Best Man Speech

Personally, not entirely sure where I stand on this.

Whilst on one hand I certainly condemn any jokes that rely purely on e.g. ethnic sterotypes or diabilities, surely many jokes that are in any way 'edgy' are insulting to someone, somewhere - does there have to be a minimum number of people who are offended before the 'joke' is considered offensive/distasteful?

From a purely comedic point of view, the worst thing about all the old black/queer/spa etc etc jokes is that they were not remotely funny and were all seemingly invented by the same thuggish moron. Although I probably can't say that...;)
 
your interpretation of jokes is different to mine, some border on cringeworthy. Manning was downright racist, not jokes at all. I dont get upset about people telling me irish jokes. I would love for T Tiernan to highlight a serious medical condition I have.

Are you telling me you never told queer/skinny/paki jokes ever ?
 
PyritePete said:
your interpretation of jokes is different to mine, some border on cringeworthy. Manning was downright racist, not jokes at all. I dont get upset about people telling me irish jokes. I would love for T Tiernan to highlight a serious medical condition I have.

Are you telling me you never told queer/skinny/paki jokes ever ?
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Not since the age of 14/15 years old, I reckon. I find very little of what passes for 'comedy' today to be funny. Lots of it (Tommy Tiernan, Jason Byrne, Katherine Lynch) seems to involve shouting loudly, very quickly, with lots of foul language and then laughing hysterically at yourself, hoping that the others will join in. There are a few honorable exceptions - Eddie Izzard, Harry Hill, Dara O'Brien.

It's not really about 'highlighting a serious medical condition'. What Boyle did was to make fun of the specific impacts of a genetic condition. These 'jokes' generally do perpetuate an environment of discrimination, just like the Paddy/Paki jokes did in the UK up to the 70s. Do you really think it's acceptable or funny for Frankie Boyle to make jokes about the speech/hair/fashion sense/old parents of people with Downs Syndrome?
 
PyritePete said:
other posters have found it funny and some have said they have not found it crude either.

A lot of you seem to be missing the point here - the words PaddyW is thinking of saying (and also stronger words) are used in GAA matches every week all over the country. So I dont believe what PaddyW is thinking of saying would necessarily offend anyone.

Over to you paddyW
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Except it's a wedding not a GAA match.
 
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Right, so here's a rough draft of what I'm going to say.. feel freet to let me know if it sucks or not!! I've decided against any outrageous lines or taking the pee out of the groom :[/FONT]

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[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Ladies and gentlemen, [/FONT]on behalf of xxx and xxx I'd like to thank you all for joining in this wonderful day for the two of them.. and can I just add what a fine looking bunch you all are!
For those of you who don't know me, my name is Paddy Would-you-like-a-drink. If you see me at the bar later, remember that i only answer to my full name!
xxx, you're looking beautiful today.. I'm sure Mike is a proud and happy man right now
To the bridesmaids, girls, ye're looking great.. I'll be in room 123 all night.. just thought i'd throw that in there..
It's taken seven years of friendship, but finally, after all that time myself and xxx have decided that i am indeed the best man!! It's a great honour to be asked to perform this role and I think it shows that xxx thinks of me as highly as I do of him.


Myself and xxx first met in Dublin. Two country boys, both at loose ends. We met through mutual friends and one night xxx rang me up to see
did I want to go for a pint. We hit if off straightaway. The rest as they say is history. We haven't looked back since. He's my best friend, more like a brother to me really.


We're as close as best friends can be.. Actually, I remember a remark one night along the lines of "I'm surpised you and xxx are getting married, I always though it would be xxx and paddy"!!!!
We've had some great times together, we've travelled to some fantastic places together and we've always had the best of times.. I suppose you could say i was responsible for bringing the two together in the first place. I brought him down to my hometown of xxx and it started off from there.looking back If i'd have known then what i know now, i'd have left him in dublin and i'd still have my partner in crime! in fact, my list of destinations has declined rapidly ever since he packed his bags and headed for xxx!


But I'm sure i've left him in responsible hands with xxx and I hope they'll be able to create their own fabulous memories together. I'm sure they will, I, for one know that xxx is the only one for xxx. he's never shut up talking about her ever since they first met. Here's to many more years of that!


