LOUIS THEROUX S/D

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Damn I wish I'd known about this. Louis Theroux is awesome, the one when he goes to the US and talks to this incredibly racist and homophobic dude, and he starts raving about how good Are You Being Served was? Louis starts asking him if he likes the John Inman character and he gets very uncomfortable indeed.

Matt DC, Monday, 2 April 2007 10:20 (seventeen years ago) link

I don't think most people think LT is cruel & misleading, doesn't seem a popular opinion, most people I know like him.

Colonel Poo, Monday, 2 April 2007 10:25 (seventeen years ago) link

last night's episode was excellent, particularly the stuff with the teenage daughters. theroux's a canny dude; it was really fascinating to watch him innocuously push his subjects to an uncomfortable point and then watch them try and maintain a cheery facade while shakily redirecting the conversation somewhere else.

^@^, Monday, 2 April 2007 11:01 (seventeen years ago) link

I quite like him but in hindsight I cringe a little. Don't know why though. What about that swingers episode? The one that featured those Nazi twin girls?

nathalie, Monday, 2 April 2007 11:07 (seventeen years ago) link

the thing is, i wonder to what degree is his naivete put on? he's claimed in interviews that he is genuinely confused and wonderous of his subjects

elleno, Monday, 2 April 2007 11:09 (seventeen years ago) link

the thing is, i wonder to what degree is his naivete put on? he's claimed in interviews that he is genuinely confused and wonderous of his subjects

-- elleno, Monday, April 2, 2007 12:09 PM (3 minutes ago)


surely a lot of that naivete is put on, as a method of gleaning more from his subjects?

stevie, Monday, 2 April 2007 11:14 (seventeen years ago) link

dunno, he reminds me of me in a number of ways..

Mark G, Monday, 2 April 2007 11:16 (seventeen years ago) link

a television presenter adopting a persona??!? geddouddahere!

That one guy that quit, Monday, 2 April 2007 11:18 (seventeen years ago) link

ach, i missed this - anyone know if it will be repeated?

jed_, Monday, 2 April 2007 11:21 (seventeen years ago) link

or of a torrent?

jed_, Monday, 2 April 2007 11:21 (seventeen years ago) link

UKN0v4 has it.

aldo, Monday, 2 April 2007 11:26 (seventeen years ago) link

i'm not a member and i can never even seem to get to the sign up page of it, for some reason. anyway i'm sure it will materialise.

jed_, Monday, 2 April 2007 11:34 (seventeen years ago) link

It must be a bit of both really. He went to school with Adam and Joe who have a similar grasp of seemingly well-meant sardonic facetiousness. He wins people over by acting fascinated and innocuous but you can tell there really is a lot more going on in his head than he makes out.

the next grozart, Monday, 2 April 2007 11:37 (seventeen years ago) link

Yes, this is why I cringe because I was *misled* (just like his socalled victims). I think it's a bit too much but then again I think he does manage to make'em look ridiculous without making them realize it (at the time).

nathalie, Monday, 2 April 2007 11:45 (seventeen years ago) link

I thought his disarming 'faux-naive' manner (however much it is manufactured or not) worked well in this particular instance, especially with the daughters. But not with 'Gramps' though, of course, but he had been more confrontational Louis wouldn't have been humoured by the clan for as long as he was I don't think.

Louis did get wound up a bit. At the start, like when he was checking out those celebrity placards, he was all "oh this is so random. Oh no! Not Princess Diana! Don't you think ppl will be upset by this?" - to a few days later when to that former journo who had joined the family he snapped "for your information, brainiac, Jesus was a Jew!".

DavidM, Monday, 2 April 2007 12:01 (seventeen years ago) link

Thread Ends!

(Louis', I mean!)

Mark G, Monday, 2 April 2007 12:03 (seventeen years ago) link

"for your information, brainiac, Jesus was a Jew!".

god yes, that was amazing wasn't it. the first time i've seen Louis using name calling tactics.

