» A laughing matter
Victoria Nangle on the power of the English language and the irritation caused by it being misused
Words are powerful stuff. They can start wars, end friendships and make someone laugh so much they lose control of otherwise regularly controlled bodily functions. My goodness, the power can go right to your head and stay there interfering with the regular inhabitants of the old noggin, such as common sense, moderating facial expressions and remembering to breathe. The power of the spoken word has been demonstrated by many, with a variety of results.
David Tennant’s Doctor Who undermined a fictional prime ministership with four little words: “Doesn’t she look tired?.” Ronald Reagan narrowly avoided losing his real presidency in the 80s withanother four words: “I do not recall.” And Tommy Cooper made millions laugh themselves off their sofas with only three words: “Just like that!”
“Why have you got that apostrophe taunting me?”
And yet words are disrespected everywhere. Countless times I’ve been told I’m over-reacting to some slight of the English language that’s got my hackles up. Call it pedantry if you like, and I know I’m by no means perfect in my use of the common vernacular, but when I see a sign saying ‘WC’s’ above a toilet cubicle I just want to run over to the proprietor of the establishment and ask them: “What belongs to the woman constable? Why have you got that possessive apostrophe taunting me and others so mercilessly? And if I ask nicely will you even let me Tippex it out?” Funnily enough, correcting public signs is usually frowned upon by the said management.
This is why I love writing and watching comedy. Words are tools to be savoured, used expertly – and if you’ve seen a heckler caught in the crossfire, in the slice and dice of those Samurai wordsmiths, the seasoned comics, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.
Whether it’s puns, set-up-and-punch gags or shaggy dog stories, stand-up comedy is the oral tradition at its most boisterous and ostentatious. And with that comes the power. With the power to makesomeone laugh, with extremely carefully chosen words, that person can be guided to think, enquire and challenge. This is why comics illicit such strong reactions. You may not like Jim Jeffries but you’ve thought about what he has to say enough to come to that conclusion.
This power to provoke thought is nowhere more clear than in that monster of a fundraiser: Comic Relief. Ricky Gervais sending up Bob Geldof but still delivering the same message had more people viewing than Bob Geldof did when he shouted his ideas. It’s all about word choice, and if you get the right ones the world will listen to you. So stop disrespecting words. Or the anti-hecklers may get you.
