Has Political Correctness ruined good comedy?

Rich-Allen1976 · Post by **Rich-Allen1976** » 20 Dec 2023, 21:50

Has Political Correctness/the "Woke" community ruined comedy? IMO what was hilarious 40/50 years ago in the 70s and 80s wouldn't sit well with most of today's audience, for instance, remember the fury a couple of years ago when the left went Bananas about a certain Fawlty Towers episode because of the N word? Even John Cleese himself, creator and star of Fawlty Towers, said the BBC banning the WHOLE episode was "PC gone mad" and I 100% agree, they could've simply edited out the N word.

Most of the British comedy of the late 60s/early to mid 70s was also a bit un-PC, such as On The Buses, of course everyone that was in that's dead now, the last surviving member of the regular cast, Anna Karen, aka Olive, died last year.

Same with Hi De Hi, which ran throughout most of the 80s over 9 series', with the death of Ruth Madoc last year, there's only Su Pollard left of the original cast.

Anyway, is comedy getting a bit dated/unfunny nowadays due to having to be oh-so PC? Even after 9 PM when they can pretty much do what they want because kids and sensitive old dears are in bed?

Post by **Tuffin** » 20 Dec 2023, 22:33

@Elf and Safety Were you looking for a potentially serious discussion of this topic? If so, I can move this to perhaps General Discussion or another section where someone may want to dig into this. Otherwise, if left in CL it will most likely garner responses like memes or jokes. Pretty un-serious section of AL we are here in CL.

Rich-Allen1976 · Post by **Rich-Allen1976** » 21 Dec 2023, 09:45

O Tuffenbaum wrote: ↑
20 Dec 2023, 22:33
@Elf and Safety Were you looking for a potentially serious discussion of this topic? If so, I can move this to perhaps General Discussion or another section where someone may want to dig into this. Otherwise, if left in CL it will most likely garner responses like memes or jokes. Pretty un-serious section of AL we are here in CL.

Yeah OK

Post by **Beerkeg** » 21 Dec 2023, 10:12

I don't think it has ruined comedy. Rather I think PC people are going too far by tyring to "cancel" comedians who aren't PC. I'd say a "Don't like it? Don't watch it" policy should be in effect. Comedy is not personal. Anything said is simply said for laughs. Popular stereotypes are known to everyone, jokes regarding them or hinting at them are funny because everyone knows them. Similar to innuendos, you don't have to go into detail about them because you already know whats being hinted at. Certain people and dungeons, drivers of different types, level of talent regarding skills. I don't have to go into details, but you can already draw conclusions. Apply the right context and comedy ensues. People find different things humorous and I don't think anyone has the right to say what can be funny.

Rich-Allen1976 · Post by **Rich-Allen1976** » 21 Dec 2023, 11:02

Beerkeg wrote: ↑
21 Dec 2023, 10:12
I don't think it has ruined comedy. Rather I think PC people are going too far by tyring to "cancel" comedians who aren't PC. I'd say a "Don't like it? Don't watch it" policy should be in effect. Comedy is not personal. Anything said is simply said for laughs. Popular stereotypes are known to everyone, jokes regarding them or hinting at them are funny because everyone knows them. Similar to innuendos, you don't have to go into detail about them because you already know whats being hinted at. Certain people and dungeons, drivers of different types, level of talent regarding skills. I don't have to go into details, but you can already draw conclusions. Apply the right context and comedy ensues. People find different things humorous and I don't think anyone has the right to say what can be funny.

Some comedians, such as Roy "Chubby" Brown are just crude for the sake of it, nobody over the age of 5 finds gratuitous swearing remotely funny IMO, the only exception is someone like Brendan "Mrs Brown" O'Caroll, he swears in character most of the time and it's funny because it's in character/context.

Some people still don't like it, even though he's always on after 9 PM where they can show pretty much what they want because sensitive people and young kids are in bed, but that's their lookout.

Like I said last night, what was pant wettingly funny 40 odd years ago in the 70s and 80s, wouldn't sit well with modern "Woke" audiences these days.

Such as most of the content of the old Fawlty Towers episodes, I know John Cleese wants to bring it back with his real life daughter in the role made famous by Prunella Scales in the original, but with all due respect to him I'd rather he didn't, as it'd have to be a LOT different to what the 70s original was, and consequently probably a LOT less funny.

Just stick to repeats of the old ones on UK Gold.

Post by **Ojisama** » 22 Dec 2023, 23:38

Has the woke environment ruined British Comedy? I think that would depend on your age. I think that most young people won't get the comedy in the home grown shows from the 60's, 70's & 80's because they haven't lived through the experiences that we had. The language is different. The morals are different. Think "Tom Brown's School days" versus "Billy Bunter" versus "Grange Hill"

It was a while ago now, but they tried to revive the "Carry On" franchise with some (then) contemporary comedians and sit-com actors but it was a complete disaster. Society changes, sometimes for the better and sometimes not, and we cannot live in the past no matter how "good" we thought it was.

Rich-Allen1976 · Post by **Rich-Allen1976** » 25 Dec 2023, 15:41

Santa's Beard Warmer wrote: ↑
22 Dec 2023, 23:38
Has the woke environment ruined British Comedy? I think that would depend on your age. I think that most young people won't get the comedy in the home grown shows from the 60's, 70's & 80's because they haven't lived through the experiences that we had. The language is different. The morals are different. Think "Tom Brown's School days" versus "Billy Bunter" versus "Grange Hill"

It was a while ago now, but they tried to revive the "Carry On" franchise with some (then) contemporary comedians and sit-com actors but it was a complete disaster. Society changes, sometimes for the better and sometimes not, and we cannot live in the past no matter how "good" we thought it was.

The biggest problem there's that most of the original cast of the "Carry On" franchise has been dead for years, including Dame Barbara Windsor who passed on last year.

And like I said, what was pant wettingly funny in those days, would potentially offend some people these days.