A random passer-by deliberately ruined the photo of her friends, but people only envy them. After all, everyone has adored the guy for a long time

Jimmy Carr is a comedian whose jokes, even by British standards, are sometimes simply overflowing with black humor and obscenity. You can love Carr or hate him, but it will be difficult to simply remain indifferent to him. Fans will grin and say “typical Jimmy” after one of his particularly pointed remarks, while his enemies will have a thousand reasons to remember whose feelings he hurt. This image is complemented by self-criticism and self-irony - and in it Jimmy Carr is unsurpassed.

Some facts

Jimmy Carr, whose biography is not as interesting as the topics of his speeches, began his career as a stand-up comedian at the age of twenty-six. His active work began in 2000 (Carr had just turned 28, he was born on September 15, 1972 in London), before that Jimmy received a strict Catholic education, and then worked in a marketing service. Sounds a bit boring? That’s what Carr thought too - the protracted depression was overcome with the help of a psychotherapist, and Jimmy, having hit the hardest, showed the world a stand-up comedian who does not hesitate to speak about the most slippery and unacceptable topics - he jokes about atheism, pedophilia, the disabled and the crippled.

Personal life

During one of his appearances on the BBC, Jimmy Carr said that until the age of 25 he considered himself a Catholic and remained a virgin, observing the canons of faith. After becoming acquainted with the works of Richard Dawkins, the comedian became an atheist, experiencing an “early midlife crisis.” Since then, he has been critical of various organized religions, arguing that faith limits people's freedom to choose to live the way they want.

Jimmy currently lives with his girlfriend Caroline Copping, an editor at Channel 5 in North London.

The work of the stand-up comedian has many followers around the world. Many try to copy the artist’s style, showing the viewer the most unsightly moments with a lack of moral principles. Playing on the feelings of fans, only Jimmy Carr manages to keep the line between black humor and outright obscenity.

Guest of numerous programs

British humor can seem very strict and conservative to those who know little about it. In fact, this is an amazing interweaving of intellectuality and vulgarity, rudeness and subtlety. England is pleased to present dozens of quiz programs from which you can glean interesting facts and expand the boundaries of your knowledge, but which are replete with jokes that border on intolerance. One of these is the Big Fat Quiz of the Year. Jimmy Carr is its permanent host. We are glad to see him on Quite Interesting (“Interestingly enough”) - also a quiz, which, fortunately, appears more often than once a year.

Filmography

• 2006 - “Stormbreaker” / Stormbreaker
• 2006 - “Autopsy of an Intruder” / Alien Autopsy
• 2007 - “I Want Candy” / I Want Candy

DVD

“Why pretend like that?”

What makes Jimmy Carr memorable? Well, besides his obscene jokes, from which prudes will turn away with obvious disgust? Those who have ever seen his show will immediately respond with laughter. It’s true, his laughter already guarantees a similar reaction from the audience. To put it bluntly, he is a bit strange. But Jimmy, ironic Jimmy, self-critical Jimmy, without a twinge of conscience jokes about this peculiarity of his.

In one of his speeches, Carr says that he is “wrong,” explaining that “ordinary people laugh as they exhale, but I laugh as I inhale.” The statement ends in typical stand-up style: “like a goose preparing for battle.”

So if, when you first meet Carr, the question arises as to whether he is pretending, well, as he himself answered: “Why pretend so and so?”

Humor and creativity

Having started the path of a spoken word artist, Jimmy relied on touring. Improvisation was popular in large English cities at that time.

In 2003, the young man, who performed at the Charm Offensive show as part of the Edinburgh Festival, received praise from authors who wrote for influential national newspapers, and decided to move on. After 12 months, they managed to come to an agreement with the owners of the Dublin club Vicar Street and organize a solo concert.

The best places to test the program were considered to be events held in the cities of Leicester, Glasgow, Galway, as well as the stages of the Cat Laughs establishment in Kilkenny and the theater in the capital's borough of Camden. During the performances, Carr recorded his debut DVD “Live” with the most striking monologues and jokes, which gradually won the hearts of interested people.

