Rood Eye
Wednesday 16th October 2019 2:49pm [Edited]
4,103 posts
Quote: chipolata @ 16th October 2019, 9:39 AM
It would be allowed today, since the target of the joke are not the Germans but Basil's own prejudice.
The problem is that the episode would today cause massive and widespread offence to millions of viewers who took a less sympathetic view.
In this day and age, in which millions of people apparently live for no reason other than to take offence at every possible opportunity (and often on behalf of other people, rather than themselves) there would be no shortage of zealots keen to march on Broadcasting House, carrying pitchforks and flaming torches, if that particular episode were to be screened.
In comedy today, the only way to get away with comedy based on the senior Nazis is to condemn them unreservedly and to make it perfectly plain that that's what you're doing. Such condemnation can be subtle or blatant - but it has, at the very least, to be discernible.
Basil, in stark contrast, got huge laughs by employing senior Nazis as a basis for a comedy routine without in any way seeking to criticise their political philosophies.
There is little difference between what Basil did and what Prince Harry did by turning up at a party wearing a swastika armband.
Both men's actions were either harmless fun or an absolute effing outrage - depending on one's point of view.
