00:00:02.04
alexei sayle
Hi everybody, welcome to episode number 79 of the Alexis L podcast and today we have a guest, Ty Hickey, is that right? Am I saying that right?
00:00:10.70
Tadhg
Beautiful. Yeah, it's beautifully pronounced.
00:00:11.78
alexei sayle
Thank you.
00:00:12.61
Tadhg
Yeah, thank you.
00:00:13.47
alexei sayle
Thank you. And so we know, so just like jump right in here. um we I think we've come, you you've partly come to our attention because we are activism for Palestine, but I'm also interested in, I guess, how you get started, you know, your journey as a,
00:00:30.03
alexei sayle
as ah As a comedian, Janie, yeah, Janie.
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Talal K
Jenny...
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alexei sayle
I wish there was another word for that, really, but there isn't.
00:00:33.36
Tadhg
Jenny. Jenny.
00:00:36.48
alexei sayle
Janie, unfortunately, is the word. um Whether you, you know, how you become a comedian in Ireland, really. What's the scene like there? And then also, what does Graham Linehan think?
00:00:49.19
alexei sayle
He doesn't like you.
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Tadhg
He doesn't like me at all. Yeah, he doesn't like me at all.
00:00:50.72
alexei sayle
No.
00:00:51.63
Tadhg
Yeah, yeah.
00:00:51.82
alexei sayle
You see, he loved you.
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Tadhg
Hates me, I think. He
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alexei sayle
Yeah. Did he love you first? He loved me first and now he hates me, I think. He just started.
00:00:58.47
Tadhg
ah he probably just didn't know me first, so, like, I feel jealous of you there that I'd never had that kind of arc.
00:01:00.30
alexei sayle
Yeah.
00:01:04.38
alexei sayle
Yeah, it was.
00:01:05.11
Tadhg
He just came in hot with the hatred for me, like, so, yeah.
00:01:06.98
alexei sayle
Yeah, no, I have that. It probably happens Talal. These young men I take under my wing and it starts out, all goes well, and then at some point it goes horribly wrong, really.
00:01:14.45
Tadhg
Young'uns.
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alexei sayle
which It has.
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Tadhg
Oh, I can't wait to start doing that. That's my dream.
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alexei sayle
ah oh it's, ah yeah. well it's When you get to an...
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Talal K
Oh, what's going to be my big controversy then?
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alexei sayle
ah
00:01:27.82
Talal K
Hmm.
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alexei sayle
I don't know. it' We seem to have avoided it so far. But it's a it's ah it's ah it's it's an age, you know, when there's a theory, there's a kind Jungian theory that seasons of a man's life, that when a man reaches his kind of 60s, he becomes...
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Talal K
Hmm.
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alexei sayle
he becomes the teacher, you know, he stops striving to to to to do stuff, to accumulate, and instead becomes the the yeah the kind of sage of the village, you know, and takes young men under his wing and instructs them.
00:01:49.89
Tadhg
Hmm.
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alexei sayle
And I've tried to do that several times and it's ended so badly.
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Talal K
Fuck.
00:02:02.07
alexei sayle
can't tell you. I can't tell you how. um man, it's just, I mean, luckily, it's ah we've kept out the courts and kind of exclusion orders and so on so far, but it's it's not gone. One woman, but mostly men.
00:02:16.51
alexei sayle
um it's It's, oh, it's not gone well.
00:02:19.55
Tadhg
Well like if you could put your finger on why it doesn't go well like what what what is it do you think?
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Talal K
fuck
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alexei sayle
So tell us.
00:02:23.60
alexei sayle
I think excessive neediness on my part, really, and
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alexei sayle
just, I mean, I think probably i am choosing the wrong people, really, to try to try and, you know, one of them's now, one of them's a fucking host on GB News, you know.
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Talal K
Okay, now I'm right here. I'm sitting right here.
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Tadhg
This is...
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Talal K
The fuck?
00:02:47.46
Tadhg
Oh, wow.
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alexei sayle
I know, yeah. it's I mean, that's... I'm actually solely doing that, I think, as an act of kind of rebellion against me, really. to me He's gone to the trouble of me becoming a host on ah on ah on a ah right-wing TV channel.
00:02:57.09
Tadhg
Jeez.
00:03:03.82
alexei sayle
Just...
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Tadhg
Oh, my head is trying to figure out who that is now.
00:03:06.90
alexei sayle
Josh Howey. He's gone.
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Talal K
damn
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alexei sayle
No, he's not really...
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Tadhg
Wow, he he hates me as well, actually.
00:03:14.24
alexei sayle
Oh, does he? Yeah, he would do.
00:03:14.98
Tadhg
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
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alexei sayle
Yeah.
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Tadhg
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
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alexei sayle
Yeah.
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Tadhg
Big, big time.
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alexei sayle
yeah yeah
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Tadhg
Big style. Yeah.
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alexei sayle
Yeah.
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Talal K
well there's no risk of me uh me no risk that i'm gonna go down that path alexi don't worry um
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alexei sayle
Well, we share that we've got a lot in common so far.
00:03:27.03
alexei sayle
No, we're always going to be. Well, because you also.
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Tadhg
GB News, yeah.
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alexei sayle
He's a
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Talal K
Like, ah you know, I was listening to this podcast by this guy, Andrew Tate, the other day, and he had something really cool to say about this topic.
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alexei sayle
guy.
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Tadhg
Yeah, he's he's...
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alexei sayle
easy to go guy
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Tadhg
I think we should just hear him out. Let's just hear him out.
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Talal K
Because he's just said, you know, he put it so frankly, the problem with immigrants and this not racist is...
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Tadhg
Yeah.
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alexei sayle
and
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Tadhg
It's what we're all thinking.
00:03:49.46
alexei sayle
Any... Yeah.
00:03:50.56
Talal K
Yeah. Well, I've been... self-sabotaging myself since before i started working with you alexis though it won't be your fault when it happens anyway we have a guest today
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alexei sayle
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I've got better at... I've got better at...
00:04:00.67
Tadhg
Yes. Yes.
00:04:01.60
alexei sayle
Yes, anyway, sorry, yeah. Enough about...
00:04:03.29
Tadhg
No, I'm loving this though. i'm loving, I'm loving this because I wish we'd recorded a bit about Eric Clapton, but at least we got the Graham Linn in stuff.
00:04:04.74
alexei sayle
Yeah.
00:04:10.12
alexei sayle
Yes. yeah
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Talal K
ah
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alexei sayle
Yes, enough about...
00:04:14.27
Tadhg
No, but Graeme Linehan, he just fascinates me, though.
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alexei sayle
Yeah.
00:04:16.79
Tadhg
like I mean, I talk about him for an hour, like, oh.
00:04:17.61
alexei sayle
Graham. Yeah. He's, I mean, he's, it's, I mean, it's surprising. I mean, i you know, it's, I mean, you i don't mean you get you'll get loads of, because because he also has these insanely devoted fans, doesn't he So you get a lot of earache, really.
00:04:30.69
Talal K
Yeah, and some of them do listen to this show.
00:04:31.04
Tadhg
Yes.
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alexei sayle
I mean, and it's, well, like I mean, it's,
00:04:36.19
Tadhg
What's your theory? happened? What happened?
00:04:37.49
alexei sayle
Yeah, I don't really, I mean, you know, my arc with him is that I was, went after after Renick, David Renick and Andrew Marshall, we'd done three series of stuff for BBC and Renick was writing One Foot in the Grave and and so he wasn't available and then Andrew was also doing a series called 2.4 Children.
00:04:46.92
Tadhg
Yes. Yes.
00:04:55.43
alexei sayle
So I was looking for new writers and a friend of mine suggested Graham and Arthur, and so I took them on as writers for the all-new Lexi Sayles show.
00:05:06.36
alexei sayle
We did two series of that.
00:05:07.22
Tadhg
yes
00:05:08.18
alexei sayle
And, they I mean, Graham was... I mean, he was very... He was young then, and... and and i do I mean, the the two of them were fine, really, then.
00:05:21.17
alexei sayle
I mean, Graham, because they were young and stuff.
00:05:22.93
Tadhg
Nobody wants that review.
00:05:24.20
alexei sayle
Yeah, yeah.
00:05:24.69
Tadhg
ah He was fa was fine.
00:05:26.20
alexei sayle
He was all right. No, he was fine. But he became... I mean, he he never... I mean, I sort of jokingly, I mean, i you know, and they then went on to do... They wrote a sitcom for me, Paris, which was a disaster.
00:05:39.25
Tadhg
Oh, yes.
00:05:40.46
alexei sayle
Yeah, absolute disaster. and then but And I sort of say, you know, and then they went on to do... um ah Father Ted, and I always say, you know, all the people, you know, where's my fucking cameo as Father Oak Shaggle?
00:05:53.81
alexei sayle
I don't know, Father Oak.
00:05:54.37
Tadhg
Oh wow yeah yeah
00:05:55.38
alexei sayle
Yeah, i never I never got a cameo.
00:05:55.60
Talal K
That's a good point.
00:05:57.77
alexei sayle
Why didn't I get a cameo as a fucking priestess or a rabbi?
00:06:00.37
Tadhg
Oh my god And they crawled the streets of Ireland Like to pick up anyone attempting comedy at the time Like anybody doing comedy was on Got their cameo Oh no and I was just saying they like You know they crawled the streets of Ireland To find anybody doing comedy to give a cameo to In that show So like it was it's mental that you weren't in it
00:06:01.09
alexei sayle
You know what, a funny rabbi?
00:06:05.05
alexei sayle
Oh, he's gone.
00:06:08.48
Talal K
Well, you disconnected there, say that. you They crawled.
00:06:13.03
alexei sayle
Yeah, you're back now.
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Talal K
Yeah.
00:06:20.03
alexei sayle
Yeah? Yeah?
00:06:23.64
alexei sayle
I know. Maybe that was where Graham's, you know, it's well it's Oedipus as well, isn't it?
00:06:25.20
Talal K
Hmm.
00:06:29.19
alexei sayle
You know, it's so killing your father. don't know who he was.
00:06:34.12
Talal K
Well, he wanted that show, obviously, to be extremely Irish.
00:06:34.70
alexei sayle
Hmm.
00:06:36.57
Talal K
i was There was very little, if any, England or British characters in that.
00:06:42.58
Tadhg
Yeah, that's true. That's true, I suppose. so
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Talal K
And maybe because he's not Irish or is is he of Irish descent?
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alexei sayle
Hmm.
00:06:47.75
Talal K
I don't know. But maybe ah Graham.
00:06:48.94
alexei sayle
Hmm.
00:06:49.41
Tadhg
No, he is.
00:06:50.81
alexei sayle
Graham, yeah.
00:06:51.09
Tadhg
Yeah.
00:06:51.46
Talal K
He is Irish. OK, because I've always wondered, but because he doesn't sound Irish.
00:06:52.42
alexei sayle
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:06:52.60
Tadhg
Yeah.
00:06:53.15
alexei sayle
Yeah.
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Talal K
um
00:06:56.23
alexei sayle
and oh yeah
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Talal K
He did write good jokes for you, to be fair.
00:07:00.44
alexei sayle
Oh, he did. He was great, you know.
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Talal K
The lad.
00:07:01.81
alexei sayle
And ah they did admire me at first, really. But, it you know, said, well, as I say, I'm a um um ah um'm a great sort of initial friend. I remember telling this to a... I was being interviewed by a woman from the Scotsman once, and I was saying this.
