Comedy you liked but now think is problematical.

[Gulftastic]

Leaving aside the obvious racist/sexist/homophobic stuff, I'll offer up a couple of examples.

Jasper Carrot's 'Nutter on the bus' routine. Used to laugh at this, and quote it at times. Now I think back on it, it's ripping the piss out of someone with mental illness.

'In Bed With Me Dinner'. I'm thinking of the 'my son is a grass' one. That one really smacked of punching down. Laughing at the shattered lives of the underclass.

Any other examples?

[kalowski]

Big Train's Chairman Mao sings Virginia Plain.

Kevin Eldon in yellowface singing, "Vaginya Prain"

[up_the_hampipe]

[checkoutgirl]

'In Bed With Me Dinner'. I'm thinking of the 'my son is a grass' one. That one really smacked of punching down. Laughing at the shattered lives of the underclass.

I think that's fair game. A man completely disowned his son, to the point of defacing any photo of him, for speaking to the police. That's not ripping on the underclass, that's ripping into a complete moron who values Omerta over his own flesh and blood.

Although MeDinner is all about sneering at people, often the underclass (neighbours from hell), mental defectives, bewildered eccentrics and sometimes just people with silly accents (Pershuchilly allymelba) or someone who is slightly camp (with all that palava).

A Guardian columnist could probably find issue with half of MeDinner if you sat them in front of it but it's not something I would be bothered getting into.

Any Louis CK stuff, especially masturbation items as cited above is a different story. It's hard to think how long it will be before I can revisit CK's oeuvre without feeling uneasy. It's like he was taunting us in plain sight all along, like a serial killer leaving calling cards or something.

[Brundle-Fly]

Laurel & Hardy.

Stan obviously has mental health problems and Ollie's constant bullying leaves a nasty taste in the mouth these days. The wives are always depicted as harridans too. Not on.

[Utter Shit]

I've mentioned it before, but the homophobia in Fools and Horses is really nasty at points, and (in most instances) isn't framed clearly enough as being about the silliness of those views.

[Dr Rock]

Happy Days. Fonzie solves a lot of problems with violence or threats of violence.

[Sebastian Cobb]

I've mentioned it before, but the homophobia in Fools and Horses is really nasty at points, and (in most instances) isn't framed clearly enough as being about the silliness of those views.

Some of the bits in The Office seem a bit much even for a wally like Brent these days. E.g. the 'I've never come over a little queer.' gag.

I think Gervais' persona and disappearing up his own arse in the years hence (not to mention the glee he seems to have in saying words like 'mong') suggest that he probably just found that joke a bit funny and wanted to 'get away' with telling it, which also doesn't help.

[itsfredtitmus]

the bit frankie boyle does about disabled kids

[ads82]

Delirious. This was the show that got me into comedy, I couldn't believe how funny it was when I first watched it as a young teen. Now I don't think I could watch it again due to his casual homophobia and general nastiness.

[Satchmo Distel]

Pamela Stephenson blacking up as Moira Stewart.

[Brundle-Fly]

Last Of The Summer Wine.

Compo's leering over Nora Batty is creepy.

[Autopsy Turvey]

I find the word problematical deeply problematical. I do struggle with this concept, of holding historical comedy characters accountable to millennial standards of citizenship, but I am often profoundly alarmed by the antics of Dennis the Menace in the 60s, 70s and 80s. Thing is, for me, the fact that this innocent entertainment for kids is often so brutally out-of-order makes it more funny, so, no problem.

Bullying in general has always been a prime comedy scenario, and there is something inherently absurd about the bully figure, who needs to pick on someone small and passive to feel better about himself. This is why I'm not keen on this obsession for 'not punching down'; Blackadder himself points out that "The abused always kick downwards."

[Small Man Big Horse]

Just watching the second episode of KYKMWAP and Alan's treatment of "Dan The Man" is pretty painful. I know we're supposed to be against Alan and think he's being a cunt but I'm pretty sure that's not the studio audience's take on it, at least not completely.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Watching Porridge over Christmas on UK gold and it had more questionable racism and homophobia than I recalled it having.

