Absolutely Fabulous

[ChickenLickn]

Is absolutely fabulous the best feminist TV show?

The main characters all women, it certainly passes the bechdel test.

Is comedy more feminist than other genres? we have many strong female characters and shows.

I'm not sure what would qualify a show as feminist, really. Maybe you could have a wholly feminist drama (though, I have doubts) but I suspect a wholly feminist comedy might not be funny. Ideologically driven humour almost always sucks.

Did you like abfab? It was years ago.. It's worth a rewatch!

There is no need to categorise it as anything except a comedy! And a really massively successful one.

When Jennifer Saunders wrote it I mean just a guess but she had an idea for a situation comedy and the characters, what sort of tensions etc would create a basis for the set up for the comedy. And what sort of things she would poke fun at.

The result was main characters all women. Sorry hadn't counted earlier just thought of the family! 5 I think. Loads of episodes no other people. The jokes were about things that women will generally recognise and relate to way more than men.

A TV prog in mainstream and with slot when people watch.

With all females in lead/ frequent roles.

With a script that was written by a woman and joking about things to do with women.

Was and still is just massively rare.

It was broadcast as a comedy.

If for some reason it had been advertising/ described by the BBC as I dunno.
Groundbreaking all female comedy!
Comedy written and performed by women, women will relate to it!
Brand new feminist sitcom!

How many people would have watched it?!

And it wouldn't etc ever been described as that because the fact it's all women by women on things that loads of women will relate to/ find funny.

So what?

Sitcoms often have a certain situation, angle etc. And it's not usually. Stated as a thing.... The situation is stated and a bit about what happens.

You believe there have not been any dramas that highly highlight various aspects of feminism on telly? Things that are about women's rights / include showing women in situations that were unfair/ awful/ women worked to change?

Come off it

I can think of a stack well known immediately. Some I have seen advertised but haven't even seen, it was that clear.

Come on now.

If I tell you some will you find reasons you don't think they're actually feminist at all?

I'm not even going to bother with the women who are interested in women's rights are incapable of humour thing. Noted though!

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. A masterpiece in every way, and feminist as fuck.

Not seen it.

Feminist drama though. Doubt it would work
Off the top of my head and vv mainstream-
Cagney and Lacey
Thelma and Louise
Call the midwife
Dagenham
As a start...

In fact Dagenham also had loads of humour in it.

The OP was written before the film came out
..... ZOMBIE ALERT!!!!

However.....in the film saffy warns her DD (who did become Lola despite Saffy naming her Jane) that she sacrificed her childhood in an attempt to piss off her mother and that Lola shouldnt do the same.

So it really was her rebellion that she was so buttoned up and disapproving, one cant help but think that if Gran had been Saffy's mother then Saffy would have ended up as an Eddie. Probably not with Titi Kaka as a friend though.

Titi kaka 🤣

I know its wrong but when Eddie says it its like it was a first name and a surname so thats how I've aways imagined it as somehow the C doesnt work :o

yes.

jennifer saunders goes after new age women's cults, the inanity of the fashion business, dieting, the pressure to be thin.

• it's funny as fuck, sweetie darling

@colditz

yes, Saffy is the voice of the establishment - and she spends most of her time, each episode, being made to look fuddy-duddy, ridiculous, and dull.

It's a comedy you realise?

Then it where Eddie and Patsy come home after a night drinking is one of the funniest things (and most relatable) I’ve ever seen.

The joke is that the roles are reversed surely.

Eddie behaves like a teenager and saffy is sensible and says things to her that a mum would say to a teen.

Colditz I didn't read it like that at all!

Eddie and patsy behaviour totally OTT! Eddie throwing teenage tantrums and being horrible to saffy like teens can do to mum. You don't understand you're so square boring I hate you!

The other point is that saffy is a teen and rebellion against parents is really common. To rebel against Eddie what is going to get up her nose worst?

While finding patsy Eddie hilarious and relating to a point as loads of women did...

You're not supposed to like them! They're horrible people. Childish, self centred, no empathy and both horrible to a teen girl.

You're supposed to feel sympathy for saffy growing up in that environment. And understand her frustration and firmly suppressed upset at being treated that way by her mum.

The gran takes the edge of how awful it is for her by giving her someone who loves her, spends time with her. And importantly makes subtlish digs at Eddie and she's her mum so has a different impact (and makes saffy giggle ).

It's interesting to see how others saw it!

I also think that parents of teenagers loved it because we could do the whole raised eyebrows "thats you that is" at our teens who loved it too. I know I did. DD (now 24) loved it, then hated it, now loves it again and has actually apologised for her own "throwing myself down the stairs for attention" moment!

Same with Kevin the Teenager. We all laughed together right up until my (now adult) teen son realised that we werent laughing at the same thing he was....went off a bit after that :o

Lol that was so funny with the stairs 😀😀😀

And the ingratiating voice and behaviour when wheedling. Saffy just standing there and saying. What do you want? In a tired voice

I have to plunge headfirst down a flight of a vertical stairs to even raise an eyebrow from you these days

Edina “I’m not a fat person inside me there’s a thin person trying to get out”

June Whitfield “just the one dear” 😁

In the film, the ex husband Marshall is turning into a transgender woman. His wife mentions that his penis will be removed, but that they are having additional counselling to deal with that....

MsT

Ha! Awesome June Whitfield.

Remember when announced cast, there was a bit of ??? June Whitfield?!

Course mostly known for Terry and June.

She was fab in... Abfab

The Chicago skit is absolute gold. So well done

Having female characters in a TV program or book doesn't mean the piece is feminist though.