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Tough Crowd: How I Made and Lost a Career in Comedy
'A must-read. Funny and utterly compelling' Jonathan Ross
Having cut his teeth in music journalism, Graham Linehan became the finest sitcom writer of his generation. He captured the comedy zeitgeist not just as the co-creator of Father Ted but also with The IT Crowd and Black Books, winning five Baftas and a lifetime achievement award.
Then his life took an unexpected turn. When he championed an unfashionable cause, TV commissioners no longer returned his emails, showbiz pals lost his number and his marriage collapsed.
In an emotionally charged memoir that is by turns hilarious and harrowing, he lets us into the secrets of the writing room and colourfully describes the high-octane atmosphere of a sitcom set. But he also berates an industry where there was no one to stand by his side when he needed help.
Bruised but not beaten, he explains why he chose the hill of women and girls' rights to die on – and why, despite the hardship of cancellation, he's not coming down from it any time soon.
Having cut his teeth in music journalism, Graham Linehan became the finest sitcom writer of his generation. He captured the comedy zeitgeist not just as the co-creator of Father Ted but also with The IT Crowd and Black Books, winning five Baftas and a lifetime achievement award.
Then his life took an unexpected turn. When he championed an unfashionable cause, TV commissioners no longer returned his emails, showbiz pals lost his number and his marriage collapsed.
In an emotionally charged memoir that is by turns hilarious and harrowing, he lets us into the secrets of the writing room and colourfully describes the high-octane atmosphere of a sitcom set. But he also berates an industry where there was no one to stand by his side when he needed help.
Bruised but not beaten, he explains why he chose the hill of women and girls' rights to die on – and why, despite the hardship of cancellation, he's not coming down from it any time soon.
289 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 12, 2023
87 people are currently reading
421 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 165 reviews
October 22, 2023
I wanted to read this because I was interested in how a comedy writer came to be cancelled on Twitter. In looking for the facts of that difficult story, I somehow had not expected a book by a comedian to be funny, but it is. Funny and entertaining with wonderful turns of phrase, it also offers insight into the world of TV production and comedy writing, as well as of Twitter cancellations and the way so many people do not seem to care about one of the biggest scandals of our time. The most important reason to read this is probably the least likely reason people will; the concerns about needless medicalisation of perfectly healthy children who simply happen to not fit the old fashioned sexist stereotypes, the abandoning of safeguarding principles which has put women's safety at risk in vulnerable situations like prisons and hospitals, the homophobia and sexism inherent in believing in such a thing as a gendered soul.
Despite the difficulty of those topics, this book manages to be entertaining, funny alongside the frustration and sadness, emotional, and offers an optimistic end which I hope future historians will turn to when they're charting how society managed to, finally, find it's way out of the madness of one simple lie which is having so many negative consequences for so many people.
A storming read, highly recommended.
Despite the difficulty of those topics, this book manages to be entertaining, funny alongside the frustration and sadness, emotional, and offers an optimistic end which I hope future historians will turn to when they're charting how society managed to, finally, find it's way out of the madness of one simple lie which is having so many negative consequences for so many people.
A storming read, highly recommended.
October 20, 2023
Absolutely love the disparity of this book's review section and the fact that it only sold 390 copies in its first week, including preorder. Once again the "cancelled" (though how he can call himself this in a new book he's published is beyond me) prove their own irrelevance. Love all the parts in this where he says how ardently pro-LGB he still is despite showing us how far from the case that is every day on his Twitter. Love all the parts where he presents individual anecdotes and cases as hard data too. Being conservative is brain rotting bigotry and here we have a classic example.
I bet the comments for this are going to be full of nice and polite replies from people who value the lives and perspectives of trans women 🤡🤡🤡
I bet the comments for this are going to be full of nice and polite replies from people who value the lives and perspectives of trans women 🤡🤡🤡
October 21, 2023
As a big fan of Father Ted,I've followed with interest what has happened to Graham and having a daughter that's big into her sport,I think that it's so important that woman's rights are protected,if you stand up for woman's rights you are immediately labelled a transphobe and a bigot,or more ridiculously a nazi!that can't be right.
November 4, 2023
You'll see some odd reviews of this book below. Some will tell you how the author holds reprehensible views, is pitiable or unremarkable. Others will tell you he wrote some of the funniest TV comedy of recent times, still others will tell you how his efforts to protect women and girls have inspired them - and even changed their lives.
You'd be forgiven for thinking that all these reviewers had read a different memoir - but the truly remarkable thing is that they haven't. "Tough Crowd" charts a life with enough similarities with my own to make it charming and a little embarrassing - I grew up enjoying the same music and comedy as Linehan, and I was also an early adopter of the internet which I imagined would change my life considerably. Undoubtedly, it did - but it changed Linehan's life far more significantly.
While the reviews might have you thinking this is a book of several parts, the comedic instinct and narrative skills of the author weave all of this together - you'll learn about the craft of comedy writing, and the value of creative partnerships, but then you'll find yourself laughing at the unlikely topic of testicular cancer. A little later, most reasonable people will find themselves horrified at how Linehan has strayed into a maelstrom of abuse and institutional silliness because he holds some simple, grounded views: that women are adult human females, and that attempts to blur these lines to suit gender theory holds risks for women and children alike. The reaction of his friends and collaborators, alongside those of the broadcasters and producers of media are painful to watch as they play out.
Linehan looks back with some perspective on this, recognises where things began to shift towards his cancellation, and wonders if it could have been different? But he concludes it couldn't have been - his convictions win out while he personally loses a great deal. It sounds desperate, sad and bleak - and it clearly has been - but the book manages to stay funny, even if darkly so at times.