At first, competitors looked askance at the “upstart” with a higher education; the result of the confrontation was a legal battle with Jim Davidson over copyright. The dispute subsided when the parties realized that they were conflicting over an old joke. The reconciled stand-up comedians shook hands and went on independent tours around the country.

Jimmy Carr in the show "Jimmy Carr: Laughing and Joking"

Carr's show, entitled "A Public Display of Love," enjoyed unprecedented popularity. Fans had to stand in line to buy tickets to the concert. The premiere of Off The Telly at the Edinburgh International Conference Center also generated excitement. Those who missed out on the live performance were subsequently able to purchase the Stand-Up DVD.

In the summer of 2006, Carr received the British Comedy Award for Best Live Performance during the Gag Reflex Tour. The most striking monologues from there were lucky enough to be heard by visitors to the festivals in Newbury and Montreal, as well as by those who saw the announcements and bought the CD “Comedian”, or Comedian.

At the same time, the book The Naked Jape: Uncovering the Hidden World of Jokes on the history and theory of joke-telling, written in co-authorship with Lucy Greaves, who was versed in psychology and a number of other related sciences, was published. Quotes from a work with analytical elements, dedicated to the impact of humor on others, immediately attracted the interest of professionals who were part of the circle of interested fans of the genre.

In 2007, the Repeat Offender and Joke Technician programs and a joint show with the American team The Killers appeared in Las Vegas. A couple of years later, Jimmy presented the live program Rapier Wit and the film Telling Jokes to the public.

In the 2010s, the stand-up comedian rented London's Hammersmith Apollo to release DVDs called Laughing and Joking and Playing the Fool. A two-year tour with monologues from The Best Of, Ultimate, Gold, Greatest Hits Tour, despite attacks from critics, brought substantial fees. Jokes on the edge delighted fans who came to the Dublin theater in 2019.

Immoral type

Is Jimmy Carr making dark jokes? Definitely. Does it deal with topics that are considered unacceptable by the majority? This is also true. Does he have haters? Yes sir. Do they love him? Oh yes, yes!

But wait, why then do they love him? To some extent, because he embodies British humor. No, there are, of course, still worthy stand-up comedians, no worse, but Carr with his equanimity, sharp tongue, improvisation - there are no forbidden topics for him. And people want to feel this freedom, to hear what they themselves would not dare to say, letting go of the stereotypical framework.

Of course, there are those who call Jimmy Carr's humor nothing more than "outhouse." Well, despite the fact that the comedian is clearly walking on thin ice, every now and then going too far, you can’t deny him intelligence either. He's smart, like all the decent people who take up stand-up in England - because that's what the genre is in this country.

Stand-up on the verge of morality

Shocking audiences is the main goal, according to Jimmy Carr. For him there is no framework of what is permitted. The Englishman's subtle humor makes every black joke funny and hilarious. But not everyone thinks so. The presence of critics and ill-wishers only increases the audience's interest in the work of the English stand-up comedian.

From the very first minutes of his performances, Carr strives to bombard the auditorium with short jokes on various topics. Sometimes his monologues are divided into sections like in a TV show. With the help of improvisation, Jimmy Carr wins over the audience, although he acts on their feelings and presents situations where moral standards and boundaries of decency fade into the background.

The English comedian with Irish roots often appears on television shows. So, since 2005 he has been running the “8 out of 10 cats” program. There are translations of these programs on the Russian-language Internet. Jimmy Carr continues to participate on TV, becoming a frequent guest and host of various popular programs.

Jo Brand

Jo Brand is a British actress and comedian. A former psychiatric nurse, she began her career as a stand-up comedian in the 1980s. Her first performance was not successful, but gradually Jo Brand gained popularity. She began to be invited to various shows and programs, including the famous QI and Have I Got News for You. In 2003, The Observer named Joe one of Britain's 50 best comedians.

