Look up carr in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Carr may refer to:

• Carr (landform), north European wetland, a fen overgrown with trees
• C.A.R.R., talking car in the American Flash animated television series Stroker and Hoop on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim block

People[link]

• Carr (name), surname
• E.H. Carr, Historian

Places[link]

• Carr, Colorado, unincorporated town in Weld County
• Carr, North Carolina, in Orange County
• Carr Bank, hamlet in Cumbria, England
• Carr Creek Lake in Kentucky
• Carr Houses, hamlet in England
• Carr Inlet, in Washington state
• Carr River, river in the U.S. state of Rhode Island

Other[link]

• Baker v. Carr, U.S. Supreme Court case
• USS Carr (FFG-52), Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate, ship of the U. S. Navy
• Carr Amplifiers, Pittsboro, North Carolina manufacturer of high-end, hand-wired tube guitar amplifiers
• Carr Auditorium in Orlando, Florida
• Carr-Benkler wager over who will provide Internet content in the future
• Carr Communications
• Carr's, English manufacturers of water biscuits

See also[link]

• Star Carr, Mesolithic archaeological site in Yorkshire, UK
• Harlow Carr Gardens, Royal Horticultural Society Garden in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, UK
• KARR (disambiguation)
• Kerr (disambiguation)
• Ker (disambiguation)
• Car (disambiguation)

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Jimmy Carr
Birth name	James Anthony Patrick Carr
Born	(1972-09-15) 15 September 1972 (age 39) Limerick, Ireland[1]
Medium	Stand-up, Television
Nationality	British Irish
Years active	2000–present
Influences	George Carlin, Michael Redmond, Denis Leary, Paul Merton, Peter Kay, Will Self, Billy Connolly, Demetri Martin.[2]
Domestic partner(s)	Karoline Copping (2001-present)
Notable works and roles	8 Out of 10 Cats Distraction The Big Fat Quiz of the Year 10 O'Clock Live
Website	jimmycarr.com
British Comedy Awards
Best Live Stand Up 2006– Gag Reflex

James Anthony Patrick "Jimmy" Carr (born 15 September 1972) is an Irish-born British comedian and humourist. He is known for his deadpan delivery, dark humour and his use of edgy one-liners. He is also a writer, actor and presenter of radio and television.

Carr moved to a career in comedy in 2000.^[3] After becoming established as a stand-up comedian, Carr began to appear in a number of Channel 4 television shows, most notably as the host of the panel show 8 out of 10 Cats. In Ireland he is known for appearances on The Panel and The Late Late Show.

Personal life[link]

Carr was born in Limerick, Ireland to parents Patrick James (born March 1945), a Roman Catholic and self-made millionaire who became treasurer for computer company Unisys,^[4] and Nora Mary (née Lawlor,^[5] 19 September 1943^[6] – 7 September 2001), who died of pancreatitis in St Thomas' Hospital, London, aged 57.^[4] His parents married in 1970, separated in 1994, but never divorced.^[7] His father married Natasha in 2003.^[4] Carr has an older brother, Colin, and a younger brother, Patrick.^[4] Carr was educated at Royal Grammar School in High Wycombe. he also attended St Bernards's Catholic Grammar School also in Slough. Carr's father was not happy with the school so moved him to Burnham Grammar School

After schooling in Slough he gained a place at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where he graduated with a 2:1 degree in Political Sciences.^[3][8] Carr was a marketing executive for Shell^{[9][dead link]} in the late 1990s.^[4] During an appearance on BBC's Would I Lie to You? (Series 1, Episode 3), Carr revealed that he had been a Christian until his mid-twenties, and remained a virgin until the age of 26^[10] due to his faith. Carr became aware of the writings of Richard Dawkins and renounced his religion, becoming an atheist. He stated that he felt religion limited people's desires to live their own lives.^[11] He also stated that at this time, to help him cope with his loss of faith he did a lot of psychotherapy, and ended up qualifying as a therapist.^[12]

Carr lives in North London with his girlfriend, Karoline Copping, a commissioning editor for Five,^[3] whom he has been with since 2001.^[10]

In March 2004, Carr's father^[13] was arrested by the Metropolitan Police after Carr and his brother Colin accused their father of harassment.^{[clarification needed]} The senior Carr was later acquitted of all charges and awarded costs by the Court. His acquittal was followed by a written apology from the CPS. Later the Metropolitan Police apologised and paid him substantial damages in an out of court settlement for the arrest and prosecution.^[14][15] Carr holds dual British-Irish citizenship.^{[citation needed]}

Career[link]

Television[link]

Whilst working at JC Productions with his father, Carr made his first television pilot / short film at Pinewood starring Craig Charles, Roy Dotrice and himself. The mockumentary, The Colour of Funny was essentially a vanity project for Carr.^{[citation needed]}

Hosting[link]

Carr has hosted Channel 4 game shows Distraction and Your Face or Mine?. He has also presented the 100s series of programmes for Channel 4: 100 Worst Pop Records, 100 Worst Britons, 100 Greatest Cartoon Characters, 100 People Who Look Most Like Jimmy Carr (a spoof) and 100 Scary Moments. He has also presented a series of Commercial Breakdown.

From 2004 to 2006, Carr hosted a United States version of Distraction for Comedy Central. He was also nominated for the 2006 Rose d'Or award for Best Game Show Host. Carr presents the Big Fat Quiz of the Year on Channel 4, having presented the first 8 shows each December (2004–2011). He also currently hosts the quiz show 8 out of 10 Cats.

In April 2010, Carr hosted the first British version of a comedy roast show, Channel 4's A Comedy Roast. On 6 May 2010, he was a co-host of Channel 4's Alternative Election Night, along with David Mitchell, Lauren Laverne, and Charlie Brooker. He joined the three presenters again for 10 O'Clock Live, a Channel 4 comedy current affairs show, which started airing on 20 January 2011.^[16]

Writing[link]

Carr is also a writer as well as performer, with writing credits including Bo' Selecta! (C4), Meet Ricky Gervais (C4) and material for Lily Savage and Frank Skinner.

Guest appearances[link]

Carr was a guest presenter for one edition of Have I Got News For You; later he joined Ian Hislop's team in the edition of the show first shown 23 November 2007, chaired by Ann Widdecombe with whom he “flirted” outrageously.^{[citation needed]} Widdecombe later vowed "I will never appear on Have I Got News for You again."^{[citation needed]}

Carr has appeared on Never Mind The Buzzcocks twice, as well as multiple times on QI. He has also been appeared on at least one episode per season of A League of Their Own.

During a guest appearance on the BBC motoring show Top Gear, Carr set a new celebrity test track lap record on the 'Star in a Reasonably Priced Car' segment. He was described as "the worst driver we've ever had" and "the luckiest man alive" by Top Gear's test driver the Stig. His re-appearance on Top Gear in May 2006 placed him last in the brand new Reasonably Priced Car, with the slowest time ever (due to the fact that he spun off on his timed lap). Carr also hosted a highlights edition of the show, and on the Top Gear Live World Tour of 2009/10 he hosted the section 'Carmageddon' in which the Stig successfully attempted a 'gear change'.

In the United States, Carr has appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien twice and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno three times. Carr has also appeared on the Irish news comedy show The Panel.

In 2003, Carr was in the music video for the song "Proper Crimbo".

Carr appears at the end credits of Ross Noble's Randomist DVD, where he punches Noble on his way back to the dressing room. Noble had joked in his show that Carr only performed for a "weak" 1 hour 20 minutes, as opposed to Noble's 2 and a half hour show. Carr can also be seen for a few seconds in the audience for Dara Ó Briain's live DVD.

In January 2008, Carr appeared on E4 show Big Brother Celebrity Hijack as a hijacker for the day.

Carr appeared on the Royal Variety Performance in December 2008.

On the gameshow Deal or No Deal, Jimmy was the first ever contestant in the 2012 celebrity editions. After losing the £250,000 box earlier in the game, and turning down an offer from the banker for £14,500, he continued to the end game and his box contained £750.

Radio[link]

Carr is a regular guest and interviewer on Loose Ends (BBC Radio 4) and The Fred MacAulay Show (BBC Radio Scotland). In January 2005, Carr hosted 'It's Been a Terrible Year' — a comedy review of 2004, on BBC Radio 2. Up until July 2006, he had a Sunday morning radio show on XFM, with the mercurial comedian Iain Morris. The show had a strong emphasis on toilet humour.

Features, of varying popularity, have included:

• Goth Classics — Item lasting about four weeks in which the Sisters of Mercy track 'This Corrosion' was played twice.
• Now That's What I Call A Jukebox — Long running item invented by Iain Morris where a number of songs are selected from a Now That's What I Call Music album, and are put to a vote. The song with the most votes is played.
• The Songs You Should Like And The Songs You Do Like (But You Like The Song You Should Like As Well) — This catchy-titled item consists of playing in sequence one credible but underrated or overlooked song (The first was 'Touch Sensitive' by the Fall) and one guilty pleasure (Liberty X's 'Just A Little Bit' followed) On 9 July 2006, the item was renamed 'A Song to Patronise, A Song To Sanitise.' Traditionally, items are carried out with little professionalism, presumably to match the rest of the show content.

In January 2006, Carr made a joke on Radio 4's Loose Ends, the punchline of which implied that Gypsy women smelled.^[17] Although the BBC issued an apology, Carr refused to, and continues to use the joke during his acts.

Carr appeared in 2 episodes of the radio series of Flight of the Conchords in 2005.

On 22 January 2009, he covered Zane Lowe's evening show on BBC Radio 1 between 7 and 9pm.

Carr will become the fifth "Curator" of The Museum of Curiosity when the show returns in late 2012, following on from comedians Bill Bailey, Sean Lock, Jon Richardson and Dave Gorman.

Stand-up comedy[link]

Carr performing during his Jimmy Carr: Joke Technician tour at the Cambridge Corn Exchange in January 2009

Carr does stand-up tours continuously over the course of the year, taking only five weeks off between them.^[18] In 2003 he sold out an entire month's performances of his Edinburgh Festival show Charm Offensive by the second day of the festival, and received 5-star reviews from four major newspapers. In 2004 he performed sold out solo shows at Dublin's Vicar Street, Leicester's Comedy Festival, Glasgow Festival, Kilkenny Cat Laughs and the Galway Festival along with appearances at the Bloomsbury Theatre where he filmed his first live DVD. Also in 2004 he threatened to sue fellow comedian Jim Davidson for using a joke that Carr considered 'his'.^[19] The matter was dropped when it became apparent that the joke in question was an old one used for decades by many different comedians. He toured the country with his show, A Public Display of Affection, starting on 9 April 2005 at the Gulbenkian Theatre in Canterbury and ending on the 14 January 2006 at the Gielgud Theatre in London's West End. He also appeared at the EICC during the Edinburgh Festival in August 2005 with his Off The Telly show. Later on in the year, in late November, he released his second DVD "Jimmy Carr: Stand Up".

In August 2006, he commenced a new tour, Gag Reflex, for which he won the 2006 British Comedy Award for "Best Live Stand up". He released his third DVD, Jimmy Carr: Comedian in November 2007. He also performed at the 2006 Just for Laughs festival in Montreal, as well as making a return visit to the Newbury Comedy Festival. In 2003, he was listed in the Observer as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy. In 2007, a poll on the Channel 4 website for 100 Greatest Stand Ups, Jimmy Carr was the 12th. A new national tour commenced in autumn 2007 named Repeat Offender, which began at the Edinburgh Festival that year. In autumn 2008, Carr began touring his new show, entitled Joke Technician. As with his previous tour, he performed many shows at the Edinburgh Festival, even adding an extra date due to ticket demand.

On 23 April 2009, the dates for Carr's 2009-10 tour, entitled Rapier Wit, were announced. The tour opened on 20 August 2009 with 9 shows at the Edinburgh Festival before touring the country.^[20]

On Twitter, Carr released details about his new DVD entitled Jimmy Carr: Telling Jokes. The DVD was released on the 2 November 2009.^[21]

In July 2009, Carr revealed that he is currently touring with Las Vegas band the Killers. Killers' frontman Brandon Flowers explained that it was part of his vision for his band’s shows to become more of a Las Vegas-style spectacle. Flowers, who grew up in Vegas, said: “We had met Jimmy before, at a Comic Relief gig, then we bumped into him again at a party a couple of weeks later. “We were just throwing ideas around and having a comedian as part of the show sounded like a Las Vegas thing to do — it used to be common in the '60s and '70s – “Jimmy seemed to like it so we are giving it a go.”

Carr's sixth Live DVD, Jimmy Carr: Making People Laugh, was released on 8 November 2010.^[22]

Carr's 2010-11 tour, entitled Laughter Therapy, was announced on 8 April 2010. The tour will start with a run at the Edinburgh Festival before touring the country.^[23]

Carr also appeared at the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal in July 2011. At which he performed his 2010/11 tour show 'Laughter Therapy'.

Carr's latest stand up DVD was released on 21 November 2011 with the title of Jimmy Carr: Being Funny.^[24]

Live Tour Shows[link]

DVD releases[link]

[edit] Second Life

On 21 December 2006, Carr announced plans to become the first major comedian to perform in the virtual reality world of Second Life. This was confirmed on his MySpace webpage on 3 January 2007, and a competition launched to choose a select audience from the list of his MySpace friends.^[25]

Carr's Second Life show took place on 3 February 2007 at 7.00pm, at Adam Street Bar and Members' Club in Central London. Fifty MySpace friends made up his live audience, with 100 virtual attendees in Second Life itself. The show was enjoyed by both sets of audiences, with excellent feedback received on both Carr's MySpace profile and within Second Life.^{[citation needed]}

Carr hinted at the show that he may perform future shows in Second Life.

In March 2007, Laura Jackson from the Guinness Book of World Records confirmed that Carr had obtained the world record for being the first comedian to perform a stand-up gig to an audience in cyberspace, following on from his Second Life show.^{[citation needed]}

Controversy[link]

This article's Criticism or Controversy section may compromise the article's neutral point of view of the subject. Please integrate the section's contents into the article as a whole, or rewrite the material. (March 2011)

Detractors of Carr's humour include Conservative politician Ann Widdecombe, who — following an appearance with him on BBC One panel show Have I Got News for You — wrote in the Daily Express that "His idea of wit is a barrage of filth and the sort of humour most men grow out of in their teens".^[26]

Veteran comedian Arthur Smith was quoted in the Sunday Mirror in 2005 as saying "He has a terrible act. There I've said it and already I feel better".^[27] Smith has gone on to criticise Carr on other occasions. In a 2009 interview with The Times he said: "He (Carr) makes jokes like little clocks. He has no interest in their context or meaning, only that they cause an explosion of laughter. I want a comedian to have a hinterland. The best comedians are interested in jazz, poetry, and the world".^[28]

In October 2009, Carr received criticism from several Sunday tabloid newspapers for a joke he made about British soldiers who had lost limbs in battle in Iraq and Afghanistan.^[29] The newspapers themselves came under criticism for falsely claiming the audience reacted with stunned silence when the joke was told.^[30] Carr himself has defended the joke as "totally acceptable" in an interview with The Guardian, in which the interviewer noted his tendencies to make jokes about disabilities and rape.^[31] Carr would go on to describe the interview, with Guardian journalist Stephen Moss in the paper's G2 section, on his Twitter account as about "[selling] my DVD to the liberal elite."^[32]

Awards[link]

• LAFTA Awards 2008: Best Stand Up
• LAFTA Awards 2007: Funniest Man
• British Comedy Awards 2006 – Best Live Stand Up
• Rose D'Or Nomination 2006: Best Game Show, 'Distraction'
• LAFTA Awards 2005: Funniest Man
• Rose D'Or Nomination 2004: Best Presenter, 'Distraction'
• Loaded Lafta Award 2004 – Best Stand Up
• Royal Television Society Award Winner: Best On-Screen Newcomer 2003
• Perrier Award Nominee: 2002
• Time Out Award Winner: Best Stand Up 2002

Filmography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Jimmy Carr

• Official website
• Jimmy Carr at the Internet Movie Database
• Jimmy Carr on Twitter
• Jimmy Carr on Chortle, including forthcoming tour dates

Aquille Carr (born 28 September 1993 in Baltimore, Maryland) is an American high-school basketball player. As of 2011, he attends Patterson Senior High School, where he plays as a point guard. Carr has been described as one of the most explosive scorers in the United States and is a scouted prospect for the 2013 college recruiting class. In January 2012 he confirmed, via Twitter, his commitment to the Seton Hall University Pirates men's basketball team for the 2013–14 season.^[1]

High school career[link]

A native of Baltimore, Carr is known for his small stature, athleticism, and ball-handling abilities. The Washington Post noted that he is "somewhat generously listed at 5 feet 7, in sneakers, including his hair."^[2] As a freshman, he led his Patterson Senior High School team to a 76–62 upset victory over No. 5 Digital Harbor with 20 points, 10 assists, and six steals. For the feat, The Baltimore Sun named him its Boys Athlete of the Week on December 23, 2009.^[3] The following week, Carr received the honor again after he scored 15 of his 38-points in the fourth quarter against defending Class 2A state champions, Baltimore City College.^[4] Filling in as the starting point guard, he helped Patterson defeat Josh Selby-led Lake Clifton with 39 points and 19 assists.^[5] In his freshman season, he averaged 25.5 points, 8.0 assists and 5.3 steals.^[6]

During his sophomore season, he scored 57 points against Forest Park to win the Big Miller Christmas Classic, 103–71.^[7] In that game, he scored seven three-pointers, 12 two-point field goals, and on 12-of-15 free throws,^[7] and surpassed his school's single-game scoring record that had stood for 50 years.^[5] Carr led his team to a school-best 25–2 record and the Class 4A state championship game, where they incurred their second loss.^[8] On the season, he averaged 31.3 points, 5.6 assists, and 4.5 steals.^[5] In his first two years at Patterson, he tallied more than 1,000 points.^[8] On April 6, 2011, ESPN named Carr the High School Player of the Week.^[9]

He has developed a significant following in his hometown of Baltimore, and The Sun characterized him as a "must-see phenomenon".^[10] Patterson relocated from its small gymnasium to the arena on the Morgan State University campus eight times during the season to hold the large crowds drawn to attend his games.^[2] He has received numerous nicknames, the most noted being "The Crime Stopper" for his alleged effect on the city's crime rate.^[2] His high school coach, Harry Martin said, "The crime in East Baltimore probably goes down during our games."^[10] One of his highlight videos on YouTube had received almost 500,000 views as of March 2011.^[2] That video has since received over 3.8 million views.^[11]

Italian contract offer[link]

In April 2011, Carr played on the U.S. junior team in the Junior International Tournament in Milan, Italy. He led the team to capture the gold medal and averaged 40.0 points per game.^[12] After one game in which he scored 45 points, Italian fans carried him from the court.^[12] Shortly after the tournament, the Italian professional basketball club Lottomatica Roma reportedly offered the high school sophomore a $750,000 contract.^[12][13] It was the largest contract ever offered by a European club to a high school player before graduation.^[12] According to his coach, Carr plans to finish his high school career at Patterson; however there is some speculation that he will be unable to play his senior year at a Baltimore Public School due to turning 19 years old before the start of the season.^[14]

Playing style[link]

Some analysts questioned if his game will translate to the collegiate or professional level because of his diminutive stature.^[8][12] However, he reportedly measures a 48-inch vertical leap, has excellent ball-handling skills, which allow him to create space for his shot,^[8] and the athleticism to dunk despite his height.^[15] CBS Sports called him "one of the most explosive scorers in the country".^[8] Sports Illustrated wrote, "He has explosive speed, electric ballhandling and court vision that could rival Steve Nash's."^[5] ESPN wrote that he is "one of the quickest and [most] explosive players in the country, regardless of class," but noted his inconsistent jump shot and turnovers were areas for improvement.^[6] The Baltimore Sun likened the criticisms to "complaining about the floor mats on a Ferrari."^[10]

As of June 2011, ESPN gave Carr a grade of 92 ("Player has the potential to significantly contribute to a high-major program over four years") and ranked him the No. 9 point guard and No. 50 overall player in the 2013 college recruiting class.^[6] Rivals.com ranked him the No. 53 overall player in his class.^[16] Carr plays with the Under Armour-sponsored Baltimore Elite Amateur Athletic Union team.^[12] Carr reported that he had received about 28 scholarship offers before the end of his sophomore year.^[10]

References[link]

Alan Carr
Alan Carr at The British Comedy Awards 2007
Born	(1976-06-14) 14 June 1976 (age 36) Weymouth, Dorset, England
Medium	Radio, stand-up comedy, television
Nationality	British
Years active	2001–present
Genres	Observational comedy
Subject(s)	Everyday life, innuendo
Notable works and roles	The Sunday Night Project Alan Carr's Celebrity Ding Dong Alan Carr: Chatty Man
Website	http://www.alancarr.net/
British Comedy Awards
Best Live Stand Up 2007 Best Entertainment Personality 2008

Alan Carr (born 14 June 1976) is an English comedian and television personality. Born in Weymouth, he was raised in Northampton before moving to Manchester in his early 20s. Carr was inspired to become a comedian here and made his breakthrough in 2001, winning the City Life Best Newcomer of the Year and the BBC New Comedy Award.

In the ensuing years, his career burgeoned on the Manchester comedy circuit, and became well known for hosting the Friday Night Project with Justin Lee Collins. Carr hosted a radio show, Going Out with Alan Carr on BBC Radio 2 as well as a television show, Alan Carr: Chatty Man for Channel 4. Carr has also had two arena tours, the first in 2007 entitled Tooth Fairy Live and the second in 2011 entitled Spexy Beast Live.

Personal life[link]

Carr was born in Weymouth, Dorset,^[1] and grew up partly in Northampton where he went to Weston Favell School. His father is former Northampton Town and Nuneaton Borough F.C. manager Graham Carr.^[2] On his father's side, his family hail from North East England.^[3] Carr has a younger brother, Gary.^[4] Carr gained a BA (Hons) degree in Drama and Theatre Studies, graduating with a 2:1 from Middlesex University.^[5][6]

After completing his degree in his early 20s, Carr moved to Manchester seeking a better life and with aspirations of becoming a comedian. He moved into a house full of activity in Chorlton-cum-Hardy after which he moved to Stretford; which he cites as an inspiration for his comedic work.^[7] Carr soon became a regular on the Manchester comedy circuit, including Alan Carr's Ice Cream Sunday at the Manchester Comedy Store. Carr also made friends with fellow comedians based on the Manchester circuit, including Jason Manford, Justin Moorhouse and John Bishop.^[8]

Despite being openly gay and very camp, he does not consider his sexuality to be a focal part of his act, once saying that "I just think gay people need to get over themselves. Just because you're gay and on the telly doesn't mean you're a role model. I'm just a comedian. That's all I am. What am I meant to do? Do I go down the Julian Clary route and talk about fisting and poppers? I don't talk about being gay and I think what better equality for gays than that?"^[4]

On 21 September 2006, Carr and entertainer Lionel Blair helped save a man who was about to fall from a pier in Blackpool. The man was holding on by his fingertips, but the two men managed to pull him to safety.^[9]

Radio[link]

Carr made his radio presenting debut on Christmas Day 2007 for BBC Radio 2 as part of their Festive Highlights, with the show Alan Carr's Christmas Box.^[10] He also filled in on BBC 6Music on 16 February and 14 June 2008 for Adam and Joe and co-presented The Russell Brand Show on 4 October 2008. He also presented Alan Carr's Comedy Outings for BBC Radio 2 in 2008. On 25 April 2009, Carr began hosting Going Out With Alan Carr, a new show for BBC Radio 2, in conjunction with Emma Forbes (later replaced by Melanie Sykes). The show was broadcast every Saturday evening from 6pm-8pm.^[11] On 7 March 2012 Alan announced that he made the decision to hang up his headphones to focus on his Chatty man show. Carr said: 'I've loved every minute of it but it's time to reclaim my weekends.'I wish Radio 2 every success but I'll listen from my home in the future instead."^[12] His last show was on 31 March 2012.

Performance[link]

Carr performs stand-up regularly, on tour and on television. He has been featured in three Edinburgh shows and in 2007 he toured throughout the UK, which was followed by a DVD entitled "Tooth Fairy Live". Carr had his own monthly show in a Manchester comedy club and he has toured nationwide, supporting other acts.^[13] He has performed at the Apollo Theatre in London, which was televised for the BBC1 series 'Live At The Apollo', and has been featured in the Royal Variety Performance.

Carr has appeared and performed at many festivals, including the Reading and Leeds Festivals, Latitude Festival, the Kilkenny Comedy Festival and Live Earth, where he welcomed musical acts David Gray and Damien Rice on stage. He has performed stand-up internationally, including an appearance at the Montreal 'Just For Laughs' festival.^[14]

On 4 September 2009, Carr switched-on the Illuminations in Blackpool along with JLS.

In 2010, Carr took part in Channel 4's Comedy Gala, a benefit show held in aid of Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, filmed live at the O2 Arena in London on 30 March.

Controversy[link]

In December 2008 Carr, when accepting his award for Best Entertainment Personality at the British Comedy Awards, dedicated it to Karen Matthews, who had earlier that month been found guilty of kidnapping Shannon Matthews, her own daughter. Carr was quoted by BBC News as stating: "I should dedicate this award to her [Karen]. She would be my dream guest. I think she's a gay icon. People like a bit of rough, don't they?"^[15]

Shahid Malik, MP for Matthews' constituency of Dewsbury described Carr's comments about Shannon Matthews as "sick and insensitive". Carr subsequently apologised for his comments, saying "I realise what I said was insensitive and I am very sorry for any offence caused".^[16] On his own website he added: "For those of you who have enjoyed my comedy and seen my act over the last seven years you all would have got used to my tongue in cheek style and near the knuckle observations. Last night at the Comedy Awards [...] I was being ironic, these aren't my real sentiments obviously".^[17]

Filmography[link]

Stand-up DVDs[link]

Awards[link]

• 2001 Manchester City Life Best Newcomer of the Year
• 2001 The BBC Best New Stand Up
• 2006 Best In Show — Sheffield Comedy Festival
• 2006 The Golden Rose of Montreaux for Best Entertainment Show for The Friday Night Project
• 2006 LAFTA's Funniest Double Act (with Justin Lee Collins)
• 2006 LAFTA's Funniest Entertainment Show for The Friday Night Project 2005
• 2007 British Comedy Award for Best Live Stand Up
• 2007 Cosmopolitan Celebrity Men Of The Year (with Justin Lee Collins)
• 2007 LAFTA's Funniest Double Act (with Justin Lee Collins)
• 2008 British Comedy Award for Best Entertainment Personality
• 2009 Television and Radio Industries Club 'Personality of the Year' Award
• 2009 Royal Television Society Entertainment Performance of the Year
• 2009 Heat's Funniest Book of 2009

Book[link]

• 2008 Look Who It Is! HarperCollins Publishers (autobiography)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Alan Carr: Chatty Man on channel4.com
• Alan Carr on Twitter
• Alan Carr at the Internet Movie Database

What Katy Did is a children's book written by Susan Coolidge, the pen name of Sarah Chauncey Woolsey, which was published in 1872. It follows the adventures of a twelve-year-old American girl, Katy Carr, and her family who live in the fictional lakeside Ohio town of Burnet in the 1860s. Katy is a tall untidy tomboy, forever getting into scrapes but wishing to be beautiful and beloved. When a terrible accident makes her an invalid, her illness and four-year recovery gradually teach her to be as good and kind as she has always wanted.

Two sequels follow Katy as she grows up - What Katy Did at School and What Katy Did Next. Two further sequels relating the adventures of Katy's younger siblings were also published - Clover and In the High Valley. Although these were long out of print, they have now been reprinted and are available online.

Coolidge modeled Katy on her own childhood self, and the other 'Little Carrs' on her brothers and sisters.^[1]

Plot summary[link]

Twelve-year-old Katy Carr lives with her widowed father and her five brothers and sisters in a small midwestern town called Burnet. Her father, a doctor, is very busy and works long hours. The children are mostly cared for by their paternal Aunt Izzie, who is very particular, and something of a scold. Under these circumstances Katy, a bright, headstrong, hasty girl, can hardly avoid getting into mischief almost daily; however, she is unfailingly remorseful afterward. She dreams of someday doing something "grand" with her life - painting famous pictures, saving the lives of drowning people or leading a crusade on a white horse. At the same time, she wants to be "beautiful, of course, and good if I can". When her mother died four years earlier, Katy promised to be a little mother to her siblings; however, she leads them into all sorts of exciting adventures and is sometimes impatient and cross with them.