When people talk about freedom of speech or expression, they often mean freedom to say what they feel is acceptable - which equally often is what some minority arbiters of 'lived experience' and 'personal truth' have deemed canonical. Daring to challenge that - either through art or activism - is fraught with risk. But "Tough Crowd" isn't a cautionary tale at all - it's a call to arms. One day the opinion you value will be the taboo, and without artists and activists like Linehan, where will you be?
You'd be forgiven for thinking that all these reviewers had read a different memoir - but the truly remarkable thing is that they haven't. "Tough Crowd" charts a life with enough similarities with my own to make it charming and a little embarrassing - I grew up enjoying the same music and comedy as Linehan, and I was also an early adopter of the internet which I imagined would change my life considerably. Undoubtedly, it did - but it changed Linehan's life far more significantly.
While the reviews might have you thinking this is a book of several parts, the comedic instinct and narrative skills of the author weave all of this together - you'll learn about the craft of comedy writing, and the value of creative partnerships, but then you'll find yourself laughing at the unlikely topic of testicular cancer. A little later, most reasonable people will find themselves horrified at how Linehan has strayed into a maelstrom of abuse and institutional silliness because he holds some simple, grounded views: that women are adult human females, and that attempts to blur these lines to suit gender theory holds risks for women and children alike. The reaction of his friends and collaborators, alongside those of the broadcasters and producers of media are painful to watch as they play out.
Linehan looks back with some perspective on this, recognises where things began to shift towards his cancellation, and wonders if it could have been different? But he concludes it couldn't have been - his convictions win out while he personally loses a great deal. It sounds desperate, sad and bleak - and it clearly has been - but the book manages to stay funny, even if darkly so at times.
When people talk about freedom of speech or expression, they often mean freedom to say what they feel is acceptable - which equally often is what some minority arbiters of 'lived experience' and 'personal truth' have deemed canonical. Daring to challenge that - either through art or activism - is fraught with risk. But "Tough Crowd" isn't a cautionary tale at all - it's a call to arms. One day the opinion you value will be the taboo, and without artists and activists like Linehan, where will you be?
January 6, 2024
Let's be upfront, Lineham is an individual who has not lived a remarkable life; he was a semi-decent scriptwriter who was responsible for the creation of some comedies — that's it, there is not much else to add — who then lost it all (his wife, kids, career, etc.), the rest of his life is just a man consumed with Twitter.
If you are a die-hard fan and interested in how your favourite programmes like the IT Crowd and Father Ted came into creation, you may find something of interest in the book: half of the book recounts his boozy work days with his early writing partner. Sadly, in this section, he does not get into any of the technical side of the craft, so I could not recommend this section to those who are interested in following in his footsteps and creating their media.
If you were just a fan of Father Ted and were completely unaware of Lineham’s Twitter adventures, the shift halfway through the book would result in whiplash that could break your neck: the other half of his book is a rant against the rights of me and my transgender brothers and sisters. He does not provide a well-thought-out argument with an examination of his supporting evidence, he just moans about transgender ideology, the woke mob, trans activists and transwomen just trying to live their life.
In modern Britain, to lose your family and career over being gender critical is something special: there is not a shortage of gender-critical voices running newspapers and their editorial boards (The Guardian, Spectator, etc.), so to lose everything is the height of incompetence. Linehan does not even reflect on the fact that it was HIS decision not to work with the BBC again because one random TV show had a lesbian transgender couple or Chanel 4, since the channel did not want to air one episode of IT Crowd because they personally regarded the episode as promoting violence towards trans women, or that all members working on the Father Ted musical had to agree with his views on trans rights (so much for being a fighter for the freedom of expression) that basically resulted in him getting no serious income for the past six years.
Likewise, he does not even critically reflect on how his useless Twitter drama harmed his career: from speculating that Covid vaccines are not real because “the establishment” tells him transwomen should be treated as women; slandering David Tennant as a paedophile because he wore a top saying “leave trans kids alone”; mocking/doxing random transwomen who were using a dating app (Her); sending malicious communications about Stephanie Hayden.
While the book is crap, I still find the incompetence of this manchild to be hilarious.
If you are a die-hard fan and interested in how your favourite programmes like the IT Crowd and Father Ted came into creation, you may find something of interest in the book: half of the book recounts his boozy work days with his early writing partner. Sadly, in this section, he does not get into any of the technical side of the craft, so I could not recommend this section to those who are interested in following in his footsteps and creating their media.
If you were just a fan of Father Ted and were completely unaware of Lineham’s Twitter adventures, the shift halfway through the book would result in whiplash that could break your neck: the other half of his book is a rant against the rights of me and my transgender brothers and sisters. He does not provide a well-thought-out argument with an examination of his supporting evidence, he just moans about transgender ideology, the woke mob, trans activists and transwomen just trying to live their life.
In modern Britain, to lose your family and career over being gender critical is something special: there is not a shortage of gender-critical voices running newspapers and their editorial boards (The Guardian, Spectator, etc.), so to lose everything is the height of incompetence. Linehan does not even reflect on the fact that it was HIS decision not to work with the BBC again because one random TV show had a lesbian transgender couple or Chanel 4, since the channel did not want to air one episode of IT Crowd because they personally regarded the episode as promoting violence towards trans women, or that all members working on the Father Ted musical had to agree with his views on trans rights (so much for being a fighter for the freedom of expression) that basically resulted in him getting no serious income for the past six years.
Likewise, he does not even critically reflect on how his useless Twitter drama harmed his career: from speculating that Covid vaccines are not real because “the establishment” tells him transwomen should be treated as women; slandering David Tennant as a paedophile because he wore a top saying “leave trans kids alone”; mocking/doxing random transwomen who were using a dating app (Her); sending malicious communications about Stephanie Hayden.
