The Death of British Comedy Page 3

There have been changes in comedy and sensitivities over the last couple of decades, of course. Some of them for the worse, and some of them for the better. But I think you are conflating something that has happened incidentally (PC/woke stuff) with other, less immediately obvious changes that are the actual reasons for the changes you dislike, Rupert Bear.

Primarily, I find the change to be towards the personal and the art, away from the pure entertainment. Note the small number of pure sitcoms on television, and even smaller number written by writers. We are currently in an age where personal stories are much more in vogue than simply 'funny'. The number of stand-ups with semi-autobiographical or 'autobiographical inspired' narrative comedies, which are more about telling a tale and portraying a particular experience on screen, than seeking to make the viewer laugh as their primary driving objective, can be seen as reflective of this.

This thread started in Critique
This man is a homophobe
Hate Speech is not Free speech
He was told to f**k off because he is spreading hate.

Quote: Teddy Paddalack @ 12th February 2022, 12:34 PM

This thread started in Critique
This man is a homophobe
Hate Speech is not Free speech
He was told to f**k off because he is spreading hate.

View original

Grow up Teddy and stop being a tearful snowflake.

Time for those of us of a civilised nature to move on, Teddy.
Best thing is to freeze him out - ignore the hell out of him.
It used to be called sending to Coventry - but even Coventry doesn't deserve this bell-end.
Good to see you poke your head above the parapet, though.
You should do it more often

Quote: Aaron @ 12th February 2022, 12:23 PM

There have been changes in comedy and sensitivities over the last couple of decades, of course. Some of them for the worse, and some of them for the better. But I think you are conflating something that has happened incidentally (PC/woke stuff) with other, less immediately obvious changes that are the actual reasons for the changes you dislike, Rupert Bear.

Primarily, I find the change to be towards the personal and the art, away from the pure entertainment. Note the small number of pure sitcoms on television, and even smaller number written by writers. We are currently in an age where personal stories are much more in vogue than simply 'funny'. The number of stand-ups with semi-autobiographical or 'autobiographical inspired' narrative comedies, which are more about telling a tale and portraying a particular experience on screen, than seeking to make the viewer laugh as their primary driving objective, can be seen as reflective of this.

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Maybe 'pure' sitcoms died out because nobody is that interested in watching them anymore. They flourished when all we had were three or four channels and little else to watch.

Quote: chipolata @ 12th February 2022, 1:45 PM

Maybe 'pure' sitcoms died out because nobody is that interested in watching them anymore. They flourished when all we had were three or four channels and little else to watch.

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They "died out" because the industry stopped paying attention to the audience. The kind of sitcoms I am referring to still attract higher viewing figures than the more modern breed.

There should be room for both.

Quote: Aaron @ 12th February 2022, 12:23 PM

There have been changes in comedy and sensitivities over the last couple of decades, of course. Some of them for the worse, and some of them for the better. But I think you are conflating something that has happened incidentally (PC/woke stuff) with other, less immediately obvious changes that are the actual reasons for the changes you dislike, Rupert Bear.

Primarily, I find the change to be towards the personal and the art, away from the pure entertainment. Note the small number of pure sitcoms on television, and even smaller number written by writers. We are currently in an age where personal stories are much more in vogue than simply 'funny'. The number of stand-ups with semi-autobiographical or 'autobiographical inspired' narrative comedies, which are more about telling a tale and portraying a particular experience on screen, than seeking to make the viewer laugh as their primary driving objective, can be seen as reflective of this.

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There is nothing incidental about PC/Woke stuff, it didn't just 'happen'.

But yes, big changes in outlooks, but in my opinion not for the better. Comedy was never about personal narratives, about story telling, it was designed to make people laugh. Take that laughter away and you're left with a blandness that's hard to categorize, but it isn't comedy. For example, it would be hard to have another 'Two Ronnies', or 'Only Fools and Horses' as it would offend to many people who were unwittingly the subject of the humour.

