There is an interesting comment about BBC radio programmes on Catholic Commentary . I have been thinking about the dire state of British humour. I just received a program of events for the theatres in Bradford. Under nearly all of the comedy shows it says, "Not suitable for under 16's" Some of the blurbs even say -"Adult only" We know what that means.
There was a time when blue material was kept off the TV and radio, but now anything is permissable. There is a Scottish comedian whose material is often beyond the obscene, and he is given prime time. I was just about able to accept Billy Connolly, in spite of the f-words, because he was, now and then, side-splittingly funny, but I now realise that it was a mistake to sit still for that. Lee Evans, who I once thought was a comic genius, seems unable to do a "gig" without the constant use of the f-word (along with other things). Is it funny? Not to me. I look back to real comic geniuses who could make people roll in the aisles without all that. Yes, there were innuendos and some examples of "bawdy" humour, but nothing really offensive, and for the most part there was just nothing of that kind in their acts. Even those who did approach the "line", like the great Les Dawson did not cross it. I am thinking especially of Eric Sykes, Tommy Cooper, Ken Dodd and Morcambe and Wise. There were others. I like a good laugh - in fact it is necessary for sanity, but I'll go back to the Laurel and Hardy videos and the Marx Brothers. To those modern "comics" I say, you can keep your f-words and filthy humour, and in the words of Eliza Doolittle, "May you have no luck with them!"
No comments:
Post a Comment