While the book is crap, I still find the incompetence of this manchild to be hilarious.
November 1, 2023
Graham Linehan is behind the creation of a number of successful sitcoms, Father Ted, The IT Crowd, Black Books and Count Arthur Strong. In recent times though he’s perhaps become better known for his views on gender ideology. It’s a pity that many people’s opinion of this autobiography will be coloured by those views – and they probably won’t read it as a result – because it’s a great book. It’s well written, funny – laugh-out-loud, fall-off-the-sofa funny in parts – and yet also poignant.
There’s lots of good stuff about the craft of writing here. There’s a brilliant line about carefully crafting stories, “so they would be far harder to read than they were to write” for example which many writers will identify with. It’s also good on the mechanics of what makes comedy work.
Linehan accurately charts the shift in social media – particularly Twitter (X) – from somewhere he could safely experiment with comic ideas to a place where it’s possible to be cancelled for ‘wrongthink’.
This could easily have descended into self-pitying misery-lit. But it’s a measure of his skill as a comedy writer that, even in the darker parts where his career and marriage are falling apart and the arts and media establishment has shunned him, Linehan can still extract the odd bit of wry humour.
The book does end on a positive note, but there’s a sad takeaway too in that Linehan’s fall from grace has likely forever deprived us of the chance to enjoy Father Ted the Musical.
There’s lots of good stuff about the craft of writing here. There’s a brilliant line about carefully crafting stories, “so they would be far harder to read than they were to write” for example which many writers will identify with. It’s also good on the mechanics of what makes comedy work.
Linehan accurately charts the shift in social media – particularly Twitter (X) – from somewhere he could safely experiment with comic ideas to a place where it’s possible to be cancelled for ‘wrongthink’.
This could easily have descended into self-pitying misery-lit. But it’s a measure of his skill as a comedy writer that, even in the darker parts where his career and marriage are falling apart and the arts and media establishment has shunned him, Linehan can still extract the odd bit of wry humour.
The book does end on a positive note, but there’s a sad takeaway too in that Linehan’s fall from grace has likely forever deprived us of the chance to enjoy Father Ted the Musical.
October 23, 2023
So much insight into what makes a sitcom funny, a stand up funny and how to write for a tv show.
Loved the inside stories about Father Ted and the IT Crowd. I could have read another few hundred pages about it.
On the second half he describes the harrowing ordeal of his cancellation and he has all the receipts. It’s hard to believe it at points, so I searched for myself and found out he’s telling the truth. I bet most people have no idea. It makes our society look dystopian.
Loved the inside stories about Father Ted and the IT Crowd. I could have read another few hundred pages about it.
On the second half he describes the harrowing ordeal of his cancellation and he has all the receipts. It’s hard to believe it at points, so I searched for myself and found out he’s telling the truth. I bet most people have no idea. It makes our society look dystopian.
December 19, 2023
I have no desire to read anything by anyone who's a misogynistic and gender critical twit. Sorry.
October 29, 2023
Reading this book has been enlightening, but most of all, heartwarming. There are still good people out there, and Graham is definitely one of them, even at great personal cost.
October 27, 2023
Allow me to play my tardigrade sized violin for this poor cancelled soul
November 8, 2023
An excellent summary of the effect of falling foul of this particular lunatic fringe and their supporters/apologists.
I thoroughly enjoyed Mr Lineman’s honesty, which made the unbelievable fact of his cancellation, believeable.
A great read with some real humour to soften the feelings of injustice his story provokes.
I thoroughly enjoyed Mr Lineman’s honesty, which made the unbelievable fact of his cancellation, believeable.
A great read with some real humour to soften the feelings of injustice his story provokes.
October 29, 2023
5 stars for his bravery in standing up to the Trans activist bullies
I gave the book 5 stars for Graham Linehan's bravery in standing up to the activist bullies in support of women's rights, the protection of children, basic logic and common sense!
The Emperor has no clothes and Graham was one of the few to consistently say it. Well done that man.
Praying that one day he will become a Christian and know the peace that passes all understanding. May God bless Graham Linehan abundantly in Christ Jesus.
I gave the book 5 stars for Graham Linehan's bravery in standing up to the activist bullies in support of women's rights, the protection of children, basic logic and common sense!
The Emperor has no clothes and Graham was one of the few to consistently say it. Well done that man.
Praying that one day he will become a Christian and know the peace that passes all understanding. May God bless Graham Linehan abundantly in Christ Jesus.
November 13, 2023
What an absolute hero Graham Linehan is. My family has enjoyed his comedy shows for many years, my favourite being the IT Crowd. He outlines how he established himself as an award-winning comedy writer, with plenty of advice sprinkled in for aspiring creative types to learn from and of course much humour to make it a thoroughly entertaining read.
The complete destruction of all he had built came about by stating biological facts and standing up for women's and children's rights, just like J.K.Rowling did. He discusses the appalling betrayal of friends and colleagues who abandoned him when he was under attack for his perfectly sane and reasonable stance. Unfortunately he didn't have millions of dollars, like Rowling (not that she has had it easy of course), but he did have a major dose of integrity and stood firm in the knowledge that he was right to stand up against the biggest medical scandal in years.
When asked "what did you do to try and stop the medical sterlisation and mutilation of children's healthy bodies in the name of gender ideology?" he can 100% know that he did everything he could, at much personal cost. I look forward to the day when he, and others like him are vindicated.
The complete destruction of all he had built came about by stating biological facts and standing up for women's and children's rights, just like J.K.Rowling did. He discusses the appalling betrayal of friends and colleagues who abandoned him when he was under attack for his perfectly sane and reasonable stance. Unfortunately he didn't have millions of dollars, like Rowling (not that she has had it easy of course), but he did have a major dose of integrity and stood firm in the knowledge that he was right to stand up against the biggest medical scandal in years.
