It’s not healthy for our democracy,” said Lloyd, who is not involved in the “John Oliver is funny because he gives you new information. John Major's Spitting Image puppet auctions for £3,600Spitting Image puppet of John Major with his wife NormaCollectors interested in rare pieces of political memorabilia may be interested in something from a rather more charismatic leader: this annotated transcript of Ronald Reagan’s senility was a running joke but is dementia still a suitable topic for humour?The puppets rely on exaggerated facial features but those of Kanye West, Meghan Markle and other BAME figures will be scrutinised for any trace of racial stereotypes.Yet appearing as a leather-jacketed thug didn’t harm the career of Norman Tebbit, Mrs Thatcher’s Cabinet enforcer.The only thing worse than being mercilessly skewered in front of millions was being ignored by the puppet-masters.Lloyd recalled: “You could say a politician cheated on their tax returns or their partner but the only time they complained or said we hit below the belt was if they were given extra big ears or a large nose.“Every politician I’ve ever met has a cartoon of themselves in the loo.”The 1987 election special, screened at the peak of Thatcher’s dominance, ended with a parody showing Conservatives singing As funny as it was chilling, the sketch also served a public service purpose.“When people see the funny side of things they are less likely to go out and riot.“That is the tradition that goes back to Hogarth and (the Irish) Swift. The British have always made fun of the Royal Family and Prime Ministers. Language: English Location: United States Channel 4 News 87,567 views. We were only obeying orders - Spitting Image song Series 11 - Duration: 3:33. While it is not surprising that a UK streaming service that’s attracting plenty of international subscribers has obtained the rights for the new version, it is the service’s first original commission in the UK. As Spitting Image returns, five very thick-skinned household names -including Jeffrey Archer, Jilly Cooper and Norman Tebbit - recall their time in the satirical spotlight. 1:42. The puppets appeared towards the end of the Conservative PM's time in office before Labour won a landslide victory under Tony Blair.Major's last years saw an economic crisis and a Chancellor (Norman Lamont) forced to construct an unpopular budget just as now, though the current Prime Minister David Cameron was just his advisor at the time.Bonhams has already sold Spitting Image puppets of Tony and Cherie Blair (£12,600, January 2008), and even that of Gordon Brown (£4,800, June 2007 - long before he left office).Margaret Thatcher's puppet achieved £5,040 in June 2007. When he first came in the cabinet in Series 10, Major wore a leopard-print jacket with white gloves, entering via swinging on a trapeze.He said to the Cabinet, "My father was in the circus, you know!" ", "Rare.
At £300,000 an episode, Spitting Image was TV’s most expensive light entertainment show. John Major, as in real life. John Major (b.
Kris Griffiths 76,107 views. Kris Griffiths 75,576 views. Spitting Image is a British satirical television puppet show, created by Peter Fluck, Roger Law and Martin Lambie-Nairn.First broadcast in February 1984, the series was produced by 'Spitting Image Productions' for Central Independent Television over 18 series which aired on the ITV network. Spitting Image: John Major's psychedelic hippy trip (1991) - Duration: 1:42. We have lost our sense of humour.”The 18th century artist found a popular audience for his cartoons depicting the squalor of London street life.The British Establishment came under sustained attack during the satire boom of the 1960s, with the David Frost-fronted That Was The Week That Was laying Harold Macmillan’s decaying Conservative government open to ridicule.However these days Rory Bremner, who once took a scalpel to the Blair government in his Channel 4 programmes with John Bird and John Fortune, no longer has a regular slot.“Satire has too often become shouting, abuse and name-calling.