To be nonplussed why people rave over Mrs Brown's Boys

[ComposHat]

I've tried watching it twice twice and haven't got past the first five minutes it was so awful.

It seemed like an artless parody of a shite 70s sitcom (like something Frankie Howerd forgot to make) Don't get me wrong I'm not a comedy snob and quite enjoy a broad knockabout comedy like Vicious, yet I am utterly bemused by Mrs Brown's Boys, it looks dated, absurd and utterly free from laughs.

Yet it has a massive following, especially amongst people of my parents' generation. Normally when there's a TV programme I dislike I can see why other people (Top Gear for example) may enjoy it. But Mrs Brown seems to be without any redeaming features.

There must be some fans out there who can explain its appeal?

I'm working class and Irish and I say Mrs Brown's Boys is sheeeite. In fairness though I do have a degree so maybe that negates the working class background

Hestershaw: No not really - but there is a lot of snobbery where comedy is concerned. MBB isn't to everyone's taste but it isn't trying to be, it's just old fashioned slap stick & I find that quite refreshing -

Class and level of intelligence have no relation to each other

I'm 37. I have a degree. From a proper uni ( up yours mn snobs). I'm from Essex. Irish background but so far back I can only sort of wave at a map.

It's fucking funny in the best farce tradition. Do none of you oldies know farce? (Cat /pigeons now watching fun....)

Perhaps sense of humour and education have some correlation. I don't know.

However your comment about class was way off.

Excellent post, Heartbrokenmum.

It's very odd how MBB fans can't accept that others don't like it. I actually find this in RL too; 'oh, how can you not find it funny?'etc. Most odd.

I liked her post too, & I know she really liked mine, she even gave me her feet to sniff!

Navada - now you're just getting weird

If anything, Brendan O'Carroll can take heart from this thread that his fans are hardcore and will defend his show to the death!

Heartbrokenmum - you're taking this far too seriously, it's a thread about comedies for gawd's sake.

insummer that's exactly what I find. When you say you don't like it, you are met with a certain face!

As I said in my first post - stuck over lunch I found myself apologetically saying I didn't like it. Why? Why did I have to explain myself. I didn't say I didn't get it. I completely get it. I just don't like it. This was not accepted. There had to be something wrong.

I don't twist my face into a grimace and head tilt when people say "I don't really get "Toast of London" or Garth Marenghi's Dark Place". I just accept that I have different tastes. I love true slapstick and I am floored when it is cleverly timed - Peter Sellers and Bert Kwok, Laurel & Hardy, Vic and Bob.

If it's a bit in your face I don't get it - DH laughs like a loon with "Bottom" but it wears on me a bit.

I also live those "comfort comedies" Dinnerladies, Early Doors etc.

I'm glad people do like MBB, as I said. At least we aren't wasting our licence fee then, and at least the beeb keep funding my kind of comedy.

I don't think she is actually. And adding a grinny face doesn't make your comment about class any less daft.

Jollysanters - I'm coming to live with you!

A fellow 'Garth Marenghi' lover - few and far between. Don't ask me to quote any though - been bloody years since I watched it.

And yy to all your slapstick mentions too - especially when Kato is hiding in the fridge. Absolutely kills me, every single time.

"It's very odd how MBB fans can't accept that others don't like it."

The thread wasn't started by a fan, it was started to declare it wasn't funny.

What's funnier than MBB's, is thevinability to understand that we all like different things and our likes are not related to intelligence.

Then lots of other "fuckin eijets" (to quote Mrs B) waded in to declare how intelligent they were because they hate it as well (Emperors New Clothes syndrome).

Perhaps Brendan should give out free tickets for degree educated people (not because I would love to go to a live show, for free, I'd have to wear a tenna lady though), to start his own research.

Not that he's arsed, he's made £8 million from the show and give all of his friends and family a job.

I can't stand it. No-one in our family watches it.

The people I do know who like it are all rather prudish and/or homophobic, which strikes me as a bit odd.

This isn't a big sample though, so I am generalising a bit.

Birds I was referring to the handful of hardcore fans who have joined this thread to defend the show by telling the majority those who don't enjoy it that they are middle-class bores who can get stuffed etc.

Weirdly defensive. You've taken it a step further by ranting about how much the show has earned, very specific info there

I then noticed that the canned laughter went on for pretty much the whole episode whilst nothing funny was said. The laughter got a bit louder when mrs brown swore.

I can see that a lot of people don't like Ricky Gervais/The Office but it was funny when David Brent appraised the fat accountant. 'What are you good at?' Bemused stare ....'accounts.'

Wow over 400 posts over who does and who doesn't like a tv programme

I put MBB and Miranda on iplayer tonight. I see the attraction for others. You're meant to laugh because you recognise these situations from real life. OK - but if it's not FUNNY, I'm not going to laugh.

Do you like MBB Weelady?

It's watchable I laugh at bits but it's not my favourite

It's tedious, a man in a dress saying "Feck", I just can't find it funny, it makes me want to shrivel up and crawl into the smallest space possible.

I suspect I'm too old for it but I am very fond of watching Fresh Meat, by the writers of Peep Show. The characters are very funny and it's really well written.

I can't believe this is still going - surely now is the time to agree to disagree. Everyone has their own sense of humour which has nothing to do with class or intellect. End of .

Tis shite.