When asked "what did you do to try and stop the medical sterlisation and mutilation of children's healthy bodies in the name of gender ideology?" he can 100% know that he did everything he could, at much personal cost. I look forward to the day when he, and others like him are vindicated.
November 18, 2023
Wonderful. Heartfelt. Shocking. I plan to stand up and be heard after reading this book.
November 9, 2023
The first half of this book is taken up with Linehan’s comedy writing career and this is interesting in itself. How ideas are fleshed out, scripts are written, a real insight into the process.
The second half is taken up with Linehan’s reluctant career as Winston Smith having to tell the world that 2+2=4 and not 5 as the Party claim. In this Orwellian nightmare, Linehan has to restate self-evident scientific truths, accepted for millennia, to a furious online mob which then engages in ‘low level terrorism’ against his personal and professional life. I have every sympathy for him. I hope this is the start of a professional rehabilitation for him - and that Hat Trick and Jimmy Mulville grow a backbone and make Father Ted:The Musical.
The second half is taken up with Linehan’s reluctant career as Winston Smith having to tell the world that 2+2=4 and not 5 as the Party claim. In this Orwellian nightmare, Linehan has to restate self-evident scientific truths, accepted for millennia, to a furious online mob which then engages in ‘low level terrorism’ against his personal and professional life. I have every sympathy for him. I hope this is the start of a professional rehabilitation for him - and that Hat Trick and Jimmy Mulville grow a backbone and make Father Ted:The Musical.
November 4, 2023
Lot of heart in this book, and a fair chunk of honesty. I was left feeling uncomfortable, despite (maybe because of) being familiar with the details of the 2nd half. I read it while trapped on a ship puking my heart out and I was glad to have it. The first half has glitters of those moments in Bob Mortimer's autobio when he talks about his school friends and their love for one another shown through humour. It contains a lot of joy. I found myself making notes as I read it in response to my favourite parts, that way a podcast can make you light up so much you want to join in. The second half shows how GL is the kind of person to bite and not let go of a thing, for better or for worse. He has an ingrained sense of justice. He reminds me of people I know who are afflicted with similar... My only suggestion is to read it and see what you think. I wish more people would do that before making their minds up about people.
November 23, 2023
Great book! Not just to learn about how the genius of Father Ted and The IT Crowd came about, but also to learn about Linehan's battle with Trans activists. Kudos to him for speaking up for women's rights and for fighting against young children being effectively sterilised by barbaric medical pathways.
Favourite line:
"Personally I don’t want to live in a world where little boys playing with dolls and little girls who don’t like wearing pink are subjected to lifelong medical intervention because lunatics think these kids are in the wrong body. If that’s the right side of history, then history can go fuck itself."
Favourite line:
"Personally I don’t want to live in a world where little boys playing with dolls and little girls who don’t like wearing pink are subjected to lifelong medical intervention because lunatics think these kids are in the wrong body. If that’s the right side of history, then history can go fuck itself."
January 8, 2024
An enjoyable and thought provoking biography which I would recommend to all. It's a reminder of how things were in the not too distant past. The first half or two thirds deals with Linehan's rise as a comedy writer and what he learned along the way. The second part deals with his fall from grace and ejection from polite society. Both parts are fascinating.
Many one star reviews here by people who admit to not having read the book. The point of a book review is to review a book that you have read in whole or in part. To rate or review a book you haven't even attempted to read defies the purpose of the thing. Goodreads should really remove those "reviews".
Many one star reviews here by people who admit to not having read the book. The point of a book review is to review a book that you have read in whole or in part. To rate or review a book you haven't even attempted to read defies the purpose of the thing. Goodreads should really remove those "reviews".
December 24, 2023
Bleakly funny memoir by one of Britain's best-known television comedy writers. Graham Linehan is an extremely brave man who hopefully is healing after his shameful treatment by former friends and employers who abandoned him when he came out in support of women's rights.
The last section of the book is really frightening as he narrates countless examples of persecution of those deemed guilty of 'wrongthink'. I hope the tide is turning for him.
The last section of the book is really frightening as he narrates countless examples of persecution of those deemed guilty of 'wrongthink'. I hope the tide is turning for him.
April 22, 2024
Thank you for really caring about girls and women Graham Linehan!
Linehan nails what gender ideology is doing to kids when they get medicalized upon declaring they were born in the wrong body. He also valiantly advocates for women's rights, which gender ideology seems hell bent on destroying. His clarity of understanding is remarkable and his sharp wit brilliantly delivers a biting and accurate account of the harms of gender ideology. His willingness to speak up meant he lost his career and many friends. I am incredibly grateful to Linehan for standing up for women, and I encourage anyone who is not up to date on what is happening to children and women to read this book. I particularly recommend the audio version where you can hear the deep passion he has on the subject.
Linehan nails what gender ideology is doing to kids when they get medicalized upon declaring they were born in the wrong body. He also valiantly advocates for women's rights, which gender ideology seems hell bent on destroying. His clarity of understanding is remarkable and his sharp wit brilliantly delivers a biting and accurate account of the harms of gender ideology. His willingness to speak up meant he lost his career and many friends. I am incredibly grateful to Linehan for standing up for women, and I encourage anyone who is not up to date on what is happening to children and women to read this book. I particularly recommend the audio version where you can hear the deep passion he has on the subject.
