To be effective, political and social satire must cross lines of propriety. If satire does not offend a person, people, group or nation, then what’s the point? Satire is not simply about getting a few laughs, it is about taking jabs that pierce and sting. Spitting Image, one of the most-watched shows of the 1980s, satirized global politics, politicians, royalty, entertainment, sports and British popular culture using life-sized rubber caricatures and puppets. At its peak, the show (which ran from 1984-1996) was watched by 15 million people.
In 2020, I wrote that Spitting Image co-creator Roger Law was “spitting mad” and had the urge to return to TV with his cast and crew. This past July, I detailed that Law had decided the world was in the eye of a perfect shit storm, and once again longed to deliver some broadsides to the current fools in (and adjacent to) power. Thus premiered a revised format on YouTube called Spitting Image Presents: The Rest Is Bull*!t, a talk/news show hilariously/scaborously/mockingly hosted by “Harry” (the Prince of L.A.) and the Peruvian-born Paddington Bear. I linked to Episode 1 in July, and now it’s October, so here’s Episode 2—featuring appearances by Donald Trump, the U.K. Prime Minister, the villainous Benjamin Netanyahu, Elon Musk and more. Watch it below and feel your stress … disappear.
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