So now Netflix has removed The Mighty Boosh and League of Gentlemen

[Doyoumind]

Should they be cancelled or is it going too far? They weren't like Little Britain, imho. Perhaps they were offensive. How far does it go though? Will there be anything left to watch pre 2020?

Well if that was the case why didn’t Noel Fielding pop his head above the parapet and grovel for his past actions (now that he has reflected, learned and improved, presumably).

It was Netflix that took this action, not the creators of these characters, all of whole are still in high profile work with mainstream TV companies.

Yet apparently all racists.

*whom not whole

Baby steps by Netflix - good start. Raising awareness as well as removing some offensive shite.
There's lots of issues across the world but none need to eclipse the current one. Fight this fight today.
Deal with your whatabouts without reducing the BLM movement. Separately. If you wanted Vicky Pollard or crack heads removing from tv, why didnt you do something about it before today?
Stop masking your racism in whatabouts.

@Todaywewilldobetter stop telling me I’m racist because I don’t share the same approach to the matter as you.

Dunno, maybe he's thinking about how to respond. Maybe he's getting advice. Maybe he's been advised not to say anything. Maybe he stands by it. Who knows?

I'd like to know if black people have actually complained, or whether this is just a woke gesture.

Or maybe they have black and mixed raced people in the HO of Netflix so they had discussions about it.

I am glad to see the back of LoG full stop. I hated all the stereotypes in it. Vile programme that I never saw the attraction in. I also hate all the programmes that use lazy stereotyping to whip up us v them froth - Benefits Street and so on.

Speaking for myself, I did not speak up much in the past because I was young (which is not in itself an excuse as there are plenty of young people prepared to speak out but I was a very scared introvert teenager), it wasn't me being stereotyped and lampooned, it was just TV, and I could just not watch them.

Then over the years I became more and more aware of the insidious nature of stereotypes and just how dangerous casual racism and sexism etc are (the sort of stuff that you go 'oh it's just TV/an advert/a song where's the harm). This ramped up with having DC and realising just how susceptible they are to what they see around them from a very young age and how quickly it gets ingrained. I also thought a lot about whether inaction/ignoring things you find offensive is enough. And now I am a lot more vocal about it.

am glad to see the back of LoG full stop. I hated all the stereotypes in it

What stereotypes? Weird toad lovers, butcher who sells human meat, business men who get lost in the woods? Who are they stereotypes of?

This is from an article about LoG:

[ quote] Reece Shearsmith, who plays Lazarou, said in an interview earlier this year: 'It was not me doing a black man. It was always this clown-like make-up and we just came up with what we thought was the scariest idea to have in a sort of Child Catcher-like way.'

Co-star Steve Pemberton added: 'I may be wrong, but I don't think we had any complaints. People know that it was a character and the oddness and weird nature of that character doesn't make you sit there and think, "What point are they trying to make?" It's not a political thing at all.' [end quote]

Papa Lazarou is not a black man portrayed by a white actor, he has a white neck and hands. The character is wearing black and white facepaint, not the actor, if that makes sense.

I can see why people may object to Barbara of Babs' Cabs though...

They will ban Friends next as it has elements of homophobia and transphobic in it.

I doubt it

Oh, FFS, why is it an issue?

A streaming platform has decided to remove some things you like. On the grounds that many, many other people don't like them. Those other people even find the offensive and upsetting.

You can still, you know, buy these things. You can still find them elsewhere. And you certainly have had the chance to watch them, many times, since they were first aired.

FFS, just grow up. Accept that other people have feelings and those feelings matter.

I agree!

To be honest Friends hasn't aged that well... The characters are vile. Same with

Oops posted too soon. Was going to say same with Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother.

What stereotypes? Weird toad lovers, butcher who sells human meat, business men who get lost in the woods? Who are they stereotypes of?

Stereotypes was probably the wrong word there. I was thinking more of Little Britain with stereotypes.

