Everyone is indeed a little bit racist.
But we all have to judge where the line is between pretty harmless, and wholly unpleasant. I know which side of the line I suspect Davidson to be on.

The point is surely more, should comedians be using it in their act? Davidson is what I'd call a comedy purist, that is, if there is obvious humour in a topic, then he feels you should be free to use it. There is I reckon a kind of swing back to this notion now, Boyle is proof of that, and many others have told the politicians to keep their hands off comedy.

Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ March 31 2011, 1:11 PM BST

that is, if there is obvious humour in a topic, then he feels you should be free to use it.

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I agree, as I've more or less said already (ie Frankie).
I don't object to material about race per se.
It only makes me uncomfortable if I feel there is genuine racism behind it. And we all have to judge that for ourselves, as we can't know each comedian personally.

Yeah, I suspect a late night drink in a bar with Davidson would or could unsettle a lot of people, including me. I reckon he's got some obnoxious mates who egg him on for that old school stuff too.

But doing similar stuff in an act isn't as bad, imo. People pay for him to do it and it is a performance. What he thinks at home isn't really my concern, he could very well mean every word he says or even more.

Yeah, that does sound rather a scary proposition!

He ruined the Generation Game.

Quote: TopBanana @ March 31 2011, 3:38 PM BST

He ruined the Generation Game.

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Yeah, but what about 'Big Break'?

He's not my cup of tea, but I did like him on Big Break when I was a nipper.

And that last clip actually made me laugh. Apart from the cliched dick joke, I wouldn't say it was racist at all. Certainly no worse than material performed by Chris Rock, Gina Yashere or Stephen K Amos. Granted, that is a list of 3 black stand ups, but is a racist joke not racist when told by someone from the ethnicity it targets? They still play on old stereotypes and prejudices in the same way as any of Jim Davidson's jokes do, the only difference is that they are black.

Anyone who has been around for forty years and had such a high profile career has to be considered a legend. The problem with bestowing legendary status on dear old Jimbo is that it's ever so difficult to separate his comedy from his obnoxious behaviour, loutish views and execrable personality. He's had a lot of triumphs in his career as well as a lot of very public lows. A lot of his humour is dated and certainly not to everyone's taste. I think if you read the Sun, enjoy spouting off down the pub and like a few unsophisticated near the knuckle jokes with a bit of smut and racism, then you'd probably think the lad Davidson was already a legend.

It's funny how Sarah Silverman gets away with racist jokes. I remember one time she said the Jews wouldn't have been considered a problem in Germany, in the '30s, if there had been black people living there as well. Imagine Davidson trying to get away with saying that. Then there was Larry David, on 'Curb...', saying black Doctors shouldn't be trusted, because of the whole Affirmative Action thing.

And, zombie like, mud falling from its rotted limbs, maggots squirming in its eye sockets; the racist comedy debate rises from the grave.

Ok

1 Sara Silverman surprisingly clever joke on degrees of prejudice
2 Curb ironic self deprecation joke on white middle class racist prejudices
3 Jim Davidson thinks black people talk funny so he does a silly impression of one.

Is it so hard to spot why 3 is different? There are no solid rules in comedy. The individual comic should be expected to use their own judgement.

I think he is a thick, not funny knobhead.

Jim Davidson - A poem

He likes prog rock,
He's a bit of a cock:
Jim Davidson.

Quote: sootyj @ April 3 2011, 6:21 AM BST

And, zombie like, mud falling from its rotted limbs, maggots squirming in its eye sockets; the racist comedy debate rises from the grave.

Ok

1 Sara Silverman surprisingly clever joke on degrees of prejudice
2 Curb ironic self deprecation joke on white middle class racist prejudices
3 Jim Davidson thinks black people talk funny so he does a silly impression of one.

Is it so hard to spot why 3 is different? There are no solid rules in comedy. The individual comic should be expected to use their own judgement.

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Jolly well put, sooty.

Quote: zooo @ April 3 2011, 6:05 PM BST

Jolly well put, sooty.

View original

I agree on the issue of context and who is delivering the joke. But if you were to take any of those jokes out of context, at face value- there is nothing to separate them. For example, if you read a quote from Nick Griffin saying that if there had been black in Germany in the 1930s the Jews wouldn't have been a problem... I think there has to be a degree of understanding between comic and audience that they don't actually mean what they are saying, or that there is another layer. I think this is what Jim Davidson lacks- any sort of depth of meaning.