Read
November 8, 2023This book was a delight! I loved hearing about how Graham Linehan got started in comedy and about the methods he used for writing comedy! I also appreciated his honesty when he talked about what he believes and how people have reacted. I was impressed by the praise he gave for several of his close associates (e.g., Arthur Matthews), which wasn't negated by the way he felt abandoned by them later on. I appreciated the way he was able to depict the humanity in people, even those he felt hurt by.
Graham did a great job on the narration!
Graham did a great job on the narration!
January 11, 2024
Graham Linehan has been widely dismissed in the last few years as a fanatical transphobe. I have two main reasons for reading this book. The first is, I've been a fan of Linehan's writing since before many of the proponents of what passes for gender ideology these days were born. In fact, I was studying gender-related issues at third level before most of them were born, and I can report that the bilge we're seeing spouted out today was not on the agenda then, though there was still a lot of misogyny about in Ireland. Now, it seems misogyny has found a clever disguise, though quite a thin one at times, if the contents of the second half of this book are to be believed (and as they're often recounting incidents documented online and in the mainstream media, we can assume they are).
Any theory or ideology that needs to resort to death and rape threats in order to defend its existence has clearly already lost the argument and is taking its last few breaths. However, as the Hannah Barnes book shows, this one doesn't want to leave us without throwing a long and highly damaging tantrum.
The second reason is that, like many who consider themselves supportive of our small Irish trans population, I had a moment when the realisation dawned on me that something pernicious was happening in the US and UK in relation to this ideology and its proponents, and that this would probably spread to Ireland, as most cultural trends in the US and UK, good or bad, generally do. Back in the '70s, trends would take a decade or so to reach Ireland. It's a lot quicker now, aided by technology.
This ideological nightmare will probably at some stage have an adverse effect on the vast majority of trans people also, most of whom simply want to go about their lives unhindered and with dignity. I've worked with trans people (not in activist contexts, but in normal jobs), all of whom have been professional and conscientious individuals. Unlike Linehan, I never had an issue referring to them by their chosen names and pronouns. I've felt perfectly safe to share a bathroom in workplaces with trans women (it has never arisen outside of a work context). I don't for one minute consider myself qualified to tell someone else how they should identify and what names or pronouns they should use. Yet I'd probably be labelled as transphobic by many proponents of trans ideology for simply reading this book.
In addition, I really do sympathise with women athletes who train hard in their field, then find themselves having to compete with biological males who identify as females. Then again, so does Caitlyn Jenner, so it would be strange to describe that stance as transphobic; yet ideologues regularly describe it as hate speech. Jenner is a former elite athlete. She knows that XY chromosone people competing with XX chromosone people in sports competitions is inherently unfair, and is principled enough to say so.
I also felt the need to sign a petition around the horrendous 'Barbie Kardashian' scenario, knowing from direct activist experience (in another context) that the women in Limerick Prison tend to be on the vulnerable end of the spectrum and to have been on the receiving end of violence in their lives. I was there by choice (i.e. it was a planned strategy) in an activist context for a few weeks in the 00s. (It was a planned action that landed me there with a few other antiwar activists, we refused bail for a time on principle, and were later acquitted - it gave me enough of a taste of the place to know that, with a few exceptions, the privileged and pampered don't generally end up there in the longer term, but more those ravaged by life.)
The idea that a dangerous predator who threatened to rape and kill his mother and suddenly decided to self-identify as female would be inserted among the women there was too much to bear, even at a distance of 20 years. Additionally, though I'm a straight woman, I find it concerning that friends who are lesbian would be labelled as bigots for declining intimacy with trans women. It makes a mockery of the word 'consent' to pressurise women into any kind of sexual involvement they don't want, in any context whatsoever.
Furthermore, the silencing in Ireland of people like Graham Linehan and Helen Joyce really is a state of affairs that worries me and makes me wonder if there's any point to living in a democracy. I don't take as hard a stance as either of these people on this issue, but I find it profoundly disturbing that they are being routinely censored. Helen Joyce, a highly established Irish journalist, had her best-seller reviewed in The New York Times, but The Irish Times was eerily silent about her book (and about Graham Linehan's). Yet, the paper published this article about a TD's intention to call his newborn son Juniper (for gender neutrality) and refer to the child as 'they', to avoid 'assigning' him a gender before he's ready to 'decide' himself if he is, indeed, a boy. Whatever about pronouns, the general nouns and verbs going through my head when reading that article are not repeatable. So much for 'balance' and the 'paper of record'.
The first half of Linehan's book describes a typical Dublin childhood of a boy on the more imaginative, nerdy, arty end of the spectrum. Bullied and unhappy at school, his creative side helped him land on his feet and establish himself as a critic at a relatively young age (he was the first thing I read on opening Hot Press as a teenager, and was often laugh-out-loud funny). Later, he went to London, where he eventually established himself as a comedy writer, created various well-known TV shows, Father Ted being the most widely known, settled into a happy marriage and had kids, and the rest is history. It would be the perfect revenge-of-the-nerd story if Linehan hadn't decided to get involved with the gender ideology debate on Twitter one day when he was doped up on morphine in the aftermath of a serious operation in hospital.
To cut a long story short, the Twitterati set upon him, whereupon the glitterati who had previously been his friends largely abandoned him, in his estimation. The refusal to take up a cause with the same level of passion as Linehan took up this one doesn't have to mean abandonment, but there seem to genuinely have been some friendships lost for good. I did wonder, however, if what Linehan regarded as 'abandonment' was simply people deciding to choose their battles on their own agency and concluding that they didn't really want to get involved in that particular one. Decisions like this can be respected without sacrificing friendships. Devastatingly, however, his marriage also didn't survive the strain of the attacks and professional cancellation, and just general abuse he endured due to speaking out about his gender-critical views. Despite all of this, Linehan still manages to remain strangely upbeat and funny, and judging by the acknowledgements at the end of the book, his list of friends appears to have grown exponentially again over time due to the support he received during period of his life.