Ste, Monday, 2 April 2007 12:12 (seventeen years ago) link

i don't think i could have made it that long

secondhandnews, Monday, 2 April 2007 12:26 (seventeen years ago) link

i'm looking forward to watching this. i've always been on the fence about theroux since i read "the great railway bazaar," which revealed some really fucking ugly attitudes towards the cultures he was travelling through.

s1ocki, Monday, 2 April 2007 14:06 (seventeen years ago) link

no no, that's his dad paul.

That one guy that quit, Monday, 2 April 2007 14:17 (seventeen years ago) link

who is a bit of a dick.

louis's prog on jimmy saville is solid fucking gold. i've missed the two this year tho.

That one guy that quit, Monday, 2 April 2007 14:17 (seventeen years ago) link

I always get him confused with Jon Ronson, I don't know why.

Masonic Boom, Monday, 2 April 2007 14:21 (seventeen years ago) link

They're quite similar, in a befuddled-man-talks-to-odd-people way.

emil.y, Monday, 2 April 2007 14:24 (seventeen years ago) link

The one with Keith Harris is kind of tragic, it's just like he's in an episode of Extras.

Matt DC, Monday, 2 April 2007 14:27 (seventeen years ago) link

no no, that's his dad paul.

-- That one guy that quit, Monday, April 2, 2007 10:17 AM (27 minutes ago)


oops!!!

s1ocki, Monday, 2 April 2007 14:44 (seventeen years ago) link

He was fantastic in "American Psycho"

JTS, Monday, 2 April 2007 18:09 (seventeen years ago) link

that was Justin!

who is hottttttttttttttttttt

tokyo rosemary, Monday, 2 April 2007 18:44 (seventeen years ago) link

co-sign

That one guy that quit, Monday, 2 April 2007 18:47 (seventeen years ago) link

um so like no one has linked to this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2fUyJQgRuM?

great stuff, alternatively horrifying/hilarious/sad

ive never seen any of this guys shit before but id love to see more.

deeznuts, Wednesday, 4 April 2007 01:31 (seventeen years ago) link

He's still got it. Why doesn't Bravo (or IFC, etc.) show this and his other stuff in the U.S.? Did Weird Weekends have really low ratings?

marmotwolof, Wednesday, 4 April 2007 07:50 (seventeen years ago) link

anyone got a link to this?

Ronan, Wednesday, 4 April 2007 08:06 (seventeen years ago) link

The Phelps epispode is repeated tonight on BBC2 11:20 for anyone who's interested

Ste, Wednesday, 4 April 2007 08:18 (seventeen years ago) link

i'd just come on to say this is about to start but i guess ste covered it.

jed_, Wednesday, 4 April 2007 22:17 (seventeen years ago) link

Whenever I (accidentally) watch the Mercer Report, I want to take beat RM's face in with LT's foot. Canadians, and even RM, used to be so good at this kind of thing. Sigh.

Dr. Superman, Thursday, 5 April 2007 16:25 (seventeen years ago) link

Finally saw the Fred Phelps ep. I thought it was amazing the way he talked to the college student daughter, and also quite sad. The last bit where he's riding with her in the car, he extends a great deal of empathy and compassion towards her, probably more than she'd ever received from a non-family member.

Still, it's rather interesting to see cognitive dysfunction happen in real-time.

My housemates watched most of this with me, and I as the lone Christian got to explain the difference between full-on authoritarian cults, american evangelicals, dominionists, and mainline beer & indie rock-consuming presyberterian types.

Did this show on any american station? bravo or bbc america?

kingfish, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 07:23 (seventeen years ago) link

Not yet. "Weird Weekends" aired on Bravo, though that was before BBC America's prominence. All that said, it's worth noting that Fred Phelps' family has gotten a LOT of airtime in the States in the past 5 years or so, so there won't likely be the novelty factor. I don't know that the gambling ep. from a few months ago has aired Stateside yet, even.

