One of my favourite comedians, Rik Mayall, was found dead today. Like Sue Townsend, he died far too soon, at only 56 years old. Mayall really was one of the funniest people I have ever seen on television; his sense of humour was unhinged and subversive, not to mention incredibly silly. I wouldn’t have been surprised if he was secretly one of the Looney Tunes. His mastery of nonsensical violence was beyond that of most mortals.
Mayall often portrayed greasy prats who were prone to melodrama and self-centered hyperbole. Usually, they were the victims of a special mixture of psychology and extreme violence, supplied by whoever Adrian Edmondson was playing. Many people also thought that Mayall was incredibly sexy, despite the greasiness of his parts. His most famous role was Prick Rik from The Young Ones, one of the most hilarious sitcoms ever made. (If you haven’t seen it yet, you definitely should.) He also starred in Bottom, which was as magnificent as the title suggests.
