Citizen Khan offensive?

[Curtainpole]

AIBU to think that this show is funny and not at all racist or offensive?

There have been over 200 complaints and a lot of controversy and discussion. I fail to see what all the fuss is about.

YANBU at all. It's kind of in the same vein as East is East and The Kumars. It is hilarious. Our family is from Cyprus and loved the film My Big Fat Greek wedding. Fresh baklava anyone

It's only offensive in it's distinct unfunniness

A great number of the Muslim community don't seem to be able to poke fun at themselves in the way that a lot of other communities do. I wonder why that is?

I think its hilarious, last night I was PMSL

"he always talks about the elephant in the room" about him talking to a fat woman - hilarious!!

I dont think it is racist, and would be interested to see how many of the complaints are from "do-gooders/the PC brigade" and how mnay are from the pakistani community feeling badly done by?

It is a setting just like "my family" or other family-based sitcoms, just with SOME of the humour based in cultural/religious aspects of their family life. people complain if they see disabled people portrayed with humour (Little Britain) or Christians, or any other "type" or "group"of people - some people just think we should not laugh at anyone. I think this program might actually do some good, in showing real racists that their neighbours who they think of as different/odd because they are of a different culture, are just the same as their own families really, with all the same complexities and problems

Phantom, I think that a lot of the complaints were from Muslim people, from what I read.

Yanbu fed up of the we're perfect brigade.

That's right phantom, totally agree

My Dh and ds3 watch it together after sky+ing it. They think Mr Khan is fab and love it, you should hear them chuckling away, not my humour though.

Buppy - maybe, but this is tiny in terms of the overall muslim population? I expect there were complaints from some silly "devout Christians" about the vicar of dibley when it first came out, i mean how shocking, a woman vicar, a fat funny woman vicar who has lustful thoughts and talks about sex and stuff - a few complaints labels all christians as boring/up themselves!

I'm Muslim, though not Pakistani and I think its hilarious, as do my friends who are either Pakistani or married to Pakistanis. I also think it's the opposite of racist. It's a feature of acceptance in English culture to be laughed at. I also think the characters, while very exagerated, are much more accurate than some other, more serious representations of Muslims in the press. I particular love mild mannered 'Dave the convert', who is very familar to me as a typical male convert!
Only complaint is that I thought the episode where the women in the family were dissapointed with the umrah trip was a bit weird, as I don't know ANY muslims who would not want to go.

Overall it's not the best sitcom I've ever seen. But it has some really funny bits. I'd disagree that it's comparable to East is East. East is East actually raised some serious issues and some rather harsh stereotypes like circumcision, mixed race relationships, domestic violence, homosexuality within Islam. I think the only way the two are comparable is that they are both about an Asian family.

Citizen Khan imo is just very light hearted and non offensive, it touches loosely on some stereotypes that could really apply to anyone, such as the teenage girl plastered in make up, she could be any teenage girl in any family.

I think it's absolutely hilarious.

It has a distinct 70's sitcom feel I think and it's more about laughing at how ridiculous Citizen Khan is than anything else.

I had to laugh when he said to Dave the Mosque manager that he could never be a real Muslim.

Dave said said,"Oh I get this a lot. Is it because I'm white?"

Citizen Khan said, "Nooo it's because you are Ginger!" Then he went into a long explanation as to why Muslims and Gingers are different

there are some great asian comics around and some of them are muslim many can and do laugh at themselves. i think if they were on tv there would be far more complaints more from those being offeded on behalf of muslims and asians

saying that if i were muslim at times i probably would be a little touchy due to all the anti muslim crap that is about

I think if anything it should do well to integrate people a tiny bit more as I think it shows an Asian Muslim family in a light hearted, happy go lucky, human way at a time when sadly people believe all that they read in the papers.

It's just a sitcom about a British family, of course exaggarated like most sitcoms, think Victor Meldrew represanting grumpy old people, Father Ted anyone?

I love Citizen Khan, there are hilarious moments! I loved his MIL at the end of her episode when after much upset they invited her to move from Pakistan and live with them in Birmingham and she muttered and then ludly said...."shithole!!"

Its hilarious, I cant see the offence, I mean not all people in Peckham are like Delboy, the Home Guard like Dads Army, not all 20somethings in NY live like friends etc....

Mrs Khans acting is a bit OTT but Mr Khan and Dave are brilliant. Love his adapted car park outside his house! Dh is from that area and planks of wood are common as no one wants to pay the council to have the kerb lowered.

Hope they do another series. We need more humour in our lives.

I just don't see that it's for me to say whether something is "Offensive" or not. I can say I am personally offended by XYZ, but that's as far as it goes. I don't get to tell anyone else what should or shouldn't offend them.
If someone is offended for whatever reason then they are offended and nobody else has a right to tell them they aren't. It is more about how far society as a whole should go to accommodate other people's offence - at the moment it seems to be that those who shout loudest and set things on fire get heard and the quietly offended get ignored. I'm always wary of anyone who claims to speak for a large group of people who have no voice of their own.

YABU. It's like some throwback to the seventies. Cheesy, formulaic and toe-curling. It is offensive to good taste and good writing. 'Goodness Gracious Me' made all the same gags (and did it far better) in the nineties

I am just watching it for the first time and it's freaking hideous, how anyone can find this crap funny is beyond me, "my family" looks sophisticated in comparison. Yay the stereotyping, yay the misogyny, hilarious, yay the complete wooden acting and unfunny jokes. .

I thought it was sooden but used to it now. Quite funny in parts.

DD1 has many muslim Pakistani friends. They don't like it because it doesn't appeal to teenage humour. What they follow is Diary of a Bad Man on You Tube. Its written by a young Pakistani guy and acted by him, his wife and his friends. Its very funny but I warn you not pc at times. Enjoy

Funny at times vv rubbish at others but not offensive, in fact I missed it my Muslim DH recorded it as he thought it was hilarious, mainly because the stereotypes are true of the older generation, plastic on chairs and parking!

Did wet myself laughing when DBIL came back from work (pharmacist) with a boot full of loo rolls that were on offer then proceeded to dole them out among the family. He hasn't watched it and I think DH and I rolling on the floor while he went "what WHAT? " may have been a teensiest but offensive.

Yes Phantom, there were complaints from some Christians about The Vicar of Dibley! I thought it was fab.

My mum loves this and, she loves Mrs Brown as well. It makes her happy not much does None of my Muslim friends think its offensive. It's not my humour though. I don't get Miranda, either.