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Original poster

Citizen Khan

32 replies

TinklyLittleLaugh · 06/11/2015 20:44

See I think Citizen Khan is lazy culturally stereotyping. Totally not funny and racist to boot.

DD2(16) reckons that it is ironic racist stereotyping and the whole thing is tongue in cheek, and therein lies the humour.

So fellow Mumsnetters, is my sense of humour totally unsophisticated or is it just borderline racist crap?

OP posts:
SirChenjin · 06/11/2015 20:45

I want to like it - but it's like watching one of the 'comedies' we used to watch back in the 70s.

EnthusiasmDisturbed · 07/11/2015 08:25

I agree with your dd

I find it funny

gaggiagirl · 07/11/2015 08:27

What sirchenjin said!

SapientPearwood · 07/11/2015 08:27

It's utter crap, it amazes me it got a second series. I cannot understand who is watching it, totally unfunny

TheSpectreOfMorningtonCrescent · 07/11/2015 08:30

Agree with Sirch. lazy, dated, racist. (Oh and not funny, so your dd is wrong on that count, satire should be funny)

thatone · 07/11/2015 08:30

My dss love it (they are teens). Maybe that's who it is aimed at. FWIW as a Muslim person of Asian descent I do not find it racist - more laughing with than laughing at IYSWIM without any malice.

Costacoffeeplease · 07/11/2015 08:42

I think it's awful - not funny, borderline offensive crap - I'm also amazed it got a second series

Interesting that it seems to be teens that like it - never mind, they'll grow up Smile

TheWoodenSpoonOfMischief · 07/11/2015 08:46

It's awful but my 12 yr old niece loves it.

Ifiwasabadger · 07/11/2015 08:51

I think it's hilarious!

SurferJet · 07/11/2015 08:53

It's so bad it's good.

Original poster
TinklyLittleLaugh · 07/11/2015 13:19

Maybe it is those of us who suffered genuinely dodgy racist rubbish like "Love thy Neighbour" in the seventies who are uncomfortable with it then? Sounds like it's the kids who like it.

I suppose the acid test is if Asian people are offended by it.

OP posts:
EnthusiasmDisturbed · 07/11/2015 14:33

I think sometimes people are worried about laughing at other cultures all cultures have elements of ridiculous behaviour to others and all communities have characters like Mr Khan

Recently watched Asian Provocateur which was excellent but some still complained it was racist stereotyping of Asian people and showed Sri Lankan's in a bad light how they came to that conclusion I don't know

SirChenjin · 07/11/2015 14:39

I'm not so much as offended by it as think it's lazy writing - like they've watched hours of reruns of 70s comedies, picked out bits, run them together and set the result against a Muslim backdrop to bring things up to date.

EnthusiasmDisturbed · 07/11/2015 14:46

That's what I think it's meant to be a bit tongue in cheek

Plus it's an asian thing not that all Asians will think it's funny but some can relate to the Asianess (is that a word) of it

The plastic covers on the sofa always makes me smile

Ifiwasabadger · 07/11/2015 15:03

Well I'm 40 so hardly a kid. I live in a muslim country and watched an episode with Asian Muslim friends. They were guffawing!

Penfold007 · 07/11/2015 15:15

Citizen Khan is written by a Anglo-English Muslim and most of the actors are from a similar background. If Citizen Khan is racist the surely Gavin & Stacey and Stella are as well?

Elendon · 07/11/2015 15:16

It's about as funny as Mrs Brown's boys. Which isn't funny but is stereotyping shite.

I'm Irish and I just love Father Ted.

mammmamia · 07/11/2015 15:16

It's so bad it's good. It's meant to be tongue in cheek. I do watch it (probably against my better judgement). I'm Asian but not Muslim.

Elendon · 07/11/2015 15:16

stereotypical

AnyoneButAndre · 07/11/2015 15:17

Asian Provocateur was brilliant - highly recommended to anyone who's missed it.

CK is a basic 1970s/80s style sitcom based around an overblown broadly stereotypical grotesque character, like One Foot In the Grave or Brittas Empire or any of a dozen others of varying quality. The character in question is Asian so those of us of a certain generation get a bit twitchy about that - it's a fine line for the BBC to tread but the alternative is not to acknowledge any form of cultural differences in comedy, and that's not on either, if only because it makes it really tricky for comedians from ethnic minorities to get jobs.

Elendon · 07/11/2015 15:26

Sorry, but last nights programme was absolutely stereotypical nonsense.

White man gets Asian man to use a 'lollipop'. So wrong on so many levels. It was cringeworthy.

Asian and Irish and Black can use common sense.

EnthusiasmDisturbed · 07/11/2015 15:30

but the character does not use his common sense

and he just happens to be Asian

Elendon · 07/11/2015 15:34

But this isn't some mothers do have em.

Sorry, but it is awful. (as was some mothers).

Elendon · 07/11/2015 15:36

It's like white british have got beyond the 70s sit coms, but Black, Irish and Asian still have to work through it.

To quote the Canadian prime minister 'This is 2015'.

AnyoneButAndre · 07/11/2015 16:25

Mrs Brown's Boys is massively massively popular in Ireland. The Christmas specials get 50% viewing figures. Should UNESCO send a deputation to tell them that they shouldn't be enjoying it and need to start watching something more modern immediately?