Don't mention the ***: Censorship row as BBC cuts the Major's 'racist' lines from Fawlty Towers

I have had just about enough of the political correctness in the UK, you get a bunch of complainers whinging about something which is intended to be funny and they censor it, make it illegal, whatever.

Well, now they have gone too far.

Yes, a lot of TV programs that were made in the middle of the 20th century had racism in, sexism, whateverism, and yes, it was funny.

We have moved on from such things now, we know what is right and what is wrong, but that doesn't mean they should censor our past to fit in with modern thinking.

It is the episode of Fawlty Towers best remembered for the line ‘Don’t mention the war’ and John Cleese’s silly walk when impersonating Hitler.

The references have proved controversial before, but when The Germans was repeated on BBC2 on Sunday evening it wasn’t our European neighbours that the corporation was worried about offending.

Instead, the episode was edited to omit racist language – only for some viewers to then complain that the BBC was ‘airbrushing history’.

At least the viewers are complaining in defence of the program, but where is this going to end?

Monty Python? [snipped]
The Young ones? [snipped]

There are many British shows, mostly comedies, that could fall under these new rules the BBC are laying out.

Leave things how they are, we are all grown up enough to know the content is wrong, it's still funny though, and it is taken how it is intended, with a good laugh.

This comment summed it up nicely:

A third viewer wrote: ‘So how sad BBC you have finally succumbed and lost the guts to transmit the episode of Fawlty Towers “The Germans” in its original form. The major’s speech of his experience of going out with a woman to the Oval is one of the funniest things ever.

‘You edited it because it includes the W-word and the N-word. Let’s face it, the whole episode and much of Fawlty Towers is racist by today’s standards and misogynistic, but above all it is hilarious.

‘We are all grown up, you know. We, the vast majority of us, can laugh at this without being racists.

‘It’s about time you grew up BBC, and trusted your audience. We know what is acceptable and what is not and what is funny and why, and the fact it is of a time which is now long past. We understand context, the major is a figure of fun, he doesn’t whip up hatred.’

Gah, should have posted this in the rant forum.

Political correctness kiss my hairy white arse.

Source

Why did you have to mention "white arse"?
The fact you felt the need to tell everyone your white just proves your racist and most likely have an agenda!!!!!!!

Sorry couldnt resist

This is absolute BS!!!!!!!!
One of the funniest shows of all time and quite possibly the funniest episode has had its guts ripped out.
Its not even like it was condoning racism, the context of the joke was to show what an idiot the major was.

Sad sad day for Britain

For anyone who may not know what were talking about ,heres the clip of what was censored in its original form.



Be interesting to hear from people who havent seen it if they think it crosses any lines. Bear in mind it was made in 75

Originally posted by IkNOwSTuff
Why did you have to mention "white arse"?
The fact you felt the need to tell everyone your white just proves your racist and most likely have an agenda!!!!!!!

There was a point in that somewhere I'm not racist, but it doesn't mean I don't find good old fashioned racists jokes funny, most races do.


(It's ok, I know you were only joking )

EDIT: Cheers for the clip, howling at it (and Polly was a cracker wasn't she, can't believe Cleese was actually married to her in real life)........as you said, would be interesting to get a view on it from someone who is younger, or hasn't seen it before.

Originally posted by IkNOwSTuff
Why did you have to mention "white arse"?
The fact you felt the need to tell everyone your white just proves your racist and most likely have an agenda!!!!!!!

Sorry couldnt resist

This is absolute BS!!!!!!!!
One of the funniest shows of all time and quite possibly the funniest episode has had its guts ripped out.
Its not even like it was condoning racism, the context of the joke was to show what an idiot the major was.

Sad sad day for Britain

For anyone who may not know what were talking about ,heres the clip of what was censored in its original form.

Be interesting to hear from people who havent seen it if they think it crosses any lines. Bear in mind it was made in 75

When I read the thread title, that scene is the first thing that came to my mind. I mean, come on, that's funny!

But this whole thing ("airbrushing history") reminds me of something else I saw not long ago, where they had airbrushed the cigars out of photos of Churchill--in some museum display I believe. And I thought that was the silliest thing I'd ever seen. We've got to put a stop to this kind of insanity. "Sanitizing" history is not the enlightened path to decent societies....

Does this mean I can't say? ''Don't mention ze war'' anymore?

Gutted.

reply to post by woogleuk


Nooooo!!!!!

Along with Monty Python, Fawlty Towers is a British treasure. How can they even think of such sacrilege?

Waldorf salad, I say....and don't mention the war to the Germans!

I'm sorry I have not yet read the above comments. But wanted to add.

Lets just pirate the originals while we still can. I have all sorts of old series archived, so I can watch these classics as they were meant to be seen.

