Jimmy’s “Scam”

Satirists are like pop stars in two respects. They earn extraordinary amounts of money, and the public assumes that they are left wing. You do not need to be a Marxist to suspect that the former will work against the latter. Investments in a hedge fund have a habit of dominating your mind however many songs of teenage rebellion you sing or jokes you make about the cruelties of ConDem Britain. As time goes on, your anti-establishment views change from sincere opinions into poses. They are your meal ticket. Like a lawyer defending a client he knows to be guilty, you must maintain the illusion that you believe every word you say or lose your appearance fees.

The rock star, who lauds urban riots, can never admit that if there were trouble around his mansion he would call the chief constable. The satirist, who excoriates the greed of the rich, can never confess that he is as greedy and, indeed, as rich himself.