Little Britan black facing? (Europe, member, shows, quote, performers)

DearJenny · 08-10-2007, 10:34 PM

I was flipping the channels and came across BBC America and Little Britain was on. which I've only watched a handful of times. There was a sketch with two men in vaudeville black-face and they were listening to a modern radio station looking all unhappy and switched it to another and "my dear old bonnie" was on it and they started singing to it and eating their cereal. So this leads to a question since I am fairly niave to foriegn attitudes....

Are people more understanding in other countries than America, like look at their history with a bit more comical sense and take things like that less critically?

pheurton · 08-11-2007, 07:22 AM

It's not that we're more understanding as such, It's just that through comedy anything is accepted. America does it too, take George Carlin or Dave Chapelle for example.

adidasss · 08-11-2007, 08:31 AM

Yeah, except that these are two white people, I'm not sure how that would fly in America. Either way, I think europeans are a little more lax about racism.

Barnard17 · 08-11-2007, 11:28 AM

They're dressed as minstrels. It's called the minstrel sketch. It's not racially motivated.

adidasss · 08-11-2007, 12:20 PM

"minstrel show - a troupe of performers in blackface typically giving a comic program of negro songs and jokes"

How is that not racially motivated? I don't have a problem with the sketch, I took it as a satire of original minstrel shows that if I'm not mistaken, mocked black people.

Barnard17 · 08-11-2007, 12:30 PM

It's mocking the minstrels though, not the black people that the minstrels were mocking. Ergo it is not racially motivated, because they couldn't care less whether the minstrels were black or white.

adidasss · 08-11-2007, 12:42 PM

Yes, but race is still definitely an issue, even if vicariously.

jackhammer · 08-11-2007, 01:14 PM

How this would go down in America? I really don't know. The impression that we (the British) get from America is political correctness gone mad-even on this site the word g-a-y is censored (?). We have had no complaints (that I know of) or tabloid furore over this sketch. Britain is generally accepted as a racially tolerant society.

Barnard17 · 08-11-2007, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by adidasss

Yes, but race is still definitely an issue, even if vicariously.

It's not at all maliciously intended and the contextual relation along with modern social relevance is scant at best.

sleepy jack · 08-11-2007, 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jackhammer

How this would go down in America? I really don't know. The impression that we (the British) get from America is political correctness gone mad-even on this site the word g-a-y is censored (?). We have had no complaints (that I know of) or tabloid furore over this sketch. Britain is generally accepted as a racially tolerant society.

America is political correctness gone mad (Remember when they tried to get the Charlie Brown Christmas Special banned?) and if this went down here I imagine there would be alot controversy surrounding it.

08-10-2007, 10:34 PM	#1 (permalink)
DearJenny Raptor Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Metro Detroit, MI Posts: 1,321	Little Britan black facing? I was flipping the channels and came across BBC America and Little Britain was on. which I've only watched a handful of times. There was a sketch with two men in vaudeville black-face and they were listening to a modern radio station looking all unhappy and switched it to another and "my dear old bonnie" was on it and they started singing to it and eating their cereal. So this leads to a question since I am fairly niave to foriegn attitudes.... Are people more understanding in other countries than America, like look at their history with a bit more comical sense and take things like that less critically? __________________ So here's to living life miserable. And here's to all the lonely stories that I've told. Maybe drinking wine will validate my sorrow. Every man needs a muse and mine could be the bottle.

08-11-2007, 08:31 AM	#3 (permalink)
adidasss Slavic gay sauce Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Abu Dhabi Posts: 7,993	Yeah, except that these are two white people, I'm not sure how that would fly in America. Either way, I think europeans are a little more lax about racism. __________________ “Think of what a paradise this world would be if men were kind and wise.” - Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle. Last.fm

08-11-2007, 11:28 AM	#4 (permalink)
Barnard17 My home? Discabled, Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Bristol, UK Posts: 204	They're dressed as minstrels. It's called the minstrel sketch. It's not racially motivated. __________________ Vita brevis, Occasio praeceps

08-11-2007, 12:20 PM	#5 (permalink)
adidasss Slavic gay sauce Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Abu Dhabi Posts: 7,993	"minstrel show - a troupe of performers in blackface typically giving a comic program of negro songs and jokes" How is that not racially motivated? I don't have a problem with the sketch, I took it as a satire of original minstrel shows that if I'm not mistaken, mocked black people. __________________ “Think of what a paradise this world would be if men were kind and wise.” - Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle. Last.fm

08-11-2007, 12:30 PM	#6 (permalink)
Barnard17 My home? Discabled, Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Bristol, UK Posts: 204	It's mocking the minstrels though, not the black people that the minstrels were mocking. Ergo it is not racially motivated, because they couldn't care less whether the minstrels were black or white. __________________ Vita brevis, Occasio praeceps

08-11-2007, 07:22 AM	#2 (permalink)
pheurton n/a Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 990	It's not that we're more understanding as such, It's just that through comedy anything is accepted. America does it too, take George Carlin or Dave Chapelle for example.

08-11-2007, 12:42 PM	#7 (permalink)
adidasss Slavic gay sauce Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Abu Dhabi Posts: 7,993	Yes, but race is still definitely an issue, even if vicariously. __________________ “Think of what a paradise this world would be if men were kind and wise.” - Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle. Last.fm

08-11-2007, 01:14 PM	#8 (permalink)
jackhammer Ba and Be. Join Date: May 2007 Location: This Is England Posts: 17,331	How this would go down in America? I really don't know. The impression that we (the British) get from America is political correctness gone mad-even on this site the word g-a-y is censored (?). We have had no complaints (that I know of) or tabloid furore over this sketch. Britain is generally accepted as a racially tolerant society. __________________ It be my music and film collection. “A cynic by experience, a romantic by inclination and now a hero by necessity.”