Racism and little britain - and general comedic attitudes towards race

[Trimm Trabb]

*This is a general question, not just about the show concerned*

This is a question ive been considering, and have heard a few arguments about. For those that havn't seen the new series (which isn't very good tbh) it contains both a black and Thai character both played by white men dressed and "blacked up". Is this racism, or just the actors playing characters in a modern ethnic britain?

Ive heard a few people claiming the show to be racist, but these were all white people. But are people dressed as characters from a different race racist? Well, in my opinion i believe that maybe it could also show a positive sign. Sadly comedy is mainly played by white actors and actresses, and doesn't show a broad spectrum of the comunity. White characters poke fun at many faults, and at the end of the day it is the situation that is funny not the race and creed of the character.

At first i found the Thai sketch featuring a character called "ting tong" racist, but then as the sketch went on i realised that the character would still provide the same jokes if it was a white character, and that the joke was that she was a looser pretending to be something she was not. Should little britain have therefore made the character white? Or does it show a less racist attitude to portray a character from a different racial background?

Is the worry about a person from a white background portraying a different ethnic group somthing we should applaud for breaking down racial barriers and making a less racist world, or an example of racism its self??

213.78.199.214.

[Qdrop]

that show is clearly trying to use crude shock tactics to generate media attention and get ratings...

as if you couldn't find a black or asian actor to play the role...
compounded by the fact that you say they are using offensive characterizations of a race for "humor"...(ting tong)....

that's pathetic...

[TonsOfFun]

satire and stereotypes. They take the piss out of gays, chavs, scottish, middle-class and working class Britain. So no it ain't racism, it's just comedy. Other wise every group will be whining and bitching about it, be it black, white, yellow, gay, straight, chav, overweight.

You're reading too much into it.

[Qdrop]

satire and stereotypes. They take the piss out of gays, chavs, scottish, middle-class and working class Britain. So no it ain't racism, it's just comedy. Other wise every group will be whining and bitching about it, be it black, white, yellow, gay, straight, chav, overweight.

You're reading too much into it.

true, but there is a line in there somewhere...

having not seen this show, it's kinda tough to judge...

perhaps it's a pathetic ploy at media attention and contraversy.....or perhaps it's a funny, and incitefull attempt at poking fun at stereotypes..

[Odie]

For somthing as very mild in content as LB means that you have to shock if you want to make an impression I guess. Either that or how i think is that comdens thinly veil their prejudice with a ironic character routine like Ricky Gervais or Jimmy (wayne) Carr to cleverly get away with cheep laughs. It Seems that the audience has to be as thick as the characters to get it.

How is "I'm a La-a-a-dy" and the like ever actually funny?

British comdy is in the tollet, it has been for a while I'm afraid.

[Trimm Trabb]

It does poke fun the stereotypes. The Thai girl turns out to not be called ting tong, but to be called a british name. She is using the name to pose as a mail order bride. Also the joke isn't really about her race. It could easily not be someone of her race.

The point of the show is that all the characters are played by the same 2 actors, as it is a sketch show. So they wouldn't have been able to use a thai actress. Though they do have many asian and black actors as extra's, and many of the sketches are openly attacking racism.

[Trimm Trabb]

satire and stereotypes. They take the piss out of gays, chavs, scottish, middle-class and working class Britain. So no it ain't racism, it's just comedy. Other wise every group will be whining and bitching about it, be it black, white, yellow, gay, straight, chav, overweight.

You're reading too much into it.

Thats my belief, but other people are aguing that the said sketches are racist.

[Trimm Trabb]

For somthing as very mild in content as LB means that you have to shock if you want to make an impression I guess. Either that or how i think is that comdens thinly veil their prejudice with a ironic character routine like Ricky Gervais or Jimmy (wayne) Carr to cleverly get away with cheep laughs. It Seems that the audience has to be as thick as the characters to get it.

How is "I'm a La-a-a-dy" and the like ever actually funny?

British comdy is in the tollet, it has been for a while I'm afraid.

What are you on about? Have you not seen peep show, league of gentlmen, the mighty boosh?

[TonsOfFun]

The asian lady is asain in the fat fighters.

edit: I still love it, have only seen a few minutes of this series so far but I've laughed.

[voltanapricot]

Stop posting utter bollocks Sercomdj01.

[TonsOfFun]

Stop posting utter bollocks Sercomdj01.

who dat?

[voltanapricot]

Someone who was banned that's going out with Trimm Trabb and posts from time to time on her account.

[Trimm Trabb]

The asian lady is asain in the fat fighters.

