25 August 2014

Sean Lock: binge drinker

I'm not advocating alcoholism by the way - I'm just sticking up for a group in society that gets really badly treated, really bad press and is abused and maligned continually. That's binge drinkers. Nobody ever says anything nice about binge drinkers, do they? 'Look what they've done to the town centre'. We didn't ruin the town centre, Tesco and the internet did that. We're just finishing the job. It's like farting in a cheese shop - it's not the main problem. [Or] kicking a dead bird. 'What are you doing?' 'It's dead! Chill out!' Or putting a bit of chewing gum in a mullet.

And it's terrible the discrimination you suffer as a binge drinker. I've been for job interviews where the only reason I didn't get that job is because I was hammered. They couldn't see beyond that. They couldn't see the person behind the man trying to get a sing-song going. 'Where do you see yourself in five years time, Mr Lock?' 'PUB! Haha!'

And the press are very complicit in this. They really like to make binge drinkers feel bad. There was a picture once in the summer of this girl in Newcastle. For a laugh, she kept her clothes on but she pulled her knickers down to her ankles, and she was standing in the centre of Newcastle going 'Wahey!', big smile on her face. And the headline above it was something like 'Oh gawd, oh dear oh dear'. I remember looking at the picture thinking 'What is wrong with that? She's obviously having a brilliant time. You've got to be in a fantastic mood to be in the heart of the town in which you live, you go to work, you meet friends, the very epicentre of your whole life, to go 'Haha!!' [mimes downing knickers]. That's a great moment in your life! I'd put that on my CV. 'There you go: happiest I've ever been. That's also the answer to hobbies and interests'.

- Sean Lock, Live at the Apollo s09e03, 2013

See also:
Comedy: Reginald D. Hunter, 8 May 2014
Comedy: Holly Walsh, 27 April 2014
ComedyJosie Long, 6 May 2013

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