Well, I'm going to keep it short and sweet now (like myself), I can see a few heads starting to drop down the back there.. Chin up lads, it's almost over!


xxx, you've been my best friend now for a long time. I wish you and xxx all the very best for the future. May it be a long and prosperous future, filled with many great occasions along the way.



Would you all raise your glasses and join me in toasting the happy couple.


to love, to laughter and to happiness ever after. To the new mr and mrs xxx . . To xxx and xxx
 
PaddyW said:
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Right, so here's a rough draft of what I'm going to say.. feel freet to let me know if it sucks or not!! I've decided against any outrageous lines or taking the pee out of the groom :[/FONT]






[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Ladies and gentlemen, [/FONT]on behalf of xxx and xxx I'd like to thank you all for joining in this wonderful day for the two of them.. and can I just add what a fine looking bunch you all are!
For those of you who don't know me, my name is Paddy Would-you-like-a-drink. If you see me at the bar later, remember that i only answer to my full name!
xxx, you're looking beautiful today.. I'm sure Mike is a proud and happy man right now
To the bridesmaids, girls, ye're looking great.. I'll be in room 123 all night.. just thought i'd throw that in there..
It's taken seven years of friendship, but finally, after all that time myself and xxx have decided that i am indeed the best man!! It's a great honour to be asked to perform this role and I think it shows that xxx thinks of me as highly as I do of him.


Myself and xxx first met in Dublin. Two country boys, both at loose ends. We met through mutual friends and one night xxx rang me up to see
did I want to go for a pint. We hit if off straightaway. The rest as they say is history. We haven't looked back since. He's my best friend, more like a brother to me really.


We're as close as best friends can be.. Actually, I remember a remark one night along the lines of "I'm surpised you and xxx are getting married, I always though it would be xxx and paddy"!!!!
We've had some great times together, we've travelled to some fantastic places together and we've always had the best of times.. I suppose you could say i was responsible for bringing the two together in the first place. I brought him down to my hometown of xxx and it started off from there.looking back If i'd have known then what i know now, i'd have left him in dublin and i'd still have my partner in crime! in fact, my list of destinations has declined rapidly ever since he packed his bags and headed for xxx!


But I'm sure i've left him in responsible hands with xxx and I hope they'll be able to create their own fabulous memories together. I'm sure they will, I, for one know that xxx is the only one for xxx. he's never shut up talking about her ever since they first met. Here's to many more years of that!


Well, I'm going to keep it short and sweet now (like myself), I can see a few heads starting to drop down the back there.. Chin up lads, it's almost over!


xxx, you've been my best friend now for a long time. I wish you and xxx all the very best for the future. May it be a long and prosperous future, filled with many great occasions along the way.



Would you all raise your glasses and join me in toasting the happy couple.


to love, to laughter and to happiness ever after. To the new mr and mrs xxx . . To xxx and xxx
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With all due respect Paddy this is more about you and Mike then it is about Mike and XXXX. I mean it's very touching and you clearly have a great friendship but initial impressions are its too much about you and Mike....and your love for him. And it should include more about Mike and XXX and their love and friendship. You threw in that he's "never shut up talking about her" (I would not use these words but that's just me) but you could say more.
It's just a draft I'm sure you don't mind the critical feedback.....
 
No, not at all. The more the better. I always thought the best man speech should really be more about the groom than anything, but I'm not adverse to putting in more stuff about her at all. Back to the drawing board! I can change the shut up to he's never stopped talking about her instead.
 
In fairness I think that's not bad at all Paddy. Agree with adding more about the bride though - and making it at least 75% complimentary (i.e. not back handed)
 
Right, so a bit more about the bride. Only good things will be said about her. Does some of it appear back handed Caveat? I only want to make them look good really, I know theere's one or two little jokes in there (e.g the best man one) but I don't think they're too overboard.
 
PaddyW said:
Does some of it appear back handed Caveat?
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No, no - I'm not saying they are. Just a "warning" in case anything along those lines developed! ;)

It's just that I've noticed a tendency of best man speeches rarely to directly praise/compliment the bride - they often say something - then take it back by adding a punchline, then say "no but seriously", add another punchline and then finally, feebly, give her a muttering half assed real compliment.