00:07:15.45
alexei sayle
I said, I'm a great friend. We would become great friends first, I said, you know. But then, know, when the weeping midnight phone calls start, you will... You know, it will...
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alexei sayle
And she was like, I've never...
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Tadhg
and
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alexei sayle
That phrase, their jaw dropped.
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Tadhg
Yes.
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alexei sayle
You know, so she stared at me.
00:07:35.23
Talal K
Mm-hmm.
00:07:36.59
alexei sayle
I'm not saying it's just a joke, you know. But ah based on truth. And um she... ah i You know, Linda, you it's like when you Linda used to give me a talk, like you yeah you're doing these interviews, you're trying to impress these journalists, you're not trying to unsettle them and make them uncomfortable.
00:07:56.98
alexei sayle
But I never really learned that lesson. And to go back to Graham, well, Graham, I mean, I think his head got turned bit because he was mixing with, you know, I mean, quite a powerful crowd, really, all those people from Talkback and Edgar Wright and...
00:08:12.17
alexei sayle
another of my protégés and who's never given me a fucking cameo and um I think he just got very I think it can it comes from arrogance really his is upfall and then his downfall really is about thinking that you know the answer to everything I suspect
00:08:23.85
Tadhg
Yeah.
00:08:31.35
Talal K
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
00:08:31.66
Tadhg
Yes, yes.
00:08:31.81
Talal K
Mm-hmm.
00:08:34.20
Tadhg
I always think this trans thing is like, it's something like and somebody who's sharted. Like, it's almost like he's gone away from the family, with the family for the weekend, and he sharted, right? and and And the wife is like, you need to clean yourself up. And he's like, no, hold on a second. this this This might be all my fault, like, you know?
00:08:56.41
Tadhg
And the kids the kids the kids are like, Dad, look, this has gone on long enough. Like,
00:09:01.60
alexei sayle
Yeah.
00:09:03.21
Tadhg
And now he's at the window, like, and the police are like, Graham, you need to fucking come down. This is, this is over. Like, you know, and he's like, you don't know what I ate last night.
00:09:10.62
alexei sayle
but
00:09:13.12
Tadhg
Like, and it could be you, like, it could be your, like, it just seems like there was so many opportunities to deescalate this. Like, and instead he's just burned his fucking life down.
00:09:23.28
alexei sayle
yeah
00:09:23.93
Tadhg
Like, you know, it's just, it's mental.
00:09:24.63
alexei sayle
that
00:09:26.43
Tadhg
It's mental.
00:09:29.79
alexei sayle
yeah
00:09:31.39
Tadhg
I just began that and I was like, do they know what a shart is? A shart in Irish thing?
00:09:34.51
alexei sayle
I don't I kind of I think I think it's it's on a matter of paper
00:09:34.67
Tadhg
Like, cause we're just,
00:09:37.97
Talal K
I'm very familiar. Extremely.
00:09:39.51
Tadhg
we're, ah we're big sharters over here, guys.
00:09:40.56
Talal K
Extremely.
00:09:41.43
Tadhg
Big sharters.
00:09:43.87
alexei sayle
we still haven't we've been going for how long have been going for nine minutes and haven't even started on your career so so tell us how you got started first of all I suppose what's the scene like over there
00:09:56.45
Tadhg
Yeah, so, yeah ah yeah, I started off probably in music, really, and like I was a singer in a band, the band is kind of still vaguely going, electronic music, 80s kind of stuff, all that kind of jazz, and that's, I suppose I did acting, I did like regular acting, but I was just kind of like trying to get into comedy, but I didn't have the balls to do it until I was probably in my, maybe early, late late twenty s maybe.
00:09:57.13
Talal K
Yeah.
00:10:19.55
Tadhg
And then very quickly, i am ah like i mean I grew up watching surreal comedy, like you're not blowing smoke, but like i mean yourself and you know the young ones and bottom and all that kind stuff.
00:10:30.57
Tadhg
That's the staple stuff for me when I was a kid.
00:10:31.15
alexei sayle
Yeah. All
00:10:32.68
Tadhg
I was always attracted to that kind of mad stuff as opposed to regular situation comedy kind of stuff. I formed my own sketch group, and we had good bit of success here in Ireland. We had our own sitcom and...
00:10:44.88
alexei sayle
right.
00:10:44.79
Tadhg
and whatnot, and, but I didn't, the group is called Cahoots, with three C's, for for, I can't remember why exactly, but all our stuff is on YouTube, and it's some good kind of offbeat, I think it's good, it's it's actually, yeah, i'm I'm really happy with it, like, you know, I'm proud of it and stuff, but I was very political very early on, and I never found a way to kind of marry the politics and the comedy, so Ireland is like weirdly quite,
00:10:46.89
Talal K
What was the group called?
00:11:14.49
Tadhg
you know, conservative. We've never had like a left-leaning government here. you'd You'd have to kind of leave your leftism at the door, like particularly leftism that would be associated with Irish republicanism and stuff, because that would be seen as kind of a bit dirty.
00:11:21.86
alexei sayle
Right.
00:11:25.43
alexei sayle
Yeah.
00:11:28.02
Tadhg
So I always had to kind of park my politics, really, if I was to get work with the national broadcaster. And then somewhere along that, like before COVID kind of area, I think I just decided to just smash...
00:11:39.52
Tadhg
the whole thing to the ground really and see what happens because I was just sick of not being fully kind of me in the comedy I think and so then I started doing more political comedy and to my great great surprise there was like a massive appetite for it online I couldn't believe it like I did a sketch about the British Empire just in my house at the start of COVID just like wearing wigs and playing different characters like taking on and off my jumper and it had like millions of hits on
00:11:47.34
alexei sayle
Right.
00:11:54.62
alexei sayle
Right.
00:12:04.76
Tadhg
on Twitter and stuff. And then I suddenly realized, oh, there's all these people around the world that are interested in anti-imperialist comedy.
00:12:05.95
alexei sayle
Right.
00:12:11.32
alexei sayle
Right.
00:12:11.26
Tadhg
and And that was, that was kind of like a bit of the comedy journey. I'd done lots of standup as well, but I, I'm not really, I'm not, I wouldn't be a standup guy. I don't think really, I, am I don't get that rush.
00:12:24.68
Tadhg
Like, and i as I, actually, this is one of the questions I wanted to ask from you. Like, was the live thing, is the live thing the complete bedrock? For you, Alexi, like, is that, do you need to do that? Or did you need to do that?
00:12:38.12
alexei sayle
um Well, it's I think that it was obviously the they it was the basis of what I did that started.
00:12:49.43
alexei sayle
Obviously, you start out doing it you don't get directly onto the TV or whatever.
00:12:53.45
Tadhg
Yeah.
00:12:55.08
alexei sayle
I started out doing live stuff, and then I was the emcee of the comedy store. like you know i was the m of the comedy store
00:13:03.61
Tadhg
Yes.
00:13:04.47
alexei sayle
the original MC, and that's what yeah that's what started the comedy revolution in Britain. And I was sort central to that. And so, I mean, we we all met each other, the young ones and the comic strip crew all met each other working live.
00:13:18.55
alexei sayle
And then, yeah, i would i will i never I wish I loved the life more, really. I mean, it was it was definitely the bedrock of what I was doing, working live. And it is... is um It is really nice to be with an audience, really.
00:13:35.85
alexei sayle
I didn't, I mean, Stuart Lee is obviously kind of provides a template, that he he a kind of template in that he works every night. You know, he does he does more gigs than there are days in the year kind of thing.
00:13:44.60
Tadhg
Yeah.
00:13:48.26
alexei sayle
And so he, and and, you know, you can see it in his work that there's a polish, really, that and there's a,
00:13:48.83
Tadhg
Yes.
00:13:54.98
alexei sayle
you know, there's a there's a confidence with an audience that, you know, that that is sublime to watch, really. And i don't have that. I'm always sort of when I do the occasional live gig, I'm always on the edge of, because I'm not, I've not done it enough, really.
00:14:11.93
Tadhg
Yes, yes, exactly.
00:14:12.11
alexei sayle
um
00:14:12.16
Talal K
And you were just saying last week, you were just saying last week how much you hated touring.
00:14:16.98
alexei sayle
ah Yeah, I agree with the head touring, yeah.
00:14:17.37
Tadhg
Yeah.
00:14:19.22
alexei sayle
I mean, it's, you know, the travelling and, well, you know, yeah. um ah But, yeah, it it certainly was. And I think it's, you know, when I do my my award-winning radio show, I always work the material live. Just slip that in.
00:14:36.62
alexei sayle
You're listening. You're listening, all my failed sons. um
00:14:41.55
Tadhg
Yeah. Take that, Graham.
00:14:42.38
alexei sayle
i Yeah, yeah. My dewey's got fucking in hundreds of bloody awards. But ah ah yeah, um you know, I always work the material live first and it is nice. It's nice now. And and so, arthurs like you know, my face, I mean, somebody, was looking at reading the comments somewhere and just saying they'd come to one of those tryouts and just say now how I lit up, how my face lit up when I was in front of an audience, really, you know, and it is a it is a wonderful thing to do. I just wish I loved it more. Yeah.
00:15:13.88
Talal K
a good opportunity to say that we've got ah three live Alexis L podcasts coming up.
00:15:14.16
Tadhg
So... and
00:15:19.14
alexei sayle
Yes, the Museum of Comedy.
00:15:19.75
Talal K
Listeners, go to Google, the museum of comedy, go to their website, see what's on. You'll find the Alexis L podcast live. We've got tickets left to sell.
00:15:31.58
Talal K
Grab them before they're gone. Thank you. Um, Thank you very much. Taig, it sounds like you had a lot of practice then doing solo video sketches before ah the genocide on the Palestinian people, because you're the quality of your sketches on that topic.
00:15:49.23
Talal K
And I think I've seen some other topics that you've covered as well, but really high quality sketches and like you're playing all the characters and editing is really clean and everything.
00:15:57.85
Tadhg
Yeah.
00:15:59.34
Talal K
is and is that Do you prefer that to playing with your sketch group and being with other people or was it just out of necessity because of the politics issue?
00:16:08.40
Tadhg
Yeah, like the sketch group just naturally came to an end around COVID time. And as I say, like, i mean, this is just on me. There's nobody who was specifically telling me not to do but it was very hard to get the politics into the type of comedy that we were doing.
00:16:20.47
Tadhg
And certainly if you were to do overtly left-leaning comedy, you have no opportunity to get work and with the national broadcaster in Ireland. Like, no way whatsoever. They're unbelievably safe. They don't want any... We don't didn't don't really have much even surreal comedy on TV here and much. It's still a very conservative kind of society and whatnot.
00:16:43.23
Tadhg
So the sketches that have me playing all the characters actually kind of came out of a bit of COVID as well, that I was just in a house and it was my mate was with me and, you know, it was kind of a necessity more than anything else.
00:16:43.55
Talal K
All right. Ah.
00:16:54.59
Tadhg
But interestingly, at the start of... The genocide, I had already made sketches about Palestine because that was the kind of shtick that I was doing anyway. So like the first couple of sketches that I put out were just resharing stuff that I had already done.
00:17:06.40
Tadhg
But it seemed like the world just just woke up.
