Karl Pilkington is no fool. He must be an accomplished comedian exaggerating the role of a simpleton. Yet if that's true, wouldn't a clever comedian have more sweetness in Karl's simplicity? Whose idea was it to have the "character" of Karl say that he hated India? Surely a travel show, appealing to viewers who have happy dreams about travel, should end with finding some silver lining. Or is Karl genuinely a person who hates travel and they decided to run wit that?
shareHe is genuine. That is literally what he's like. Sure some parts maybe a little exaggerated, but the way he talks, thinks is 100% him.
~Stop Now Before I Kill You All.A Word To The Wise From Your Friend Pennywise~
It is 110% an act. Having heard the XM show, then the free podcast, then all the other lives its taken on, they repeat most of the same jokes. Karl states them with the same spontaneity... then Ricky laughs with the same incredulity "A-HAHAH... Karl haha, how could you say that you bald headed twatt... AHAHahahaha..."
its either an act or its real and they forget their thoughts and observations and then have nearly identical reactions again in the podcast. Id say he was really like that if they referenced his comments "Right, you mentioned that years ago on XFM... do you still think that?"
also the old...
Karl: "Heres moonkey news..."
Ricky: "Thats complete shyte... its bollocks... your an idiot. no more moneky news."
Karl: "Heres moonkey news..."
Ricky: "Thats complete shyte... its bollocks... your an idiot. no more moneky news."
Karl: "Heres moonkey news..."
Ricky: "Thats complete shyte... its bollocks... your an idiot. no more moneky news."
Karl: "Heres moonkey news..."
Ricky: "Thats complete shyte... its bollocks... your an idiot. no more moneky news."
Karl: "Heres moonkey news..."
Ricky: "Thats complete shyte... its bollocks... your an idiot. no more moneky news."
Karl: "Heres moonkey news..."
Ricky: "Thats complete shyte... its bollocks... your an idiot. no more moneky news."
Karl: "Heres moonkey news..."
Ricky: "Thats complete shyte... its bollocks... your an idiot. no more moneky news."
I think he really is a bit of a soft spoken manc with some funny outlooks, it is a bit. Thats why they keep doing the same material.
Do you remember everything you said - unscripted - years ago? The XFM show is not scripted, so wonder some stories get repeated a few times. That doesn't only go for Karl, Ricke and Steve repeat stories as well.
sharehahahahahahahahaha. Me maybe not... but them most definitely. you DO KNOW They recorded the bits on XFM and broadcast them to the UK. Then redid the same bits a few years later. not random conversations... THE SAME BITS, with the same comedic timing and punchlines. They repeat the stories, yes, but the way they act them out, its as if its the first theyve heard them. ergo... it is an act.
shareWatching this for the first time, I also got a feeling that it's partially a "character". You can see how he tries to keep a "dumb" straight face all the time...but " breaks" now and then; I feel like that's when we see the real him.
There certainly is a lot of his real personality in it as well, I'm sure he IS a very opinionated fellow who enjoys the simplest things.
As a travel enthusiast, I thought I'd never enjoy watching someone so unwilling do these things, but the series is very entertaining (and funny).
i agree 100%. Its fun and enjoyable to see this, and the opinion that its not so fun is a welcome break too.
His personality slips through more in this series but rarely in the podcasts.
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Why do people think it's either real or an act? Can't there be something in between? There is indeed a difference between XFM shows and the podcasts, but there's obvious that genuine moments happen here and there, though in the podcasts they for instance set up stories from the XFM shows that they already know are funny, or they get Karl to say something outrageous by setting it up right.
Karl knows partially what aspects of him are funny, so he plays it up. He's basically being somewhat of a caricature of himself, but he's still being himself ultimately, just that it's somewhat of a performance.