Ben Boyerrr, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 08:45 (seventeen years ago) link

This programme was amazing. I too was amazed at his "for your information, Jesus was a Jew!" bit, and he definitely seemed as though he was more uncomfortable with these people than I've ever seen him be with people before. I found it incredible, also, that these kids go to school on a daily basis and talk like this to people and do not routinely get the fucking shit pounded out of them by their classmates. I guess they're just too weird to deal with. Also, it's fine if you believe that everyone else is going to hell, and it's fine if you want to stand around with placards reminding everyone of that fact, but do you have to be so incredibly hostile to everyone? The mother's spitting rage at anyone questioning her, ever, was astonishing to me.

accentmonkey, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 14:13 (seventeen years ago) link

i thought he was more uncomfortable in the wrestling episode, for the obvious reasons that he was made to work out til he puked.

Ste, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 14:21 (seventeen years ago) link

I'm using "for your information, brainiac, Jesus was a Jew!" an awful lot in everyday conversation.

It felt weird hoping that Louis would sent that poor girl in the car into some sort of mental breakdown, as it would be the only way for her to escape all that...

King Boy Pato, Tuesday, 17 April 2007 04:23 (seventeen years ago) link

Louis Theroux is awesome, the one when he goes to the US and talks to this incredibly racist and homophobic dude, and he starts raving about how good Are You Being Served was? Louis starts asking him if he likes the John Inman character and he gets very uncomfortable indeed.


I just received my Weird Weekends DVD set today, and that's on the first disc. My favorite part was when that dude is doing this completely repulsive caricature of a Jewish person and Louis says, "You're a regular Benny Hill, aren't you?"

marmotwolof, Tuesday, 17 April 2007 05:12 (seventeen years ago) link

The gangsta rap episode is one of my fave episodes of ANYTHING

Elvis Telecom, Tuesday, 17 April 2007 05:25 (seventeen years ago) link

Yeah, that's on disc 4. I might skip ahead directly to that after this wrestling episode, which is also awesome. I had forgotten about the WCW interviews:

"So, tonight you're debuting a new persona."
"Yes."
"Which Is? And is it a new name? What're you called now?"
"Well, like I said before, I was Alex Wright. Now I'm Alexander Wright."

marmotwolof, Tuesday, 17 April 2007 05:56 (seventeen years ago) link

i have a stripped down dvd with gangsta rap, survivalists, UFOs, Jimmy Saville and one other one I don't remember. Gangsta Rap one is so so funny, and one of the few where Louis is able to chat with most of the people he meets without condescending them too much. In fact he finds himself well out of his depth a lot of the time because a lot of the people he meets are pretty smart. I loved the bit where the lyric writers ask him about this bad boy lifestyle and he's all "Oh you know, I like... wine... relaxing...".

The UFO's one is great too. This crazy old guy channels aliens through his mind - it has to be seen to be believed.

the next grozart, Tuesday, 17 April 2007 09:04 (seventeen years ago) link

This has Porn, Survivalists, Wrestling, Hypnosis, Swingers, South Africa, Gangsta Rap and UFOs plus When Louis Met Jimmy and When Louis Met the Hamiltons. That's only about half the WW series, but the others haven't been released on DVD yet, have they? I particularly remember the Black Nationalism one where the guy is going on about Louis's "interesting nose" and the one about Christianity where the woman is hysterically screaming, "I USED TO BE A HOMOSEXUAL!"

Now I really want to read his book where he goes back to visit Mello, JJ the porn star, Pru$$1@n Blu3, etc.

marmotwolof, Tuesday, 17 April 2007 09:55 (seventeen years ago) link

The book is amazing - there's an incredible chapter on his visit with Ike Turner, who he was supposed to do a special on that fell through.

I wish they would release the rest of the episodes of "Weird Weekends" on DVD, though. There are so many other classic bits that didn't make it on those 4 bare bones DVDs. The musical theater one, the female bodybuilders one! I hate to think these are lost to time.

Ben Boyerrr, Tuesday, 17 April 2007 10:26 (seventeen years ago) link

I know I've never even seen Body Building, Thai Brides or India Enlightenment. As for the other missing ones - pretty sure I've seen Off-Off Broadway and Demolition Derby, don't know about Infomercials or Weird Christmas.