00:17:07.03
Talal K
oh
00:17:08.74
Tadhg
Yeah, like I think like the first two ones I put out were were just reshares. and And also I've got Palestinian friends in Cork, so I wasn't even sure about doing comedy, to be honest with you. I was like, well what what on earth would comedy have to do in this space right now?
00:17:22.76
Tadhg
and But it was my Palestinian friends here were just like, no, definitely get in here, like because this is going to be a kind of a media battle as well. It's going to be a narrative battle and we kind of need need satire. like So look, i'm I mean, I'm not an idiot. I know the the strength that satire can have, but...
00:17:38.81
Tadhg
it was an unusual situation, as I'm sure you get, to try and say something vaguely humorous or satirical in the middle of ongoing mass murder, as opposed reflecting on something that had happened.
00:17:51.06
Tadhg
You know, like, for instance, if you if you did a sketch about the famine right now in Ireland, it would be pretty, pretty saucy stuff.
00:17:51.75
alexei sayle
Yeah.
00:17:57.48
Tadhg
Like, you know, you'd be a bit like, whoa, I'm not sure. Like, it could be too soon, let alone doing...
00:18:02.63
alexei sayle
Potato famine.
00:18:03.81
Tadhg
Yeah, exactly.
00:18:06.04
alexei sayle
How long ago was that exactly?
00:18:06.22
Talal K
That famine.
00:18:06.64
Tadhg
mitten
00:18:07.27
alexei sayle
Still too soon.
00:18:08.32
Tadhg
Like, you know i mean? As in, like, it's... Genocide is, you know, it's it's not very fucking...
00:18:11.87
alexei sayle
Yeah.
00:18:12.87
Tadhg
You've got to be careful with it, especially when it's ongoing.
00:18:14.10
alexei sayle
Yeah. Yeah.
00:18:15.13
Tadhg
You know what I mean?
00:18:15.78
alexei sayle
yeah
00:18:15.69
Tadhg
so and So, was again, Palestinians, because, as you know, they've just got outrageously dark senses of humor anyway.
00:18:21.46
alexei sayle
Yeah, yeah.
00:18:22.11
Tadhg
And they were like, you're not going to be mocking us. Like, get in there and mock the Hasbro and stuff. So, yeah.
00:18:26.87
alexei sayle
Yeah.
00:18:27.71
Tadhg
Yeah.
00:18:30.75
alexei sayle
I mean, so so, I mean, and that's brought, I mean, that's, I mean, how has that changed your life, really, I suppose? well and um one got Well, yeah, so we'll go, ah two things, really. How does it changed life and also go into the reasons why you think genocide's a bad idea?
00:18:49.07
Talal K
ah Why is that?
00:18:49.43
Tadhg
um not I've never been a fan.
00:18:50.27
alexei sayle
We have to refer to two sides it.
00:18:50.84
Tadhg
I've never been a fan of it.
00:18:52.27
alexei sayle
Yeah, we have to show of broadcasterly, unbiased.
00:18:53.07
Tadhg
Oh, yeah. Absolutely. Yeah,
00:18:59.06
alexei sayle
Pro-genocide, argue, why can't genocide go there? Why? have to have somebody on. Go on, anyway. Sorry, go on.
00:19:03.66
Tadhg
yeah, absolutely. So, yeah, like, I mean, it's changed my life insofar as I've accidentally...
00:19:12.65
alexei sayle
hit
00:19:12.61
Talal K
What a question.
00:19:14.77
Tadhg
Yeah, yeah.
00:19:14.80
Talal K
It just, went and you you literally, you do put it, if you put it like that, it's outrageous that anyone out there is still fighting for the Israeli cause, you know?
00:19:15.27
Tadhg
Yeah.
00:19:22.64
alexei sayle
Yeah, defending it, yeah.
00:19:22.82
Tadhg
yeah
00:19:24.47
alexei sayle
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:19:24.77
Tadhg
It's true, it's true. It's actually, it's it's a perfectly satirical question because it's ah it's absolutely true. Like I was saying to a mate of mine the other day, i would be shitting myself if I were a Zionist and I had to do something like this or I had to do media anywhere.
00:19:36.25
alexei sayle
Right.
00:19:37.87
Tadhg
Because you're now you're in a position where you have to defend the mass murder of mostly women and children.
00:19:38.37
alexei sayle
Yeah.
00:19:38.86
Talal K
yeah
00:19:42.59
Tadhg
Like you're going to have to find a reason to legitimize it.
00:19:43.33
alexei sayle
Yeah.
00:19:45.17
Tadhg
It seems like an impossible position to me.
00:19:45.53
alexei sayle
Yeah.
00:19:46.60
Tadhg
I wouldn't like to take it on at all. like But yeah. Yeah.
00:19:49.17
alexei sayle
They manage it. ah
00:19:51.10
Tadhg
Yeah.
00:19:51.45
alexei sayle
Yeah, unconvincingly. But yeah, so... Yeah.
00:19:54.94
Tadhg
So yeah, look, it changed my life insofar as I've accidentally become a kind of an activist, you know, and because i I suppose like I saw the activism as something that I was doing on the side whilst trying to pursue a comedy career for for most of my adult life.
00:20:02.10
alexei sayle
yeah
00:20:13.10
Tadhg
And now it's almost gone the other way because... i Like, for instance, my Instagram is like just an open book, like anybody who wants to use it, anyone who wants to collaborate, particularly Palestinians, I just like always say yes.
00:20:26.03
Tadhg
So I'm definitely doing more like the media asks that I have these days are more to do with activism than they are to do with comedy. But like, I'm absolutely at peace with that. Like, I feel privileged to be in the position that I'm in that, you know, I've got a big enough social media presence that I can push the message out there.
00:20:43.88
Tadhg
But I mean, my main thing in terms of how it's changed my life is like my my even vague fleeting faith in any kind of system, any international law, any rules, any fairness is just completely gone.
00:20:58.78
Tadhg
As I say, like I spend ah a lot of my friends in Cork are Palestinian. And like you're just watching people oscillate from rage to deep sadness, like on a minute by minute basis.
00:21:10.33
Tadhg
You know, and what do you say to them?
00:21:10.58
alexei sayle
Yeah.
00:21:11.33
Tadhg
Like, I've literally run out of like, I'm i'm going to see them later today. And I've completely run out of things to say.
00:21:15.44
alexei sayle
Yeah.
00:21:16.64
Tadhg
They still send me the videos of like children being burned in their tents last night. They still send me all the stuff because I suppose I'm in a small list of people that they can continue to send things to us so that they feel like they're, I don't know, honoring the people who've who've died.
00:21:31.88
Tadhg
But what do I say?
00:21:32.12
alexei sayle
Yeah.
00:21:33.08
Tadhg
I say, oh, just hold tight. Like, I'm going to do another protest. on the streets of Cork next weekend.
00:21:37.08
alexei sayle
yeah
00:21:38.09
Tadhg
You know what mean?
00:21:38.98
alexei sayle
yeah
00:21:38.89
Tadhg
Like it's, it's obviously not working. We're trying our best, but it's not working. So I don't know what you say to these people anymore.
00:21:43.10
alexei sayle
Yeah.
00:21:44.39
Tadhg
So, yeah.
00:21:45.19
alexei sayle
No. That is, i mean, that is something that, I mean, it is, I think, so something that all of us on the left and... just any human being has the um but this the, that this situation has shown us that we we were living kind of in a fool's paradise, really, where we thought there were laws, where we thought there was humanity in our governments, in our politicians.
00:22:05.78
Tadhg
Yeah.
00:22:11.72
alexei sayle
We thought there was restraint. you We thought there was kindness and justice and none and none of that is the case. And so to wake up every morning, yeah, to the realization that,
00:22:22.00
Talal K
Mm-hmm.
00:22:23.57
alexei sayle
you know, that there is no law, that there is no kindness, there is no justice is a... It's a horrible... mean, most people can't look at that, can they?
00:22:36.10
alexei sayle
And it's a difficult thing to look in the face.
00:22:36.29
Tadhg
Yeah.
00:22:38.38
alexei sayle
And I guess one of the only ways that you can at least partially learn to live with it is to actively do, you know, do your best to campaign against it, even though, you know, are coming from a position of...
00:22:51.96
alexei sayle
relative powerlessness i think it's a yeah
00:22:54.47
Tadhg
Yeah, but I don't want to, and you know, like a friend said to me recently, you know, you can when you look back at this, you can hold your head up high and you did your bit or whatever. Like, I'm not interested in that stuff at all.
00:23:04.81
alexei sayle
yeah yeah
00:23:05.61
Tadhg
Like, who gives a shit about that? Like, so when I'm dying, I can go, oh, Jesus, I i've shared a few videos about the genocide.
00:23:07.50
alexei sayle
yeah
00:23:11.45
Tadhg
Fuck off.
00:23:12.02
alexei sayle
yeah
00:23:11.93
Tadhg
Like, you know, like, I want to try and whatever...
00:23:12.75
alexei sayle
yeah
00:23:15.05
Tadhg
like bit of popularity that I have I want to use that page or pages to try and organize people into like fucking hitting the streets like and and you know I just cannot believe that there's not mass I can't believe we are not in the middle of an active revolution right now like if we're witnessing this level of horror you know it just blows my mind
00:23:24.16
alexei sayle
Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
00:23:31.11
alexei sayle
Yeah.
00:23:31.44
Talal K
Yeah.
00:23:33.06
alexei sayle
yeah Yeah, but it is one of the sort of consoling lies, I think, to people on the left. And you can understand it, but they tell themselves, at least we did our best. And like you say, fuck that.
00:23:43.99
alexei sayle
That's not enough.
00:23:44.11
Tadhg
yeah
00:23:45.01
alexei sayle
That's not fucking, you know, a tiny bit of enough, really, you know. least we At least we submitted a ah composite motion to the Labour Party annual conference that didn't get through, you know.
00:23:58.34
alexei sayle
At least we did that. Fuck off. Do more.
00:24:01.74
Tadhg
It's heartbreaking.
00:24:03.15
alexei sayle
Realise, yeah, but realise that that is no consolation.
00:24:03.25
Tadhg
it's heartbreak and
00:24:06.22
alexei sayle
The system is against you. Yeah, and why aren't... I mean, that... Yeah, I mean, it it's but it's so it's like being in a... I mean, it's a click i it's like being in a fucking sci-fi movie, isn't it, in some ways?
00:24:19.03
alexei sayle
This as well.
00:24:19.60
Tadhg
Yeah. And I do think people, i think you're right, people are very eager to kind of say, like, we've done this.
00:24:22.07
alexei sayle
Yeah.
00:24:26.63
Tadhg
You know, like, we've we've done this, like, we've we've marched X amount and and, like, we've clocked up that much kind of, like, activism miles and now we can kind of, but no there's no material difference.
00:24:26.81
alexei sayle
Yeah.
00:24:32.76
alexei sayle
Yeah. Yeah.
00:24:36.72
Tadhg
Like, if you still got mates who are saying, oh, like, you're like one of my mates, the the family next to his in Gaza were all exterminated, like, about a week ago.
00:24:48.56
Tadhg
I mean, it's very hard to turn around to him then and say like, well, like I've, I've actually done my bit, like I'm all marched out, you know, so best of luck with the rest of the genocide.
00:24:53.49
alexei sayle
Yeah. yeah yeah
00:24:56.55
Tadhg
You know, it's just, it's, it's, well, I suppose the whole world is insane.
