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Original poster

Walliams and Lucas obvious racism....

116 replies

Charliebitmyfinger · 12/10/2014 21:38

Excuse me whilst I vent spleen on the above 2, ds1 just put on BBC 3 in the middle of Downton! There was a comedy programme by the above called "Come Fly with Me" featuring the above pair. I hated it and dressed as Japanese school girls (with bad style (Mikado eye make-up circa 1897) and the fake accents. This is really bad comedy how do this pair get away with this in 2014 for chrissake. I do remember Little Britain but did not really watch it as used to do v.early shift work and so bed early, this offering seems beyond the pail. Walliams seems such a totally "right on " much loved "luvvie" , I just don't understand Confused

OP posts:
IrishBloodEnglishHeart · 13/10/2014 12:08

I thought the Ting Tong/Tong Ting character on Little Britain did nothing to advance racial stereotypes about Thai people living in this country.

TinklyLittleLaugh · 13/10/2014 12:11

Charlie I am sure you are correct that being a celebrity would help Walliams get his kids' books punished. But they really are seriously good. Sensitive, funny, and thought provoking.

And nothing like Little Britain or Come Fly With Me, which are utter shite.

Original poster
Charliebitmyfinger · 13/10/2014 12:11

I only thought the cover of Walliams Mr Stink seemed like a Roald Dahl cover. Was it a character who lived on a compost heap too or something like that, but am certainly not defending Dahl. I have heard that DW's books are brilliant but hard to judge as I have never read them, besides which I don't feel inclined to share any more of my hard earned "coin" with him. I find them to be ageist (Lucas and Walliams and mysoginistic too) as I have just warched an episode of LB on you tube just now. Please, incontinent old lady (NOT old man note) how is that funny it is just sheer nasty. Is someone going to have a cheap laugh at W and L in their dotage when their bladders fail them are are they going to used their ill gotten gains to help bypass old age and swan off to Dignitas. I despise them even more after my 6 mins on You Tube. The black woman in the jacuzzi with Rob Brydon Hmm are ALL black women obese? Puhleazze

OP posts:
Original poster
Charliebitmyfinger · 13/10/2014 12:17

Tinkly I may browse one in the local library to give him the benefit of doubt and if he encourages kids to pick his books up, [ cue- round of applause] I still think he needs to find better material for his comedy. Perhaps his writing style (for books) is less lazy than his "zany" comedy......

OP posts:
TinklyLittleLaugh · 13/10/2014 12:18

His books are illustrated by Quentin Blake, Roald Dahl's illustrator. They are slightly Dahlesque I suppose.

TinklyLittleLaugh · 13/10/2014 12:19

Boy in the Dress is the best I think.

squoosh · 13/10/2014 13:06

Charliebitmyfinger I'm Irish and see no need to stop using the phrase 'beyond the pale'.

IPityThePontipines · 13/10/2014 13:09

I've never seen anyone actually be offended by "Beyond the Pale", just people pointing out that it "could" be offensive in a gotcha-like manner.

bottleofbeer · 13/10/2014 13:25

The whole point of LB was to take the piss out of stereotypes. To take the piss out of small minded attitudes. It's not racist, disablist, or anything else. It's genius humour imo. In cfwm the likes of the character Alan Foot IS a racist and the humour is in showing what absolute tit he is.

stillenacht1 · 13/10/2014 16:23

I don't like Anne in LB and find people laughing AT her insulting. My son has severe learning disabilities. Of course it's disablist. Hate the misuse of 'oh its ironic' in these types of comedies.

hazeyjane · 13/10/2014 16:29

The trouble with that bottleofbeer is that everyone just ends up laughing along with the racist, sexist, disabilist humour rather than appreciating the irony of it. In the same way all Alf Garnett did was reinforce the bigoted views of the audience, and he became a champion of the bigoted twats he was trying to parody.

bottleofbeer · 13/10/2014 16:48

But they're not responsible for people's lack of understanding that it is irony. If you get the irony it's bloody hilarious. I didn't appreciate it for what it was when it came out, must be well over ten years ago. On re watching it really is clever.

stillenacht1 · 13/10/2014 16:58

It's a double bluff though- pretending it is ironic. Bullshit.

BoredPanda · 13/10/2014 17:00

'Beyond the pale' is not necessarily to do with Iteland at all. 'Pale' is a gate or boundary. It could well refer to Ireland (fwiw, my ancestors all come from the Pale, but the Russian one, where it was rooted in anti semitism) but could also be a phrase saying beyond the boundary/line of okay behaviour.

bottleofbeer · 13/10/2014 17:05

You're thinking too much into it. So, they write racist scripts, only to pretend it's irony because really they just wanted to put a racist TV show out there? It quite clearly rips the piss out of those they portray. Why do you think it's called "little Britain"?

bottleofbeer · 13/10/2014 17:15

It's a parody of provincial types. It's holding a mirror up to those attitudes and laughing at them and how ridiculous they are. It's the exact opposite of any 'ist' you care to throw at it.

maninawomansworld · 13/10/2014 17:17

If you don't like them you know what to do - don't watch them.
I'm not a huge fan of their humour but can see that others might be.
Live and let live.

Original poster
Charliebitmyfinger · 13/10/2014 17:41

Bottleofbeer blacking up how is that justified in order to satisfy the audience's need for "genius" comedy, would just be interested in your take....

OP posts:
SuburbanRhonda · 13/10/2014 17:44

Ironic or not, I can't imagine anyone seriously describing LB as "genius humour" [sic].

Original poster
Charliebitmyfinger · 13/10/2014 17:48

@BoredPanda the Russian reference to the "Pale" thanks for that v. Interesting. Marina oh I forgot of course we can just press the off switch, that is too lazy and let's them get away with it here is another stock but equally valid response that gets meted out. I as a licence payer have a small but vested interest in what W and L put out on the Beeb as I/we help pay for it. I am glad my money no longer goes to supporting shows like the B and White minstrels so why should I help pay these two idiots to black up....

OP posts:
Bambambini · 13/10/2014 17:50

"The trouble with that bottleofbeer is that everyone just ends up laughing along with the racist, sexist, disabilist humour rather than appreciating the irony of it. In the same way all Alf
Garnett did was reinforce the bigoted views of the audience, and he
became a champion of the bigoted
twats he was trying to parody."

Really? I think more folk understand who they are poking fun at than you think. It's hardly subtle.

Original poster
Charliebitmyfinger · 13/10/2014 17:52

Bottleofbeer I started this thread about Come Fly with me, but as we have strayed on to LB what purpose is served in laughing at a large black woman in a jacuzzi, I don't get it really I don't Confused

OP posts:
Poopooweewee · 13/10/2014 17:55

As a side, Bridesmaids is an awful movie. Not funny in the least.

hazeyjane · 13/10/2014 17:58

I like this article by Barbara Ellen about Little Britain.

bottleofbeer · 13/10/2014 18:44

Because the character is black? Bubbles De Vere is white. Blacking up? It's not the black and white minstrels, Desiree just happens to be black.I don't think it's racist to portray a black person, do you? Or should they have no black characters at all, in a programme about Britain? Come fly with me is exactly the same principle but is more of a sitcom. Alan Foot, the racist immigration officer is actually sacked at the end of the series because of his racism.