Was comedy better years ago?
- Thread starter FlapR
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They wouldn't have time to be, the people who immediately/pre-emptively take offence at the 'professionally offended' would get in there ahead of any hypothetical/imaginary objection...
Little Britain isnt remotely funny PC or otherwise. The Fast show is up there with it, neither remotely funny
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Hands up, that must be me, where do I sign up for my loon suit?
Once again it comes down to opinions, in my opinion “Little Britain” should never have been commissioned, and never even by accident should it have appeared on my TV screen, “The Fast Show” was hilarious most of the time, but some of the sketches and/or the characters in them left a great deal to be desired, e.g. Bob Fleming, Johnny the painter, (BLACK! BLACK!), but of course, these are just my opinions, which some loons appear to think that I’m neither entitled to hold nor express.
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Caporegime
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I don’t get the Fast Show or Partridge, I mean i get the joke but I don’t find it remotely funny, my friends LOVES it and constantly quotes it, I just find it awfully cringe worthy. What’s so funny speaking in an exaggerated voice?
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Most of London now it seems. Stabby chavs on scooters.
thats like 40 year old comedy...
was little britain so racist and homophobic, still off air incase a minority of people on twitter get offended.
matt lucas is gay even...
I think one of the issues people have with the old comedies is like anything, they remember the good stuff, they don't remember the terrible rubbish, or the flops.
For every blackadder, Faulty Towers or Young Ones there were dozens or hundreds of immediately forgettable series, even the classics had their dud moments (IIRC first season of Black Adder wasn't anything like as good as season 2 onwards where they got their feet).
There is also an element of what one generation considers funny another often doesn't due to changes in shared experiences, I remember when the "in" jokes for popular stand-up TV comedy was very heavily focused on "ooh my my mother in law is awful" and "my wife can't cook".
Some of those shared experiences might have been long term (Carry on Sergeant etc played a lot on people's experiences in the military/with military films), some might have been quite fleeting and relied on things like you being around for a particular event or time period, whilst others about things that happened long enough back that you forgot the bad for example Dad's Army was long enough after the war to dull the bad memories, but played on the sort of people everyone knew from the time.
These days there is probably more comedy available on TV than ever before, and as you'd pretty much expect the highest profile stuff is largely the blandest/widest appeal because that's what gets the viewers thus the good time slots and the press - I can't stand Mrs Brown's Boys (it feels like some third rate comedy from the 70's) but it's popular, I could never understand the appeal of Friend, but I loved Black Adder, classic Red Dwarf, I can still chuckle over Last of the Summer Wine (although the Russ Abbott era was terrible), I can enjoy Steptoe and Son, the Carry on Films, etc et, I can and do enjoy "edgy" comedy but there are certain types of "comedy" that just make me change channel.
My brother referred to a couple of American sit coms as "frownadies" because as he put it, he ended up less amused at the end of an episode than he was going in (I think he was referring to one that was basically 4 extremely obnoxious characters with no saving graces where every "joke" was a very tired stereotype that mocked a minority group and had no effort put into it, yet apparently it's popular in the US).
For every blackadder, Faulty Towers or Young Ones there were dozens or hundreds of immediately forgettable series, even the classics had their dud moments (IIRC first season of Black Adder wasn't anything like as good as season 2 onwards where they got their feet).
There is also an element of what one generation considers funny another often doesn't due to changes in shared experiences, I remember when the "in" jokes for popular stand-up TV comedy was very heavily focused on "ooh my my mother in law is awful" and "my wife can't cook".
Some of those shared experiences might have been long term (Carry on Sergeant etc played a lot on people's experiences in the military/with military films), some might have been quite fleeting and relied on things like you being around for a particular event or time period, whilst others about things that happened long enough back that you forgot the bad for example Dad's Army was long enough after the war to dull the bad memories, but played on the sort of people everyone knew from the time.
These days there is probably more comedy available on TV than ever before, and as you'd pretty much expect the highest profile stuff is largely the blandest/widest appeal because that's what gets the viewers thus the good time slots and the press - I can't stand Mrs Brown's Boys (it feels like some third rate comedy from the 70's) but it's popular, I could never understand the appeal of Friend, but I loved Black Adder, classic Red Dwarf, I can still chuckle over Last of the Summer Wine (although the Russ Abbott era was terrible), I can enjoy Steptoe and Son, the Carry on Films, etc et, I can and do enjoy "edgy" comedy but there are certain types of "comedy" that just make me change channel.
My brother referred to a couple of American sit coms as "frownadies" because as he put it, he ended up less amused at the end of an episode than he was going in (I think he was referring to one that was basically 4 extremely obnoxious characters with no saving graces where every "joke" was a very tired stereotype that mocked a minority group and had no effort put into it, yet apparently it's popular in the US).
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The 'cringe' is the long running joke in Partridge. The attempt to further his own career at the expense of his peers, friends and PA.
His self definition of success from driving a Rover (remember the Xmas KMKY: what car goes woof woof) with string back driving gloves to being a member of the exclusive leisure club which he calls out a 10 year old for wearing jeans.
The exaggerated voice is his own reassurance of himself to himself.
The Fast Show nailed repetition and catchphrases, from the drainage in the lower field, to I was very, very drunk. Helping create the brand that was different to the characters from Harry Enfield.
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The very very drunk bloke is Boris in 30 years
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I get it, I still cringe, I don’t laugh at the cringe. It’s 1 joke…it’s not smart either. For British comedy I much prefer SBC and his characters.
Which he uses to expose people and their prejudice. That’s cringe and clever.
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Sky haven’t edited Porridge. They’ve just put a warning about containing outdated language. Fletcher isn’t what I’d call racist though. He likes McClaren a lot, he’s just a bit ignorant with his language and attitude, which was probably very common in prison in the 70’s.
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League of Gentlemen, father Ted.
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For a character that's been going since the early 90s, one joke wouldn't have cut it. It is smart. With radio, TV and a Film to boot. Ironically, your comments, I'm reading them in Alan Partridge's voice. This is why you don't get it.