Yaah, i said that. But the main characters are played by matt lucus and david walliams, and i don't think they are really created to shock. The vomiting ladies were created to shock and they were awful :(

Anyway, i think that comedians should pick up on the racist attitudes in britain, because they're are no people more stupid than racists.... except the irish. (jk)

[Trimm Trabb]

Stop posting utter bollocks Sercomdj01.

What? Am trying to creat an interesting conversation. You can post what you want on the board, if you want to make your usual posts licking roosters arse thats you choice :)

[Odie]

What are you on about? Have you not seen peep show, league of gentlmen, the mighty boosh?

yes the peep show granted but doesn't come close to US contemporary comedy (Arrested Development, Curb Your Enthusiasm, South Park even) i could quite as easily ask you have you not seen Spoons. The mighty boosh is just shit end of.

[voltanapricot]

What? Am trying to creat an interesting conversation. You can post what you want on the board, if you want to make your usual posts licking roosters arse thats you choice :)
I get it, frequent interaction on the MB = arse licking, right.

[Qdrop]

The point of the show is that all the characters are played by the same 2 actors, as it is a sketch show. So they wouldn't have been able to use a thai actress. Though they do have many asian and black actors as extra's, and many of the sketches are openly attacking racism.

well, that does shine a differant light on it....

didn't know it was a sketch show...

[ChrisLove]

I think the line between racism and comedy depends on where the joke is. For example, in Little Britain, we don’t laugh at Andy because he is disabled, we laugh at him because he is actually not disabled and is just lazy and gives Lou the run around. Similarly, Daffyd is funny not because he is gay but because he pretends to be gay to shock people but in reality people arnt shocked and hes not gay anyway….many of the LB characters have his theme - they start by showing you a ludicrous stereotype and then reveal that the character is not what you thought and is only pretending to fit into that stereotype for some ulterior motive, hence the butt of the joke is not the stereotype but the person trying to use the stereotype..

Some of the newer ones get close to crossing the line, Mrs Emery is completely one dimensional, the 'joke' is that she is incontinent – Ha bloody ha. Likewise the health spa fat chicks seem to just be funny because they are fat again pretty one dimensional . Ting Tong is a bit close to the mark as well, simply because a big part of the gag is that she is slitty eyed and has a silly accent (but I think as the series develops, LB revert to the usual gag of showing that the person doesn’t fit the stereotype at all).

[Trimm Trabb]

[yes the peep show granted but doesn't come close to US contemporary comedy (Arrested Development, Curb Your Enthusiasm, South Park even) i could quite as easily ask you have you not seen Spoons. The mighty boosh is just shit end of.

I like the mighty boosh, just for the charm. I admit its not the funniest thing ever. I watched spoons when i was drunk and can't really remember much about it. I didn't enjoy it, but was been sick at the time!! So is it worth tuning in for? The only shows of recent times that'll go down as classic are the league of gentlemen, and the office (which i aint the hugest fan off) and maybe phoenix nights. Have you seen the worse week of my life? Thats kinda allright.

Yeah, and american comedy is great at the moment. But the american classic comedy doesn't match the british classic comedy in my opinion.

213.78.199.214

[Trimm Trabb]

I get it, frequent interaction on the MB = arse licking, right.

"oh rooster, could you get any funnier?" *swoon*

[Odie]

No please don't watch Spoons it was a just example of how shite brit com can be, It really shouldn't exist.

[Trimm Trabb]

No please don't watch Spoons it was a just example of how shite brit com can be, It really shouldn't exist.

So i was right when i was drunk? Wow!

What about the show on BBC3 from the producer off the office? Can't remember the name....

Spaced was good too, and black books!

[Echewta]

I like little britian and being a Thai woman, I'm not offended.

Now Blazing Saddles, that was something to be mad about.

[roosta]

the point is, is that they play all the characters.

the most offensive thing about the show is that they think they can keep rehashing the same sketches over and over again.... should have stopped at the last series.

[Trimm Trabb]

the point is, is that they play all the characters.

the most offensive thing about the show is that they think they can keep rehashing the same sketches over and over again.... should have stopped at the last series.

Yeah, i'm disapointed. They need to do what the league of gentlmen did, and reinvent the characters ie. series 3 style :)

[CJM]

i've said it before, and willl say it again, race is a great joke. there's nothing more funny than a black comedian saying he gets pulled over by the cops, a brown guy getting hassled at the airport, an east indian saying his mom puts too much spice in the food, and a white guy going about his normal life. making fun of people and laughing about itvis who we are.