AIBU to think this Christmas play is a bit racist?

[CrikeyOReilly]

This is the play my kids are in at school this year...

www.musiclinedirect.com/_data/samples/pdf/aba/script%20sample%20ali%20baba.pdf

Harmless 'Carry On' fun or worrying?

The problem is that when I was younger, I'm 47, Bongo Bongo land was a dismissive racist insult towards Africa and its people.

It still is used around pubs, as such.

People deliberately don't try to pronounce Arabic names and tray the whole spoken culture as gibberish.

When Um Bongo and the adverts came out (""way down deep in the middle of the Congo""), anyone who was mixed heritage (which I am) had it sung to them, when as said the Bongo drum was from Cuba.

Plays on words are one thing, a lot of the Show is done cleverly, it's a shame that other bits had to be in there.

When there was a survey done about casual racism in schools, a lot of the children sites the piss taking of their name as something really hurtful.

you could say the portrayal of the ugly sisters is homophobic (well at least anti trans.)

Oh god. No it's not.

It's not referring to drums. The baddie is called bongo.

I go to the panto every year - I'm not averse to a bit of silly humour. Maybe I'm oversensitive - particularly in the current climate - but I can't see how laughing at common Arabic names is funny.

I don't think that you would stage any pantomime if you thought about it too deeply.

Change Bongo to Bingo - problem solved

Yup not really enjoying the stereotypes

I hate panto anyway, it's snow white here and I struggle with the involvement of small persons though I guess if it bothered them they wouldn't do it. So I'm being offended by proxy.

its too fucking long frankly, Kids plays should be 30 minutes MAX

Panto is all about stereotypes!

That may be why I hate it...

Well yes, it absolutely too long too!

I don't know what to say. I really do think 'mustafa widdle' is really inappropriate. What if kids go around saying it to anyone called Mustafa. I don't think you'd get away with it in a diverse school.

oh come on that's the whole theory behind knock knock jokes names that sound like actions and words.

Mustafa Widdle is a direct lift from Carry On Up The Khyber where the rebels follow a prophet called Mustafa Leak. There is also a character called Jimmy Widdle in the film. I guess it was funny in 1968.

I am bit on the fence about this one. I don't mind panto but my DC both have Arabic names and one of them has been on the receiving end of a few unfortunate comments (which the school did deal with robustly).

Gosh and knock knock jokes set the standard for political correctness don't they.

Usual scraping the barrel humour that passes as acceptable in the UK. Wildly inaccurate, thin on effort etc. But not sure it's racist as such.

OK... so that's another one of those cultural things that isn't racist, isn't anti anything much but does like to laugh at itself via stereotypes, that needs to be banned and the writers flogged.

The point of the stereotypes in modern panto is to take the piss out of the society watching it - that was Grimaldi's intent. To wrap biting satire, slapstick and a doomed love affair into a multi generational fairy story with teeth was the point - think Danger Mouse rather than I Ain't 'Alf Hot Mum.

The most modern still does it - genders are crossed, as are lovers, adults are amused/shocked whist kids miss the double entendres, nods to medievalism wit good guys entering stage right, bad guys stage left (just like Hollywood's cowboys did).

I wonder what Canadian panto is like these days?

(Go on.. you know that last stereotype made sense, and you smiled)

M1nnie, you've been reading too many Daily Mail comment columns.

Have I?? Because I think the play isnt racist? What has the daily mail for to do with that I know it's a common insult on here now to accuse someone of reading the daily Mail, it is Ususlly said in context though

No, it's because that comment about wanting to step off the planet is incredibly popular with Mail commenters moaning about PCgornmad and similar.

Oh well, fear not, I have never bought the daily mail or any other newspaper for that matter. I have read it in the staff room at work but couldn't be sure that's where I heard the phrase steppong off the planet It's seems apt for this post though

Hmm. I'd be Very uncomfortable with that.

My kids have arabic-type names from their dad's side of the family. For a school to think that it's ok to take the piss out of funny foreign names is frankly not OK in this day and age.

And choosing not to put on a play with Bongo bongo land associations is not political correctness gone mad. It's just common sense.

YANBU

Does 'willie macdougal' from the Simpsons make you 'uncomfortable' too?

But Willie MacDougal isn't a pun about pissing though is it?

It would have to be Willie Havawiddle to have the same connotations.

Yeah I think this needs an update. Bongo/taking the piss out of Arabic names = not cool.

It would have to be Willie Havawiddle to have the same connotations.

I still don't see the issue it's just a bit of fun!

Oh ffs.

It's 100% cultural appropriation and racial microagressions. Very problematic.