00:24:57.34
alexei sayle
yeah
00:25:00.15
Tadhg
That's the thing. I definitely feel a bit insane. and you know what I mean?
00:25:03.22
alexei sayle
Yes.
00:25:04.55
Tadhg
I think we're all mad. People who've like stayed with it have collectively gone insane.
00:25:06.39
alexei sayle
Yeah.
00:25:09.04
Tadhg
I'm noticing that like, you know, amongst our, our community here in Cork, I'm sure it's the same. I mean, well, I'm talking to a lot of people in Britain anyway, but it's the same over there, is it?
00:25:16.22
alexei sayle
Yeah. Yeah. We have been driven mad by the cruelty of, of, uh, yeah, I've definitely suffered. Yeah. Yeah.
00:25:24.14
Talal K
Yeah.
00:25:25.25
alexei sayle
It's, um, uh, yeah. I mean, it's a good description really. I mean, I suppose they, they probably, they're, They revel in it. And I mean, the Zionists probably, you know, they're pleased with that as well.
00:25:36.66
alexei sayle
that They've driven us mad.
00:25:37.34
Tadhg
Yeah.
00:25:37.70
alexei sayle
But, you know, our humanity has sent us crazy, really, to witness this cruelty day in death.
00:25:44.24
Talal K
I was at my mum's birthday dinner last night and I was just kind of staring blankly at the wall with a really grim look on my face.
00:25:51.52
Tadhg
Yeah.
00:25:53.72
Talal K
And then my brother-in-law said, are you okay, Tal? What's wrong? Has someone upset you? And I just like, I was about to start talking. I just thought, yeah I have to, am either gonna like talk and not stop and ruin everyone's day and ruin my mom's birthday or I just fucking say, oh no, I'm all right, don't worry, I was just thinking about something.
00:26:07.65
Tadhg
Yes, yes, yes.
00:26:08.66
alexei sayle
Yeah. Yeah.
00:26:13.71
Talal K
um
00:26:14.44
Tadhg
Yeah, it's just that pesky genocide is kind of annoying me again, like.
00:26:14.73
Talal K
But you just kind of turn off every now and then and think about the reality of the situation and the gravity of it all and it's maddening, yeah, you're right.
00:26:19.15
alexei sayle
Yeah.
00:26:26.96
Tadhg
That's so true, man. i'm I'm in that loop at the moment, like where I can even there's there's people in my life that are definitely finding me really tedious. i can I'm with people and all I want to talk about is the fact that we need a global intifada.
00:26:38.92
alexei sayle
Yeah.
00:26:38.97
Talal K
Yeah.
00:26:39.24
Tadhg
And like somebody's telling me about like some offer that they're after getting an Aldi, like, and I'm finding them boring, but I know they're finding me boring because they just want to get on with their lives. So we're in this mutual bore fest, like, and you know, it's, but yeah, I don't know.
00:26:48.46
alexei sayle
yeah Yeah.
00:26:52.94
alexei sayle
What, what, what is the offer? What is it? What is, what is the offer? was Were they doing it?
00:26:57.31
Tadhg
i I can actually tell you exactly, right?
00:26:58.43
alexei sayle
Aldi? Yeah.
00:27:00.72
Tadhg
Because...
00:27:00.92
alexei sayle
Cause we, I, I think I prefer a little to Aldi, but they no, really.
00:27:04.62
Tadhg
What? Oh, you're a madman. yeah
00:27:07.77
alexei sayle
but
00:27:08.70
Tadhg
yeah
00:27:09.49
Talal K
i the though I think it's true. The produce in Lidl is a bit better quality than Aldi.
00:27:16.07
Tadhg
Are you serious, guys? No, I'm an Aldi fundamentalist. like
00:27:19.77
alexei sayle
Really?
00:27:19.80
Talal K
um Sell it to us. give us What's the offer?
00:27:20.71
Tadhg
i'll die I'll die for that franchise. Yeah, no, I love it.
00:27:25.46
alexei sayle
i can't tell the difference.
00:27:25.41
Tadhg
it's It's just down the road for me.
00:27:25.94
Talal K
They're not.
00:27:27.34
Tadhg
I'll be honest, it's just
00:27:27.47
alexei sayle
All right.
00:27:30.85
Talal K
But therere are do they still stock the Israeli flushable toilet wipes in case you're sharted?
00:27:39.34
Tadhg
What do you mean in case? all we've sharted.
00:27:43.34
Talal K
For all the times that we've sharted, yes.
00:27:47.18
Tadhg
Graham Linehan's special, like, you know. Um...
00:27:49.90
Talal K
For him and her, and that's it. It.
00:27:54.18
Tadhg
No, but I'll tell you, I'm going to plug a...
00:27:54.64
Talal K
for him and her and that it
00:28:01.03
Tadhg
Very good, very good. Final point on him, actually. he You know that he doesn't give a shit, like... You know what i mean He doesn't actually care about women. All the posts like, I'm just defending women.
00:28:11.00
alexei sayle
No.
00:28:12.30
Tadhg
Like, he doesn't give a...
00:28:13.26
alexei sayle
Yeah.
00:28:13.80
Tadhg
He's just defending his...
00:28:14.39
Talal K
It seems that way.
00:28:14.60
Tadhg
Like, somebody criticized a joke that he did 20 years ago. That's what it is, like.
00:28:17.68
alexei sayle
Yeah.
00:28:18.80
Talal K
Well, if he cared about women, he would have changed before his wife left him.
00:28:18.95
alexei sayle
Yeah.
00:28:19.07
Tadhg
It's so obvious.
00:28:19.63
alexei sayle
No.
00:28:22.42
Talal K
And, you know, that's the main woman in his life.
00:28:23.65
Tadhg
Yeah.
00:28:25.67
Talal K
Like, do something about her before you start ranting and railing.
00:28:26.09
Tadhg
Yes, exactly.
00:28:29.04
alexei sayle
No.
00:28:29.20
Tadhg
Exactly.
00:28:31.67
alexei sayle
um
00:28:32.17
Tadhg
on, sorry.
00:28:33.44
Talal K
Aldi, Aldi. what's ah
00:28:34.87
alexei sayle
no
00:28:35.28
Talal K
two
00:28:36.72
Tadhg
Oh, yeah, actually, Aldi, let me let me plug a group.
00:28:38.08
Talal K
The wipes, they said made in Israel on the packet.
00:28:38.80
Tadhg
So...
00:28:40.48
Talal K
maybe that was just Lidl.
00:28:43.28
Tadhg
There's a group in Ireland, if you don't know them, check them out, BDS Belfast. They're the absolute pride of the country.
00:28:48.46
alexei sayle
Right.
00:28:49.82
Tadhg
Every single day they go to various shops in the north and they stage sit-ins and they do public announcements.
00:28:55.58
alexei sayle
Right.
00:28:58.60
Tadhg
They let people know exactly which products in the shop, wherever they are, that are in in any way connected to the Zionist regime. There's a small little group of them.
00:29:07.23
alexei sayle
Yeah.
00:29:07.26
Tadhg
And they're just doing it every day, you know.
00:29:09.95
alexei sayle
Yeah.
00:29:09.96
Tadhg
and they're even at the point now with some people within the community are probably like oh man I'm just trying to do my shopping like could he just leave me alone they're kind of relentless and they're facing that that kind of sting and activism where you know fatigue is coming in and like even within your own ranks are probably giving you shit but they keep going they're just yeah they're they're big inspiration so I said when we were talking about Aldi and Little there I'd throw him in
00:29:17.29
alexei sayle
No.
00:29:23.01
alexei sayle
Yeah.
00:29:32.02
Talal K
Oh, this keeps happening.
00:29:33.72
alexei sayle
You're back.
00:29:34.57
Tadhg
oh no
00:29:35.50
Talal K
Yeah, but it records locally, so we won't lose the recording, but we have we did lose the very end of what you said there.
00:29:41.74
alexei sayle
And we should we should promote...
00:29:42.28
Tadhg
Oh, poop.
00:29:43.74
alexei sayle
Because boycotts work. i mean, it's one of the reasons why they try and make it illegal and stuff. You know, if you're speech therapist in Texas, you can't get hired unless you say you... you won't boycott israel you know mean it's israel because it really does that is something that does that is a non-violent protest that uh that really does work and i would encourage everybody and it has i mean it has having some effects isn't it kfc is closed down in turkey starbucks is obviously taking a hit all over the world mcdonald's and so on but also israeli products yeah
00:29:54.81
Tadhg
That's right.
00:30:10.22
Tadhg
yeah
00:30:11.07
Talal K
Mm-hmm.
00:30:16.94
alexei sayle
Boycott them really, really. mean, I would urge anybody in listening to really take a look at where stuff is produced and not buy it if it's going to do with Israel.
00:30:29.06
alexei sayle
Yeah, yeah. yeah
00:30:30.36
Tadhg
But you must get ah you must get and an incredible amount of personal abuse, Alexei, do you because of your stance?
00:30:37.52
alexei sayle
I, know well, no, because I think because I'm not on, I'm not on social media, really.
00:30:42.22
Tadhg
Okay.
00:30:43.65
alexei sayle
So they can't really, there's nowhere to find me to give me that abuse, you know, I, you know, which is, um,
00:30:47.01
Tadhg
Yes.
00:30:51.53
alexei sayle
It's not, you know, I think I've talked about this before, but it's not it's not and it's not like being deported or attacked in the street. That um in when when I did Desert Island Discs in 2020, I think it was, the campaign against that, well one of their fronts, um a conservative MP called Matthew Offord, you know, obviously working, I think for them, tried to get that show banned, really.
00:31:13.12
Tadhg
Oh, yeah.
00:31:18.06
Talal K
Mm-hmm.
00:31:18.24
alexei sayle
And, ah you know, with and it's it's actually... you know I stand with Alexi Sale, hashtag you know trended for days. on you Everybody came out and supported me, really.
00:31:28.07
Tadhg
Oh, yes.
00:31:29.84
alexei sayle
So I think I have probably, I mean, I'm not saying that this will last forever, but I particularly, because I've been involved in you know, kind of, um you know you you know what you're getting with me, and also that I've been doing anti-racist comedy for 40-odd years, over 40 years.
00:31:39.19
Tadhg
Yeah.
00:31:44.99
Tadhg
Yes.
00:31:45.95
alexei sayle
That I, i mean, and and so that, you know, I mean, that my last radio series, my last world winning radio series that went out, you know, was full of all, you know, I think they've just kind of given up with me, really.
00:31:57.63
alexei sayle
It's easier to ignore me than and to attack me, really, which is not to say that it won't happen in the future.
00:31:57.89
Tadhg
Yes.
00:32:04.38
alexei sayle
But I think I kind of, I am the one person who sort of gets away with it, really, you know.
00:32:10.89
Tadhg
Yes.
00:32:11.75
alexei sayle
And it's still possible. i mean, that ma in Starmer's Fascist Britain, that may not go on forever. um
00:32:21.35
alexei sayle
But for for the moment, I think I'm um kind of allowed, really.
00:32:21.65
Talal K
yeah
00:32:24.91
alexei sayle
So I don't... don't get even Even this podcast doesn't really get much abuse, does it, really?
00:32:29.90
Talal K
No, we don't because no one listens to it.
00:32:32.18
alexei sayle
LAUGHTER
00:32:33.83
Tadhg
So clever.
00:32:34.60
alexei sayle
I'm allowed to make that self, do that self.
