes about other people, or about "events". Producing stand-up material about "events" is going to involve generalising ruthlessly about groups of people until you've got something funny, whether it's about conservatives, pakistanis or nuclear submariners. Most of the generalising is likely to be problematic for someone you're talking about if they aren't laughing along.

I'd be delighted to have some examples of comics who do sets which don't involve either personal cruelty or prejudiced generalisation and don't basically talk about themselves, mind. 🙂

Girls in groups have pull a pig night as well

Any idea where? I have a <cough> friend who might benefit from this 🙄

So is pull a pig night just a cover for ugly people to pull other ugly people so as to get some action without having to justify themselves?

You've raised a very good point. Funniest thats happened to a friend of mine- woke up looking at unfamiliar artex on the ceilling, looked across, felt utterly dirty and wrong, girl wakes up, matey decides to have 'one more for the road'…even though at this point he is thoroughly sober…girl says 'thank you my Stallion' as hes getting up..

The remark which has now fallen foul of the trust was made by Frankie Boyle

I knew it would be. Go on Frankie!

DaveGr – not sure about a pull a pig night but I now of a grab-a-granny if that's of any interest? Not as bad as it sounds as it's in the sort of area where the grannies tend to be quite young….

grannies tend to be quite young….

Wythenshawe Manchester?

Not the Grafton Rooms in Liverpool is it? <shudders at the memory>

Clatty Pats?