Field Theory by Hadyn Green

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Field Theory: Send in the clowns

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  • Hadyn Green,

    I forgot to point out that Finding has already had the "crazy PC" tag attached to her in the comments of various newspaper websites.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2090 posts Report Reply

  • Amy Galvani,

    I found Little Britian real funny too. But the laughs definitely come from unease with the stereotypes. If you didn't live in a culture that looks down on 'Vicky Pollards' or 'Daffyds' you wouldn't find Little Britain funny.

    Wellington • Since Oct 2008 • 28 posts Report Reply

  • Josh Addison,

    I always had trouble seeing the Ting Tong sketches as anything other than blatant racism -- in the live show, there's a bit that features Ting Tong giving Mr. Duddley a "traditional Thai massage" -- a handjob under the sheets -- and then singing him a "traditional Thai song", which involves a lot of tuneless screeching and "ching chong" noises.

    Those were the only bits I found dodgy though -- any other qualms I had with the show were to do with them using the exact same joke every episode ("Want that one." "Are you sure?" "Want that one." "OK, here you go." "Don't like it." Every episode.)

    Onehunga, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 298 posts Report Reply

  • Amy Gale,

    In the pluses column, it has given us some useful catchphrases. I'm particularly fond of "Compu'er says naoooooo", and also "I am a lady. I do ladies' things".

    tha Ith • Since May 2007 • 471 posts Report Reply

  • Hadyn Green,

    using the exact same joke every episode

    Not to get back to joke dissection (though it is much more fun), in an interview with Harry Enfield he said the best part of that kind of catch-phrase humour was the anticipation. The audience knows it's coming and claps when they hear it. So really all of the comedy is actually in the set up, even though you only get the laughs when "Pavlov rings the bell".

    Having said that. I agree

    In the pluses column, it has given us some useful catchphrases. I'm particularly fond of "Compu'er says naoooooo", and also "I am a lady. I do ladies' things".

    Heh, we use the "lady" one around the house too.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2090 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    I always had trouble seeing the Ting Tong sketches as anything other than blatant racism

    I just think they're not funny. I don't actually think Daffyd is terribly funny, but I also think Finding has missed the flaming, mincing, squealing joke. And I really wouldn't expect most straight people to get it. Daffyd isn't the only frigging gay in the villiage, and the only person who has any problems with his sexuality is himself. I can laugh at it, because I damn know gay men and lesbians whose agressive 'queerness' and stagy hypersensitivity isn't doing a very good job of hiding their own insecurities and loneliness.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Rowe,

    In an agreeing with Craig shock, I thought the joke on Daffyd was not his stereotypical gayness, but his utter self-absorption that makes him miss what is obvious to everyone else, and his stupidity. I recall when Little Britain first came on to TV, someone lamenting that despite the Alternative Comedy revolution of the 80s, the Brits are still laughing at men dressed as women or mincing about like poofs.

    Lake Roxburgh, Central Ot… • Since Nov 2006 • 574 posts Report Reply

  • Alan Perrott,

    it's all Dick Emery to me...they're just re-raising the Titanic.

    Far too much English telly humour now revolves around fag jokes and humiliation, it's beyond tedious.

    Simply taking these elements to more extreme levels is not creativity or boundary pushing, it's a pissing competition.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 438 posts Report Reply

  • LegBreak,

    I always thought there was a lot of Thompson and Thomson in Daffyd’s character.

    Going OTT in mimicking the stereotype of whoever they were trying to dress like, they brought ridicule on the character.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1162 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz,

    It's comedy of exaggeration - it works (for me, comedy is personal) because the characters are completely bizarre inventions.

    The Office isn't hatred directed at office workers. League of Gentleman isn't hatred directed at rural people.

    If the creators of Little Britain *did* have a nasty right-wing agenda after the fashion of Bernard Manning, then it would be different.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • Josh Addison,

    ...the best part of that kind of catch-phrase humour was the anticipation. The audience knows it's coming and claps when they hear it.

    Yeah, that seems to be it, going by the audience reaction. I just don't get it. Is it a regional thing? Do the English appreciate that sort of gag more, or am I just weird?

    That said, other segments involved the same overall joke, but did something different with it each week, e.g. Sebastian and the PM. The best bits for me, though, were always Tom Baker's voiceovers.

    Good byve!

    Onehunga, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 298 posts Report Reply

  • Gareth Ward,

    Daffyd isn't the only frigging gay in the villiage, and the only person who has any problems with his sexuality is himself.