I'm well familiar with what happens to people who don't quite tow the party line on the left on all of the latest in the Top 10 Sexy Issues to Support. One slight nuanced criticism and you're 'divisive' or worse, 'probably an agent provocateur'. In the case of the group I was involved with, though, we were acutely conscious of 'asking for it', in a sense, in opposing what international lawyers saw to be an illegal war using the Catholic doctrine of the sanctity of life and a quote from the prophet Isaiah to support our argument that disarming a war plane was the right thing to do. We never really expected to be loved or even remotely liked by the wider left, and were hated by the hard left, particularly when we sensationally won a protracted legal battle. It wasn't the case that we had nothing whatsoever to lose by taking a stand, as we were all reasonably well-qualified individuals, but we did start from an assumption that most of the controversy we created with our terms of reference and influences (the US Catholic left) would be negative. There was and is no Catholic left in Ireland, and huge elements of our support system came, ironically, from the US.
Linehan, on the other hand, was universally beloved already for his life's work, and then lost everything in a short period of time, and at times reading this book is like reading a modern comedic reworking of the Book of Job. Like the character of Job, Linehan remains refreshingly unapologetic for his stance, regardless of all of these often harrowing experiences.
The list of people who've been cancelled due to the language policing around this subject is beginning to reach a critical mass, to the point that we can only hope the madness and needless trauma suffered by many in the entertainment industry, but also in other sectors, who don't tow the correct ideological line will begin to heal.
There's a lot of comedy here, and great insight for young people who wish to become comedy writers. There's also a fair amount of tragedy, seen through a comic lens, however. It's a really good read. I would encourage everyone to go to the bookshop and make a point of asking for it if they live in Ireland. Even if you don't agree with his views on the trans issue, most rational beings will agree that we don't want a new form of censorship in Ireland to start taking hold along 'woke' vs. 'unwoke' lines.
Any theory or ideology that needs to resort to death and rape threats in order to defend its existence has clearly already lost the argument and is taking its last few breaths. However, as the Hannah Barnes book shows, this one doesn't want to leave us without throwing a long and highly damaging tantrum.
The second reason is that, like many who consider themselves supportive of our small Irish trans population, I had a moment when the realisation dawned on me that something pernicious was happening in the US and UK in relation to this ideology and its proponents, and that this would probably spread to Ireland, as most cultural trends in the US and UK, good or bad, generally do. Back in the '70s, trends would take a decade or so to reach Ireland. It's a lot quicker now, aided by technology.
This ideological nightmare will probably at some stage have an adverse effect on the vast majority of trans people also, most of whom simply want to go about their lives unhindered and with dignity. I've worked with trans people (not in activist contexts, but in normal jobs), all of whom have been professional and conscientious individuals. Unlike Linehan, I never had an issue referring to them by their chosen names and pronouns. I've felt perfectly safe to share a bathroom in workplaces with trans women (it has never arisen outside of a work context). I don't for one minute consider myself qualified to tell someone else how they should identify and what names or pronouns they should use. Yet I'd probably be labelled as transphobic by many proponents of trans ideology for simply reading this book.
In addition, I really do sympathise with women athletes who train hard in their field, then find themselves having to compete with biological males who identify as females. Then again, so does Caitlyn Jenner, so it would be strange to describe that stance as transphobic; yet ideologues regularly describe it as hate speech. Jenner is a former elite athlete. She knows that XY chromosone people competing with XX chromosone people in sports competitions is inherently unfair, and is principled enough to say so.
I also felt the need to sign a petition around the horrendous 'Barbie Kardashian' scenario, knowing from direct activist experience (in another context) that the women in Limerick Prison tend to be on the vulnerable end of the spectrum and to have been on the receiving end of violence in their lives. I was there by choice (i.e. it was a planned strategy) in an activist context for a few weeks in the 00s. (It was a planned action that landed me there with a few other antiwar activists, we refused bail for a time on principle, and were later acquitted - it gave me enough of a taste of the place to know that, with a few exceptions, the privileged and pampered don't generally end up there in the longer term, but more those ravaged by life.)
The idea that a dangerous predator who threatened to rape and kill his mother and suddenly decided to self-identify as female would be inserted among the women there was too much to bear, even at a distance of 20 years. Additionally, though I'm a straight woman, I find it concerning that friends who are lesbian would be labelled as bigots for declining intimacy with trans women. It makes a mockery of the word 'consent' to pressurise women into any kind of sexual involvement they don't want, in any context whatsoever.
Furthermore, the silencing in Ireland of people like Graham Linehan and Helen Joyce really is a state of affairs that worries me and makes me wonder if there's any point to living in a democracy. I don't take as hard a stance as either of these people on this issue, but I find it profoundly disturbing that they are being routinely censored. Helen Joyce, a highly established Irish journalist, had her best-seller reviewed in The New York Times, but The Irish Times was eerily silent about her book (and about Graham Linehan's). Yet, the paper published this article about a TD's intention to call his newborn son Juniper (for gender neutrality) and refer to the child as 'they', to avoid 'assigning' him a gender before he's ready to 'decide' himself if he is, indeed, a boy. Whatever about pronouns, the general nouns and verbs going through my head when reading that article are not repeatable. So much for 'balance' and the 'paper of record'.
The first half of Linehan's book describes a typical Dublin childhood of a boy on the more imaginative, nerdy, arty end of the spectrum. Bullied and unhappy at school, his creative side helped him land on his feet and establish himself as a critic at a relatively young age (he was the first thing I read on opening Hot Press as a teenager, and was often laugh-out-loud funny). Later, he went to London, where he eventually established himself as a comedy writer, created various well-known TV shows, Father Ted being the most widely known, settled into a happy marriage and had kids, and the rest is history. It would be the perfect revenge-of-the-nerd story if Linehan hadn't decided to get involved with the gender ideology debate on Twitter one day when he was doped up on morphine in the aftermath of a serious operation in hospital.
