British readers: big laugh below

[dianeduane]

Well, I laughed, anyway.

"Not bovvered" in Downing Street

(US readers: for background that will help you understand / get the joke in the above, first check this page and the video on it)

Comments

[jeff-morris.livejournal.com]

Can you explain "bovvered" to the unenlightened Yank? :)

[siliconshaman.livejournal.com]

Lit: Bothered, as in "Am I bothered?!"
Rhetorical question to which the answer is plainly no.

English yob culture equivalent of "whatever"...
is also Cathrine Tate's signature catch phrase when playing the mouthy, cynical, disaffacted youth Lauren.

Which is why it's funny when Tony turns it about on her... given his stance on yob/chav culture.

[jaxomsride.livejournal.com]

Love your icon.
Catherine Tate's "Lauren Cooper" is the most annoying "schoolgirl"/ teenager. She shapes her sketches around three central phrases "Am I bothered" (Implying she's anything but.) "Does this face look bothered to you" and "Are you disrespecting me".
The PM sketch is funny because Tony's response "Am I bothered" etc is basically throwing her own catchphrases back at her.
If you watch the David Tennant sketch you might get a clearer idea.

I don't actually watch the Catherine Tate show but have seen her in things like "Blue Peter" so had some idea what was going on but if you haven't seen any of her stuff it won't mean anything to you.

[janeway216.livejournal.com]

I'm a Yank myself, but I want to add to the previous answers -- this page has what's pretty much an exemplar Lauren sketch, which might illuminate the Tony Blair sketch a little more.

[dduane.livejournal.com]

Hey, thanks for that!

I only saw the character for the first time a few weeks ago, and love her dearly. (I'm much afraid of what Peter will do when I start saying "Am I bovvered...")

[janeway216.livejournal.com]

Welcome!

http://www.catherinetateshow.co.uk/ has several more Lauren sketches scattered throughout the "Videos" section. I think Lauren's a hoot, but I can't quote her much over here because nobody knows what I'm talking about.