At least BBC doesn't randomly tape over their masters anymore...right?

marmotwolof, Tuesday, 17 April 2007 10:40 (seventeen years ago) link

All of those episodes are out there on torrent sites or emule.

NI, Tuesday, 17 April 2007 10:52 (seventeen years ago) link

Yeah, but we want nice shiny DVDs.

marmotwolof, Tuesday, 17 April 2007 10:54 (seventeen years ago) link

he also hangs with Marshall Sylver, a Las Vegas-based self-help 'guru' who is obviously bilking people...


The bit where Sylver doesn't know there's a mic on was just jaw droppingly awesome.

marmotwolof, Wednesday, 18 April 2007 21:17 (seventeen years ago) link

I wish some of his stuff would make it to American streaming.

Kiarostami bag (milo z), Monday, 25 April 2016 00:14 (eight years ago) link

Think it made it to torrent sites last night.

Stevolende, Monday, 25 April 2016 08:19 (eight years ago) link

Available on Usenet too

Elvis Telecom, Monday, 25 April 2016 09:32 (eight years ago) link

Well worth hunting out wherever you find it. I thought it could have stood a longer treatment, like the multi-part prison ones, but even so it was very good. Difficult, emotional viewing, but not without some funny moments too.

NWOFHM! Overlord (krakow), Monday, 25 April 2016 10:38 (eight years ago) link

Difficult to watch, but at the same time compelling and emotionally involving and draining. (I should have said above)

Half-baked profundities. Self-referential smirkiness (Bob Six), Monday, 25 April 2016 11:07 (eight years ago) link

I watched about half of Rain In My Heart the other day, talk about harrowing.

Just noise and screaming and no musical value at all. (Colonel Poo), Monday, 25 April 2016 11:57 (eight years ago) link

after a whole weekend of drinking on a stag do, we got back to our canalboat, switched on the TV and this was playing.. I'm detoxing for at least a month.

TARANTINO! (dog latin), Monday, 25 April 2016 11:59 (eight years ago) link

Yes this was difficult. Really good. Joe's story was particularly affecting because he seemed like he might be one of us, like someone on here or be a friend. I drink far too much and I drink almost every night.

Mr. Hathaway. (jed_), Tuesday, 26 April 2016 04:47 (eight years ago) link

Yeah I read a review of this in the Graun and I'm not sure I want to see it, might be a little too close to home.

Interesting. No, wait, the other thing: tedious. (Trayce), Tuesday, 26 April 2016 06:38 (eight years ago) link

this was p harrowing.

japanese mage (LocalGarda), Tuesday, 26 April 2016 19:28 (eight years ago) link

particularly the relationship between aurelie and her bf.

japanese mage (LocalGarda), Tuesday, 26 April 2016 19:29 (eight years ago) link

That relationship was the most enlightening & original thing about the show. The medical effects of alcoholism have been covered many times before but that relationship is the sort of thing I've observed from a distance in park bench drunks dozens of times and wondered about what the dynamic might be like.

everything, Tuesday, 26 April 2016 21:06 (eight years ago) link

it is p weird and raw as far as the human condition goes

japanese mage (LocalGarda), Tuesday, 26 April 2016 21:28 (eight years ago) link

I like Louis a lot but I thought it was quite clumsy the way he brought up in the kitchen that the girlfriend was considering leaving her boyfriend.

Robert Adam Gilmour, Sunday, 1 May 2016 23:05 (seven years ago) link

I recognised one of the parks they were in in Brixton. Wondered if I'd ever passed by Aurelie on the street, most likely have at some point, been there so many times over the years.

Just noise and screaming and no musical value at all. (Colonel Poo), Sunday, 1 May 2016 23:07 (seven years ago) link

Also the way he asked the guy about his father dying seemed tactless. I really don't like to think he tries to provoke these emotional reactions in people. Especially towards someone whose anxiety is ruining their life.

