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.

That was a couple of examples, I'm not going to re-analyse the whole show. I thought it was hilarious and am gutted it's been taken off Netflix, will have to dig out the old DVDs.

If you don't like it don't watch it, but you can't force other people to find things not funny because you don't like them. I'm offended by some things (stereotypes about my country) but am not going to try and stop other people from laughing about it, then we just get into censorship.

Erm I think sacha baron cohen was taking the piss out if white people trying to be black no?

This is revisionism, he was a champion of the Guardian and he took on right wing American Politics, it wasn't a piss take of white pretending to be black at all, it was character, just like Bruno, Borat and Azamat, it really wasn't a dig at white pretending to be black

The thing that feels uncomfortable about this now is two white privileged (in terms of education rather than the infamous inherent) men taking the piss out of stereotypes primarily of the disadvantaged. It doesn’t seem so funny anymore.

Some of their better sketches where the target is actually racism etc are still a bit baffling as they always made the character involved in the bad behaviour a woman. Why couldn’t it be racist men they were mocking?

Harry Enfield was a similar concept but had characters such a loadsamoney and Tim nice but dim who were posh white chaps, Kevin and Perry were great and it also seems fair for them to mock white teenage boys, even the slobs had a Wayne to go with the Waynetta so it just doesn’t feel the same as LB.

David Walliams lost any credibility he might have had none after hosting the presidents dinner event. Including the comments made after.

Little Britain was massively offensive and close to the bone. On all sorts of ism. It was supposed to shock.

Funny or appropriate for today is another matter. I understand why black face is offensive. Am quite and that I didn't notice at the time. I find the woman face offensive as well.

Oh, the many many people who think it’s completely hilarious to shout ‘bitty’ at the suggestion of breastfeeding a child past about six weeks.

If you don't like it don't watch it, but you can't force other people to find things not funny because you don't like them. I'm offended by some things (stereotypes about my country) but am not going to try and stop other people from laughing about it, then we just get into censorship.

Oh, another poster who’s anti-censorship! You must be delighted about the graffiti on the Churchill statue then. Hopefully it’ll lead to real change in the British education system.

Although thanks for not even trying to defend Ting Tong and the blackface character, hope you enjoy the racism anew when you find your dvds.

To pretend it was never funny is just not true, and is like trying to re-write history

I’m not pretending it was never funny: it was never funny. It was always freakish and racist and appealed only to pig-ignorant Little Englanders.

Oh monty python.....isn't j Cleese always on the radio crying that people don't appreciate him as a comedy giant?
Monty python had its moments but very dated and some pretty strange female characters...either the men in drag with a pinny and and a fag and a high voice....or an occasional dolly bird. It's not that funny it was the only vaguely alternative comedy back then.

@Raaaa

I thought it was funny it took the piss out of everyone in society and if you don't like it don't watch it, sick of people being constantly offended these days

I bet you'd enjoy "Love Thy Neighbour" as well.

@BeijingBikini

However you try and justify it, it's still David Walliams dressing up and pretending to be an intellectually disabled, incontinent woman.

The entire film/TV industry is people dressing up as other characters, some of whom are ridiculous or unsavoury or whatever. Doesn't mean it's not funny. The show obviously was funny to the general public, that's why it was so successful with posters and memorabilia made and even a live show. You might not like it but a huge amount of people did.

To be fair, it was surrounded in controversy at the time, as was Come Fly with Me or whatever it was called.

Let's not pretend everyone found it hilarious and that it was super-popular and never came under fire for being sexist and racist at the time, because it certainly did.

Lots of things are popular, doesn't mean they're acceptable.

@TatianaBis 'pig headed little englanders' that's acceptable to say, ok just updating the rule book

@Pumperthepumper I don't need to defend them. Luckily we still live in a democracy so we're free to enjoy whatever TV shows we want. I will enjoy the DVDs.

@woodhill

What do you think to MontyPython btw?

Monty Python isn't really comparable to Little Britain because of when it was made. It was a different time. Some of is hilarious but a lot of it didn't age very well.

@BeijingBikini

Because it's more nuanced than that

What is nuanced about 2 white blokes dressed up as ethnic minorities taking the piss out of them? It’s the very epitome of crass.

That sketch was poking fun at racist people

You can’t poke fun at racism while blacked up because it’s intrinsically racist in itself.

[quote BeijingBikini]@Pumperthepumper I don't need to defend them. Luckily we still live in a democracy so we're free to enjoy whatever TV shows we want. I will enjoy the DVDs.[/quote]
As I said - enjoy your racist stereotypes. Your enjoyment is the most important thing here.

@TatianaBis No, what you mean is you didn't find it funny! A great many did- after all it was mainstream television and watched by more than just the racist little-englanders as you call them.

And if we're talking about stereotypes maybe you need review your own!

I didn’t find the show funny at the time, mostly for their portrayal of women - still think the pair of them are sniggering, self congratulatory buffoons.

MP is fairly neutral in some senses, kind of daft

I never watched. I never liked either of them. Both give me the absolute creeps. However clips of the various characters were unavoidable so I knew vaguely of them. Wasn't every kind of person attacked, ridiculed and poked fun at?

No word yet from Sacha Baron Cohen.

Nor should there be.

watched by more than just the racist little-englanders as you call them

No it wasn’t.

I was 11 at the time it came out, and absolutely everyone in my (very multicultural, not "little england") school watched it and found it funny too. We were constantly discussing it and doing the catchphrases in class. You can't rewrite history to say only "racist little englanders" watched it, pretty much everyone watched it. Their live shows were a sellout at the time.

try Mind Your Language, now that was funny.

A great many did- after all it was mainstream television and watched by more than just the racist little-englanders as you call them.

Ignorance is mainstream.

Anyone who found their blacked up sketches funny is racist imo. It was always truly bizarre that it was allowed on TV in the 21c.

Which catchphrases? The noise Anne does? The ‘curry/fish and chips’ one? In which context were these catchphrases used?

It clearly is racist little Englanders who see comedy in it - you’re now 28? And still looking forward rewatching a man blacking up? Still going to enjoy Ting Tong? You’re really not making the point you think you are.

they had a go at everyone they didnt single out black people-its been taken off bbc netflix m fed up of being told what i can watch