After finding fame on social media after his prank emails and tweets went viral, Joe Lycett is setting the world to rights in his new book, Parsnips, Buttered. We quizzed the comedian on office email etiquette, Donald Trump, and the worst possible social media faux-pas...
Why did you choose to focus your book on emails, texts and tweets?
I’ve sent so many emails to complain about things that it felt like it seemed like a waste to just leave them in my inbox and outbox; they should be shared with the Great British public. Everyone's contactable now, and everyone has these little writing quirks with emails. I'm fascinated by little flourishes of language, the odd ways people express themselves, and that's quite heightened in emails.
How long did it take to put together?
It's been about five or six years of sending sarky responses to things, then actually putting the book together took about six or seven months of going through, reminding myself of what I've done.
What are your favourite and least favourite forms of social media?
The one I'm most prolific on is Twitter, but I'm getting into Instagram now because you can really do a lot with it - there's a different tone to it which I'm just starting to master. My least favourite is Facebook - I still use it loads but I just can't bear it. It's the comment thing - people relentlessly having arguments about stupid sh*t. I'll just go on, post something and then disappear - let the fallout happen...
There's a chapter in your book devoted to taking down Donald Trump. How are you feeling post-election?
It’s hard to know at this point because we just don’t know what he’s going to do. He’s said contradictory things about literally everything, so I think it’s a real wild card. It's definitely a step backwards, but backwards in what direction - whether it's backwards off a cliff or backwards where some progress is just rewound. It's not great for women, obviously - that glass ceiling that Hillary spoke about is still elusive. One thing I’ve realised as I’ve got older is that people don’t think like each other. That's wonderful, and it brings colour to life but it also means that sometimes people will really, genuinely think horrific things, and they’re not saying it just to provoke.
What was your first ever email address?
I think it was a Hotmail address– joeznet@hotmail.com, with a z. It was like I owned ‘the net.’ Oh, that’s embarrassing, although I suppose it could definitely be worse.
What's the one thing that annoys you the most on social media?
Quotes, quotes – I hate them! When a massive Hollywood star or someone who’s a successful multimillionaire tries to give you a bit of advice that they haven’t even thought out themselves, that’s my absolute least favourite thing. It's just so irksome, sanctimonious, hate them. Around the Trump thing, the amount of quotes people posted saying ‘This was written in 1914 but it still resonates in our times’ – it's just some clichés, how does tha help? Again, it’s the echo chamber. Another thing that's awful is watching celebrities respond to their trolls – just don’t do it! Haters gonna hate.
What's the best out-of-office message you've seen?
I was very pleased with my last one. My subject line was 'Do not stand at my grave and weep, I am not there, I am in Majorca,' and then just said 'If you want to get hold of me, I am not available.' What you could do if you really don't want anyone to contact you is to create an alias and pretend it's your own PA, and direct all enquiries to them...
What would you do if you've accidentally copied someone into an email they shouldn't have seen?
It's horrible when that happens. I actually wonder about doing that when you really need to tell someone some bad news - whether you pretend that you've cc'd them into something in order to just do it without properly telling them. So you go, 'I don't know how to find a way to tell this person this,' but you actually mean for it to get to them. If you've actually done it in error, I think it's time to leave the country - change your name by deed poll, it's over...
Parsnips, Buttered is out now (Hodder, £17.99); Joe’s debut stand-up DVD, Joe Lycett Live, is out now.