UKC

Watched Monty Pythons F.S. on 'Thats TV' last night (first time its been broadcast this century apparentlly) and was amazed to see the following warning flash up on the screen at the start of each programme and after each commercial break.

" This programme reflects the standards, language and attitudes of its time. Some viewers may find this content offensive"

Well i was in my early 20's when MPFS was first broadcast in the late 60,s early 70,s. I thought at the time this was ground breaking comedy which also launched the career of some of our best comedy actors.

I thought it a bit daft and surreal at times, but never 'offensive'

I suppose the new Millenials and woke brigade might, if they were slapped in the face with a wet fish, , "wink-wink, nudge-nudge, know what i mean- know what i mean".

I was talking to someone about it last night, and it came up that by modern standards the rudeness and blasphemy in Python is not really considered serious at all, but the racism, sexism etc that were nothing back then now definitely are.  I think that's a fair warning.

There's lots about it that was entirely normal at the time but which is now offensive; racial epithets particularly but not exclusively.

Yes, it was ground-breaking comedy but society has moved on and comedy has moved with it.  Truth be told, a lot of it is a bit dull these days; over-exposure to it may play its part but you can only hear about the Norwegian blue so many times in your life before the attraction begins to pall.

T.

I’m glad you posted this, I’ve been looking for someone to explain to me what “woke brigade” means?

I struggle to remember any of that in Python

those awful comedians who should not be named have recently been woked up...

A lot of it is quite veiled, but there are bits of it there.  It's not as obvious as with a lot of other stuff of that sort of era, though.

Attitudes to mental illness are obviously uncomfortable.

And they really got it wrong with the blancmange at Wimbledon.

When I was a kid, the next school day after the episodes were shown, we would all be in the playground repeating the gags and content. However, in retrospect I think it definitely should have a ‘hardly amusing’ trigger warning.

Well compared to the comedy on TV today (HIGNFY excepted), the only way to get laughs it seems is by effing and blinding and thats just the 'women comediens'.

If they had started now they would have a field day taking the piss at society as it stands today.

Give me the Pythons any day.

I'm guessing that you watch a lot of Nostalgia TV comedy.

Shall I let you into a secret?  It's not as funny as it used to be.

T.

That warning appears fairly often on Talking Picture when some older films are shown.

I think it is ridiculous. Is there anyone who really

(a) doesn't know attitudes were different in the past, or

(b) can't work out that a TV programme or film from some years ago is likely to reflect the views and norms of the time.

I feel the same way about news footage from war zones. We don't need  a warning that there might be unpleasant scenes - its a war for goodness sake!

Dave

Big fan of python, I can still laught my arse of at sketches like the bookshop, string, argument, Eric the half bee, the philosophy song... But there are a couple that would probably warrant a warning today I suppose. Never be rude to an Arab? I like Chinese? 

Indeed...probably more mild racism than other "isms", but it's definitely there.

I discovered python all in one go at about the age of 17. Life of Brian, Holly grail, all of the albums, the shows. I probably laughed my pelvis out over a six month period. 

From memory the racism I remember was in criticism of racism.

"I don't like darkies Brian"

This. Pleased that times have changed (still not enough) however the mocking of racism seems to be tolerated less now too?

And the I like Chinese song was a rather good commentary of days to come!

Can't wait for them to transmit a rerun of 'The Comedians'. That should get the some folks hackles up i'm sure.

Proper stand up comedians who told proper jokes.

I was allowed to watch it a fair whack younger than that and I always found it very funny, still do.  I'm not in favour of censoring things that were a product of their time, indeed I think the idea of showing it with that warning explaining that is a great idea.

Mm.  Getting a bit 'Mother, look at me!' now.

T.

This is an issue a lot of satire suffers from. At a certain point it becomes harder to separate the satire from an actual viewpoint, or in this case, 'mild' racism. 

Here in Holland we used to have a show called Van Kooten en de Bie during the 70s and 80s. In that show they did some sketches about a populist party (very prescient!) and those sketches became so popular that people ACTUALLY wanted to vote for that party. That was so problematic that they decided to have these characters killed in the show by them having a car accident. 

I have laughed my ass off watching Python throughout my formative years and can still do so at certain sketches but I can totally imagine some sketches being a bit well... sketchy in today's day and age.