00:32:34.72
Tadhg
That is so clever. did our bit.
00:32:36.79
alexei sayle
Yes, it's a really clever, it's really clever strategy. It's a strategy that the left has pursued for many years to have no effect. And to do nothing means that you, it's a brilliant way to avoid repression, really. It's an incredibly brilliant strategy.
00:32:54.21
Tadhg
we did our bit
00:32:54.60
alexei sayle
to To do nothing, yeah. To do nothing and to challenge nothing means that the state can't. clamp down on you it's a fantastic strategy
00:33:03.40
Tadhg
We'll call it a draw, exactly. Call it a draw.
00:33:09.37
Talal K
ah No, I don't get any messages of hate towards you or calling you anti-Semitic or anything like that.
00:33:12.59
alexei sayle
no no yeah it's also that they're all on board yeah yeah yeah
00:33:16.03
Talal K
I think that's the concentration of our listenership is pure and they're all on board. Yeah, it's nice.
00:33:26.50
Tadhg
But what about the, ah when you did the address, the Stephen Fry spoof? I'm shocked that you didn't get, like, lots of abuse for that.
00:33:35.09
alexei sayle
Again, I don't...
00:33:35.72
Talal K
Oh, well that had too many comments to sit and read all of them, but yeah, that that had lots of views and I'm sure.
00:33:35.96
alexei sayle
We probably did, but...
00:33:39.70
alexei sayle
Yeah, I tried.
00:33:40.57
Tadhg
Yeah. That
00:33:41.05
alexei sayle
Yeah, yeah i there was there was some, but...
00:33:45.53
Tadhg
was so beautiful.
00:33:47.31
alexei sayle
Yeah, no, it's um it was. Well, it came out of just a, you know, just a, I mean, the best comedy in a sense. Sometimes it comes, out you know, I just heard what he was about to do, saw the text of it and felt, just felt, and we threw that piece together in a couple of days, really.
00:34:02.59
alexei sayle
I felt so, yeah.
00:34:02.59
Talal K
Yeah. There is when it's of the moment and and that's when it's really driven by passion.
00:34:06.09
alexei sayle
Yeah,
00:34:06.64
Tadhg
Yeah.
00:34:09.27
alexei sayle
yeah yeah, and it worked so well, really, you know, as a,
00:34:09.77
Talal K
um
00:34:10.27
Tadhg
Yes, yes.
00:34:12.12
Talal K
The longer you think about doing something, the less you want to do it, really. Hmm.
00:34:16.47
Tadhg
That's very true.
00:34:16.74
alexei sayle
Yeah, I'm sure it did get.
00:34:18.42
Tadhg
You got to trust your instinct.
00:34:20.81
alexei sayle
I haven't bumped, you know, it is, I mean, it's a weird kind of parallel world that I live in, where it you know, which I, you know, which I'm, you know, doing that sort of stuff and speaking at Trafalgar Square.
00:34:31.69
alexei sayle
But also there is a chance that I would be at a party where Stephen Fry would be.
00:34:35.42
Tadhg
Of course.
00:34:36.20
alexei sayle
It's not beyond the bounds of possibility. I don't know how this happened yet, but it would be socially so awkward. ah I mean, again, that's look how I suffer. I would have to, I would have to have an uncomfortable moment with Stephen Fry in, in, in the Delaney restaurant.
00:34:56.60
Talal K
That's the most hate you get.
00:34:56.98
alexei sayle
That's,
00:34:58.78
Talal K
on our comments and Tyg, we will come back to you. ah The most hate you get on your comments
00:35:03.52
Tadhg
I'm fine guys I'm having a great time
00:35:05.41
alexei sayle
but
00:35:06.81
Talal K
is that awkward photo of you on the train with Baddiel. And do we still get we still get comments about that as if you're now best friends after you've like railed against him so much and then you bump into on a train and you were polite.
00:35:10.86
alexei sayle
Oh, yeah, yeah
00:35:13.22
Tadhg
oh
00:35:15.06
alexei sayle
yeah.
00:35:18.04
alexei sayle
Yeah.
00:35:21.01
Talal K
You didn't like cause a scene on a public train.
00:35:21.92
alexei sayle
Yeah. Yeah.
00:35:24.50
Talal K
um people fucking give you a hard time for that and act like your besties and but not that many it's like one or two people but that's the only thing so it's actually lefties who give us a hard time or people who are on board
00:35:29.54
alexei sayle
well well no yeah
00:35:29.92
Tadhg
Yes.
00:35:33.11
alexei sayle
Well, yeah, it is. It is. It's a comp. Yeah.
00:35:37.33
Tadhg
Right, right, yeah. That doesn't surprise me, actually. ah so the left The left is still masterful at tearing itself apart.
00:35:40.61
alexei sayle
No, yeah.
00:35:43.47
Tadhg
You can even see that the pro-Palestine movement.
00:35:46.25
alexei sayle
Yes, we do an amazing job of subverting ourselves, I think.
00:35:46.88
Talal K
mm-hmm
00:35:52.28
alexei sayle
um so oh Yeah, to come back, too so you live in Cork, is that correct?
00:35:55.66
Tadhg
Yeah, yeah, I live in Cork in Ireland, yeah.
00:35:58.56
alexei sayle
What's that like?
00:35:59.02
Tadhg
But I'm spending more and more time in Middle Eastern countries. Like I've been been there a few times now. And ah one one thing that's actually really interesting for me and in the last year and a half, to just go back to comedy briefly, is that there's a whole world out there for comedy.
00:36:16.80
Tadhg
So it's it's another kind of pseudo imperialist thing that we have over here, I think, which is that, you know, when you hear comedians going on world tours, generally speaking, it's the US, Britain and Australia, maybe like that's the kind of world tour.
00:36:30.72
Tadhg
and And as it turns out, there's all these people like in the global South that like to have a laugh as well, you know?
00:36:30.92
alexei sayle
Yeah, goodbye. Yeah.
00:36:35.21
alexei sayle
Yeah.
00:36:37.16
Tadhg
so So, so I'm the,
00:36:38.21
Talal K
Yeah.
00:36:39.23
alexei sayle
so yeah So tell us about that. So what would how would that, so what would um would that work? What would...
00:36:43.06
Tadhg
So like I was in, and know again, most of the time the invitations are for ah the fact that I'm partly doing activism as well. So it's not necessarily doing comedy yet, but like I was just in Lebanon and I had like an amazing experience.
00:36:53.63
alexei sayle
Right.
00:36:59.56
Tadhg
I was over and as part of a delegation for the funeral of Hassan Nasrallah.
00:37:07.08
alexei sayle
Right.
00:37:07.17
Tadhg
And yeah, so it was, it was, it was mental and I was like hanging out with Houthis. I did like a couple of comedy sketches with a couple of Houthis. Actually, I'll send them on to you. Brilliant. Like there's one particular Houthi is going to be like the next big thing in comedy.
00:37:16.15
alexei sayle
Yes.
00:37:19.12
Tadhg
Like I'm trying to launch a kind of ah at home with the Houthis, which I'm sure Netflix are going to be all over.
00:37:19.24
Talal K
Yeah.
00:37:23.94
alexei sayle
ah
00:37:24.91
Tadhg
Like, you know. and But the point I'm making is that there's a lot of people in Beirut, for reasons best known to themselves, are aware of all these kind of anti-imperialist comics.
00:37:37.88
Tadhg
So I'm hoping to go back to Beirut. Maybe my partner's having a baby soon, so it won't be for a couple of months, but maybe in August to do a gig in Beirut. And in in a dream world... I do like, if I go back touring, I tour that part of the world almost like first.
00:37:53.08
alexei sayle
Right. Yeah.
00:37:53.81
Tadhg
And I think that would be an interesting way for a comedian to express true anti-imperialism as well, rather than just like, I'm doing my little anti-imperialist shtick in a gig and in London, you know?
00:37:56.60
Talal K
Oh, wow.
00:38:01.56
alexei sayle
yeah
00:38:03.33
Tadhg
Like, it's not like I've done massive amount of touring, but I have done Britain and it's been brilliant but like yeah I'm just trying to broaden my own mind I suppose and and and whatnot because like there's these these countries are hungry for material it's just like in the case of Lebanon they just don't really believe that anybody in the west is a interested enough about Lebanon and b would would come over there because it's such a dangerous place to go and it's so dangerous because the west just destroys it like cyclically every kind of 15 years you know what i mean so um so yeah
00:38:25.56
alexei sayle
yeah
00:38:31.05
alexei sayle
yeah yeah let me do it in english presumably you would uh yeah
00:38:36.40
Tadhg
Yeah, or like I did one or two little bits of TV and in Lebanon as well, which is mental. And now you'd have like an Arabic translator in your in your ear.
00:38:45.55
alexei sayle
right
00:38:46.34
Tadhg
like And when that when that cuts out, I tell you, that's quite a moment when the Arabic translation isn't working and you're doing live television in Lebanon like and you're just this fucking comedian from Ireland has wandered in to the studio.
00:38:53.34
Talal K
He he he.
00:38:58.42
alexei sayle
Yeah.
00:38:58.93
Tadhg
Like, you know, interesting. But yeah, I love it though.
00:39:00.88
alexei sayle
Yeah.
00:39:01.29
Tadhg
I love it. There's definitely upsides, you know, which obviously sounds bizarre and crass to say like there's an upside during a genocide. But my own mind has been blown open from kind of anti-imperialism as an abstraction, as something that I'm reading about, to now something that I'm experiencing and making friends, I suppose, who have been victims of this kind of way of thinking in the West, which is that we're...
00:39:26.32
Tadhg
We might make mistakes, but we're vaguely the good guys. And all those brown countries are just perennially up to no good.
00:39:33.69
alexei sayle
Yeah. ah Yeah.
00:39:36.17
Talal K
yeah
00:39:36.53
alexei sayle
I was there was a one thing you could do is I can't really talk about the details of it. But there was a time when I was in the Middle East, and something really terrifying happened.
00:39:50.10
alexei sayle
Really life threatening. And suddenly, i became a million Linda both became fluent in Arabic. The degree of terror that we were experiencing in this moment, um ah can't but I can't really talk about it.
00:40:02.65
Talal K
What the fuck happened?
00:40:04.71
Tadhg
ah You have to tell us You have to oh wow
00:40:06.41
alexei sayle
but it Well, we probably can't broadcast. it was Well, it was there' to do with King Hussein's brother-in-law as well. was to do with the king's brother-in-law who had been a friend of mine.
00:40:20.10
alexei sayle
And they they just...
00:40:20.21
Talal K
Huh. huh
00:40:22.09
alexei sayle
ah my My Palestinian friend, what's here? It's just in Amman, we can't read, but broadcast. ah his There'd actually been... a um there'd been a riot in a university up in the north because it was when the United States had bombed Libya.
00:40:42.13
alexei sayle
And what had really happened was that the Bedouin police had gone into and killed a lot of the students, so you know, certain number of students.
00:40:42.03
Tadhg
Yes.
00:40:49.99
alexei sayle
But the, the, the, the story that the royal family spread was that it was a, that there'd been a stampede in a, in a, in a, in a, and ah the fire alarm had gone off of there being a stampede so anyway so my friend Abdullah who's the king's brother-in-law ah was spouting this line and one of Wasim's Wasim's older brother who was married to a Swiss woman and therefore thought he was
00:41:18.57
alexei sayle
above the you know could say things said oh well we don't see it we don't quite see it like that
00:41:20.38
Tadhg
Yeah, yeah.