Jo Brand has a unique performance style. She often speaks in a monotone voice, with a completely blank face during the funniest jokes. Many of her performances are dedicated to celebrities, which attracts the attention of the public.

Anything is good if it's made of chocolate.

Any thing is good if it is made of chocolate.

QI's Jo Brand highlights:

Eddie Izzard – Eddie Izzard

Eddie Izzard is an English comedian and actor known for his performances as a woman. He took his first steps as a comedian while studying at the University of Sheffield. With classmate Rob Ballard, he performed skits on the city streets, then began performing alone as a street comedian in Europe and the United States. In the 1980s, Izzard tried his hand at stand-up comedy in London. Soon his performances became popular, and the comedian began to be recognized.

Izzard is not only involved in comedy, he also stars in TV series and films, performs in plays, and is involved in charity work. The comedian has received numerous awards throughout his career, including the prestigious Emmy Award for his show Dress to Kill.

Eddie Izzard's comedic style was largely influenced by the famous British comedy group Monty Python. Izzard doesn't have strict plans for performances: he's dyslexic, so it's difficult for him to stick to a pre-prepared script. Eddie improvises a lot, often jumps from one topic to another, interrupts himself, and comments on his performances. In the show he uses the techniques of parody and pantomime.

There's two positions in snowboarding. One is looking cool and the other is dead.

There are two positions in snowboarding. The first is to look cool, the second is to look dead.

Sketch from Dress to Kill by Eddie Izzard:

Ricky Gervais – Ricky Gervais

Ricky Gervase is an English comedian and actor. He started with music, then became interested in television, and only after that he entered the stage as a comedian. Gervase is well known in the world for the TV series “The Office” and “Extras,” in which he not only starred, but also acted as a director and screenwriter. Ricky also regularly hosts the Golden Globe Awards. He himself is the winner of three Golden Globes, as well as two Emmys and several other prizes and awards.

Gervase still has little experience in comedy performances, but audiences are attracted by his blatant political incorrectness and incredible charm. The comedian devotes his performances to serious topics - for example, politics or science.

Remember, being healthy is basically dying as slowly as possible.

Remember, being healthy just means dying as slowly as possible.

Video Learn English with Ricky Gervais:

Sarah Millican

Sarah Millican is one of the most successful female comedians in the world. She began her comedy career relatively recently, and until she was 29 she worked at an employment center. In 2008 Sarah won the Best Newcomer award at the Edinburgh Arts Festival for her remarkable performance. Already in 2013, Sarah Millican was included in the list of 100 most influential women in Britain according to BBC Radio 4.

Sarah Millican effectively combines her feminine charm with crude jokes. In her speeches, she successfully uses different images: feminists, modern women from a big city, “nerds,” and elderly English aunts. One of Millican's most famous shows is called Chatterbox.

I stopped buying women's magazines. The only time I ever see someone who looks like me is under the word 'Before'.

I stopped buying women's magazines. I only see someone like me under the word “before.”

Sarah Millican on massage:

Bill Bailey

Bill Bailey is one of the best British comedians and is often ranked in the top ten comedy charts in the UK. Like Eddie Izzard, Bailey was fond of Monty Python in his youth. He received a musical education and was a member of the Famous Five. In the 80s, he began a career as a comedian, which developed rapidly and successfully.

Bill Bailey writes books, sings and plays guitar, appears on television and plays in TV series and films. One of his most famous roles was as Assistant Black in the series Black Books, created by Dylan Moran.

During his stand-up show, Bill Bailey pays a lot of attention to music. The comedian truly has musical talent and perfect pitch. He connects most of his numbers and jokes with music in one way or another.

Contentment is knowing you're right. Happiness is knowing someone else is wrong.

Satisfaction is when you know that you are right. Happiness is when you know that someone else is wrong.

Bill Bailey plays Cockney Rock: