At its tinniest and most irritating, what it really recalls is the oeuvre of Jonathan King, who spent the 1970s releasing one knowingly awful novelty record after another under a variety of aliases while wearing a permanent smirk suggestive of a man quite disproportionately pleased with himself.
Even after 15 books she still thinks of herself as an amateur, and there's something endearing about the fact that she, who worked at Deutsch till she was 75, who has lived in the booksy world all her working life, can be slightly alarmed and disproportionately pleased to take part in the Hay festival.
John Upson, 40, a Stamford landscaper, said he was not following the budget process carefully but was pleased the tax increases seemed to fall disproportionately on the wealthy.
We are pleased to see the introduction of new enterprise zones, particularly in rural areas as these have suffered disproportionately over the last few years.
"With comedy, your aim is to please people, so if you're not managing to make them happy, they find it disproportionately disappointing", says Walliams, who very much looks the part of the imperious secretary in Baxter's little round spectacles, immaculate black three-piece suit, a gold watch chain across his stomach, stiff wing collar and impeccably smeared-down hair.
"Please, please, please... .. "Down".
"Dad, please, please, please".
"Please, please, please, please, please, please call me.
Please, please, please be alive.
Please, please, please: no skiffle.
"Please, please, please," he said.