00:41:25.27
alexei sayle
And so, you know, I mean, Jordan, it just... A chill just settled over. mean, I don't know if I'm giving enough context this, but he was taking a tremendous risk then, you know, arguing with the king's brother-in-law that, you know, their version of events was false.
00:41:35.80
Tadhg
No, I think you are. Yeah.
00:41:48.53
alexei sayle
And we just suddenly... just suddenly understood what everybody was saying, even though they were switching from English to Arabic.
00:41:50.62
Talal K
I will.
00:41:52.25
Tadhg
Yeah,
00:41:55.31
alexei sayle
We suddenly felt that we were fluent in Arabic because we were so frightened.
00:41:59.24
Tadhg
yeah.
00:41:59.78
alexei sayle
so we see We understood what everybody was saying just in that moment.
00:42:03.35
Tadhg
yeah yeah
00:42:04.56
alexei sayle
We were so terrified. And it was it sort slightly diffused, but then... Sami, I think his older brother, went to the went to the airport a few days later and the...
00:42:17.11
alexei sayle
the The ah immigration, the passport people just ripped his passport up and he wasn't allowed to leave the country for couple of years because of that incident, because of that conversation.
00:42:23.92
Talal K
Fuck.
00:42:31.67
Tadhg
Oh my Lord.
00:42:32.92
alexei sayle
I don't know if I've had enough context there, but that yes, but it was...
00:42:35.53
Talal K
No, you did all right.
00:42:36.86
alexei sayle
yeah and Yeah, so that's... If you want to become fluent in Arabic, rather than taking lessons on the internet or whatever, just get terrified.
00:42:42.53
Tadhg
get scared. Whoa.
00:42:45.66
alexei sayle
Just let... He'd already... but he picked it He picked us up from the airport, Abdullah, and he'd already opened a glove box of his Mercedes and showed us the pistol that was in there.
00:42:56.53
alexei sayle
and
00:42:57.82
Tadhg
whoa
00:42:57.94
alexei sayle
So, yeah. Yeah, that's the Middle East way.
00:43:00.66
Talal K
yeah we've we've got our ah you know we do tyranny pretty well over in the Middle East but that's only the ah implants that's the ah fucking you know the the implanted leadership that have been you know that is that is the result of you know these false borders being drawn across the region and
00:43:06.74
alexei sayle
You do. I mean, and, and you know... they
00:43:08.27
Tadhg
Fair play.
00:43:16.61
Tadhg
Well, exactly.
00:43:20.65
alexei sayle
Yeah, although Abdullah himself was Palestinian.
00:43:24.87
Talal K
Yeah, um
00:43:26.52
alexei sayle
But he'd been yeah he'd been subsumed into the...
00:43:28.38
Talal K
but the people are ah beautiful and the people are so nice.
00:43:28.97
alexei sayle
Yeah,
00:43:29.52
Tadhg
Yeah.
00:43:31.98
Talal K
And like, you know, I remember growing growing up telling people about my trips to to Syria and they'd always be like surprised when I say, oh yeah, everyone's really nice.
00:43:32.42
Tadhg
Yes.
00:43:40.89
Talal K
You know, don't, but we're actually, you're you're looked after, you're fed, you know there's nice bars, you know, people are like, what, bars?
00:43:41.60
alexei sayle
yeah I mean, that is one of the things, yeah, yeah.
00:43:42.55
Tadhg
Yeah, I see.
00:43:47.61
Tadhg
Yes. Yes.
00:43:48.82
alexei sayle
That kind of demented hospitality of the Arabs is, it is, and it just sounds imperialist and kind of patronizing, but people are so nice to you, really.
00:43:53.03
Tadhg
Yeah.
00:43:57.69
Talal K
It's weird.
00:43:58.01
alexei sayle
It's, yeah.
00:43:57.93
Tadhg
I agree. Demented is a good word for it. Yeah, totally.
00:44:01.65
Talal K
It's not just we're happy to share. It's like you must have our stuff.
00:44:05.25
Tadhg
Yes, yes.
00:44:06.40
Talal K
no
00:44:06.52
alexei sayle
Yes.
00:44:07.39
Tadhg
ah
00:44:08.09
Talal K
Or else I will perform Harakuri, you know.
00:44:10.32
Tadhg
Yes, yes.
00:44:10.92
alexei sayle
Yes, let me give you my shoes.
00:44:11.48
Talal K
ah
00:44:14.13
Talal K
you like my You like my shoes?
00:44:14.30
Tadhg
Like I was a bit...
00:44:15.57
Talal K
Take my shoes, you know.
00:44:16.61
alexei sayle
Take my hat.
00:44:16.89
Talal K
and It's crazy.
00:44:19.87
alexei sayle
Yeah.
00:44:19.84
Talal K
But that's also, I think, that's just a non-Western thing.
00:44:20.20
Tadhg
yeah
00:44:23.74
Talal K
Because that's the same in in Japan, you know. um
00:44:27.54
Tadhg
Guys, it's actually the same in Ireland. That's the thing.
00:44:30.33
Talal K
Oh, well, there you go.
00:44:30.57
Tadhg
that That's why I think the Irish have a unique perspective on this whole thing, because we've probably got more in common with, you know, colonized Arab nations than we do with Britain.
00:44:39.86
alexei sayle
Yeah.
00:44:41.27
Tadhg
You know what i mean? Like, so I agree.
00:44:42.60
alexei sayle
Yeah.
00:44:43.92
Tadhg
It's very Western because it's it's very consumerist and it's very individualist to have the kind of thinking that we have over here. That's why I think when we go over there, we're like, whoa these people want to share a meal with us and invite them invite us to their homes that's kind of the norm like we're abnormal like
00:44:58.15
alexei sayle
Yeah. i mean, yeah. Yeah. yeah i mean, it's funny, isn't it? Because Ireland is, as you say, it so conservative, but then you do also have that experience of being a colonialised people that must be very profound, really. Yeah.
00:45:12.41
Tadhg
Yeah, and it I think our conservatism is more like it comes out of, you know, starting a new country and it was like Catholic dominated and it's socially conservative.
00:45:23.92
Tadhg
But it doesn't mean that we're conservative in terms of we would still, i mean, obviously it's it's not as much as it would have been.
00:45:24.15
alexei sayle
Yeah.
00:45:30.43
Tadhg
But if you go to rural Ireland, even right now today, you'd still, we would make a big deal of you. Like if you didn't know your way around and you know, we,
00:45:38.00
alexei sayle
Yeah.
00:45:38.44
Tadhg
welcome you in we still definitely have that spirit and i definitely found when i was like in these countries like because i was in qatar as well and i was in iran uh which again is a total eye opener because obviously like i'm not you know a massive fan of the government or anything like that like but this the stereotypes that you get in the west a bit like what you're saying there talal is like that basically iranians are are like horrid evil people as opposed to regime they get they get thrown into the same milieu I think in the kind of vague western sense of these places so to go there and be like these people are unbelievably friendly they're so fun you know fun loving they reminded me a lot of the i of the Irish mentality a little bit and but yeah i just too I do think the west has and like the BBC's of the world and CNN's of the world or whatever they've done a masterful job
00:46:13.61
Talal K
Yeah. Yeah.
00:46:27.94
Talal K
yeah
00:46:33.41
Tadhg
of kind of dehumanizing an entire great great swathe of the planet, I think.
00:46:38.44
alexei sayle
Yeah.
00:46:38.46
Tadhg
100%.
00:46:40.73
alexei sayle
Yeah. um I mean, you can't murder somebody. You can't patronise them if you know their humanity. but but admit so
00:46:47.21
Tadhg
yes
00:46:47.57
alexei sayle
You can't murder somebody. You can't, you know, destroy them. if you You have to other them, you know. It's a basic human instinct that... And that's what that's what that, ah you know, that's what, um ah just you know, that refusal to humanize Arabs or Iranians is about, really, I think, yeah.
00:46:54.32
Talal K
And yeah.
00:46:58.42
Tadhg
hundred percent
00:47:01.12
Talal K
That's a hundred years of
00:47:05.80
Tadhg
Yeah.
00:47:06.49
alexei sayle
I mean, isn't Ireland, though, i mean, at least, I mean, the israeli um um the Israelis have withdrawn their ambassador from Ireland and stuff like, I mean, isn't doesn't that isn't that indicative of a certain level of,
00:47:14.98
Tadhg
Yeah. Like,
00:47:20.84
alexei sayle
resistance to hasbro you know israeli you know israel power the higher levels
00:47:26.66
Tadhg
Definitely, but it's it's popular, you know, it's because there's so many people are so active, you know, on the streets that the government has had to pander a little bit to the kind of popular support for for Palestinian liberation and justice.
00:47:40.81
alexei sayle
right
00:47:41.99
Tadhg
it hasn't come from a government level. like where Because the Irish government, as I say, we've never had a left-leaning government. We've always had this kind of slightly centre-right Fianna Fáil Fine Gael, two dominant parties in the south of Ireland.
00:47:56.47
Tadhg
They've always been in power, and they're for a long time now beholden to US multinationals.
00:47:57.22
alexei sayle
yeah
00:48:02.34
Tadhg
So it's not so much that we're cowering to Zionism, we're cowering to kind of the dollar, like, you know,
00:48:02.52
alexei sayle
right right
00:48:08.19
Tadhg
and so like our leader went to the White House recently and just basically made a holy show of himself like in kind of sucking up to Donald Trump who you you kind of wonder, did he even know who he was? And then he invited, then Trump invited like Conor McGregor, like next day to hang out with him.
00:48:23.58
Tadhg
Like as a satirist, like it's over, like game over.
00:48:25.60
alexei sayle
but that
00:48:26.98
Tadhg
There's nothing left to satirize.
00:48:27.99
alexei sayle
Coming.
00:48:28.34
Tadhg
Like, you know, it's done.
00:48:28.70
alexei sayle
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
00:48:30.37
Tadhg
But, i but, but basically if those, if those us multinationals, big pharma and big tech, if they leave Ireland, which they easily could, we're decimated.
00:48:39.32
alexei sayle
yeah
00:48:40.12
Tadhg
Like our economy falls apart. on the spots and we are kind of propped up economically by the us.
00:48:43.07
alexei sayle
Right.
00:48:46.28
Tadhg
you know, you could argue that the government is in a tricky position if you're a conservative and your whole life is, you know, the American interests whatever, but yeah.
00:48:49.99
alexei sayle
Yeah.
00:48:55.99
alexei sayle
um actually just going back to the oldie question but is is how's what's happening what's up with done stores is that still going yeah well they've got a branch in malaga so i was sort of fascinated by uh and also so yeah there it says what the fuck is this as a first my first done store i went to is in malaga yeah
00:49:02.89
Tadhg
Yeah. Yeah. Don't say you don't store his guy. Yeah. whoa
00:49:22.12
Tadhg
I would say this podcast is is just going to be impossible for somebody to listen to. Because there's no... There's no thread. There's no...
00:49:30.79
alexei sayle
but
00:49:30.88
Tadhg
i mean... That's right.
00:49:31.06
Talal K
Yeah.
00:49:31.85
alexei sayle
No, you think that's different?
00:49:33.18
Talal K
Well, you still haven't answered the fucking question.
00:49:33.86
Tadhg
Hmm.
