Comedy and offense

[Factotum]

Well there's multiple examples of stuff that people go 'Oh you wouldn't get away with that now' and you absolutely would. Robert Downey in Tropic Thunder is always brought up in this conversation, but the joke is that the character is offensive. The actual black guy in the film is pointing out how offensive and ridiculous what he's doing is.

I think my issues with things now, is that a lot of people see things on a purely surface level. Say with films, now its assumed that the filmmaker is somehow agreeing with what their characters are doing or that point of view. You can have your main character make a terrible choice, or do a terrible thing and it not be what you agree with but it makes dramatic sense. Or is the comedy ON the person being ridiculous or insensitive.

Nuance is needed. And offense is a personal reaction. But I do feel that at the moment (and I'm really talking about social media here I think) that people do not want to look into something, they just want to have their initial reaction justified.

[Chest Rockwell]

Yeah. I think most of the creatives understand the nuance. But the businesses behind them are either operating by policies detached from the real world, and/or a very risk averse decision making environment.

[Devon Malcolm]

The most offensive thing about Tropic Thunder is, Tom Cruise aside, how unfunny it is.

[Keith Houchen]

 

[Devon Malcolm]

6 minutes ago, Keith Houchen said:

 

The biggest box office hit of Sidney Lumet's career too, even more so than Network, Serpico and Murder on the Orient Express. Wild.

[Factotum]

On a side note, Re-watched DOG DAY last week. Fuck me what a film. Pacino's best performance for me (Godfather 2 close)

[dopper]

5 hours ago, BomberPat said:

yeah, I'm in a Simpsons Facebook group that fairly routinely posts the Krusty "me so solly" racist stand-up as something that "you couldn't get away with today", when the entire joke is that it's lazy, offensive humour that everyone in the audience recognises as such and is appalled by. The joke is on Krusty, you're not meant to be laughing at the shit racism. But you should never be surprised by how many people can barely understand text, let alone subtext.

That reminded me of this great quote from Warren Mitchell, who played Alf Garnett in programmes where he would rant about hating foreigners and gay people:

[gmoney]

Dog Day Afternoon is *such* a good film. Man. I have nothing else to add, but if you're reading this and haven't seen it, correct that now. 

[Keith Houchen]

1 hour ago, dopper said:

That reminded me of this great quote from Warren Mitchell, who played Alf Garnett in programmes where he would rant about hating foreigners and gay people:

Whilst Johnny Speight said he was a life long socialist, he did write Curry And Chips, and Jewel In The Crown where Milligan blacked up, so I do wonder if Alf really was the butt of every joke. 

[stumobir]

4 hours ago, Hannibal Scorch said:

That said, my non verbal son can now say hello, but due to his impedient it sounds more like a chinese stereotype impersionation from the 70's so were hoping he doesn't say it out in the wild so he doesn't cancel himself.

Great news, you must be over the moon. I’m sure he’ll get on just fine with it, unless he’s trying to get in to a Bowler show, obviously.

Edited December 20, 2021 by stumobir

[Mr_Danger]

9 hours ago, gmoney said:

Same with the Franklin stuff in Arrested Development. You could still do that now, it's clearly GOB that's being the prick there.

Which is the strangest thing about the Arrested Development lot saying you couldn’t get away with the show now. They’re all stupid, ridiculous and wrong. Michael literally points this out to them every episode. That’s the entire premise of the show.

[eugenespeed]

On 12/20/2021 at 5:38 PM, gmoney said:

Dog Day Afternoon is *such* a good film. Man. I have nothing else to add, but if you're reading this and haven't seen it, correct that now. 

Absolutely brilliant film. 

ATTICA! ATTICA!

[Dead Mike]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-59703257

Another celeb with their finger on the pulse of what modern comedy audiences want. 75yr old Maureen Lipman claiming comedy is at risk of being killed by 'cancel culture'. A regular at the Comedy Store late show I'm sure. 

[BomberPat]

Quote

 'You said that, therefore you must never work again.'

From the above article. I'm still waiting for one concrete example of this ever actually happening. 

[Jazzy G]

I'm a member of a Mark & Lard fan group on Facebook, and every couple of days you can guarantee there's a post of "they'd never get away with doing that nowadays because of the woke snowflakes." then consternation when all the "woke snowflakes" in the group pile into the comments and say they never did anything offensive on their shows.