Mrs Browns Boys - how is it ok?

[wavingwhilstdrowning]

Please be gentle if I am missing something massively obvious here!

I have never sat through a whole episode of MBB I will admit I find it intolerable but I don't understand why it is ok.

It is totally unacceptable to dress up and do a mocking impression of a trans-woman and lots of older comedies are now removed from iPlayer due to a change in what is acceptable. So why is it ok to dress up as an older working class woman a perform a grotesque caricature?

I realise I am probably missing something. The writer says it is not the same and he would never be racist or homophobic - but this sexism is ok? www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/mrs-browns-boys-political-correctness-b1780721.html

I am a very thick skinned middle aged Northern woman, tbh I just don't watch, it doesn't bother me that much, but I don't understand why women are fame game for the BBC. I'd appreciate your opinions.

@foxgoosefinch

It’s not a mocking impression of a trans woman, it’s a mocking impression of a woman. That kind of drag comedy has a very long and misogynist tradition (see: Two Ronnies, Monty Python, late 19thc. music hall shows, etc.) and long predates the current idea of “trans”.

I agree though that it’s horrible. MBB is astoundingly bad and unfunny. Why it’s so popular is beyond me. 🤷‍♀️

Yes I am aware - I just don't understand why it isn't ok to mock trans-women (ie little Britain or League of gentlemen) but MBB is ok? It is fine to mock women not tran-women... why?

If you don't like it, don't watch it. Plenty of people do find it funny. And it's nothing to do with mocking trans people! Men have always dressed up as women for entertainment - drag artists, pantomime. And it works the other way too - Blackadder etc. Seriously, find something else to be offended about.

@SavoyCabbage cross post, thanks

It’s not a mocking impression of a trans woman, it’s a mocking impression of a woman.

Indeed. It's currently still acceptable to mock women. Other groups are protected but women are fair game still.

Up there with Carry On and Are You Being Served. Fucking Awful!!!

I also didn't say I found it offensive, I don't find much offensive tbh. I just think it's embarrassingly shit!
I just don't understand why older working class women are fair game

It's crass, very dated, not funny, poorly written, offensive rubbish. It is absolutely beyond me who would want to watch anything where a man dresses up as a woman and makes offensive, unintelligent jokes.
I hate Drag and this is as bad. None of the characters are funny. I am astonished that it continues to be made. It's embarrassingly low quality and just grim.
Not a fan at all .

Makes my skin crawl and would rather sit and watch a blank screen. I detest it but not entirely sure why.

It gets a free pass because its Irish. It has always been incredibly unfunny.

Whatever anyone's thoughts on the show, it continues to be made because it is actually really popular. Loads of folk watch it and love it.🤷‍♀️

@RobotValkyrie

if you find men dressing as women offensive don’t ever watch Ru Paul’s Drag Race or go to any sort of drag night!

It may come as a surprise to you, but plenty of people do indeed never do any of these things, mostly because they find that kind of "entertainment" brainless, crass and embarrassing.

Maybe you should get out more, and not just swallow down whatever shite the media tells you is currently "fashionable"?

You sound like the life and soul of a party

FYI I don’t actually watch many of the programmes I mentioned (although I am partial to the odd French and Saunders sketch)- I was merely using them as examples. But I do get out plenty, thank you for asking.

My IL find it hilarious. Me and DH think its unbelievably unfunny but lots of people surely must watch it or they wouldn't keep showing it.
I do watch drag race with my DD though

@Justilou1

Up there with Carry On and Are You Being Served. Fucking Awful!!!

I disagree- they are much better written than 'Mrs Brown's Boys' - from a different era and context. 'Mrs Brown's Boys' is badly written, should never be produced these days and has cast who are talentless.

The other two you mention had some great comedy actors and writers of their time in them- although the roles may be dated now.

@RobotValkyrie

if you find men dressing as women offensive don’t ever watch Ru Paul’s Drag Race or go to any sort of drag night!

It may come as a surprise to you, but plenty of people do indeed never do any of these things, mostly because they find that kind of "entertainment" brainless, crass and embarrassing.

Maybe you should get out more, and not just swallow down whatever shite the media tells you is currently "fashionable"?