Still never got the attraction of either programme though!

Taking them off streaming isn’t the same as banning them from sale ever. I like this shows but I totally get why they’d be offensive especially on a streaming site

I really wish they would remove Gone With The Wind. Extremely racist in its message and treatment of the actress

I just caught the friends episode where Monica and Rachel do Irish and Indian accents... they also make a lot of references to "Indians" throughout and are sexist beyond what we'd consider acceptable if it was made today.

I don't really know what the answer is because if people find it offensive then who am I to argue as a straight English white woman... but I can't help thinking if we cancel everything that could be offensive then anything older than 5 years will need to go

I feel like a banner explaining context ahead of shows might be better

Gavin and Stacey- stereotypes the welsh. Game on, stereotypes the Scottish, Teenage mutant ninja turtles- splinter is Asian and a rat and could be perceived as racist. Will be interesting to see where it all ends and if we are instead of acknowledging faults are instead going full fascist and juts plan on but ing/ banning everything which offends.

Gone with the wind was made in a time when society WAS very racist. The sugarcoated portrayal of slavery is hardly surprising. If someone watches that film and comes away with the impression that slaves were happy to be there, then that is down to ignorance on the part of the individual. Considering how unlikely it is that a person in modern Britain's (or pretty much any country, I would assume) idea of slavery is derived solely from watching gone with the wind, I doubt many people are going to come away with the impression that slavery wasn't that bad, when that contradicts everything else they've been taught or they've read/watched/listened to.

Outside of television:
Othello, if I remember from school, is quite racist.
Merchants of Venice is extremely anti Semitic

God knows how many films, books or plays have offensive, inaccurate depictions of women.
Who decides what stays and what goes?

God, people are so melodramatic aren't they?

God knows how many films, books or plays have offensive, inaccurate depictions of women
Who decides what stays and what goes?

The business in question decides. That's their right. Gone With the Wind wasn't banished from the face of the Earth and removed of all trace. It was just taken off HBO's streaming service.

Will be interesting to see where it all ends and if we are instead of acknowledging faults are instead going full fascist and juts plan on but ing/ banning everything which offends

Nothing at all has been banned. So I'd say we're pretty far off "full fascist" for now.

i’m old Greggggggg!

I remember an episode of the Goodies where Bill demonstrates his mastery of the Northern English martial art of Eckythump, and Graeme and Tim try various other martial arts to try and beat them. At one point Graeme tries boxing, in full-on blackface, which looks shocking today.

Yet The Goodies also had an episode devoted to making fun of Apartheid. Different times. Who knows how cringeworthy aspects of our culture will look in the future?

When I was in teaching college the library had a collection of historical children's books. My friend and I were bored one day and decided to see who could find the most offensive book. We were taken aback by what we found: eg a Topsy and Tim book where mother paints them with gravy browning to go to a fancy dress party as gypsies. Even that was exceeded by a volume entitled 'The Golliwogs' Fox Hunt'.

If someone watches that film and comes away with the impression that slaves were happy to be there, then that is down to ignorance on the part of the individual. Considering how unlikely it is that a person in modern Britain's (or pretty much any country, I would assume) idea of slavery is derived solely from watching gone with the wind

I wish I had your confidence in the historical education and general knowledge of the general public seriously though, a lot of people do treat historical entertainment as accurate and aren't always discerning. And then you get people who actively want to encourage a particular view because it fits with their personal beliefs.

Othello, if I remember from school, is quite racist. Merchants of Venice is extremely anti Semitic

But Shakespeare is a key part of the English Lit curriculum in the UK so most people will come across his plays in a setting where they are encouraged to explore the issues of racism and anti-Semitism etc with the support of a teacher (whether they listen is another matter but at least the context is provided - much as whichever streaming service has pulled GWTW is intending to do). Theatres putting on his plays will usually also run educational workshops and have pieces in their programmes about the challenges of a particular production.