To cut a long story short, the Twitterati set upon him, whereupon the glitterati who had previously been his friends largely abandoned him, in his estimation. The refusal to take up a cause with the same level of passion as Linehan took up this one doesn't have to mean abandonment, but there seem to genuinely have been some friendships lost for good. I did wonder, however, if what Linehan regarded as 'abandonment' was simply people deciding to choose their battles on their own agency and concluding that they didn't really want to get involved in that particular one. Decisions like this can be respected without sacrificing friendships. Devastatingly, however, his marriage also didn't survive the strain of the attacks and professional cancellation, and just general abuse he endured due to speaking out about his gender-critical views. Despite all of this, Linehan still manages to remain strangely upbeat and funny, and judging by the acknowledgements at the end of the book, his list of friends appears to have grown exponentially again over time due to the support he received during period of his life.
I'm well familiar with what happens to people who don't quite tow the party line on the left on all of the latest in the Top 10 Sexy Issues to Support. One slight nuanced criticism and you're 'divisive' or worse, 'probably an agent provocateur'. In the case of the group I was involved with, though, we were acutely conscious of 'asking for it', in a sense, in opposing what international lawyers saw to be an illegal war using the Catholic doctrine of the sanctity of life and a quote from the prophet Isaiah to support our argument that disarming a war plane was the right thing to do. We never really expected to be loved or even remotely liked by the wider left, and were hated by the hard left, particularly when we sensationally won a protracted legal battle. It wasn't the case that we had nothing whatsoever to lose by taking a stand, as we were all reasonably well-qualified individuals, but we did start from an assumption that most of the controversy we created with our terms of reference and influences (the US Catholic left) would be negative. There was and is no Catholic left in Ireland, and huge elements of our support system came, ironically, from the US.
Linehan, on the other hand, was universally beloved already for his life's work, and then lost everything in a short period of time, and at times reading this book is like reading a modern comedic reworking of the Book of Job. Like the character of Job, Linehan remains refreshingly unapologetic for his stance, regardless of all of these often harrowing experiences.
The list of people who've been cancelled due to the language policing around this subject is beginning to reach a critical mass, to the point that we can only hope the madness and needless trauma suffered by many in the entertainment industry, but also in other sectors, who don't tow the correct ideological line will begin to heal.
There's a lot of comedy here, and great insight for young people who wish to become comedy writers. There's also a fair amount of tragedy, seen through a comic lens, however. It's a really good read. I would encourage everyone to go to the bookshop and make a point of asking for it if they live in Ireland. Even if you don't agree with his views on the trans issue, most rational beings will agree that we don't want a new form of censorship in Ireland to start taking hold along 'woke' vs. 'unwoke' lines.
December 17, 2023
Tough Crowd : How I Made and Lost a Career in Comedy (2023) by Grahame Linehan is an interesting autobiographical book of two parts. The first part tells of Linehan’s career as a writer and in particular working on Father Ted, Black Books and The IT Crowd. The second is about Linehan’s fall as he became a campaigner on trans issues.
The first part of the book is light, interesting and pretty funny. Linehan is a great comedy writer. Father Ted in particular is loved by millions of people. The IT Crowd similarly has a very dedicated fanbase. It’s interesting to read that Linehan started as a journalist in Ireland before moving to London and writing comedy.
Linehan took to Twitter and started to campaign for the rights of biological women. He believes that trans-women should not compete in women’s sport and should not be put into women’s prisons. This made him a target of trans-activists who managed to derail his career and the pressure on him caused him to get divorced. In the book Linehan writes repeatedly of friends and co-workers who asked him to stop campaigning. The musical of Father Ted was stopped because people and organisations pulled out due to Linehan’s activism.
It’s tragic. The world has lost some of Linehan’s fantastic comedy output. Linehan himself had his marriage collapse. If Linehan had campaigned with the accepted opinions on climate change, refugees or many other topics no-one would have cared. However his activism offended a highly committed and effective group. Trans activists have failed to cancel JK Rowling because she was too famous and too big to be brought down. There is a question about whether Linehan has done much for his cause. Perhaps using something similar to the methods of ‘effective altruists’ and earning money and donating it to Helen Joyce and others might have been more effective.
Linehan writes about how people have come to his aid. Hopefully someone or some organisation will hire him again to work on new comedy. There are certainly very rich people with views similar to his who could bankroll him. A famous UK writer comes to mind.
The dedication of trans activists against Linehan is shown in some of the needlessly nasty reviews of the book on Goodreads.
Tough Crowd is at times really pretty funny and in parts tragic. Linehan’s terrific ability to be funny comes through as does his real belief in the cause of biological women. Hopefully he will find a way forward.
The first part of the book is light, interesting and pretty funny. Linehan is a great comedy writer. Father Ted in particular is loved by millions of people. The IT Crowd similarly has a very dedicated fanbase. It’s interesting to read that Linehan started as a journalist in Ireland before moving to London and writing comedy.
Linehan took to Twitter and started to campaign for the rights of biological women. He believes that trans-women should not compete in women’s sport and should not be put into women’s prisons. This made him a target of trans-activists who managed to derail his career and the pressure on him caused him to get divorced. In the book Linehan writes repeatedly of friends and co-workers who asked him to stop campaigning. The musical of Father Ted was stopped because people and organisations pulled out due to Linehan’s activism.