Anyone who cannot see they are products of their time, of our time, our culture, and wants to censor them frankly should be removed from office. They surely do not speak for our elders. And now, no longer us.

/end rant.

reply to post by AdamOver


4TB and climbing, Monty Python, Only fools and horses, Red Dwarf, Fawlty Towers, Life on Mars (not an oldie, but still a classic with bits that would make the PC crowd cringe, god bless Gene Hunt!), young ones, you name it, I've got it stored, lol.

Originally posted by AdamOver
I'm sorry I have not yet read the above comments. But wanted to add.

Lets just pirate the originals while we still can. I have all sorts of old series archived, so I can watch these classics as they were meant to be seen.

Anyone who cannot see they are products of their time, of our time, our culture, and wants to censor them frankly should be removed from office. They surely do not speak for our elders. And now, no longer us.

/end rant.

edit on 23-1-2013 by AdamOver because: (no reason given)

I have them all...on VHS.

Hi, this is my first post,....

Would like to add that as a German born Australian, Fawlty Towers ranks as still one of my favourite TV comedy's.. of all time.. must have watched both series dozens of times.

Now my deceased dad who happened to have fought in the second world war (for the runners up.. ) and my mum both loved the show as well.. they both used to just crack up with laughter, especially at the Germans episode and could totally relate to it..

In fact another favourite show of mine.. The Goodies .. also has numerous shows which would be declared.. as politically incorrect... but what brilliant stuff it was and still is..

cheers...

I'm utterly baffled...So they are cutting out *lines* but concidering much of the show was centered around Basil bullying his thick little Spic worker......

keh?

It's ok, they can censor it all they like it'll end up like the Rocky Horror show where people will just shout in the blanks.

Can't say it doesn't surprise me, but come on, Fawlty Towers? Why censor one of my favorites? Glad my brother has them all already.

I have been watching these repeats and have really enjoyed them, I didn't notice they had been censored.

Thing is, they have been shown on prime time on a Sunday evening. The whole cultural make up of the UK has changed so much in the last 30 years so I can understand why they censored such words out. But then again in some cases I am pro PC.

The BBC's logic is totally flawed. They are no longer representing the British public, (we pay them for that) but pandering to over sensitive political correctness. These things happened in the past and were part of British life; they should be preserved as such so as we may learn from history. Yes, we made mistakes and if our children are shielded from that, how are they to ever learn any different or why, indeed, they are indoctrinated to accept anyone of different ethnicity or colour even if they don't like them as an individual person.

Political Correctness by the way and IMHO, is doing something or saying things you are told (strongly recommended to do or say) or ordered to do or say because others in power want that, not because you chose to. I prefer my own practices; I'm tolerant of everybody until they are intolerant of me or deliberately cross me.

A couple of days ago I watched Django Unchained. In typical Quentin Tarantino fashion, it was over-the-top violence...but a good movie.

Since its set during the period right before the civil war, and involves slavery, the n-word was used extensively.

Was this wrong? Will they edit this out fifty years from now?

I truly hope not. It shows a snapshot of time...a moment in history. And that's how people talked then.

I love Fawlty Towers....the thought of censoring anything from it just hurts.

reply to post by woodwardjnr




I kind of agree, I think they should have just shown it after the watershed.... no need to actually censor it at all.


Someone mentioned how they've removed smoking too...


They did it on the Beatles Album cover for Abbey Road





And who knows what else?

reply to post by blupblup


Wow, I never noticed Abbey Road, that's a bit silly isn't it? I mean how kids are into the Beatles, or buying Beatles albums in this day and age?

Anyone old enough to appreciate things like that are old enough to make their own minds up on things like smoking.

Just found out something else rather tragic......

It Ain't Half Hot Mum will never be screened again as BBC deem it too racist for modern society.

BBC bosses have decided to not bring back a controversial comedy series because they fear it is too racist.

It Ain't Half Hot Mum was in the process of being brought back to TV screens but it will now never be seen again.

After a review of the series was carried out by editors at the Beeb, they agreed that the show was very much out of touch with today's society.

reply to post by woogleuk



It seems it was in the US... I just remember hearing about it.

news.bbc.co.uk...



Re: It ain't half hot mum

Really? Bloody hell... comedy is way more offensive nowadays than it's ever been.
And things like that Fawlty Towers clip are actually showing people up who thought that way, making them out to be what they are.... racists, it's not glorifying them.

I've got the whole series on disc(s).

Wonder what the BBC would do with the great Dave Allen?

***CAUTION NAUGHTY LANGUAGE***

I have all 13 episodes on video tape. Rather obsolete version.

How do I update good ol' Fawlty?