Robert Adam Gilmour, Sunday, 1 May 2016 23:31 (seven years ago) link

Actually yeah I just remembered what you're talking about. I also felt that was overstepping a bit to tell the guy she was thinking of leaving him but I guess if he didn't mention it then she said it on camera so he'd see it eventually.

Just noise and screaming and no musical value at all. (Colonel Poo), Sunday, 1 May 2016 23:33 (seven years ago) link

Isn't that par for the course with Louis though - using a veneer of kindly naivety to say or ask something that most people wouldn't?

NWOFHM! Overlord (krakow), Monday, 2 May 2016 11:06 (seven years ago) link

I think this was a bit too much though.

Robert Adam Gilmour, Monday, 2 May 2016 11:21 (seven years ago) link

Yes, thinking back to it a bit more, you're right that it felt clumsily done in that instance (about her thinking of leaving him).

NWOFHM! Overlord (krakow), Monday, 2 May 2016 11:29 (seven years ago) link

WAs this the first of a series of him or a complete one off? I'm not seeing any further programmes listed.

Stevolende, Monday, 2 May 2016 23:54 (seven years ago) link

There's another one on Brain Injuries coming up, but I don't think it's been scheduled yet

sktsh, Tuesday, 3 May 2016 08:40 (seven years ago) link

Tonight at 9. A Different Brain.

koogs, Saturday, 14 May 2016 23:02 (seven years ago) link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIyJOp-tK0k

Number None, Sunday, 15 May 2016 13:38 (seven years ago) link

lol and also wow

japanese mage (LocalGarda), Sunday, 15 May 2016 13:46 (seven years ago) link

Wow the ending of the clip is awesome. Does it have a release date?

Mr. Hathaway. (jed_), Sunday, 15 May 2016 18:45 (seven years ago) link

No, but it just got US and UK Distribution

Number None, Sunday, 15 May 2016 19:00 (seven years ago) link

fantastic. i wonder why the trailer has dutch subtitles?

pastoral fantasy (jed_), Sunday, 15 May 2016 19:10 (seven years ago) link

four months pass...
two months pass...

Man, that Louis Theroux scientology documentation is some epic sensationalistic trash.

Everything Moves Towards The Sun (Ross), Thursday, 8 December 2016 05:33 (seven years ago) link

Yeah, I guess it was inevitable when a guy whose documentaries are always about himself investigates an organisation who never participate in documentaries. I thought the brief glimpses into the hollywood casting routine were as intriguing as an of the Scientology stuff. 'David Miscavige' was great, hope he gets more work off the back of this. 'Tom Cruise' had potential but was underused.

the year of diving languorously (ledge), Thursday, 8 December 2016 13:56 (seven years ago) link

I thought the Saville follow-up was awful, quite tone-deaf. I used to love his docs back in the day, too.

Herpes Bizarre (stevie), Friday, 9 December 2016 12:27 (seven years ago) link

loved the Scientology doc, personally

Lennon, Elvis, Hendrix etc (dog latin), Friday, 9 December 2016 13:47 (seven years ago) link

one year passes...

Going back to the 90s stuff. An odd feeling, people that wd have been on Weird Weekends in the 90s now in the white house and downing street

Never changed username before (cardamon), Tuesday, 20 November 2018 04:03 (five years ago) link

two years pass...

The Grounded Podcast has reappeared timed with the current UK lockdown.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0arolGdyR8wkSGaawcKHkD?si=lpw5TyQqQtyA2Nhnxw4CYw
is the first in teh 2nd series , Louis in conversation with Michaela Coel largely about I May Destroy You as well as her career to date.

The first series was all pretty good too. Pretty revealing interview with several people including lenny Henry on his time on teh black and White Minstrel show and rest of his early career. 10 in first series, 1 so far in teh new one. I think they all link to from the link I've given you.
May be available on other streaming services but I've been using Spotify since being on a radi ostation a coupl eof years ago.

Stevolende, Monday, 30 November 2020 13:44 (three years ago) link


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