It’s tragic. The world has lost some of Linehan’s fantastic comedy output. Linehan himself had his marriage collapse. If Linehan had campaigned with the accepted opinions on climate change, refugees or many other topics no-one would have cared. However his activism offended a highly committed and effective group. Trans activists have failed to cancel JK Rowling because she was too famous and too big to be brought down. There is a question about whether Linehan has done much for his cause. Perhaps using something similar to the methods of ‘effective altruists’ and earning money and donating it to Helen Joyce and others might have been more effective.
Linehan writes about how people have come to his aid. Hopefully someone or some organisation will hire him again to work on new comedy. There are certainly very rich people with views similar to his who could bankroll him. A famous UK writer comes to mind.
The dedication of trans activists against Linehan is shown in some of the needlessly nasty reviews of the book on Goodreads.
Tough Crowd is at times really pretty funny and in parts tragic. Linehan’s terrific ability to be funny comes through as does his real belief in the cause of biological women. Hopefully he will find a way forward.
April 14, 2024
This is a journey into the world of sitcom genius and societal controversy with Graham Linehan's memoir. Known for his sharp wit and uproarious scripts in shows like Father Ted and The IT Crowd, Linehan gives us a front-row seat to the rollercoaster ride of his career.
From the highs of BAFTA wins to the lows of personal and professional upheaval, Linehan doesn't shy away from the nitty-gritty. His account is a mixture of a comedy masterclass and a heartfelt diary of his 'cancellation.'
Have you ever wondered what happens when a celebrated writer takes a stand on a divisive issue? Emails stop, phone calls aren't returned, and friends suddenly lose your number. Linehan's tale is about the laughs he scripted and the tears he didn't.
But don't think it's all doom and gloom! Linehan's resilience shines through as he defends his beliefs with the sharpness of a sitcom punchline. While the subject might darken, his humour never fades, illuminating even the most shadowy moments of his story.
Tough Crowd is more than a memoir—it's a testament to speaking out, even when society's script tries to cancel your lines. So, whether you're a sitcom aficionado or a freedom of speech enthusiast, this book promises insights and unexpected chuckles. After all, much like comedy, life is all about timing. And Linehan, controversial or not, still knows how to deliver a line. It's a book worth reading regardless of where you stand on the cancellation debate.
From the highs of BAFTA wins to the lows of personal and professional upheaval, Linehan doesn't shy away from the nitty-gritty. His account is a mixture of a comedy masterclass and a heartfelt diary of his 'cancellation.'
Have you ever wondered what happens when a celebrated writer takes a stand on a divisive issue? Emails stop, phone calls aren't returned, and friends suddenly lose your number. Linehan's tale is about the laughs he scripted and the tears he didn't.
But don't think it's all doom and gloom! Linehan's resilience shines through as he defends his beliefs with the sharpness of a sitcom punchline. While the subject might darken, his humour never fades, illuminating even the most shadowy moments of his story.
Tough Crowd is more than a memoir—it's a testament to speaking out, even when society's script tries to cancel your lines. So, whether you're a sitcom aficionado or a freedom of speech enthusiast, this book promises insights and unexpected chuckles. After all, much like comedy, life is all about timing. And Linehan, controversial or not, still knows how to deliver a line. It's a book worth reading regardless of where you stand on the cancellation debate.
October 5, 2024
Fantastic book from beginning to end. I loved hearing the origin stories of such classics as Fr. Ted and IT Crowd. I laughed out loud many times throughout. While the second 3rd of the book isn't as jolly it is still an important part of, not only Graham's story, but so many more people's lives who have been upended by this cultish anti-speech ideology. Once again, we are reminded that you cannot believe what the likes of Wikipedia and legacy media tell us about anyone or anything. This is not the first time or subject they have been captured for. I look forward to the day when Graham can share his writing talents with us on TV again and happier times for all of us.
November 10, 2023
This is a book of two halves. The first deals with Linehan's early years (of which I would have liked more) and his success in writing Father Ted and the IT Crowd. His insights in to screen writing are excellent. The second half deals with his subsequent cancellation as a result of his stance against those who sought to abuse the trans rights movement for their own purposes: it is a sad and sorry tale, written fairly and dispassionately, and not in a 'woe is me' tone that some have claimed. The book ends on a hopeful note and one can only hope that Linehan is allowed back to do what he does best: make us laugh.
November 15, 2023
Hilarious and important.
What happens when a comedic genius
speaks the truth in a world that no longer has any use for it?
Linehan made enemies of the almighty, jack-booted hate machine of the gender identity Gestapo and it's vile collaborators in the media.
But he's still wrong about GamerGate.
What happens when a comedic genius
speaks the truth in a world that no longer has any use for it?
Linehan made enemies of the almighty, jack-booted hate machine of the gender identity Gestapo and it's vile collaborators in the media.
But he's still wrong about GamerGate.
November 19, 2023
A moden day HERO
I wish G all the best. Shining a light on cowardly virtual signalling celebs. Thank you for refusing to bend in the storm.
I wish G all the best. Shining a light on cowardly virtual signalling celebs. Thank you for refusing to bend in the storm.
December 7, 2023
Read this in a week because it’s a fun and relatively easy read. I love hearing how writers write and this is a great insight into comedy writing. Very enjoyable read with lots of great anecdotes.
The second half where Graham encounters the wrath of the Twitter ‘Stasi’ is equally interesting. A tough time for him clearly but he tells his story with warmth and humour.
The second half where Graham encounters the wrath of the Twitter ‘Stasi’ is equally interesting. A tough time for him clearly but he tells his story with warmth and humour.
November 23, 2023
Honest and insightful account of how Linehan created one of the world’s most beloved sitcoms and then became the most hated man on the internet.
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