AIBU to object to Hancock's Half Hour?

[TiddlesTheTiger]

I took exception to this episode. I complained to the BBC and they replied.
I won't say, yet, what I wrote or what they replied so if you have a few spare mins have a listen to the episode and give me your view.

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/b007yntz .

You dismiss all modern comedies?! Can I suggest, therefore, that you don't have a sense of humour?

JLM was a weird man. Put up with Hatty Jacques and John Schofield, moved into the attic to leave them the house to carry on their affair in. He even agreed to being moved out, in with someone else and admitting to adultery to free her from their marriage.

It was that wife, Joan, who had the affair with Hancock, he took her back.

As I said, JLM was a very odd man!

Is this an example of cancel culture?

So many old programmes and books are objectionable. Jane Austin's characters depended on income from the slave trade, plantations in the West Indies and being absentee landlords in Ireland.

See, this is why satire often doesn't work. Because some people take it literally. I remember my Grandad almost drooling over Alf Garnett in ''Til death us do part' - he was so happy to have his racist, misogynist views validated.

@Silvercatowner

See, this is why satire often doesn't work. Because some people take it literally. I remember my Grandad almost drooling over Alf Garnett in ''Til death us do part' - he was so happy to have his racist, misogynist views validated.

But it helped you see this more clearly, I bet!

It is hard to hear some of these old shows OP. They did some re-runs of Hancock's half hour on the 6.30 slot on radio 4 a while ago. In one episode , there was a character who was clearly meant to be gay (male). This was never explicitly stated but it was clear the audience was meant to understand it. He starts to drown in the sea and all the (male) characters refuse to go to help him. Again, it was not stated explicitly, but we as the audience were clearly meant to understand that no-one would help because he was gay, and that this is where the humour was meant to be.

It was horrible. But I actually think it is important and informative to be exposed to how things used to be. |We mustn't try to hide from our past.

So come on OP, what did the Beeb reply?

I'll bet they promise not to commission any more of Tony Hancock's work.

You best not watch On the Buses, your head will literally explode!!

@TiddlesTheTiger

Any modern day comedy I've seen has been complete rubbish and I haven't stuck around for long enough to check its offensiveness. I guess I'm living in a sheltered bubble.

Not even Schitt's Creek or Ted Lasso or Parks and Rec?

@Georgeskitchen

You best not watch On the Buses, your head will literally explode!!

Or Rising Damp!!

FGS please stop trying to censor things the rest of us can make up our own minds about. It's embarrassing that you are so humourless you don't recognise satire and completely missed the point. It was of its time not made last week.

If YOU are offended by a program then switch it off.

YABVVVU. Tony Hancock is hilarious. And of his time. I still love him.

I appreciate that this post is hopefully probably a joke but bitter experience on MN has taught me that a lot of people genuinely have no clue about irony and honestly wouldn't realise Hancock is mocking men, not criticising women.

@donquixotedelamancha - thank you! Someone else who gets it for what it was meant to be.

@sweeneytoddsrazor

The thing is although a lot of these older programmes wouldn't be made nowadays, many of them were groundbreaking, the first of their kind, more daring than others. In 20 or 30 years time, things that you currently enjoy will be considered unacceptable. Does that make what you enjoy nowadays wrong?

Exactly. What we think is acceptable now probably won't be in a few decades. Cultural beliefs, theory and opinions are constantly evolving. It's really not worth getting het up over a radio comedy show. Save your outrage for something that is damaging people right now.

On the off chance this is genuine, OP should avoid:

• The Great Dictator and The Producers because they idealise Hitler.
• Goodness gracious me and any thing by Key and Peele. Racist.
• Father Ted. Catholic propoganda.

You will, however, love 1984; a heartwarming film about a Eutopian society told through the eyes of a problem citizen who is supported to rehabilitate.

Dalek creator Terry Nation is said by some to have “borrowed” the idea from Tony Hancock. Imagine if the Daleks, rather than shouting “exterminate” had wandered about morosely saying “Innit marvellous, eh” in sarcastic world weary tone.

@donquixotedelamancha

I appreciate that this post is hopefully probably a joke but bitter experience on MN has taught me that a lot of people genuinely have no clue about irony and honestly wouldn't realise Hancock is mocking men, not criticising women.

Well quite. The OP has clearly demonstrated a complete lack of understanding of satire/irony as well as a sense of humour!

(And I've just spent the last half an hour listening to said broadcast, so can confirm that it is a total pisstake of men's attitudes to women.)

Not even Schitt's Creek or Ted Lasso or Parks and Rec?

Ted Lasso might work but if OP genuinely doesn't understand Hancock she hasn't got a cat in hell's chance with the other two.

I would listen to it while I do the dishes but someone nicked my rubber gloves.

And you know, I’ve got to be careful about my nails and shit.

Better not watch punch and Judy, although that is proper shit

Well quite. The OP has clearly demonstrated a complete lack of understanding of satire/irony

I still think she's taking the piss but I'm an optimist.

@Momicrone

Better not watch punch and Judy, although that is proper shit

And what about panto! It's all going on at panto.

@Momicrone

Better not watch punch and Judy, although that is proper shit

Oh no it isn't!

Sorry, I'll get my coat.

YANBU to ask people to listen to this. YABU to object!

I think it's incredibly valuable to listen to this stuff to make people understand what used to be acceptable and how recently won many of our rights as women are, and how precarious the views are around violence against women and girls.

I might play this to some of the teenage boys I know who just the other day were horrified to imagine that in MY LIFETIME there was a European country where women couldn't vote. And I'm not even 40!!