ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½

Available for over a year

In the past few years there has been a certain amount of reaction to jokes made about male inadequacy. Is it an example of feminist over-reach? Of the woke agenda inventing an unhelpful stereotype? The answer provided by this last in the current series of Hislop's Oldest jokes is an unequivocal no. Ian traces the 'useless man' joke back to one of the most powerful dramatic traditions that ever existed in Britain, the mystery plays or mystery cycles. These retellings of Biblical stories didn't survive the Reformation, but they were popular the length and breadth of Britain, with a few surviving in manuscript form thanks to the censors. Looking a the York Cycle in particular, with the guidance of Liverpool University's Professor Sarah Peverley, Ian finds feckless men in abundance. For starters, and perhaps rather surprisingly, there's Joseph the elderly husband of Mary the mother of Jesus, who is depicted as a hopeless potential cuckold figure. And then, a forerunner of black humour, there are the soldiers who are sent to crucify Jesus. Their blundering attitude and moaning about having sore backs and having to deal with shoddy carpentry are a vivid example of the juxtaposition of comedy and passion that isn't familiar today. Back in the 13th and 14th century there's no mistaking that the useless men are intended to portray to the audience that we are all part of a post-lapsarian world when set against the figure of the Messiah. Meanwhile the feckless, bumbling bloke has gone on to deliver some of the most successful British comedic characters of all time, from Bottom in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream to Mr Bean. Producer: Tom Alban