00:49:34.96
Talal K
Why is genocide a bad idea?
00:49:36.45
alexei sayle
Well, there was also, wasn't it, that the the ah the the patriarch of Dunn's Stores was also... I read a book by, is it Fincernot Toolabout called We Don't Know Who We Are?
00:49:44.47
Tadhg
that's right
00:49:45.93
alexei sayle
And it was it was a lot there was a lot about Dunn's Stores in that and the the the patriarch of the family and then the subsequent...
00:49:53.27
Tadhg
And of course, Dunstores is...
00:49:53.50
alexei sayle
Are they still going? No. yeah
00:49:55.91
Tadhg
is
00:49:57.97
alexei sayle
yeah but what's like What's a good bargain? What are they doing? What's a good... Yeah. Yeah.
00:50:02.40
Tadhg
It's still a big thing, man.
00:50:02.80
alexei sayle
but's a good
00:50:02.81
Talal K
Tell us, Teig.
00:50:04.31
Tadhg
It's still a big thing. um Yeah, Dunstores is kind of like, you' you'd want you'd want to be doing okay to go to Dunstores. Like, you know, the riffraff are all shopping in and in Aldi and Lidl now.
00:50:14.63
Tadhg
Like, I'm a big Aldi guy.
00:50:14.94
alexei sayle
yeah
00:50:15.87
Tadhg
I would go to Dunstores on my birthday. You know, like that's a big treat. And then obviously Marcus Spencer's is just Anglo-Irish nonsense. Like, you know, so you wouldn't be, you wouldn't be found dead there.
00:50:27.87
Tadhg
but ah But obviously Dunn's then has a great lineage as well. Cause you know, like the Dunn Storrs strikers were a big part of the anti-apartheid movement. in ireland to go back to an actual genuine point um yeah because like we we had some well i didn't have them but some brave young women um refused to handle south african goods and they were they were in done stores and they they they're really kind of feted in south africa these days yeah because they kind of kick-started a little drive towards anti-anti-apartheid policies uh in europe yeah
00:50:38.85
alexei sayle
Right.
00:50:52.36
Talal K
Oh.
00:51:02.77
alexei sayle
Right. Oh, well, and not you know, that's something that worked, isn't it?
00:51:03.99
Talal K
wow
00:51:06.70
alexei sayle
Yeah, I mean, you know, i mean, again, that's an example of boycott working.
00:51:10.12
Tadhg
That's... I mean, that's where I thought you were going...
00:51:10.71
Talal K
yeah
00:51:12.43
Tadhg
When you brought up Dunstores... But actually you were just... It was just the oddity of seeing it in Malaga...
00:51:15.14
alexei sayle
No, just interested in...
00:51:16.42
Tadhg
Like... Yeah, yeah...
00:51:17.88
alexei sayle
was just interested in...
00:51:18.93
Tadhg
Which is also fine, you know...
00:51:21.02
alexei sayle
Yeah, yeah. No, just interested.
00:51:22.65
Talal K
So, Taig, tell us about ah Tuesday, Taig.
00:51:24.17
alexei sayle
but
00:51:28.02
Tadhg
I'm talking to an anti-imperialist...
00:51:28.48
Talal K
Because...
00:51:29.83
Tadhg
Comedy hero of mine... Like, you know... And I just thought he was going to go there... Like, you know... With the whole Dunstores thing... But anyway... and So... So basically...
00:51:38.23
alexei sayle
You've been through that arc. You see, you've been through that arc with me of like, you're one of my protégés.
00:51:43.60
Tadhg
Yeah.
00:51:44.26
alexei sayle
You started out this interview in awe and now you're already disillusioned.
00:51:48.43
Talal K
Yeah, yeah, you've got a lot to learn about, Alexei.
00:51:49.49
alexei sayle
it's ah It's a rapid, it's a kind of a rapid aversion of what usually happens with me and Graham Linahan.
00:51:49.57
Tadhg
yeah
00:51:52.33
Tadhg
I just... Exactly, yeah, we just don't have the time to do the full circuit, like, and so neither of us have that time, you know, so and yeah, so Tuesday, i e i think I was saying to you there, Talal, that I have a bit of a following on Instagram, and I can feel the pressure of the kind of Zionist lobby, they've just taken on
00:52:02.00
alexei sayle
look
00:52:15.73
Tadhg
Met have now taken on more as I and a staff. So I feel like I'm on the verge of losing the page. That's very possible. I've lost my TikTok and I'm starting to get higher up the naughty list, I think. So they're going to try and take me out because that they're just experts at kind of isolating people. And there's people with way bigger profiles than I'll ever have who have lost their pages and there's just no coming back.
00:52:35.55
Tadhg
With that in mind, I was feeling frustrated because the whole genocide thing, which again, I'm like just to put on record totally against. I can't think of anything positive about it.
00:52:44.92
alexei sayle
Good, good. Yeah, yeah.
00:52:46.07
Tadhg
um yeah just to clarify and uh so i said let's do something with that so i just picked a date in the calendar and there's a few activists who are with me who are doing brilliant work and we said you know this is just a dream i suppose but even if it falls flat in its arse this time maybe somebody else will take up the ball and it could snowball if we pick a date in the calendar and we try and get everyone who's willing to do the bare minimum of not buying shit like just don't buy any stuff at all just don't give to the corporate machine at all particularly not
00:52:46.85
alexei sayle
Okay. but
00:53:14.60
alexei sayle
Yeah.
00:53:14.88
Tadhg
kind zionist associated goods in an ideal world don't go to work and then organize your own acts of civil disobedience whether they're kind of potentially occupying buildings um whatever ah won't go into too many details for obvious reasons but whatever you choose to do and if we did our thing in ireland and then if people did their thing in berlin and london and whatnot um
00:53:29.91
alexei sayle
Yeah.
00:53:39.38
Tadhg
Wouldn't that be great? So that's what we're trying to get off the ground.
00:53:40.80
alexei sayle
yeah
00:53:41.58
Tadhg
And I've had actually a very big response to what I would say. I'm definitely encouraged by like, we've had hundreds of emails from people saying, oh, I'll take the lead in my town in Germany or I'll take my lead take the lead in Sweden or whatever.
00:53:53.00
Tadhg
and And so, yeah, so there's been a good push from it. There's a few celebs have come in on it. Susan Sarandon shared it on Instagram, which was a beautiful moment for my pathetic little life. I love her.
00:54:01.61
Talal K
Wow. Yeah.
00:54:02.58
Tadhg
i'm
00:54:02.94
Talal K
yeah
00:54:03.14
alexei sayle
My girlfriend.
00:54:03.38
Tadhg
And yeah, yeah, no way.
00:54:07.04
alexei sayle
No, i well there's i think there's a thread in Imaginary Sandwich Bar where Susan Sarandon's my girlfriend. And then she she's a yeah she's and then she stolen off me by Liam Dutton, the weatherman for Channel 4.
00:54:15.68
Tadhg
Oh, that's right. That's right.
00:54:23.52
alexei sayle
if Still's my girlfriend.
00:54:25.20
Tadhg
Oh, that's right.
00:54:25.79
alexei sayle
But I still think there's still a spark between me and Susan anyway.
00:54:25.95
Tadhg
Yeah.
00:54:29.78
Tadhg
Oh, I'd love to see that.
00:54:30.17
alexei sayle
um
00:54:31.26
Tadhg
I'd love to see that. Yeah.
00:54:33.29
alexei sayle
Yeah. Sorry, keep bringing it back to me. I'm sorry. So tell us the date of this. it's a really it's a really um It's a really interesting idea. And it's a so obviously, it's nonviolent. But I think it's a really it could be a really something really profound.
00:54:46.31
alexei sayle
I think this is the first.
00:54:46.38
Tadhg
Yes. what what So it's April 22nd.
00:54:49.99
alexei sayle
Yeah.
00:54:50.10
Tadhg
It's Tuesday coming, but like that's just going to be the start. So the next like the next definite date, I'm sure will be the 15th of May because it's not by day.
00:54:54.39
alexei sayle
Yeah.
00:55:00.00
Tadhg
and And we'll have plenty more. But the idea is that like if you like one of the hashtags we're using is like one step more. So if you've been doing this amount of activism, like just to take the next step, maybe if you've done nothing whatsoever, then the one step more might be just to do something.
00:55:16.48
Tadhg
a
00:55:16.72
alexei sayle
Right.
00:55:16.82
Talal K
Mm-hmm.
00:55:17.24
Tadhg
And we're hoping to make people feel as comfortable as they as they, you know, that they can just do as much as they can or they want and that's fine.
00:55:18.17
alexei sayle
Right.
00:55:24.24
Tadhg
And then other people might take a lead to do a little bit more. I suppose it's one last desperate attempt for me to use the clout that I have online to just try and get, know,
00:55:27.62
alexei sayle
right
00:55:33.15
Tadhg
as many people activated as possible. Because definitely one other encouraging thing is because I've done like, you know, I've done gigs in in England. I've done gigs in Ireland when, you know, they're Gaza fundraisers or they're just like, you know, of ah meetings, public meetings on this issue.
00:55:49.59
Tadhg
And everybody is ready to do more. Everybody just wants to be emboldened to say, will it be okay? Like, am I going to get arrested? Am I going to get a criminal record? Or can we do this together? So if we can just get the collective going, the aim of the game is that nobody gets arrested.
00:56:02.78
Tadhg
I don't want to say like, oh, go and do this thing.
00:56:04.06
alexei sayle
Right.
00:56:04.82
Tadhg
And then some young fella goes out and gets a criminal record because of me.
00:56:08.89
alexei sayle
Right.
00:56:08.81
Tadhg
Like the idea is that none of us get arrested. But for that to happen, there needs to be buy-in from the public. um So we just need more people.
00:56:16.72
Talal K
Yeah.
00:56:17.35
alexei sayle
Yeah, no, I think it's... ah so just I mean, just say again what it what it is. It's 22nd of April and you are encouraging people to essentially do nothing.
00:56:24.54
Tadhg
Yeah, so it's a global day of civil disobedience.
00:56:27.44
alexei sayle
Yeah.
00:56:27.51
Tadhg
don't go to Don't go to work if you can. Don't buy anything and engage with your local groups. Pretty much everywhere that I have seen has got amazing local groups that are willing to take the lead on...
00:56:40.06
Tadhg
particular acts of civil disobedience and if we're all acting out at the same time there is no chance that we're going to be criminalized because we would just be ungovernable like it'll just be too much of a headache for police so nobody has to break the law nobody has to kill anybody nobody has to smash anyone's face in um we can do so much with civil disobedience as people have academics approve i think if there's 3.5 percent of the population buy in to a particular issue then it's enough for the government to take action and
00:56:40.51
Talal K
yeah
00:57:06.89
alexei sayle
Really?
00:57:07.12
Tadhg
it's ambitious i'm a dreamer but we've got a dream at the moment because otherwise we're all going to lose our minds and kick the shit out of each other
00:57:07.58
alexei sayle
Okay. Yeah.
00:57:12.69
alexei sayle
Yeah, absolutely, i agree.
00:57:14.87
Talal K
And I'll just say, ah honor I just looked at a very popular online shopping website, and you can buy a 12-pack of stink bombs for only £12, in case that's of any interest to our listeners.
00:57:27.60
Tadhg
that's of huge interest to our listeners i'm sure
00:57:28.31
Talal K
You know, everyone everyone's got a McDonald's nearby, a Starbucks, ah but so you know.
