FLATLINING: Stewart Lee's 'Doctor Doctor' Joke

Charlie and Walter assess a 'Doctor Doctor' joke from Stewart Lee's recent special 'Basic Lee' - to see what went well, what techniques were used and what he could have done better.
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• Stewart Lee tells a Do...

[@Jomchen]

I think that the problem with deconstructing a joke from Stewart Lee is that he's less of a comedian and more of a literary artist. You kind of have to see the beginning to get the whole through-line of the show, and everything ties in together. I am very intelligent.

[@MajorTomgames]

u r 2 intellignt 4 me

[@bustedfender]

I agree, and I am very clever for doing so.

[@j.a.motteux2785]

It's like jazz

[@graham5340]

I agreed the fuck out of it

[@PaulBerryisTall]

You can't just come in late and say this doesn't make sense right, because it does make sense. It's rigorously structured, like Tolstoy.

[@supertouring22]

The Pet Shop Boys have let themselves go

[@Retrobeemer]

I see what you did there.

[@padmelotus]

Noel Gallagher's got old.

[@ES-qm5hr]

The best thing about this video is when they say they don't know anything about Stewart Lee before analyzing his joke which is the most meta Stewart Lee joke ever!

[@blow-by-blowtrumpet]

You gave it to us straight. Like a pear cider made from 100% pears.

[@Heronjim]

And the doctor said, "I didn't recognise you there Stewart Lee, because this didn't really happen, did it?"

[@Heronjim]

And the doctor said, *I didn't recognise you there Stewart Lee,, you've gotten paper thin".

[@jamesthecat]

"Not on the first appointment, anyway". Love that!

[@andydulieu3389]

Watching this is magic.I feel like Stewart Lee wrote this.I reckon he will use this in a future routine

[@henryhazlewood938]

U guys are taking deadpan to an extreme here but it is gold 😂

[@JC-1405]

I feel like you may have missed the fact that Lee’s long jacket allows him to seamlessly alternate the dialogue between himself and the doctor character he’s playing, whilst also offering a commentary on the dire state of the NHS in austerity Britain. The thing is, once you’ve seen Stewart Lee, you actually can’t watch other comedians without feeling disappointed; he stands alongside Jesus, Nelson Mandela, Einstein and Steve from Stranger Things in the top 5 humans of all time.

[@TheJokeClinic]

A fantastic point well made, great spot!

[@timdaniels8905]

Two minutes in your company has measurably made me more miserable.

[@littlefluffyclouds2024]

That's just a reaction.

[@acidflashlight]

Stewart Lee is the sole arbiter of taste in stand-up comedy. The self-appointed moral judge of right and wrong in stand-up comedy, and he has been for about 17 years now…

[@scottcoulter9324]

Once you've seen Stew you can't watch another stand up comedian.

[@BigAlCapwn]

Untrue. I've seen Stewart Lee and since then seen at least another four comedians live and at no point did I have a problem booking tickets or was refused entry to any of the venues

[@breeguus5877]

Is this Satire? Of Satire?

[@cadwalen]

I genuinely can’t tell whether these guys have genuinely missed the reference of it being a Pagliacci joke, or whether they’re doing a parody of a pair of pretentious fools who don’t know what anything is.

[@padmelotus]

​@@cadwalenI can only hear this joke is Rorschach's rasp.

[@visigothic67]

Can't be. No animals in it.

[@andrewgrant6516]

Welcome to the Joke Autopsy. Where comedy comes to die, and audiences to kill themselves. You basically murdered Robin Williams.

[@barnaclefelching4079]

It feels like Robin did a lot of the work, selling him a bit short there

[@alexnelson8536]

Credit where credit is due please

[@alexnelson8536]

At last someone has the minerals to stand up to that monster

[@hoppers13]

Love the deadpan deconstruction. “Orwell” nearly choked me.

[@utv5490]

This is like listening to Simon Jordan talking about boxing.

[@krissmith2356]

You two could be in your own comedy sketch 👍

[@TheJokeClinic]

@@krissmith2356 hmmm we might give that a try one day!

[@davewaring73]

Can you do a video about Stewart's joke about the owner operator of a magic beanstalk? Because that one also had similar problems. I'm going to try and tell him when i see him. It was particularly egregious because he betrated a section of the audience for not getting it, when he was in fact in the wrong.

[@TheJokeClinic]

@@davewaring73 Yes we are aware of this one sadly. We have some other fires to put out first but will get there don't worry.

[@davewaring73]

@@TheJokeClinic I'm going to ghost write an apology from him and put it on a t shirt and get him to sign it.

[@andycain4351]

Listening to your feedback on the joke, its very clear that you want the moon on a stick .......