When her Cousin Helen, an invalid, comes to visit, Katy is so enchanted by her beauty and kindness that on the day of Helen's departure she resolves to model herself on Helen ever afterward. The very next day, however, Katy wakes in an ill humour, quarrels with her aunt and pushes her little sister so hard that she falls down half a dozen steps. Afterwards, sulky and miserable, Katy decides to try out the new swing in the woodshed although Aunt Izzie has, for some reason, forbidden it. The swing is unsafe because one of the staples supporting it is cracked. Had Aunt Izzie explained this, "all would have been right," but she believes that children should obey their elders without question. Katy swings as high as she can and, as she tries to graze the roof with her toes, the staple gives way. She falls hard, bruising her spine.

The lively Katy is now bedridden, suffering terrible pain and bitterness. Her room is dark, dreary and cluttered with medicine bottles; when her brothers and sisters try to comfort her, she usually drives them away. However, a visit from Cousin Helen shows her that she must either learn to make the best of her situation or risk losing the love of her family. Helen tells Katy that she is now a student in the "School of Pain" where she will learn lessons in patience, cheerfulness, hopefulness, neatness and making the best of things.

With Cousin Helen's help she makes her room tidy and nice to visit and gradually all the children gravitate to it, always coming in to see Katy whenever they can. She becomes the heart of the home, beloved by her family for her unfailing kindness and good cheer. After two years Aunt Izzie dies and Katy takes over the running of the household. At the end of four years, in a chapter called "At Last", she learns to walk again.

The book includes several poems.

Characters[link]

Katy Carr: the eldest of the Carr children and the novel's protagonist. At the beginning of the book she is a twelve-year-old tomboy who much prefers running around outdoors to quiet 'ladylike' pursuits and so tears her clothes and is always untidy; however, she longs to be good.

Clover Carr: the second eldest sister, Clover adores Katy and follows her in everything she does. Clover is pretty and clever, with a sunny disposition - she is described as loving everyone and is loved by everyone in return.

Elsie Carr: the third sister, Elsie is the awkward child at the beginning of the book, too old to play with the 'babies' and too young to be included in Katy and Clover's games. She tries her hardest to join in, but is usually ignored; instead, she whines. After Katy is injured Elsie proves very helpful and considerate, and she and Katy finally grow close.

Dorry Carr: a stolid boy, and a great eater. He is the fourth child and the eldest son, developing a certain mechanical skill over time.

Johnnie Carr (short for Joanna): the fifth child and a tomboy. She and Dorry are great friends.

Phil Carr: the baby of the family, he is only four years old at the beginning of the book.

Cecy Hall: a pretty and tidy girl, the daughter of a near-by neighbour.

Imogen Clark: a classmate of Katy and Clover; a silly, affected girl. Initially she enthralls Katy with her romantic imagination, but she proves dishonest and self-centered. Katy grows disillusioned with her, just as her father predicted.

Papa (Dr Philip Carr): the children's father; he is a doctor and frequently busy. Their mother died when Katy was eight years old. He is a firm but understanding parent.

Aunt Izzie: Papa's sister, an old-fashioned woman who raises the children after their mother dies. She is very particular and scolds a lot because she does not understand the children's ways, although she has a heart of gold. Her death results in Katy taking over the domestic management of the household.

Cousin Helen: Papa's niece; she cannot walk because of an accident years ago. Despite her suffering she is amusing, cheerful, and kind; just what Katy wants to be. After Katy's accident, Cousin Helen helps her adjust to her illness.

Discussion[link]

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Susan Coolidge shared her publisher, Roberts Brothers, with Louisa May Alcott, and What Katy Did helped satisfy the demand for naturalistic novels about girlhood that followed the 1868 success of Little Women. Like Alcott, Coolidge heightened the realism of her novel by drawing on her own childhood memories.^[2] The result is a lively account of 19th-century American family life, still remarkably fresh and readable more than a century later.

What Katy Did also illustrates some profound social shifts. First, the novel offers a glimpse of the treatment of paraplegics in the 19th century. After her accident, young Katy is given ample love and care; however, she is perpetually confined to an upstairs room and, although she has a wheelchair, she never goes further than her bedroom window. The possibility that she could leave her room is barely considered and no-one thinks of moving her to the ground floor. She copes by making herself and her room so pleasant that everyone comes to her. Early on, she goes out in a carriage, but finds the experience so painful that she never tries it again. Thereafter, she lives in her bedroom, makes the best of things and waits, hoping to outgrow her injury. There is no physical therapy; instead, Katy is warned to avoid too much movement lest she "set herself back". Cousin Helen manages to travel a little, and even goes for a "Water Cure" at one point; however, it is made clear that she has no hope of ever walking again. Also, although she is beautiful, wise, and kind, she considers herself unmarriageable because of her infirmity.