I agree. Drag is offensive. Its not really hard to figure out.

Mrs Brown's Boys.. is absolute utter dross. I don't think I've ever laughed once in any of the episodes I've had the misfortune to see. Its not even mildly amusing.

Skeletor agrees.

I'd forgotten the Angelica Houston fiasco! I only saw the trailer, but even watching AH (whom I really like in other roles) walking through Moore St pushing a pram was more 'red carpet entrance' than 'Moore St Mammy'.

I love AH too, but completely agree with you she is more monarch than Moore Street. BO'C makes a better Agnes Brown that she did.

Sorry Angelica, if you're reading this.

I think the character was originally based on his mother and was initially much "straighter" as played by Anjelica Huston in the film (which I quite enjoyed).

The caricature that has developed is a fish of a different kettle.

@FriendWoes111

It gets a free pass because its Irish. It has always been incredibly unfunny.

In what way does it get a free pass because it's Irish?

I referred to those two because they are dated. You are correct that they have moments of comedy, but not genius. Yes, Minister/Prime Minister still holds water today. (Nothing bloody changes, does it? And I’m not even in the UK!)

I really dislike drag. To me it is sexism in the same way blackface is racist. I also really dislike Mrs Browns Boys. It's stupid in my view. However, I can't get upset about the 'drag' aspect here because it doesn't have that Drag feel to me. The actor is playing a character and the character happens to be a woman so he's playing a woman. He's not making a mockery of women per se, but a particular well known type of character. An old fashioned, inappropriate, strong, opinionated working class Irish mum. I can't say the character is that dissimilar to my own inlaws tbh. I can definitely see how the character was formed. Some people find it funny. I don't so I don't watch it but I also find cringy embarrassing comedy unwatchable too.

@HunterHearstHelmsley Skeletor got a bad rap imo. Castle Greyskull literally has his face on the front yet somehow he's the bad guy for wanting to live there? Total bigotry based on his appearance, that show really does need banning.

Sorry did someone say I needed to lighten up and not take TV shows too seriously?

It's awful.
My teens assumed it was made 30 years ago as it's so dated. I had to break it to them it's fairly new.

I don't have strong feelings about drag, I enjoyed Priscilla QOTD and think Ru Paul is an incredibly talented performer. I also really admire Ru Pauls work with MAC and other organisations to address homophobic and bigotry against HIV positive people. I do not like performers called "Anna Bortion" and other misogynistic names and I am not a fan of a lot of that sort of comedy but I am quite happy to switch off.

What I am struggling to understand is why older women are fair game for mockery when no other group is treated this way by the BBC.

@Birdsnesting
Something that dumb and badly written wouldn't get anywhere if it were set in the UK as it would be seen as really old fashioned. But because it's not British there's a kind of "othering" going on where it's accepted as being part of a different culture.

Modern drag can be offensive, but this goes far beyond that. I still don't know why they're making more shows.

@TangerineDreams

I really dislike drag. To me it is sexism in the same way blackface is racist. I also really dislike Mrs Browns Boys. It's stupid in my view. However, I can't get upset about the 'drag' aspect here because it doesn't have that Drag feel to me. The actor is playing a character and the character happens to be a woman so he's playing a woman. He's not making a mockery of women per se, but a particular well known type of character. An old fashioned, inappropriate, strong, opinionated working class Irish mum. I can't say the character is that dissimilar to my own inlaws tbh. I can definitely see how the character was formed. Some people find it funny. I don't so I don't watch it but I also find cringy embarrassing comedy unwatchable too.

Yes, the character happens to be a woman so he is playing a woman. But if the character was a black man or a transwoman he would have employed someone of those characteristics to play the role or been 'cancelled'.

I realise that MBB is shit/great offensive/benign etc to us all as individuals, we all have different tastes. What I do not understand is how the BBC reconcile this character being played by a man, when they would not allow it for any other group.

Yes, men playing women has a long tradition back to the very origins of acting, I know, but in a time in which League of Gentlemen, Mighty Boosh, Little Britain for example, has been removed from the iplayer, how is this still part of the BBCs Christmas line up.

I don't get it, other than women are, unlike every other group, fair game.