Voting Station

Kenneth Tynan

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Critic

The Resume

    (April 2, 1927-July 26, 1980)
    Born in Birmingham, England, United Kingdom
    Theater critic for the London Evening Standard (1951-53) and the Observer (1953-63)
    Literary advisor for the Royal National Theatre
    Co-creator of the off-Broadway revue 'Oh! Calcutta!' (1971)

Why he might be annoying:

    He dressed foppishly.
    Appropriately, his middle name was Peacock.
    He began smoking in secondary school.
    His journalistic motto was 'Rouse tempers, goad and lacerate, raise whirlwinds.'
    He demanded fidelity from his wives while carrying on his own affairs.
    He (in)famously was the first person to utter the word 'fuck' on the BBC (November 13, 1965).

Why he might not be annoying:

    He was a brilliant debater at the Oxford Union.
    He was staunchly opposed to censorship.
    In the uproar over his use of 'fuck,' morals crusader Mary Whitehouse wrote that Tynan should be reprimanded by having 'his bottom spanked.'
    Given Tynan's fondness for S&M, this probably would have been a counterproductive approach.
    He championed the dramas of Samuel Beckett and John Osborne.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 2 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 7 Votes: 85.71% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 2 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 3 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 2 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 11 Votes: 81.82% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 10 Votes: 60.0% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 15 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 16 Votes: 75.00% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 10 Votes: 80.0% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 14 Votes: 64.29% Annoying
    In 2009, Out of 29 Votes: 51.72% Annoying
    In 2008, Out of 27 Votes: 51.85% Annoying