Little Britain apology

[sunlightflower]

David Walliams and Matt Lucas have apologised for playing characters of different races in Little Britain. Walliams also apologised in 2017 for playing a transvestite.

But they haven't apologised for mocking disabled people, women, the working class... Is that all ok then?

Am I being unreasonable to think this just doesn't make sense? I'm not sure where I draw the line on what is and isn't acceptable in comedy and I'm not saying the right approach is to censor everything. But why are some groups fair game and others aren't?

[LastTrainEast]

They should not have apologised, but I can't blame them too much. It's not like this is a free country or anything. You can be cancelled now.

[Pumperthepumper]

I think probably the fact that people are crying censorship over the idea that white British men can’t say whatever the fuck they like shows we as a society really need this conversation.

[Hazelnutlatteplease]

Censorship never benefits those with less of a voice in the first place.

[TheVoiceOfReasonableness]

I would like to hear from people who have NEVER made or laughed at a joke or sketch that was sexist, racist, disablist or poked fun at another religion or other discerning feature such as weight or hair colour.

Please post here if you can honestly say that you never have.

I’m expecting an avalanche of positive responses, so form an orderly queue.

[Pumperthepumper]

@TheVoiceOfReasonableness

I would like to hear from people who have NEVER made or laughed at a joke or sketch that was sexist, racist, disablist or poked fun at another religion or other discerning feature such as weight or hair colour.

Please post here if you can honestly say that you never have.

I’m expecting an avalanche of positive responses, so form an orderly queue.

Why though? That’s not the issue here.

[DeeCeeCherry]

Little Britain was disgustingly racist sexist ageist and disablist. There are times I read the outrage over Self ID Trans and I wonder if the same people who froth about Trans, are amongst the same that think Little Britain was fine. It does seem so on MN. Racism transcends all.

Albeit the show title does appear to mock certain nasty closed, xenophobic mindsets tbf.

[littlebillie]

Vile show

[HunkyPunk]

Just out of interest, do people think it still ok for a white actor to play e,g Othello (not blackface, obvs., just playing the character), or should a black actor always be cast in roles written for a black character?

[The80sweregreat]

I felt uncomfortable about many characters especially Vicky Pollard as it was a bit too close to home being from a very w/c family.
Same with school girl Lauren that Catherine Tate portrayed ( she isn't apologizing to white working class girls though )

[Hazelnutlatteplease]

It's never been ok for a white actor to play Othello. His race is inherent to his character.

[Cam2020]

These people are all just protecting their careers.

[Hazelnutlatteplease]

I would like to hear from people who have NEVER made or laughed at a joke or sketch that was sexist, racist, disablist or poked fun at another religion or other discerning feature such as weight or hair colour

I think ill probably stick my hand up. But then that's arguable....

I laughed at things like Allo Allo last of the summer wine etc. i wouldn't now, I just don't find them funny with who I am now.

I've also laughed at things like Big bang theory. But that was done with a lot of love.

I've never found deliberately offensive comedy anything other than deliberately offense. So no critisising it is not hypocritical.

I will stand up for the right to offend But i dont have to listen to it. Or more to the point agree with ridiculous hypocritical bandwagon apologies.

[workshyfop]

With all these apologies for blackface, why no apologies for womanface and Drag Race being pulled?

[frostedviolets]

I honestly don’t think they should have apologised and personally feel it’s only been done to ‘look good’ and protect themselves from possible abuse.

Little Britain insulted everyone.
There wasn’t a single subsection of society that wasn’t mocked.

They shouldn’t have had to apologise.
They’ve done nothing wrong.

[forsucksfake]

A disgustingly hypocritical and totalitarian cloud is hanging over us.

If you ask the general public, a vast majority would disagree with sanctions on humour, with compelled speech and with ahistorical, ableist, and misogynistic judgments on what is "palatable."

Apologies are completely unnecessary, rightfully insincere and cringeworthy.

[OrangeCinnamon]

Well it seems when these people apologise it doesn't help black people at all...all it does is make people furious at black people as a whole. Frothing anger

Tbh could do without it so dont bother

[jobhunter7]

I think the problem with the Little Britain ‘blackface’ characters - the ones I can remember, which are Bubbles and Desiree, so correct me if there were more - is that they didn’t need to be black, so to speak.

No but a percentage of the population do have darker skin than others... so would it be not less fair to not portray that.

[derxa]

I don’t see why it was offensive to include black celebrities. Well Trisha and Craig David were offended.
www.itv.com/news/anglia/2020-06-12/trisha-s-children-were-bullied-over-bo-selecta-masks/

[SouthWestmom]

I have more of a problem with Jim in Friday night dinners than I do with Lou and Andy.

[Pumperthepumper]

@Noeuf

I have more of a problem with Jim in Friday night dinners than I do with Lou and Andy.

Why?

[jobhunter7]

I don't think any of the masks in Bo Selecta actually looked too like the characters in real life.

[derxa]

I don't think any of the masks in Bo Selecta actually looked too like the characters in real life. Imagine if you were the target and your children were bullied because of it.

[SouthWestmom]

*Pumper
*
Because Jim clearly has some sort of learning difficulty and is the source of irritation/unwelcome intrusion/patronised by the family who tolerate it. Just like a lot of us who are disabled/have disabled children fear is reality. Not speaking for all disabled people obviously.

Andy and Lou was straightforward piss taking of a stereotype. The super nice carer who disempowers the service user and a stereotype of a disabled person who actually picks and chooses what he can do.

[SquashedSpring]

such as Walt Jr from Breaking Bad, where an actor pretending to walk and talk like a person with CP is an unnecessary addition.

The presumption that RJ Mitte, the actor who plays this character doesn't have CP is really quite shocking. Why didn't you check before posting? It really shows up so many people's attitude towards people with disabilities.

[Pumperthepumper]

@Noeuf

*Pumper
*
Because Jim clearly has some sort of learning difficulty and is the source of irritation/unwelcome intrusion/patronised by the family who tolerate it. Just like a lot of us who are disabled/have disabled children fear is reality. Not speaking for all disabled people obviously.

Andy and Lou was straightforward piss taking of a stereotype. The super nice carer who disempowers the service user and a stereotype of a disabled person who actually picks and chooses what he can do.

I’m not a huge Friday Night Dinner fan but I don’t think he’s supposed to have a learning difficulty, I think he’s just socially awkward - and too desperate to be near Jackie to care how obvious he’s being. But I’m happy to be wrong, I thought you were going to say it’s because he’s so ignorant of Judaism.