00:57:32.91
alexei sayle
All right. This is him saying this, not me. Not me.
00:57:37.16
Talal K
I'm not saying anything.
00:57:38.17
alexei sayle
Security services listening in.
00:57:38.28
Talal K
I'm not saying what to do.
00:57:38.51
Tadhg
Yeah.
00:57:39.64
Talal K
I'm not i'm saying that those are facts I've just said, you know.
00:57:41.41
alexei sayle
It's the Arab. It's the Arab who's doing saying this.
00:57:42.99
Tadhg
Yeah.
00:57:43.93
Talal K
Those are two separate facts I've just said that have nothing nothing to do with each other and not encouraging anything.
00:57:49.43
Tadhg
They're certainly interesting when you put them together, though, aren't they? Yeah, very interesting.
00:57:55.21
Talal K
um ah that's That's amazing. of we i will We have a very popular local um Palestine activist group.
00:58:05.97
Talal K
I'm definitely gonna find out what they're planning on that day. And and if they're not, I'll float the idea.
00:58:09.56
Tadhg
Thanks, bro. Yes.
00:58:12.30
Talal K
um I think it's quite easy if you look online for PSC, you know, Palestine, ah PCS, Palestine, PSC, Palestine Solidarity Campaign, plus your your local area.
00:58:21.05
Tadhg
yes
00:58:23.10
Talal K
You will have a contingency in your area also with the Palestine boycott, plus the name of your area. Search for terms like this and you will find your local groups quite easily, dear listeners.
00:58:35.14
Talal K
Yeah.
00:58:36.40
Tadhg
Exactly and what we're saying to people as well is that you know it's not this is not a leftist issue like this is not some sort of hobby horse for fucking commies like if you're against the mass murder of women and children and executing medical personnel and journalists and men of course then you know this is your cause so yeah.
00:58:49.67
Talal K
And men.
00:58:56.35
alexei sayle
I agree.
00:58:56.66
Tadhg
yeah
00:58:57.19
alexei sayle
Well, did I wholeheartedly, this podcast wholeheartedly supports this message.
00:59:04.76
Talal K
Try that again with a bit more enthusiasm, Alexi.
00:59:05.61
alexei sayle
Thank you. so this This podcast, it's I'm 72. This podcast has only got... This podcast wholeheartedly supports this message.
00:59:19.72
alexei sayle
Do nothing on April the 22nd. That's easy enough for me.
00:59:24.60
Talal K
ah
00:59:24.90
Tadhg
Love it.
00:59:25.24
alexei sayle
two
00:59:26.03
Talal K
and while you're listening to advice listeners please check out our patreon patreon.com forward slash alexisailpodcast that's sorry take tyke you have to listen to this ah please patreon.com forward slash alexisailpodcast support the show support the movement be part of the community we've got chat rooms there we post full video episodes of our podcast you get to see tyke's
00:59:27.00
Tadhg
my God, love it.
00:59:36.98
Tadhg
love it.
00:59:50.01
Talal K
face while he giggles away at all the jokes and like look at that. And you could see him, Alexei, roaring with laughter at the idea of a shot. um
01:00:01.26
alexei sayle
please
01:00:01.42
Talal K
And once we get to 500 paid members of the Patreon, we're gonna do um Strangers on a Podcast where we're gonna invite you listeners onto the podcast to talk to Alexei for a few minutes or moments or seconds, however long he can tolerate you before we get the next one on.
01:00:02.39
alexei sayle
Sure.
01:00:02.40
Tadhg
Classic.
01:00:18.88
Talal K
ah Email us, alexisellpodcast.gmail.com.
01:00:20.72
Tadhg
22nd, April twenty second april twenty second
01:00:21.28
Talal K
Follow us online, alexisellpod on the socials. I think that's all the plugs I have to make. Would you like to do any plugs, Ty? Anything you want to draw people's attention to? And if if your Instagram gets taken down, where will people then find you?
01:00:32.52
alexei sayle
Yeah, what's that?
01:00:33.78
Talal K
Are you going to start like a, have you got a forum online or anything like that?
01:00:37.64
Tadhg
Yeah, like I have a website. I have a website. Yeah. So it's just my name.com if people are looking for me. But ah but yeah, but April 22nd, April 22nd, April 22nd. Thank you.
01:00:47.25
alexei sayle
Yeah, no, it's really, that's great. Thank you, Tag Higgy. Thank you.
01:00:52.73
Tadhg
Thanks, guys. Pleasure.
01:00:54.73
alexei sayle
Give us a shout when you're in London. It'd be lovely to meet up.
01:00:58.11
Tadhg
Absolutely. I'd love to be one of your. Could I be?
01:01:01.79
alexei sayle
you're bit old i think for i think i've tried to stop doing that with it yeah mentoring yeah yeah yeah doing this yeah
01:01:03.74
Tadhg
The Socrates thing.
01:01:07.03
Talal K
Let's go for a drink though, for sure, when you're in London.
01:01:09.57
Tadhg
100% definitely
01:01:09.91
Talal K
And next time you want to go Middle East, hit me up. Because I could be your translator.
01:01:13.10
Tadhg
yeah oh my god love love it loveva yeah yeah well as I say I'm hoping to uh to try and speak to somebody over in that part of the world to try and get a tour together like that would be a fucking dream do Beirut do
01:01:15.43
Talal K
That sounds like fun, man. I'd love to go out and do a gig out there in Beirut.
01:01:28.01
alexei sayle
yeah
01:01:29.38
Tadhg
A man do Cairo.
01:01:29.65
Talal K
Cairo would be fun.
01:01:31.52
Tadhg
Yeah, yeah. I've got a couple of...
01:01:33.08
Talal K
Fun place.
01:01:33.20
Tadhg
There's actually There's a brilliant satirist in Cairo at the moment who I'm in touch with.
01:01:34.30
alexei sayle
a bit more complicated.
01:01:38.49
Tadhg
and I was going to say something else. Oh, yeah. I think they're... Do you know Jen Brister? You know Jen Brister? Comedian.
01:01:44.32
alexei sayle
that Yeah, I've forgotten.
01:01:44.90
Tadhg
Jen?
01:01:46.33
alexei sayle
I know the name.
01:01:47.47
Tadhg
She's...
01:01:47.56
Talal K
Rings a bell.
01:01:47.63
Tadhg
um
01:01:48.28
Talal K
We're both very out of touch, Ty.
01:01:49.08
alexei sayle
home Stand up, yeah.
01:01:51.93
Tadhg
She's... ah Yeah, she's big in the pro-Palestine scene. But I think she's trying to put together a big comedy... kind of gala in London or whatever, which I might come over for in a couple of months time.
01:02:00.45
alexei sayle
Oh, yeah, it'd be great, yeah,
01:02:00.91
Tadhg
So will I try and get you guys on the bill?
01:02:01.98
alexei sayle
yeah Absolutely, yeah.
01:02:04.60
Talal K
Oh, yeah, she hosted the ah map event that you that we did that you did in the roundhouse, Alexei.
01:02:08.08
Tadhg
Yes.
01:02:09.24
alexei sayle
All right.
01:02:10.49
Tadhg
That's right.
01:02:10.88
Talal K
Yes, she is great, and she is very outspoken.
01:02:12.16
alexei sayle
I should say that Radio 4, amazingly, I mean, of just ah the Radio 4 charity appeal is 4MAP.
01:02:13.71
Tadhg
Yeah.
01:02:19.26
alexei sayle
I've just recorded it yesterday. I can't remember when it's going to go out, but it's yeah it's sort of brave.
01:02:20.76
Tadhg
Wow.
01:02:24.27
alexei sayle
I mean, shouldn't be, but it's kind of brave of the BBC to even... go that far, really. And there was this...
01:02:28.93
Tadhg
course it is.
01:02:32.54
alexei sayle
It's about... you know So I tell the story of ah you know a woman in in Gaza giving birth prematurely, and yeah through that there's then an appeal for funds from Matt.
01:02:43.95
alexei sayle
I mean, the situation is probably even bleaker than it was, and the situation I described.
01:02:44.45
Tadhg
Whoa.
01:02:49.48
alexei sayle
But, ah you know, it's a fair place to Radio 4 for letting...
01:02:52.69
Tadhg
I'm astonished.
01:02:53.16
alexei sayle
I mean, something like that, which should be...
01:02:55.69
Talal K
Yeah.
01:02:56.34
alexei sayle
which should be just, you know, there should be no controversy about it. To do a Radio 4 to allow their charity appeal to be for map, I think, is ah it quite a big thing, really.
01:03:03.01
Talal K
Yeah.
01:03:06.21
alexei sayle
And I was very honoured to be the voice of it, really. So I'll just say that, put that out to our readers and stuff.
01:03:10.42
Tadhg
Yeah.
01:03:13.57
alexei sayle
Our listeners, as it be.
01:03:14.79
Talal K
No readers.
01:03:15.04
Tadhg
I'm encouraged by that. Yeah, didn't think the BBC would go in here or something like that. Like that's, that's, that's actually kind of comforting in a weird way.
01:03:19.95
alexei sayle
They're a mix. People yeah sometimes think of the BBC as being a homogenous, but it's its it's not really.
01:03:25.76
Tadhg
Yeah.
01:03:27.01
alexei sayle
It's an organisation. And obviously the forces of darkness are very strong within the BBC, but it's not it's not a voice it's not an organisation that speaks with one voice.
01:03:31.45
Tadhg
Yes.
01:03:35.51
alexei sayle
There are... There are good people in there and they try their best to do their best, really, and they face tremendous opposition. But there are, you know, it's BBC is not a single entity, really.
01:03:49.86
alexei sayle
You know, for for at least for the time being.
01:03:49.97
Talal K
Yeah.
01:03:52.19
Talal K
Just like Arabs.
01:03:52.60
Tadhg
yeah
01:03:53.99
alexei sayle
Yes, just like always bringing it back to Arabs. aren't yes so You start talking about homeless in a minute and then and we know we're fucking we're done.
01:04:01.84
Talal K
I've got got a song about hummus. Do you want to hear it?
01:04:04.39
alexei sayle
No. No!
01:04:05.13
Talal K
Okay, we'll say goodbye then.
01:04:06.47
alexei sayle
No!
01:04:09.44
Tadhg
Just like Arabs.
01:04:09.67
alexei sayle
you understood what
01:04:11.37
Talal K
kiimba yasharutha and
01:04:11.48
Tadhg
yeah
01:04:13.19
Talal K
ah yeah ra but
01:04:17.05
Tadhg
Now I suddenly feel scared. Yeah.
01:04:19.09
alexei sayle
there is say yeah and you understood what we were saying.
01:04:22.70
Talal K
and then
01:04:22.78
Tadhg
Perfectly. I'm terrified.
01:04:25.34
Talal K
Because say goodbye before I start breaking stuff, Alexei.
01:04:32.51
alexei sayle
the la Bye-bye. Masalama.
01:04:37.11
Talal K
Free Palestine.
01:04:37.55
alexei sayle
Masalama, Free Palestine.
01:04:38.42
Tadhg
Thank you, guys.
01:04:39.01
alexei sayle
Thank you. Thank you, Ty.
01:04:40.49
Talal K
Oh, thank you, Tiger.
01:04:41.60
alexei sayle
Yeah.
01:04:42.98
Tadhg
So is the podcast over now or are we over?
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