Comedian Harry Enfield, who made millions laugh as an Old Git on his TV show, is now becoming one in real life. The 65-year-old funnyman jokes he would "genuinely shoot litterbugs" and is turning into the character he famously portrayed.
Life Imitates Art for Harry Enfield
Harry Enfield's Old Gits sketches with Paul Whitehouse had audiences in stitches during the 1990s on BBC TV's Harry Enfield & Chums. Now, at 65, Harry fears he has become the real thing. He quipped: "I would genuinely shoot litterbugs. If I see someone just doing that I think, 'okay, just kneel down', bullet in the head. And the world will definitely be a better place."
He also targeted people who play loud music from their cars: "And people who play really loud music with their windows open, their cars." However, he conceded that might be extreme: "But then when I'm not in that mood, I don't believe in the death penalty. I just dream of shooting them."
The Old Gits Character
Enfield played Fred Git on his hit sketch show, while Paul Whitehouse portrayed Alf Git. The characters moaned about virtually everything, but their main gripe was that things were better "when we were kids." Enfield recalled: "It's a frame of mind, isn't it? Being an old git. But they were like, just naughty."
Enfield is aware that becoming an old git is something that happens to most people over time. He told the Adam Buxton podcast: "I think the thing that really happens to you is you think, well, my childhood was better. You know, my dad thought his childhood was better. And I think that mine was. I liked saving up, you know, 50p to buy a record. And now you just get that record on Spotify."
Grateful for a Smartphone-Free Childhood
He expressed gratitude for not growing up with a smartphone: "I definitely think I'm glad I didn't have a phone or a smartphone or anything. You know, I was very happy just cycling around, seeing my friends and swearing, going to see the Buzzcocks." He did admit the younger generation faces different challenges: "They've all got mental health issues these days."
Enfield's transformation into a real-life Old Git serves as a humorous reminder that age brings a certain perspective, and his jokes about shooting litterbugs are just that—jokes, even if they reveal a kernel of truth.
