Originally Posted by Alan2005 (Post 7940994)

As much as british humour is based on class, yank humour is based on race. I watch jon stewart regularly and they seem obsessed by it. There's that guy who does the 'black correspondent' bit - I can kind of see why americans find it funny, it just seems odd to me though.

Originally Posted by Alan2005 (Post 7940994)

As much as british humour is based on class, yank humour is based on race. I watch jon stewart regularly and they seem obsessed by it. There's that guy who does the 'black correspondent' bit - I can kind of see why americans find it funny, it just seems odd to me though.

Originally Posted by Oink (Post 7940950)

I personally think the American comics that resort to this type of material come across as unfunny bigoted a-holes.

Originally Posted by Oink (Post 7938277)

It's interesting that N. Americans overwhelmingly self identify as middle class. Everyone from a school caretaker to Jay Leno, from factory worker to Bill Gates. How do you laugh at people who are essentially the same as you, just more successful?

At least with the more distinct class structure in the UK it gives us good comic material. It's funny to laugh at the idiocy of the upper classes, the pitiable sycophancy of the middle class and the bumbling militancy of the working class. In NA, the major differences are ethnicity and religion. Making fun at those just comes across as unseemly bigoted.

Originally Posted by Lord Vader (Post 7941069)

What about the individual?

Originally Posted by Oink (Post 7941074)

Which one?

Originally Posted by Butch Cassidy (Post 7940997)

That is (in my opinion) because Yanks (generally) see race as 'class'.

Originally Posted by Oink (Post 7941018)

As I suggested before, I believe the only major differences between the various immigrant groups in NA are ethnicity and religion and the prejudice and stereotypes that go along with that, so its not surprising that their humour is centered on these constructs

Originally Posted by PrairieSushi (Post 7941254)

British Rail used to have 1st and 2nd class compartments ... the US is the only western country that I'm aware of that segregated public transport based on skin colour.

I think they're in turn embarrassed, obsessed and amused by their own very recent history and it's "racial issues".

Trekkie fact: an episode where Kirk and Uhura kissed wasn't shown widely in the US.

Originally Posted by Butch Cassidy (Post 7941296)

Point 1) I Believe it was in certain STATES not national.

Originally Posted by Butch Cassidy (Post 7941296)

Point 2) Does the word APARTHEID ring a bell? :p

Originally Posted by Oink (Post 7941565)

bollox.

Originally Posted by Alan2005 (Post 7941571)

:confused:

Originally Posted by Oink (Post 7941610)

Its all just bollox.


Translated as; we all live lives of quiet desperation.

Originally Posted by Oink (Post 7941610)

Its all just bollox.

Originally Posted by PrairieSushi (Post 7941534)

South Africa?? Did I have to limit my comment to the developed northern hemisphere??

Go fork yourself twice over with the blunt end of a lacrosse stick :o

Originally Posted by bsmith (Post 7940920)

....although the best of the US stand-ups use these differences to great effect, from Lenny Bruce's cool New York Jew shtich, right through to Chris Rock and his famous "N" word routine. American comics seem to be able to handle these themes with a real confidence that even British performers seems to steer clear of on the whole.

Originally Posted by el_richo (Post 7942022)

Bernard Manning seemed to be able to handle these themes with confidence too.

Originally Posted by dboy (Post 7942618)

Ah, watched him a few times at the Embassy Club. If you were wise you didn't get up during his routine. A bit blue he was:thumbsup:

Another long time Canadian deserving of a mention: Leslie Nielsen -

Originally Posted by dboy (Post 7942618)

Ah, watched him a few times at the Embassy Club. If you were wise you didn't get up during his routine. A bit blue he was:thumbsup:

Another long time Canadian deserving of a mention: Leslie Nielsen -

Originally Posted by Butch Cassidy (Post 7941817)

want to borrow this lacrosse stick when I've finished with it :wub:

Originally Posted by PrairieSushi (Post 7943815)

Only if it isn't slippy ... :o

Originally Posted by el_richo (Post 7942022)

Bernard Manning seemed to be able to handle these themes with confidence too.

Originally Posted by Butch Cassidy (Post 7943825)

nope I wiped all traces of KY off

Originally Posted by Alan2005 (Post 7943828)

bernard manning? ffs - I can't be the only one who thinks he was a fat unfunny racist cock. He is dead isn't he?

Originally Posted by Oink (Post 7943871)

He might be fat and a racist but he could tell a good joke occasionally.

Originally Posted by PrairieSushi (Post 7943875)

Don't see much of Roy "Chubby" Brown here either ... is he still alive??

Originally Posted by Oink (Post 7943871)

He might be fat and a racist but he could tell a good joke occasionally.

Originally Posted by Alan2005 (Post 7943893)

I've only ever seen him tell offensive jokes. Kind of put me off watching anything else so I'll take your word for it that he could be funny. Still, I'm not unhappy that that form of brit humour is in the past.

Originally Posted by Alan2005 (Post 7943893)

I've only ever seen him tell offensive jokes. Kind of put me off watching anything else so I'll take your word for it that he could be funny. Still, I'm not unhappy that that form of brit humour is in the past.

Originally Posted by Oink (Post 7943900)

I totally agree and I thought his racist jokes weren't jokes.

Originally Posted by PrairieSushi (Post 7943926)

Manning died back in 2007 at the age of 76.

He belonged to an earlier era when the word multiculturalism didn't even feature in dictionaries.

Nobody else here remember "Love thy Neighbour"?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_Thy_Neighbour

Let's just say the 70's were a period of adjustment in the UK :o

Originally Posted by Rule 2

2. There may be places where sexually explicit, racist, obscene or vulgar language, graphics or behavior is appropriate however BritishExpats.com is NOT one of them.

Originally Posted by Butch Cassidy (Post 7943929)

Was it social observation or bigotry at its worst?

Originally Posted by iaink (Post 7943944)

Is that clear enough?

Originally Posted by PrairieSushi (Post 7943950)

Probably both :o

Leonard Rossiter died two decades before Manning ... but Rigsby's reactions to Philip in Rising Damp were just as uninformed and negative ... but they were very funny for the viewing public at the time :thumbup:

Maybe if he had lived longer, we'd be calling him an old racist too :(

I've been watching too much Access ... :unsure:

Originally Posted by Alan2005 (Post 7943969)

Rigsby, and Alf Garnet as played by Warrent Mitchel, were sending up those attitudes, whereas manning really was a racist.

(I can't comment on love thy neighbour as I never saw it - the wiki entry makes it sound like social commentary, but that may well be retrospective flattery.)

Originally Posted by Butch Cassidy (Post 7944020)

Ah, now that raises a question. Are (the best) Sit Coms really just social commentaries

Originally Posted by Butch Cassidy (Post 7944020)

is Stand UP comedy essentially based up on bigotry, ridicule and malice

Originally Posted by Alan2005 (Post 7943893)

I've only ever seen him tell offensive jokes. Kind of put me off watching anything else so I'll take your word for it that he could be funny. Still, I'm not unhappy that that form of brit humour is in the past.

Originally Posted by Butch Cassidy (Post 7944020)

Ah, now that raises a question. Are (the best) Sit Coms really just social commentaries AND is Stand UP comedy essentially based up on bigotry, ridicule and malice