To wonder why Romesh Ranganathan…

[Rainymoondays]

Had so much exposure on TV? He’s really really unfunny, he’s a crap stilted presenter and just makes everything awkward.

Try looking up the definition of racism or maybe you could give an example of it on this thread.

I think saying a Sri Lankan man is grubby and dirty and needs a good wash is an unpleasant thing to say. But of course, you wouldn't be able to recognise that as wrong would you

I'm with you on this OP. He makes me cringe. To me, he comes across as not giving a shit and trying to turn this into some kind of joke. It's not funny, it's painful to watch. He seems empty and emotionless.
However other people do find him hilarious. I don't see it, but each to their own!

Somebody upthread said/implied that Romesh only got where he is today because he 'ticks DEI boxes'.

Presumably, the suggestion is that Romesh only got to where he is today because he's not white; and by the same token, millions of people who choose to watch Romesh because they like his presenting and/or find him and his programmes witty/funny/intelligent/engaging/entertaining are actually mistaken and are only watching him because he's not white and, for some reason, they feel that they therefore 'should do their duty', even though they don't actually like him or his output at all.

I don’t think that particularly about Romesh Ranganathan, but quite a few comedians come across as though they do need a good wash. I don’t know if some of them deliberately cultivate “scruffy” as part of their act. Joe Wilkinson, who I hadn’t heard of until Celebrity Traitors, definitely falls into that category for me.

I like him because of his general unimpressed-ness. He’s like a cat in human form.
Asian Provocateur is one of the few things I could watch and enjoy when I was signed off work with depression a few years ago.

He is meant to be a curmudgeon. A bit like Jack Dee. I find very funny. 🤩

I think he's great ... love most of the stuff he's in. I love self deprecating humour. His podcast with Tom Davis is excellent ... they both come across as really decent men IMO. I'm going to their live tour in Brighton in a couple of weeks.

Nowhere and at no point have I mentioned his race or even alluded to it.

He does look grubby and dirty to me. But then as someone else above said, Joe Wilkinson does to her. It’s a massive stretch to say I think that because of his Sri Lankan heritage and probably says more about your perceptions than mine.

This is what he used to look like versus now. He looks like he needs a good hairwash, haircut and beard trim to me. End of.

Ok one person said that. It wasn’t me. That was racist. That does not make the thread ‘full of racist dog whistles’ it just makes one person that posted an idiot.

I haven't seen any comedy with him, but I thought he was great in Avoidance - very deadpan and droll. His character, Jonathan, reminded me of somebody I know.

Hasn’t he said himself he ticks boxes?

A bit far fetched to say calling him scruffy is racist when he is, as are lots of people of all races! If it was said about someone well groomed you would have a point. If that was said about Rishi Sunak for example.

I don’t think he’s particularly funny either and he does come across as awkward. I tried watching The Weakest Link with teenage DS a few months back when he was going through a game show phase and I thought he was terrible. I don’t like a lot of comedians though tbh- Lee Mack, Michael Macintyre, Jason Manford, Peter Kay even. I accept lots and lots of people love them so whatever. It’s subjective as with anything.

Romeshs mum is exactly like this in real life. Romeshs dad went to prison when he was a child and the family had to move into a BnB. They were living in one room.

Anyway his dad died at some point so think he's quite protective and involves her as she's on her own.

Crawley has a big fish in a little pond mentality like many small towns and I think Romeshs dry self deprecating humour is kind of what you develop to survive in those kind of towns.

I find him hilarious . His travel stuff in particular

Yes, he has - but clearly as part of his self-deprecating style of humour; and quite probably to get in there first before the racists accuse him of it, so he can diffuse their unfounded beliefs.

Do you really think for a moment that he would have the nerve to say that if it were actually true?

I don’t know. I don’t know him, so I don’t know why he said it. None of us are mind-readers.

I love his Mum and I think she fits in perfectly to the format of Parents' Evening.

Neither of them are trying to sell her as an amazing superstar - she just nicely balances the fact that all the celeb contestants are in parent/adult child couples and occasionally makes witty observations or acts as a foil for Romesh's gentle teasing at appropriate times.

And not that she is there just 'ticking boxes' any more than he is - after all, it's hardly surprising that Sri Lankan Romesh will have a mother who is also Sri Lankan and a generation older than him - but elderly Asian women are hardly over-represented on TV, are they?

I find him very funny.

That s not what he looks at when presenting his latest shows, but if you're desperate for him to be a grubby little man, then so be it

I quite like him, he’s got a dry humour which I usually enjoy

I like him, he’s great live, but agree he’s overexposed now.

Well supposing you were well-known by all your colleagues for being utterly useless at your job, but you knew you'd only been given it (and hadn't ever been sacked) because you had a protected characteristic and the boss thought it gave them some kudos having you there as a token to make up the diversity numbers... would YOU keep reminding your colleagues that you only got the job because of your race/disability/sexuality or whatever?

Pretty sure the box ticking comment was a joke. I can think of several other comedians who have said similar- Zoe Lyons for example.

And I suspect Ramesh works so much for the same reason that Rob Beckett (and my DP, although he’s not a comedian!) do. Poverty mindset.