"BILLY CONNOLLY, COMEDIAN" a.k.a. how thick does the BBC think we are?

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Watching the (rather good) Richard Pryor documentary on BBC2 last week, there were yet more of those hugely irritating captions, viz.:-

BILLY CONNOLLY
Comedian

As opposed to, say:
BILLY CONNOLLY
Taxidermist

or:

BILLY CONNOLLY
Acting President of Matabeleland

I mean, how many people tuning in to watch a documentary about Richard Pryor would need reminding of who Billy Connolly is?

Stop this patronising caption madness!

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Friday, 20 October 2006 11:21 (nineteen years ago)

I think it's there to remind the Big Yin.

― ONIMO's fish might turn into lizards (GerryNemo), Friday, 20 October 2006 11:23 (nineteen years ago)

Hmmm, I see how he might need reminding after those Lotto adverts...

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Friday, 20 October 2006 11:26 (nineteen years ago)

(Australian version)

Hmmm, I see how he might need reminding after those ING adverts...

― The Real Esteban Buttez (EstieButtez1), Friday, 20 October 2006 11:52 (nineteen years ago)

who?

― wogan lenin (dog latin), Friday, 20 October 2006 11:54 (nineteen years ago)

oh, dog latin, don't you remember, the star of Head Of The Class (post-Hessman)! (apparently he iz a national treasure elsewhere)

― scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 20 October 2006 11:57 (nineteen years ago)

Well, presumably they hope to sell the documentary where Richard Prior is better known than Billy Connolly.

― mark grout (mark grout), Friday, 20 October 2006 12:04 (nineteen years ago)

You can understand the need for it on C4 Z-list list programmes, e.g.

GINA YASHERE
Fucked If I Know

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Friday, 20 October 2006 12:06 (nineteen years ago)

As opposed to, say:
BILLY CONNOLLY
Taxidermist

Is that where the phrase get right up ya comes from?

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Friday, 20 October 2006 12:07 (nineteen years ago)

Billy Connolly is very not funny anymore and he is also highly unpleasant to look at. Does he still wear a shapeless black t-shirt and festival loon pants and die his beard purple. The man's a walking mid-life crisis.

― wogan lenin (dog latin), Friday, 20 October 2006 12:16 (nineteen years ago)

I think once you get into your 60s you're beyond mid life crises.

― ONIMO's lips can't feel! (GerryNemo), Friday, 20 October 2006 12:18 (nineteen years ago)

xpost - I hope not, 50 more years might be a bit much to handle.

I think it's all for posterity, is the answer to the question. Richard Pryor might still be famous in a historical manner in 50 years time, Billy Connolly not so much.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Friday, 20 October 2006 12:20 (nineteen years ago)

good point. also, aesthetic consistency may be an issue too (everyone must have 'job description' caption no matter how famous they are).

― ;_; (blueski), Friday, 20 October 2006 12:22 (nineteen years ago)

"The Queen, Monarch"

― mark grout (mark grout), Saturday, 21 October 2006 02:10 (nineteen years ago)

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