Fawlty Towers “Don’t mention the war” removed.

[boredtotears11]

Aibu to say I think that is a ridiculous decision by the BBC.Theyve removed it from its streaming service because of its “racist slurs”. It was a classic piece of comedy. I mean if they start picking apart old classic comedy how far are they going to go. Dads Army next?

however, use of the N word, calling people P etc should be edited or bleeped out, its not acceptable language, its abusive and degrading, hwever that should not mean no black person can ever be laughed at or mocked, as long as the joke is not because they are black.*

No one said no black person could ever be laughed at. That’s not why these programs are being removed. They’re being removed because they are racist.

'White people should never use racial slurs, ever. Even under the guise of comedy'

Why only white people Twilight surely that should apply to all?

@SuddenArborealStop

Chinese Alan isn't Chinese though its not a racist joke. the nickname is never explained but he comes in and asks if anyone fancies a Chinese at one point, so it's about the food...

It was his job, he delivered Chinese takeaway food. Like Dave Coaches.

We’re living in a beige world now where the Thought Police rule.

Why only white people Twilight surely that should apply to all?

Of course! Oh wait....are you one of those people who think white people can experience racism?

*“Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every date has been altered. And the process is continuing day by day and minute by minute. History has stopped. Nothing exists except an endless present in which the Party is always right.”

― George Orwell, 198*

Let's hope that the clocks do not start striking 13 or that Room 101 does not become a reality instead of a TV programme.

There's also the German unmarried Mum episode where the entire punchline is the ethnicity of the baby.
But that was only because Boyce and Marlene were going to pass the baby off as their own.

1984 sorry

are you one of those people who think white people can experience racism?

I can think of six million white people who aren't here to tell the tale of the racism they experienced in the Nazi extermination camps.

YANBU OP.

Toppling statues, erasing history, denouncing authors/actors, cancelling TV shows, mob rule, denounciations, education to right think...burning books....

Wild Swans, I read that a long time ago, might well read it again.

Why not just do what the satellite channel Talking Pictures does, and screen a message beforehand stating that the language contains references which were commonplace in a past society but which would now be considered unacceptable. You've got to credit people with a bit of intelligence. Television is social history as much as anything else.

@pudcat yes 1984.

I'm also finding Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn very enlightening.

'one of those people'

I think some of your comments are very judgemental Twilight.

Well Mockers the argument will be that even if European Jews were actually white, Nazis didn't really consider them quite "white". But I don't think Twilight is being serious in claiming a depiction of a white character in a 41 year old show using a racist insult must be edited out of existence and never showed.

Television is social history as much as anything else.

Absolutely !

The World At War, 1973, interview with a jewish GI, who was told by a German woman, aber du bist ein weißer Jude...

I can't see this lasting for long, tbh, unless there are equally funny programmes to replace them. I expect they'll all quietly reappear when things settle down.

I have to say, it would be brilliant if Monty Python got prefaced with some serious explanation about how very wrong the humour is. Or they could get the elderly Michael Palin to say how very, very sorry he is for all the naughty jokes he and the other Pythons made.

To be followed, of course, by John Cleese and his desk.

Stupid decision. The scene shows the major to be a racist fool. I don't have a problem with that.

Btw, are there any other Goon Show fans here? That's aged pretty well, in my opinion.

TwilightPeace

Of course! Oh wait....are you one of those people who think white people can experience racism?

If you don't then you should educate yourself outside of your sociology bubble.

I can think of six million white people who aren't here to tell the tale of the racism they experienced in the Nazi extermination camps.

Jews were slaughtered because Nazis did not consider them white.

A huge percentage of Fawlty Towers is built around the 'hilarity' of Manuel a) having a funny accent because he's foreign and b) not understanding British people/English-speakers and them not understanding him, again because he's foreign.

I think that's more racist than the racial slurs used in the episode they've taken down; I agree with a pp that that scene uses that language to show how out of touch the Major is. Context is important and I think the Beeb have missed the mark here.

I hate all the censorship which is currently being done as a knee jerk reaction to an issue which absolutely needs to be addressed. In my view censorship is not the way - put a disclaimer ahead of the programme to warn viewers of content which is today inappropriate, this then opens up the subject for discussion of how we have moved forwards and how far there is still to move.
I’m currently watching the first series of The Bill with my 15 year old niece - she is shocked by the casual sexism and racism which is portrayed but was considered the norm at the time - we have had some very interesting discussions about change in culture and how she views people’s attitudes to both subjects.
I strongly feel we have to acknowledge our past mistakes and not erase them from history and not apply today’s standards to the past.

@pudcat
This is exactly what happened in China during the cultural revolution. I find it terrifying that things are going that way here.