# "An Idiot Abroad" - Karl Pilkington sees the world's wonders **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 27, 2010, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-idiot-abroad-karl-pilkington-sees-the-worlds-wonders/555261 "2010-09-27T20:05:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2011, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-idiot-abroad-karl-pilkington-sees-the-worlds-wonders/555261/81 "2011-03-01T03:35:03Z")
A radio producer is someone who checks microphone levels, screens callers, and edits tape. Unlike in television, the producer is not the brains behind the show. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2011, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-idiot-abroad-karl-pilkington-sees-the-worlds-wonders/555261/82 "2011-03-01T03:58:03Z")
> [@Yookeroo](#): > > It’s possible you’re being whooshed here. In regards to that quote, yes. Like Karl’s character, that may not warrant a straight reading. I’m not as intimate with his character as some of the others here are; I’m just going on what my impression is, and his similarity to actual characters I know in my life, who do this sort of schtick. I would say that it’s more possible that it’s y’all that are being whooshed, but it seems to be difficult to prove either way. I’d be curious to hear his radio work pre-Gervais (apparently, he had a brief talk show in Manchester.) ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2011, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-idiot-abroad-karl-pilkington-sees-the-worlds-wonders/555261/83 "2011-03-01T04:13:45Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > A radio producer is someone who checks microphone levels, screens callers, and edits tape. Unlike in television, the producer is not the brains behind the show. Hey, he had to come in on the weekend sometimes! ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2011, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-idiot-abroad-karl-pilkington-sees-the-worlds-wonders/555261/84 "2011-03-01T04:26:52Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I would say that it’s more possible that it’s y’all that are being whooshed, but it seems to be difficult to prove either way. From the little bit that I have watched, this is my bet as well. I think it’s quite obvious that Karl Pilkington is just a character, like SuperDave Osbourne or the dreadful Jake Byrd (Jimmy Kimmel Live) ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2011, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-idiot-abroad-karl-pilkington-sees-the-worlds-wonders/555261/85 "2011-03-01T13:26:39Z")
I don’t think he’s anything like an obvious character like Super Dave. In any case, I don’t think a “little bit” is enough to really get the full effect of Pilkington. If you still think he’s just a character after listening to the XFM shows, I’ll give that more weight. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2011, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-idiot-abroad-karl-pilkington-sees-the-worlds-wonders/555261/86 "2011-03-01T13:28:25Z")
> [@Cat\_Fight](#): > > Hey, he had to come in on the weekend sometimes! He had to come in _every_ weekend! Because Ricky and Steve were doing a Saturday afternoon show. He whinged about it until they gave him Mondays off. And he _still_ had to keep going on his terrible vacations to Mediterranean rocks. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-idiot-abroad-karl-pilkington-sees-the-worlds-wonders/555261/87 "2011-03-02T02:12:52Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I would say that it’s more possible that it’s y’all that are being whooshed, Possibly. I wouldn’t be too surprised to find out it was a put-on. But the character was developed so organically, that it would be on of the best whooshes I’ve run across. ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-idiot-abroad-karl-pilkington-sees-the-worlds-wonders/555261/88 "2011-03-02T04:14:55Z")
I don’t really enjoy the Merchant-Gervais-Pilkington dynamic, because Gervais sounds like a braying jackass laughing. I think Gervais and Merchant have brilliant comedic skills, but I am not a real fan of the podcasts (though of course there are funny bits). I was pretty underwhelmed with the show (I saw the Egypt and India episodes). Egypt was more amusing, because it did show an aspect of the tourist experience (commercialization of the pyramids, street vendors) that gets glossed over. Like someone said upthread, though, it was like 15 minutes of comedy stretched out over an hour. If it’s on I might watch it but it’s not appointment viewing for me. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-idiot-abroad-karl-pilkington-sees-the-worlds-wonders/555261/89 "2011-03-02T04:56:44Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > So he is not a “character” he is not a “creation” and has no script. I believe it was Ricky who gave one of the best defenses against the show being scripted when he pointed out how many months it took him and Steve just to write an episode of _The Office_. And it’s clear Ricky wasn’t the quickest improviser on air, based on his inability to finish sentences, and his penchant for spending the entire show lying down. ---
**Author:** ![Double\_Foolscap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85e7bf/32.png) [@Double\_Foolscap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Double_Foolscap)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-idiot-abroad-karl-pilkington-sees-the-worlds-wonders/555261/90 "2011-03-02T10:32:57Z")
Yeah, if the shows were scripted, I bet Ricky would have given himself funnier lines than Stephen. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-idiot-abroad-karl-pilkington-sees-the-worlds-wonders/555261/91 "2011-03-02T10:55:11Z")
> [@Cat\_Fight](#): > > I believe it was Ricky who gave one of the best defenses against the show being scripted when he pointed out how many months it took him and Steve just to write an episode of _The Office_. And it’s clear Ricky wasn’t the quickest improviser on air, based on his inability to finish sentences, and his penchant for spending the entire show lying down. Exactly. It is more than likely that Karl plays up his personality to annoy Ricky and Steve. Does he says things just to get a rise out of them? does he exaggerate some of his thoughts just to get a laugh and provoke argument? I would say absolutely yes. But we _all_ do that with our friends and I confidently predict that those three interract in much the same way whether they are down the pub or in the studio. In fact, based on listening to the podcasts it is clear that a lot of what they talk about probably started off as a conversation elsewhere and is brought back up within the shows. I would say though that that is a million miles away from being scripted and “Karl” is not a character. (although he most certainly is a “character” if you know what I mean ) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-idiot-abroad-karl-pilkington-sees-the-worlds-wonders/555261/92 "2011-03-02T16:22:28Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > Exactly. > > It is more than likely that Karl plays up his personality to annoy Ricky and Steve. > Does he says things just to get a rise out of them? does he exaggerate some of his thoughts just to get a laugh and provoke argument? > > I would say absolutely yes. But we _all_ do that with our friends and I confidently predict that those three interract in much the same way whether they are down the pub or in the studio. > > In fact, based on listening to the podcasts it is clear that a lot of what they talk about probably started off as a conversation elsewhere and is brought back up within the shows. > > I would say though that that is a million miles away from being scripted and “Karl” is not a character. (although he most certainly is a “character” if you know what I mean ) I don’t necessarily disagree with the above, even though I am on the “donning a persona” side. I think he is greatly exaggerating aspects of himself and purposely throwing out stupid thoughts in a unique and brilliant manner for the comedic value. And I certainly don’t think the show is scripted. There may be some sketched out “landmarks” but I have no reason to believe it’s not off the cuff. ---
**Author:** ![kath94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/67e7ee/32.png) [@kath94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kath94)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-idiot-abroad-karl-pilkington-sees-the-worlds-wonders/555261/93 "2011-03-02T23:42:42Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > I admit, I’m going on a bit. > > But, hell, writing and talking about how stupid Karl says is almost as fun as listening to him being stupid. > \ > And I just remembered another example of his weirdness. He’s offended by the idea of excessive choice. He makes his girlfriend do all the shopping, because he gets upset by the variety of options available at the supermarket. He has said that he believes that there should be at most two varieties to choose from of any thing. This might be a British thing. My husband is a Brit & when he first moved to the USA he got incredibly frustrated when appliance shopping. More often than not we’d leave the store with him complaining “too much choice.” Say for TV or stereo shopping, for example, he was used to ONE cheap, low-quality option, ONE expensive, high-quality option, and \*maybe \*one in the middle. He gets here and there are dozens of choices with the differences between them not so obvious. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-idiot-abroad-karl-pilkington-sees-the-worlds-wonders/555261/94 "2011-03-03T07:48:44Z")
> [@kath94](#): > > This might be a British thing. My husband is a Brit & when he first moved to the USA he got incredibly frustrated when appliance shopping. More often than not we’d leave the store with him complaining “too much choice.” Say for TV or stereo shopping, for example, he was used to ONE cheap, low-quality option, ONE expensive, high-quality option, and \*maybe \*one in the middle. He gets here and there are dozens of choices with the differences between them not so obvious. Unless he moved there in the 1960’s that’s a little bit of an exaggeration there. We aren’t East Germany. But it is true to say that in the USA there is far more choice in some areas (say, breakfast cereal) and far less in others (whole chickens). And I personally find that frustrating. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2011, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-idiot-abroad-karl-pilkington-sees-the-worlds-wonders/555261/95 "2011-03-04T12:37:19Z")
Yeah, I don’t think it’s the case of an Englishman frustrated with a foreign level of choice. He’s shopping in London after all. One of their well-known stories is that he dislikes grocery shopping so much that he forced his fever-ridden girlfriend to get out of bed and get him something for dinner (He doesn’t keep much food in the house, because he never knows what he might want for “tea”). He reasoned that her standing in front of the open freezers would make her feel better. ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-idiot-abroad-karl-pilkington-sees-the-worlds-wonders/555261/96 "2011-09-26T01:43:02Z")
New season of Karl ticking off items off a bucket list starting. Desert Island… next week it’s “Travelling the trans-siberian railway” ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-idiot-abroad-karl-pilkington-sees-the-worlds-wonders/555261/97 "2011-09-26T02:13:44Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > In 2002-2003 he did four segments called “Do We Need 'Em?” in which he interviewed actual scientists and asked them whether there was any consequence to eliminating some species – octopuses, jellyfish, snails, and cockroaches. > > In each case, the experts tried to get him to understand that you couldn’t eliminate a species without consequences. Instead of taking that kind of information on board, he decided that the scientists were just being difficult or biased and petulantly gave up on the project. Technically speaking, if you removed every life form on the planet but humans and the things we eat, it’s unclear that our lives would be diminished in any way. Removing part of the animal kingdom would have an effect on the rest of the animal kingdom, but that is only of relevance to people who think that really matters. ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-idiot-abroad-karl-pilkington-sees-the-worlds-wonders/555261/98 "2011-09-26T03:06:22Z")
> [@pancakes3](#): > > New season of Karl ticking off items off a bucket list starting. Desert Island… next week it’s “Travelling the trans-siberian railway” - (Frantic Googling finished…) \*Oh…okay, Season 2 is just starting on Sky on the UK. Can’t find anything on when we might see this legally in America…anybody know anything? ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-idiot-abroad-karl-pilkington-sees-the-worlds-wonders/555261/99 "2011-09-26T07:20:40Z")
I watched the China episode tonight to get a better idea about this show. It had funny moments, but overall I didn’t think Karl was an idiot so much as he is a really good straight man and plays up the rest. It was ok, but not nearly as funny as Gervais seems to think. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-idiot-abroad-karl-pilkington-sees-the-worlds-wonders/555261/100 "2011-09-26T09:19:01Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Technically speaking, if you removed every life form on the planet but humans and the things we eat, it’s unclear that our lives would be diminished in any way. It’s perfectly clear to me. I don’t eat plankton, for example, but I eat lots of animals that eat plankton (or animals that eat animals that eat plankton, or animals that eat animals that eat animals that eat plankton, and so on). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-idiot-abroad-karl-pilkington-sees-the-worlds-wonders/555261.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-idiot-abroad-karl-pilkington-sees-the-worlds-wonders/555261.md?page=6)