Jack’s got it off to a Dee

Still on the subject of what constitutes humour, please be upstanding for Jack Dee. The comedian this week revealed he’d more or less given up posting on the social media site Twitter, saying: “There’s nothing you can say that won’t upset someone – I can’t be bothered. It’s harder to convince people that if you say something unappealing, you’re being ironic.”

Dee was right too to observe: “I grew up being told that Americans don’t get irony. I think they’re masters of irony compared to what we do.” Along with our weather obsession, foreigners usually refer to our sense of humour when asked what they most equate with being British. Sadly, from at least the Puritans onwards, our national character has also always contained a po-faced, censorious strain. And at present it’s having a field day.