[@lizacatrin]

"Then they're on the airplane. They're fucked." hahaha loved this!

[@barnaclefelching4079]

It isn't so much a joke as a story from his life, likely a subtle nod to his passion for pies. As for the doctor being curt, there is every chance that in his GP notes, dear old Stew had asked to be given it straight etc

[@XiagraBalls]

How dare you to assume you can analyse and begin to understand the multi-level genius that is Stewart Lee? I was so angry when I came across this in my KZbin feed that I spat out the pear juice I was drinking AND IT WAS 100% PEAR! 🍐🤬

[@paulshepherd5649]

Interestingly Stewart Lee used to have interludes in his TV shows where notable comics would chat to him and would tear apart the last 15 minutes of his act and tell him how disappointed they were.

[@daydreamindavey7315]

Vladimir and Estragon haven't let themselves go.

[@davewaring73]

They don't fat shame do they? Not on the first appointment anyway.😂

[@neilwilson5785]

'I've got pages and pages here'

[@LuDux]

Analyse Graham Linehan's routine on Stewart Lee, he still got it

[@artychartybyjackmerlinbruc7134]

This is hilarious. Keep it up.

[@artychartybyjackmerlinbruc7134]

You should review Joe Rogan's latest Netflix special - comedy gold

[@TheJokeClinic]

@@artychartybyjackmerlinbruc7134 we do have a Joe Rogan video but not the latest special - maybe soon!

[@Retrobeemer]

*Thank you for introducing some intelligent critique and especially the realisation of the northern humour around word play with Orwell and ''insisting on the lie''. In fact this is something that I saw myself in Reeves and Mortimer (a north eastern comedy duo) where they would often refuse to ''let things lie'' amid their own comedy routines. Something that I saw as a refreshing quest for truth. I do wonder if there may be an influence upon Lee that warrants further investigation in an effort to find ''the truth about the lie'' so to speak? I would certainly be keen to hear your thoughts as to the premise that maybe comedy can often rely upon ''the lie'' and its impact upon the audience?*

[@TheJokeClinic]

Lying in comedy, both telling untruths and being horizontal on stage, is a treasure trove of content and perhaps needs its own video

[@Retrobeemer]

@@TheJokeClinic My thoughts exactly. Or are they? You see what I did there? Or did you? I feel comedy brings its own truth and, in doing so, exposes the lie. 🤯

[@mikeb8138]

I get that this is satire but the problem is you critique Stewart Lee and Joe Rogan with the same angle, and Rogan is so shit that your criticisms actually sound valid. Also what are you actually satirising? People who break down comedy too much?

[@catbat06]

My favourite Welsh Geordies

[@littlefluffyclouds2024]

By way of Jamaica

[@jazzygeofferz]

This is brilliant.

[@andycain4351]

Waldorf and Statdler from the muppet show have ..... Blah, blah, blah, rhythm of a catchphrase.

[@johnprice1773]

Stew has been well and truly owned here.

[@exert2020]

Great watch

[@Stannyhand]

This is brilliant 😂

[@agoulizio4942]

Thank you for sharing your professional analysis! I'm learning so much while getting a dopamine kick (I tried to use a funny word here, did it work?)! Please consider critiquing something by Anthony Jeselnik at some point, I think it would be very interesting!

[@TheJokeClinic]

@@agoulizio4942 'kick' is indeed an incredibly funny word, and well utilised here. We will add Anthony Jeselnik to our in tray 👍

[@Flashbax7]

Good shit.

[@RadioSnivins]

Joke autopsies are my favourite thing in the world ... second only to contradiction

[@str1pey1]

Are you critics in the style of Monty Python?

[@foobar83]

post comedy

[@Mancheguache]

The Goodies have let themselves go

[@miclemix123]

Do jungle canyon rope bridges

[@mattliamjack3293]

Morrisey is not funny, especially since he let himself go so badly.

[@morg7764]

I thought i was very clever for finding this funny. I guess not..

[@allenleitch1783]

Please stop.

[@Steveoaudioandstuff]

He doesn’t do jokes.

[@LuDux]

They don't sound funny to you because you listen to them in 4 on 4

[@Steveoaudioandstuff]

@LuDux @LuDux you're right, I detuned them by 16%, added some reverb, and now I can't breathe. Gotta go now. I have to process an order for one ton of shitt.

[@littlefluffyclouds2024]

​@@SteveoaudioandstuffJesus man you've turned him into a dub comedian. That's not safe.

[@gregwinfield]

🇳🇴

[@bustedfender]

@@gregwinfield Our beloved neighbours Norway have let themselves go.

[@valhelluva]

Dissection on reflection Diznae" Stand Up" To Close Inspection..!?