To be shocked that this was ever ok?! Blackface on Little Britain...

[BrexitBingoGenerator]

Hello. I've just been looking at the Daily Mail (sorry) and there is a thing about this. I was genuinely gobsmacked seeing the photo and it's completely offensive. However, at some time in the not-so-distant past, this was seen as mainstream comedy and I remember it being on primetime telly. So a critical mass of people must have thought this was ok? I never really watched little Britain and this sketch in particular made me want to heave, but I think at the time it was rather for its horrible portrayal of women generally. I don't remember outrage over it at the time. But maybe there was? I guess I'm just ashamed that comedy like this could have been screened in my adult lifetime.

[Sugarplumfairy65]

Its in the past. Some people thought it was funny at the time, now they are better educated.
How far are people going to go back to find things to be offended by?

[Tianalia]

All the characters are pretty grim in that.

[Osirus]

It was not racist but it has aged badly. I really enjoyed LB when it first came out but I don’t think it would be made now.

[donquixotedelamancha]

No word yet from Sacha Baron Cohen.

Has he ever worn blackface?

[DagenhamRoundhouse]

Never thought they were funny anyway. There's something unsavoury about Walliams.

I wonder what we'd think about the Black & White Minstrels nowadays?! Amazing they got away with it even then.

[Lynda07]

I saw David Walliams on TV a couple of years back saying that 'Little Britain' would not be right 'now'. He had his finger on the pulse. It was so popular at the time, I remember people raving about it. I only saw bits and pieces so cannot judge but what I did see was hilarious, eg the laydee who did projectile vomiting.

Times change as do moods and tastes.

[GoodbyePorpoiseSpit]

Ali G.

But the joke with Little Britain was that the characters WERE extreme. It was a joke against people that think that's what Britain is and a joke against people who are racist in the case of Marjory Dawes and the vomiting WI women . That last sketch always made me laugh as the biggest bigots I have ever encountered have been the type to judge a cake baking completion at the local fete.

[mrsspooky]

It was never ok.

[Destroyedpeople]

Oh Yeh the vomiting WI woman....that WAS funny I admit. The first ten times...

[june2007]

I heard they deliberately pushed the boundaries of taste as far as they could. So it won,t be shown but I don,t know if they would be that upset they made money from it. Watched an old version. (s2 or3) Of Americas RPaul drag race and there was what we would call culture appropriation on that, was I bothered no but I was quite surprised.

[RoyalCorgi]

I saw David Walliams on TV a couple of years back saying that 'Little Britain' would not be right 'now'.

You know what? It wasn't right then. In the 1970s, you couldn't move for racist comedy on tv. But all that changed in the 80s and 90s with the new wave of alternative comedians. Comedy was consciously anti-racist. Horrible racist, sexist and homophobic caricatures became a thing of the past.

When Little Britain came on tv, I couldn't quite believe it. It felt like the clock had been turned back 30 or 40 years. It was loathsome. I don't know why Walliams is pretending it was acceptable. It absolutely wasn't.

[GreyGardens88]

I'm gay and I liked the "only gay in the village" sketch. The rest was pants though

[CatandtheFiddle]

I always found Walliams and Lucas as sexist - and probably misogynist - as fuck.

[GruffBelow]

No word yet from Sacha Baron Cohen

Why would there be?

[PinkiOcelot]

Don’t think it was offensive at all. Offence can be found everywhere if you look it out. Certainly wasn’t funny though. Hated Little Britain.

[1066vegan]

Ali G wasn't blackface. He was taking the piss out of white teenagers trying to act like gangstas.

[Destroyedpeople]

Wasnt the joke in the only gay on the village the fact that he is surrounded by gay people...but he doesnt notice...his parents are really accepting but he wants them to be shocked....not sure he even notices that his friend myfanwy is a lesbian...

[Iamagree]

Walliams has carried many of those stereotypes on into his books - Asian shopkeepers with dodgy pricing and out of date goods, overprotective Indian mothers, fat shaming, class stereotypes...

[DwayneBenzie]

I never watched it, it was gross even then. Became a bit of a test for potential friends, for me - useful for quality control.

[MagnoliaJustice]

I can't believe I ever found LB funny. I can appreciate they were mocking every single aspect of society, from single mothers on benefits, extended breastfeeders, wheelchair users faking their disability, to various stereotypical 'foreigners' - but it is no longer amusing at all.

[Stevienickssleeves]

I never thought it was ok.

[sleepydragons]

@SuckingDieselFella

Walliams and Matt Lucas are a lot less funny than they would have us believe. Can't stand either of them.

^ This. I doubt I will watch Bake Off when Lucas is on it.

[BeijingBikini]

I thought it was brilliant - it was poking fun at people who are racist (like Marjorie or the 2 old ladies) and poking fun at actual stereotypes, rather than being racist/stereotypical itself.

[RichPetunia]

I liked Little Britain and would watch it all again. It was funny and that’s the point.

[user127820]

@Namechange8471
I've never properly watched Little Britain (just clips here and there) so I hadn't heard of the character Anne. I've just looked up some clips of her and my goodness that was horrendous. Utterly demeaning. I don't buy the argument that it was "poking fun at stereotypes" either.