In fact maybe you should go the other way and say something like "Jaysus Bridie you look feckin' gorgeous. I mean like really, really sexy. Bloody HELL! In fact...."

(and then make a mad lunge for her)
 
I was at a wedding when the best man finished his speech by wishing the happy couple well by quoting the lines of a Green Day song.
"It's something unpredictable, but in the end its right. I hope you have the time of your lives".

I thought it was a nice touch.
 
Strange you should say that Shawady, I was actually thinking about adding that in their somewhere. One of my favourite songs.

I've changed one of the paragraphs. What do you think?

But I'm sure i've left him in responsible hands with xxx, a girl who I've known for most of my life. Always a quiet and repectable girl. Always down to earth and friendly and a bit of craic too on a night out! xxx has done well for himself, I'm sure you'll all agree. Their love has stood up under the pressure of distance, which I know myself is a hard thing to overcome. But though they were a long way apart, their bond remained strong. The fact I'm stood here now toasting them is testament to that. I hope they'll be able to create their own fabulous memories together. In fact, I'm sure they will, I, for one know that xxx is the only one for xxx. he's never stopped talking about her ever since they first met. long may it continue.
 
Shawady said:
I was at a wedding when the best man finished his speech by wishing the happy couple well by quoting the lines of a Green Day song.
"It's something unpredictable, but in the end its right. I hope you have the time of your lives".

I thought it was a nice touch.
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I heard that at a wedding once and it struck me as odd, I was always under the impression that song was about a break up (hence being called Good Riddance).
 
Complainer said:
There are a few honorable exceptions - Eddie Izzard, Harry Hill, Dara O'Brien.

Yeah I like these too

It's not really about 'highlighting a serious medical condition'. What Boyle did was to make fun of the specific impacts of a genetic condition. These 'jokes' generally do perpetuate an environment of discrimination, just like the Paddy/Paki jokes did in the UK up to the 70s. Do you really think it's acceptable or funny for Frankie Boyle to make jokes about the speech/hair/fashion sense/old parents of people with Downs Syndrome?
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I find Frankie funny...up to a certain point, Generally I find him humorous and as I posted earlier some (of his) material is cringeworthy that I would not be confortable with.

My main thrust though is that IMHO comedy has been watered down because of PC whereas I can see the humour for what it is, maybe more so than others.
 
Latrade said:
I heard that at a wedding once and it struck me as odd, I was always under the impression that song was about a break up (hence being called Good Riddance).
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Yeah, I think exact words in song are "had the time of your life" but this best man used "have".
Still sounded good on the day.
 
PaddyW said:
No, not at all. The more the better. I always thought the best man speech should really be more about the groom than anything, but I'm not adverse to putting in more stuff about her at all. Back to the drawing board! I can change the shut up to he's never stopped talking about her instead.
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I'd like to hear more about the B&G in your speech. It would also depend on who else will be speaking - if both the fathers are also speaking, then maybe you don't need to go into huge detail. If not, then a bit more background would help.

PyritePete said:
My main thrust though is that IMHO comedy has been watered down because of PC whereas I can see the humour for what it is, maybe more so than others.
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I don't see any humour in making fun of the hair/dress sense/speech of people with Downs Syndrome. I just see very, very cheap shots.
 
PaddyW said:
But I'm sure i've left him in responsible hands with xxx, a girl who I've known for most of my life. Always a quiet and repectable girl. Always down to earth and friendly and a bit of craic too on a night out! xxx has done well for himself, I'm sure you'll all agree.
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Jees why didn't you marry her yourself so?? ;-)

But seriously that is lovely and I think it will go down very well with her and the parents / grannys/ friends.
With regard to back handedness the only thing seeming that way was the line earlier about seeing a lot less of your mate and the world since he met xxx. But then that's probably just my opinion, women read into things!
But honestly Paddy you are writing very nice things, and well able to take some constructive (trying to be helpful) criticism.
Oh and I presumed you were single since your bridesmaids comments suggested it, I hope they are too in that case!
 
Complainer said:
I don't see any humour in making fun of the hair/dress sense/speech of people with Downs Syndrome. I just see very, very cheap shots.
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You are focusing on one aspect of comedians routine/jokes, so should we abandon humour altogether then ?
 
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