Jack Rooke is one thing of a stand-up curiosity. A naturally, humorous and fascinating determine who eschews the concept of out-and-out jokes and trite content-free exhibits, in favour of painfully humorous tales embedded in transferring and even motivating programmes. In an period when the bad-taste gag typically grabs the headlines, it’s refreshing to see somebody creating exhibits which can be extra about emotional punch moderately than glib punchlines. To have fun his new sequence Completely happy Man (all episodes embedded within the article – you’re welcome) we spoke to him about his historical past with binge consuming, why Quavers received’t get him and the way he tried to bowl his weight away.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soyvzGNPDIk
To start with, inform us about Completely happy Man. Your first present Good Grief (which is good and nonetheless obtainable on iPlayer by the way in which) handled a interval of tragedy in your life. What are you specializing in with this present?
Completely happy Man is concerning the options to the male psychological well being disaster on this nation outdoors of simply speaking. It’s about discovering the issues that younger males can do which can be free and are simply accessible and that maybe aren’t being run by way of the NHS, however that also help good psychological well being. There’s a form of failure within the help system infrastructure in sure areas on this nation that implies that some males don’t get the assistance that they want.
The sequence is impressed by my pal Olly’s suicide. He took his personal life when he was 27 and I genuinely consider that earlier intervention for him would have been a life-saver. But it surely’s actually a celebration of him and I don’t need it to be too unhappy or miserable. I need the programme to encourage and empower folks to have extra instruments to assist themselves.
Males’s psychological well being has been gaining a whole lot of protection lately due to the efforts of Princes William and Harry to carry #headstogether and get folks speaking about psychological well being – is that sufficient?
The present mainstream protection of psychological well being is so saturated with calls to speak and simply conversations about conversations. For me, it’s actually unproductive to encourage males to speak and go to their GP in the event that they’re then going to cock-up all of that bravery by placing a bloke on an 18-24 week ready listing to do one thing about the way in which they’re feeling. It is advisable to type out the infrastructure and the help providers on this nation earlier than you will have this clarion name for males to exit and speak.
That’s why I’m actually proud to be an envoy for CALM and I’ve been since I used to be 18 years previous. I feel they fill within the hole that the federal government have created by supporting males in a manner that’s accessible to guys and that’s pleasant and approachable and humorous and life-affirming. It’s nice to see psychological well being rising to the highest of agendas however I’m by no means certain if it’s simply wanking into the abyss about speaking with out truly sparing a thought for what might be the answer. I feel it wants infrastructural reform and extra options which can be free and simple which is what Completely happy Man is all about. Within the programme I’m assembly up with plenty of completely different males who’ve carried out fairly radical issues like chilly water swimming, operating and drag all to assist themselves really feel higher.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKPZd98ha-g
You additionally attempt posing for a life drawing class within the programme. Would you say that was a superb motivator to really feel higher about your self?
I’m going to make this one simple: no.
Okay. Male physique picture is a rising difficulty, or it’s one that’s gaining traction as an concept that possibly males generally don’t really feel great about how they give the impression of being. Is that one thing you see in your personal life?
I feel with male physique picture it’s both finish of the spectrum. Sadly, you’ve received larger guys who presumably have low shallowness who’re actually beginning to really feel the crunch of not assembly as much as masculinity’s portrayed ideally suited. Then I feel you’ve received blokes who’re actually lacking the purpose of life as a result of they’re simply thrashing themselves with protein shakes, obsessive about health and picture as a result of it’s clearly filling a void somehwere else. It’s the boring age-old factor of claiming that we should be balanced.
You’ve misplaced a whole lot of weight your self lately, so effectively carried out for that! What was your motivation behind that?
I’ve wished to drop extra pounds lately for well being causes and since, I received’t lie, it’s a tough factor to be efficiently gay, be fats and get laid particularly when homosexual tradition actually, actually promotes a hyper-masculine, oiled-up Greek God picture. So I feel for me I had these issues and it’s onerous to stability each vainness and eager to be completely satisfied and to be embraced no matter dimension you might be. That’s what I hope Completely happy Man has is this concept that you already know what, fuck it, I don’t have probably the most stereotypically ideally suited of masculinity however my masculinity is past muscular tissues. The rationale I’m an extremely sturdy man is as a result of I’ve handled so many fairly tragic experiences and are available out the opposite aspect, capable of chuckle and to have fun the folks I’ve misplaced. I feel that’s what marks you out as a powerful man, moderately than somebody who’s hooked on protein shakes.
So how did you drop extra pounds then? Bought any ideas you possibly can share?
Usually, I used to be simply taking care of myself and watching what I ate. I attempted just a few weight reduction programmes with my mum, Slimming World nevertheless it wasn’t actually for me. I favored components of it, folks coming collectively as a neighborhood and having a joint aim. I assumed what was attention-grabbing a few weight reduction group was that it gave you a protected area to fail in and I feel in society today there are only a few locations to fail. You possibly can’t fail at work. You possibly can’t fail as a guardian. You possibly can’t fail on-line. So to go to a weekly weight reduction assembly and when you’ve placed on and failed you discover that individuals are nonetheless supporting you. I assumed that was actually human and I liked it. Then alternatively I used to be like, “Oh my god this can be a cult.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9q764eFIaM
Enjoyable truth about you is that you just’re a superb ten pin bowler. Maybe it’s much less well-known although that you just truly began bowling to drop extra pounds – is that proper?
It’s true. Once I was an adolescent my GP instructed me that I wanted to do extra sports activities as a result of I used to be chubby. My dad wished to do one thing with me and him on Saturday mornings and the native tenpin bowling membership was there and open and so moderately than truly doing bodily train I simply rolled a 14lb ball down a lane in a warehouse that smelled of ft and sick. Me and my dad ate worse meals as a result of each bowling alley within the nation is correct subsequent door to a McDonalds and so they additionally had sizzling canine merchandising level contained in the lanes, so it was completely pointless for weight reduction. One of the best factor I take from it although and my one tip is that with shedding weight it was good to try to do it with another person and have that help (the MAN v FAT Discussion board is this manner).
In Good Grief you have been very open about binge consuming – what do you concentrate on that now?
For me it was actually unhealthy. It occurs once I really feel fairly low and it’s about management for me. Meals and management are intrinsically linked in lots of people’s lives, it’s one factor which you can management how a lot or how little you place in your physique. I discovered that any time I’m pressured I discover myself strolling by way of the kitchen opening cabinets and I catch myself and assume, “What am I doing!?” You’re simply opening cabinets meals and it’s mad. You realise that you just do it in a daze and then you definately assume, possibly for this reason I’ve received huge tits.
You’re touring from April twenty eighth till June twenty fourth (tour particulars right here), how do you handle to remain wholesome on tour on condition that storage forecourts are notoriously onerous to seek out salad at.
It’s actually boring, nevertheless it’s simply planning. It helps having a stage supervisor that’s fats phobic, so he’s undoubtedly not going to let me stuff my face with Quavers which is an effective factor. It’s doubly necessary to eat and dwell effectively on tour as a result of your psychological well being is paramount and underneath stress. Should you have been consuming McDonalds on a regular basis you’d kill your self half manner by way of and I actually don’t need to find yourself feeling suicidal at a service station at Leamington Spa.
Because of Jack for talking to us and tell us what you concentrate on Completely happy Man over on the discussion board.