Have we become to sensitive? The British also came in for a roasting as stiff upper lipped Colonel Bogey's with no malice intended, but now God forbid a minority sub-culture is ridiculed and becomes a subject of comedy. I'm not the only one saying all this and the Internet is full of topics lamenting the death of British comedy, but those with an agenda are oblivious to it.

Quote: Rupert Bear @ 12th February 2022, 1:50 PM

There is nothing incidental about PC/Woke stuff, it didn't just 'happen'.

View original

You misunderstand me. It is very much a real, significant movement, but it is largely (not wholly, but largely) incidental to your complaints of changes in comedy.

Quote: Aaron @ 12th February 2022, 1:50 PM

They "died out" because the industry stopped paying attention to the audience. The kind of sitcoms I am referring to still attract higher viewing figures than the more modern breed.

.

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Chicken and egg. The industry is cynical and ratings driven, and if something was still popular they'd happily milk it to death.

To be fair I was happy being the sites redheaded step kid who plays in the basement. But I noticed that we had rats.
I don't mind speaking up as I think its important to stand up at times. I don't mind the dinosaurs they make me chuckle as I know their blood is permanently bubbling because they can't drag us back to the dark ages.
But people like this are a danger to us all on this forum as arguments are one thing , outright hate is another Because the real irony is that they come on established sites like this citing 'Free Speech' well their type of speech is not free its the opposite as it will cost advertisers and sponsors if its allowed to stand unchallenged. I work on Facebook at the lowest level but I can assure that I have seen sites stripped of every type of sponsor and advertiser for tolerating much less than this.

Quote: chipolata @ 12th February 2022, 1:55 PM

The industry is cynical and ratings driven, and if something was still popular they'd happily milk it to death.

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I wish this was true.

Quote: Aaron @ 12th February 2022, 1:53 PM

You misunderstand me. It is very much a real, significant movement, but it is largely (not wholly, but largely) incidental to your complaints of changes in comedy.

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I disagree. PC and censorship is the reason why comedy doesn't survive in that kind of atmosphere.

When politics starts to enter comedy it's the beginning of the end. The indoctrination is now at such levels that it's become almost a cult fanaticism for many. I'd be getting the same indoctrinated responses had I dissented on Greta's climate extinction a couple of years ago, or the current belief of millions dying from a deadly plague pandemic of what turned out to be a strain of flu. We live in a belief society where reality has taken second place to opinions.

For those complaining and having tantrums about the content, the answer is both obvious and simple. Go away and post your political agendas elsewhere.
Innit.

Quote: Teddy Paddalack @ 12th February 2022, 1:55 PM

To be fair I was happy being the sites redheaded step kid who plays in the basement. But I noticed that we had rats.
I don't mind speaking up as I think its important to stand up at times. I don't mind the dinosaurs they make me chuckle as I know their blood is permanently bubbling because they can't drag us back to the dark ages.
But people like this are a danger to us all on this forum as arguments are one thing , outright hate is another Because the real irony is that they come on established sites like this citing 'Free Speech' well their type of speech is not free its the opposite as it will cost advertisers and sponsors if its allowed to stand unchallenged. I work on Facebook at the lowest level but I can assure that I have seen sites stripped of every type of sponsor and advertiser for tolerating much less than this.

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Teddy, YOU are the one continually bringing your politics into this. What you call hate speech is simply disagreement and we've moved on. YOU are the one still hammering away at it. Now if you don't like the thread, move on and stop being childish about it.

Teddy, you seem hell bent on having a poster removed. Now you're trying the financial angle.
Pretty rich from someone who has been banned several times.
You've been advised by me and Hazzard to just ignore him.

Quote: Stephen Goodlad @ 12th February 2022, 2:13 PM

Teddy, you seem hell bent on having a poster removed. Now you're trying the financial angle.
Pretty rich from someone who has been banned several times.
You've been advised by me and Hazzard to just ignore him.

View original

I'm fine with that, if people don't like the content then move on, but let's remove subjective politics from it and stop the s**t stirring. I think PC has destroyed comedy in Britain and those who have an agenda are very largely responsible for it.