I was quite surprised to see a youngish Biggins in there though.

[kalowski]

Some of the bits in The Office seem a bit much even for a wally like Brent these days. E.g. the 'I've never come over a little queer.' gag.

I'm not so sure I agree with you here. The point of the gag you quote is to mirror Brent against the new boss (can't remember his name- Tony?) and his jokes. Brent's is old, homophobic, misjudged and badly delivered. And it sinks without trace. It's a horrid joke because it's supposed to be a horrid joke.

[Danger Man]

Putting a dead baby in the plumbing.

Having a doctor put his patients into a coma.

Parents who don't care that their child has been murdered.


Chris Morris is problematic beyond belief.

[Deyv]

Derek & Clive is shirley more problematic than even Blue Jam, especially Come Again. At least Blue Jam didn't have a toxic work environment for anyone (using Disgusting Bliss as a source).

[Funcrusher]

The scene in 'Police Academy' where the two heels are tricked into going to a gay bar and the joke is that they're going to get bummed.

[Dr Rock]

Derek & Clive is shirley more problematic than even Blue Jam, especially Come Again. At least Blue Jam didn't have a toxic work environment for anyone (using Disgusting Bliss as a source).

Why is Derek & Clive problematic? The joke is partly they are taking offensiveness to the limits.I think they have license to say the worst things imaginable within that framework.

[Deyv]

Why is Derek & Clive problematic? The joke is partly they are taking offensiveness to the limits.I think they have license to say the worst things imaginable within that framework.

True, but it seems later on from Get the Horn that Cook's just bullying Moore. Derek & Clive (Live) I love unconditionally though.

Homer's Phobia? I read a review which said the ending is saying "gays who have proved themselves by saving you from being beaten up by reindeer are alright." Think it was the AV Club. I found the episode really funny the first time I saw it, but it's been soured by me feeling I have to defend it.

[Brundle-Fly]

Why is Derek & Clive problematic? The joke is partly they are taking offensiveness to the limits.I think they have license to say the worst things imaginable within that framework.

Ah, but they're privileged Oxbridge scum punching down.

[itsfredtitmus]

the bit bernard manning does about disabled kiddies

[itsfredtitmus]

Watching Porridge over Christmas on UK gold and it had more questionable racism and homophobia than I recalled it having.

I was quite surprised to see a youngish Biggins in there though.

Racist against Scots as well

[marquis_de_sad]

Homer's Phobia? I read a review which said the ending is saying "gays who have proved themselves by saving you from being beaten up by reindeer are alright." Think it was the AV Club. I found the episode really funny the first time I saw it, but it's been soured by me feeling I have to defend it.

That was a joke in the episode. Homer admits he was wrong and the John Waters character says,

Homer, I won your respect, and all I had to do was save your life. Now, if every gay man could just do the same, you'd be set.

He's being facetious.

[Deyv]

Thanks, now none of the comedy I like is problematic and I feel great about my sense of humour. A fantastic end to anyone's Wednesday.

[itsfredtitmus]

I've mentioned it before, but the homophobia in Fools and Horses is really nasty at points, and (in most instances) isn't framed clearly enough as being about the silliness of those views.

*most* of it is pretty harmless and vaudevillian - get this, they ask out couple of birds at the bar and SHOCK HORROR they turn out to be crossdressers!

doesn't del have gay panic in one episode? swear I'm remembering something like that 

[Brundle-Fly]

And I've been facetious too. Sorry.

I found this sketch today and I know this really wasn't what the OP required but fuck me, this is what you might call "problematical".

It's oddly topical for a 1975 sketch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtIdTa65Uco

[Large Noise]

Superbad immediately springs to mind. Kermode panned it and called it vile at the time, and I thought that he was just too old to get it. But his opinion has aged better than mine.

[Dr Rock]

Kermode's opinion was ludicrous, as if he watched a different film. What's problematic about Superbad? I reckon nothing.