Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Little Britain

358 replies

tallulahhula33 · 19/08/2022 17:13

Just seen an interesting discussion on Twitter regarding Little Britain and how damaging it was to minority groups in the UK. I must admit I liked it at the time (I was a teenager) but can't understand how they got away with it now. And I don't think I've ever seen them apologise for it?

There was the disabled guy pretending to be disabled.
The old lady who threw up when she found out anyone foreign had baked the cake and she was eating.
The university secretary who used blatant racist language.
Also transphobic/homophobic issues.

Were they perhaps double bluffing by poking fun at the views of people who for example think all disabled people are fakers? Or was it really that offensive? It definitely wouldn't be aired now but it wasn't really all that long ago. And Walliams and Lucas are still very much in the public eye.

OP posts:
Bubblebubblebah · 19/08/2022 17:15

All my foreign mates liked it. It was taking a very obvious piss out of racists and stereotypes. There were few bits which are quite questionable but for example the one throwing up foreign food. Who was the butt of the joke in that particular skeetch? That one! Same with Weight watchers scenes.

Justjoinedforthis · 19/08/2022 17:16

It was poking fun at British people’s views and small mindedness, but man has not aged well! I think they did say sorry for some parts, but not totally sure

SherbetDips · 19/08/2022 17:17

It was and still is hilarious… Matt Lucas has actually said he wouldn’t make all of the sketches now.

cheaplyormeek · 19/08/2022 17:19

Oh for heavens sake. The world is so overly PC now.

I'm 'brown' and find it really funny. It takes the piss out of everyone, 'typical Brits' included.

The disabled wheelchair user in the sketches doesn't seem to be poking fun at disabled people and claiming they really can walk etc. that didn't cross my mind

SherbetDips · 19/08/2022 17:19

See image

Little Britain
cheaplyormeek · 19/08/2022 17:20

Wasn't Come Fly With Me done by Matt Lucas too? That was more recent than little Britain and had quite people playing other races

miserablecat · 19/08/2022 17:20

I would say the most controversial aspect was them doing "black face" in both LB and come fly with me. I was astonished at the time that that was passed as acceptable (by TV channels as well as ML and DW)

UWhatNow · 19/08/2022 17:21

Bubblebubblebah · 19/08/2022 17:15

All my foreign mates liked it. It was taking a very obvious piss out of racists and stereotypes. There were few bits which are quite questionable but for example the one throwing up foreign food. Who was the butt of the joke in that particular skeetch? That one! Same with Weight watchers scenes.

The throwing up sketches were genius and so redolent of the racist attitudes of some of the older generations. It was shining a light on racism. As was the Fat Fighters scenes. It was ignorance that was the butt of the joke.

MardyBumm · 19/08/2022 17:22

I found it hillerious at the time (I think I was around 18 when it came out) but always took it that they were poking fun at bigoted, small minded British people as opposed to the large people at the weight watchers or the foreign people. I think Come Fly with Me was worse for racial stereotypes.

Bubblebubblebah · 19/08/2022 17:23

DH and I are quite if the opinion that people who hate it (not just some if the aspects like mentioned by pps above) hate it because they see themselves in it and don't like being made fun off... If you see what we mean

LadyCampanulaTottington · 19/08/2022 17:24

Woke is killing comedy.

KimberleyClark · 19/08/2022 17:24

The disabled wheelchair user in the sketches doesn't seem to be poking fun at disabled people and claiming they really can walk etc. that didn't cross my mind

I always thought that sketch was taking the piss out of patronising attitudes towards disabled people, not disabled people themselves.

balalake · 19/08/2022 17:29

It was of its time, poking fun at a different kind of Britain than we have now.

NellesVilla · 19/08/2022 17:29

Loved it! Was quite young at the time, looked up Ann, Bubbles, Lou and Andy et al on YouTube recently and they are sooo good. The only one I couldn’t bear was the “bitty” one.

KimberleyClark · 19/08/2022 17:31

I didn’t like the incontinent old woman at the supermarket. But thought Marjorie Dawes ( Fatfighters) was a brilliant creation.

Bubblebubblebah · 19/08/2022 17:33

balalake · 19/08/2022 17:29

It was of its time, poking fun at a different kind of Britain than we have now.

I am afraid lots of the attitudes still apply. But people just don't voice them as openly

Soubriquet · 19/08/2022 17:34

I didn’t like little Britain because I thought it was stupid.

If people keep shouting for things to be cancelled due to racism etc, you are literally erasing how people were racist in the first place

Original poster
tallulahhula33 · 19/08/2022 17:46

Fwiw I did used to find it very funny, I'm just shocked that they got away with it.

OP posts:
catsoup · 19/08/2022 17:53

Before Little Britain they did another sketch show called Rock Profiles where they take the piss out of famous musicians. The Shirley Bassey and Tom Jones impersonations were bloody hilarious.

TurmericTeeth · 19/08/2022 17:57

I found it funny because it made fun of the stereotypes showing how idiotic and small minded the people who believed them were.
I think it's important to laugh at ourselves.
The WI woman sketch who threw up at foreigners and same sex couples was making fun of the stupidity of racists, it was making fun of her not the foreigners.
The disabled guy wasn't made fun of, it was of his carer who catered for his every whim and was in total denial of all the things he (the disabled guy) could do that it ended up making the carer's life much harder so nobody wins. It was making fun of her stupidity she wanted to keep him disabled.
I loved the little lady testiclee sketch.
It has aged because the society has become so woke and twitter would chop your head off at the slightest criticism. There is a difference between comedy and oppression. There is a great shame when you sensor art because even if it is offensive to some it should be debated and talked about not cancelled.

Suetwo · 19/08/2022 17:58

The only sketch I really loathed was the one in which Walliams is dressed as an ugly old man who has a Thai bride. Every time he decides to get rid of her, she gives him a BJ. I always found that really distasteful. It seemed to be making fun of the plight of these women. A young Thai girl being married to an ugly western man (who is, let's be honest, taking advantage of her poverty), isn't funny to me.

PugInTheHouse · 19/08/2022 17:58

I always assumed they were taking the piss out of the racists and people's attitudes about disabled people etc hence why they got away with it. I have no problem with it personally. Couldn't stand Bitty though, too cringy for me.

Bubblebubblebah · 19/08/2022 18:02

Marjorie was not only racist but also hypocritical bully

Bubblebubblebah · 19/08/2022 18:03

I wonder what would people make out of Ahmed the dead terrorist which brought us great laughs🙈

TooBigForMyBoots · 19/08/2022 18:03

Their Pop Profiles was way better.