    Precisely. On the whole Little Britain doesn't do it for me anymore, but a lot of the jokes were in the ridiculousness of the stereotype itself - perhaps the fair criticism would be to state that not everyone quite gets that so certain people (already inclined that way I'd imagine) see the joke in the stereotype, rather than in the lampooning of the stereotype.

    And her research clearly wasn't that great - Daffyd was (ironically) an invention of David Walliams, not Matt Lucas.

    Auckland, NZ • Since Mar 2007 • 1727 posts Report Reply

  • David Ritchie,

    the Brits are still laughing at men dressed as women or mincing about like poofs.

    Walliams and Lucas suggest renamning the show "Gays and Ladies" on one of the DVD commentaries (S1 I think).

    Since Nov 2006 • 166 posts Report Reply

  • David Ritchie,

    That said, other segments involved the same overall joke, but did something different with it each week,

    I reckon Andy and Lou blew it in the 1st? 2nd? episode with the "Lou takes Andy to the pool" sketch. None of their appearances since that sketch hold a candle to it.

    Since Nov 2006 • 166 posts Report Reply

  • andrew llewellyn,

    Never seen it - I'm guessing (by the names Daffyd, Myfanwy etc) that it is set in Wales?

    A quick look at wikipedia shows me this:

    At Kelsey Grammar School,

    Brilliant. A lot easier to pronounce than the one I went to.

    Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report Reply

  • Lyndon Hood,

    Not dissimilar to Craig's thoughts on Daffyd. When I think of him it's as a guy who somewhat endearingly feels he has to dress like an inflatable raft to prove he's gay.

    I'm sure sundry people who weren't inclined to work that one through had their prejudices confirmed, but I long ago decided there's no accounting for the messages people take.

    Speaking of guys dressing as queers and women, does anyone want to compare and contrast with The Millen Baird Show?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1115 posts Report Reply

  • Hadyn Green,

    @ Llew
    It's set all over Britain. In fact one of my favourite characters is a crazy Scottish innkeeper.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2090 posts Report Reply

  • andrew llewellyn,

    Cheers Hadyn, so it's not a sitcom.

    Speaking of guys dressing as queers and women, does anyone want to compare and contrast with The Millen Baird Show?

    No, because I've never heard of it - but does anyone else (aside from me) suspect that Julian Clary is secretly straight?

    Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report Reply

  • LegBreak,

    but does anyone else (aside from me) suspect that Julian Clary is secretly straight?

    Yup.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1162 posts Report Reply

  • Danielle,

    In fact one of my favourite characters is a crazy Scottish innkeeper.

    Oh, I forgot about him! I'm sad that he disappeared. 'Ask me on a Monday, I'll say yeeeeeeeessss!'

    The one I can't quite handle is the puking racist snob lady. I think I have too much sense-empathy or something, and she makes me feel a bit nauseous. Blurgh. I was never too crash hot with that pie-eating contest scene in Stand By Me, either.

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report Reply

  • Hadyn Green,

    The one I can't quite handle is the puking racist snob lady.

    According to Findings the racist snob lady is one of the "good ones" because the joke is on racism not on race. (The vomit is still on the little girl though.)

    In fact I suppose the biggest finding is that irony isn't an excuse for x-ist* comedy. You can make a joke about racism for example, but racist jokes are projecting hatred.

    * where x=race, age etc

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2090 posts Report Reply

  • Hadyn Green,

    By the way, considering the other threads that are going, feel free to bitch anything on TV (or anywhere else) that just isn't funny.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2090 posts Report Reply

  • Lyndon Hood,

    No, because I've never heard of it.

    Well, I never watched a whole episode. 'The Millen Baird Show': local comedy that had a short run on TV3 the other month along with pan-asian sketch show 'A Thousand Apologies', which I did watch a couple of all the way through.

    Chap called Millen Baird did recurring character, with a certain amount of cross-dressing.

    Those shows took over the slot from the Jacqui Brown Diaries.

    Any bells?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1115 posts Report Reply

  • Dave Patrick,

    feel free to bitch anything on TV (or anywhere else) that just isn't funny

    sketch show 'A Thousand Apologies'

    This

    Rangiora, Te Wai Pounamu • Since Nov 2006 • 261 posts Report Reply

  • Josh Addison,

    By the way, considering the other threads that are going, feel free to bitch anything on TV (or anywhere else) that just isn't funny.

    I never liked Seinfeld. Does that mean I have no soul?

    Onehunga, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 298 posts Report Reply

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