Quote: Nick @ 5th January 2018, 1:13 PM
Hey, if you think something was racist then that's fine.
But when you intentionally misquote someone and butcher their meaning, you don't strengthen your argument - you weaken it. It is pretty low behaviour because you know full well he wasn't making the confession of being a racist.
He mentioned not playing a transgender character, not offending fat people, apologizing to Gary Barlow etc. as well. "Society has moved on and my own views have evolved." as he said, and things that were acceptable once are not acceptable now.
That happens all the time and it has happened with numerous American shows as well.
Blackface IS racist. Why is that so hard to grasp?
I didn't misquote. I said it inferred. Period. If his "views" have evolved, then what were they before that would make him think doing a minstrel bit or black/brownface acceptable and non-offensive? Lucas has already cheekily admitted that they knew what they were doing and trying to pass it off as if he's grown as a person, when in fact he hasn't. Neither has his partner in crime Walliams - see the halloween costume. He can marginalize the other stereotypes, but they are NOT equal to them parading as minstrels of doing black/brown face based on their historical significance.
Nice try defending it though.
Quote: Firkin @ 5th January 2018, 1:52 PM
I can see why you would say this, but I believe cultural differences may be at play here. In that this was made for a British audience. Hollywood often presents British men as either gay or a villain with bad teeth (e.g. Snake in the Simpson). Even Austin Powers had ridiculous teeth. Mind you, if we're measuring racism, then Apu Nahasapeemapetilon from the Simpsons is one of the most blatant stereo types out there. 8 kids, never stops working, funny accent. But as Indians don't have a strong representation in America, the Simpsons gets away with it.
For what its worth I think Little Britain is very tongue-in-cheek. For example if anyone should complain it should be wheel chair users, because now some may believe they don't need one. I'm sure Harlem preachers can fend for themselves, and I saw that more as a dig at evangelical preachers, paying homage to their wonderful rhythm of speech, which lends itself to comedy.
I've said it is a cultural difference many times in this thead; howsoever, it was America that imported the blackface that is still being used in other countries as a representation of black people. It's 2018, enough is enough. Depicting a British guy with bad teeth is wrong, but it isn't nearly steeped in a history of violence, racism, discrimination, segregation, etc. as black/brown face. There is zero comparison because at the end of the day the British guy with the bad teeth is still white by American standards which affords him a different class status not drenched in said history. Yes, Apu is the traditional bad Southeast Asian stereotype and I don't condone it, but Indians for the most part in America are afforded a higher class status than black Americans, and are extremely racist towards them even having darker skin. Again, Indians fashion themselves higher and their caste system that they bring with them is a completely different cultural context since they tend to be very self inclusive. The Simpsons get away with it because the Indians allow them to. Black America has bitched and moaned about blackface since its inception and it is STILL happening - but then that is also a cultural nuance situation since race relations have all but deteriorated in the last 10 years. Think of it like this, black Americans STILL don't have a constitutional amendment to vote. It must be renewed by the standing POTUS every 7-9 years. The minute a POTUS decides not to sign it, they cant vote. That shows you the level of respect Black America gets stateside.
