If you're a fan of "Borat" you'll love "Shirley Ghostman" the spoof telepsychic created by edgy British comic genius, Marc Wootton. "Shirley" — who is a man, an extremely effeminate man with nail polish who'll have you know he's not gay, okay? — is the Liberace-esque host of High Spirits with Shirley Ghostman. Shirley makes contact with the spirits of Elvis Presley and Lady Diana, reads the minds of pets and takes hapless contestants through a maze of humiliation in a reality show-within-the-show "Spirit Academy," the American Idol of psychic talent. As with Sacha Baron Cohen's "Borat" character, the people "Shirley" interacts with — and the studio audienc e– have no idea they're being put on. They might figure it out as it's going on, but sometimes they don't!
To one dumb-founded audience member "Shirley" suggests a dead relative was trying to tell him: "You like a drink, but you will not like waking up on the bathroom floor with a black eye and shit in your pants." In a bit taped at a vet's office, he informs a pet owner that her dog has asked him to ask her if she and her husband can knock it off with the anal sex when the dog is in the room. There are tons of these kinds of moments in "High Spirits with Shirley Ghostman."
I've inflicted "Shirley" on many a friend and everyone agrees: This is one of those "pee in your pants funny" shows. An absolute must see if you are a fan of humiliation comedy like Ali G or Larry David. It's the equal of both.
Shirley auditions the psychic talent |
Shirley helps her apprentices channel dead celebrities |
Shirley Ghostman Channels Lady Di |
A Skeptic writes of his "psychic" encounter with "Shirley Ghostman" |
More Marc Wootton: "My New Best Friend" (insane humiliation reality show)