The book also reveals much about mid-nineteenth-century America's expectations for genteel women. Coolidge sets forth an example to help maturing girls like Katy learn the virtues of a valued woman – gentleness, empathy, self-abnegation, humour, efficient housekeeping and good taste; while books for boys from the same era provide corresponding fictional models of frankness, pluck and initiative.^[3] Katy's trials reflect a popular theme in girls' fiction of the era: a headstrong girl suffers a debilitating accident or illness which proves to be a blessing in disguise because it helps her forget her selfish desires and learn to live for others.^[4] What makes Katy's case so provocative is that Coolidge deliberately conflates the code of womanhood and the code of cheerful invalidism.

Katy's misfortunes may unconsciously reflect the author's mixed feelings about the implications of puberty for a nineteenth-century girl – especially since Coolidge, who earned her own living as a writer, based tall, impatient, quick-witted Katy on her own younger self.^[5] The abrupt, painful changes to which Katy gradually resigns herself may stand for the potentially mortifying transition from wild girlhood to ladylike womanhood. Eventually, Katy becomes the "Heart of the House", assuming what was then perceived as a woman's (and, according to Cousin Helen, an invalid's) proper place. According to at least one critic, however, the undisciplined Katy of the novel's first half is far more engaging than the chastened graduate of the School of Pain.^[6] In the first sequel, What Katy Did at School, one of Katy's classmates – a vivacious girl nicknamed Rose Red – takes over the role of mischief-maker: Katy herself has become such a model citizen that she starts a club called the "Society for the Suppression of Unladylike Conduct".

It can also be argued, however, that maturity inevitably entails the loss of childhood freedom, an acceptance of adult responsibilities and the abandonment of unrealistic dreams. The younger Katy is never exactly sure what she wants to do when she grows up: one minute she wants to be a crusader, the next a sculptor. Whatever her latest ambition, she assumes that to become someone worthwhile one has to do the sort of great deeds that get written up in history books. Her illness and the example of Helen teach her that small kindnesses and conscientiousness about day to day responsibilities are in their own way just as important as grand, heroic acts.

Extract[link]

Adaptations[link]

Two TV movies and a brief TV series have been based on What Katy Did. The most recent, film (1999), starred Alison Pill as Katy, with Michael Cera as Dorry and Dean Stockwell as "Tramp". A 1972 UK movie adaptation, Katy, starred Clare Walker, and the 1962 eight-part TV series made in the UK, also called Katy, featured rising star Susan Hampshire in the title role.

Sequels[link]

What Katy Did was followed by four sequels: What Katy Did at School in which Katy and Clover attend the fictional Hillsover School (set in Hanover, New Hampshire); What Katy Did Next, in which a new friend of Katy's takes her on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Europe; Clover, in which Katy is married and Clover accompanies her brother Phil to Colorado after he falls ill; and In the High Valley, which shows the lives of a handful of young people living in the High Valley in Colorado, including Clover, Elsie and their husbands.

References in Popular Culture[link]

• "What Katie Did" is the name of a song by The Libertines that may have been inspired by the book. The lyrics refer to the characters, e.g. "Hurry up Mrs. Brown". The group Babyshambles later released a song entitled "What Katy Did Next". Both were written by former Libertines and current Babyshambles front man, Pete Doherty.

• "What Kate Did" is the name of the ninth episode of season 2 of Lost.

• "What Kate Does" is the name of the second episode of season 6 of Lost.

• A character named Katy Carr appears in the first volume of Alan Moore's graphic novel The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. As Katy beats a student at Ms Coote's school, the headmistress says she believes in the "School of Pain".

• Idahoan songwriter Josh Ritter includes a reference to What Katy Did in his song "Monster Ballads" on his penultimate album The Animal Years.

• In the movie Coffee and Cigarettes by Jim Jarmusch, a Steve Coogan fan says her name is Katy and he answers "What Katy did next".

• The protagonist of Avi's The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle introduces her own story by saying "This is no 'Story of a Bad Boy,' no 'What Katy Did,'" to indicate that she is not remorseful for her unladylike behavior.

See also[link]

Children's literature portal

• What Katy Did (film)
• Katy (TV series)
• Katy (film)

Footnotes[link]

External links[link]

• Full text of What Katy Did at A Celebration of Women Writers, with the original cover and illustrations and some Roberts Brothers advertisements for Coolidge's other works.
• What Katy Did at School at Project Gutenberg
• What Katy Did Next at Project Gutenberg
• What Katy Did (1999) at the Internet Movie Database.
• ISBN 1-85326-131-9