In my recent post hagiographing Victoria Wood, I considered including her political correctness song. I wavered, because it more or less begins with an n-word variant (maybe??) that I had never heard of. The song, if I dare diminish it by suggesting it contains an argument, is if anything about denigrating annoying men. But as a lead-in to an exploration of the word “wanker” (I’m underselling this song) she mentions other insulting words she doesn’t care for and includes some that are modern-audiences-won’t-like-it-disclaimer-worthy. But: the song is good! But: it’s Bad. But: it’s brilliant, and no one could possibly come away from it thinking it’s in any way hateful! But, but, if only there were a version of it that skipped that first bit. On the one hand, as a viewer, I see the appeal but on the other no do not do this.
So the BBC is censoring its archives, removing slurs from old radio programs, offering more disclaimers on old sitcoms, things of that nature. Well! What sort of (free) reruns newsletter would this be if I didn’t thereby opine.
Scattered thoughts then.
-Leave things as they are. And yes I get to say this because do we think old comedies were gentle on women or Jews (or Americans?)
-Is (old) comedy a historical relic, to be examined at a careful remove? Or is it something viewers are expected to lose themselves in, to laugh at, to, you know, enjoy? Because the concern would seem to be that it’s not 100% clear what the contemporary viewer should be laughing at or wants to laugh at.
-Other eras: not necessarily more progressive on all fronts than our own. Not even close. Who are we to say? Shouldn’t the past get to swoop in and censor us?
-In the cases where a show’s creator was a bigot, and where the show itself was essentially hateful, isn’t it absurd to censor that show to suggest otherwise? A posthumous perhaps gift to that individual?
-Until like five minutes ago, anti-bigotry humor often involved depicting bigotry. The Major, Archie Bunker, etc. If these depictions strike contemporary idiot-viewers as endorsements, and are erased, the content of some shows simply won’t make sense.
-Did you know that Victoria Wood and Steve Pemberton are from the same part of England? Or at least it looks that way to my untrained eye on Google Maps? Did you know that if you’re up a lot at night with a baby it’s that and Wordle and that’s all you’re capable of and thank goodness for Canadian maternity leave because I do not make much sense?
You have such a marvelously clever and alluring writing style!
Each year I become ever more grateful that I purchased complete sets of Monty Python, Fawlty Towers, and Black Adder. Though I fear I’ll simply be regarded as akin to that weird uncle who’d show certain movies to the adolescent boys if I try to show them to my son or his peers in 10 years time.
Also, we have evidence within living memory that progressive people can enjoy shows from an earlier era with gender relations that were contemporaneously looked down upon: The Honeymooners and I Love Lucy remained staples of syndication well into the ‘80s, such that Eddie Murphy could make a joke about Ralph Cramden and Ed Norton in his stand up (that is, itself, almost certainly on the chopping block; Tipper Gore must be smiling wherever she is).