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quondam47 t1_j1z8mxh wrote

Loved the Absolute Power radio series with Stephen Fry. The TV series didn’t portray the dry humour quite as well.

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[deleted] t1_j1zfjbj wrote

I’ve been meaning to catch that for a while. Will have to check if it’s available anywhere for download

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themanfromoctober t1_j1zuzcb wrote

Agreed! The TV series made them seem too slick and successful

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Capheinated t1_j1zwq4l wrote

But the TV series also features Stephen Fry seriously about to agree to rehabilitate the public image of literal Nazis lol

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TalisFletcher t1_j20vy19 wrote

I kind of view the two shows as entirely separate. They feel like mostly different characters and the tone is very different too. Both good but for different reasons.

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haleme t1_j204l9a wrote

Is the radio series still available anywhere?

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MIBlackburn t1_j20h7xu wrote

It's usually on BBC Sounds if you're patient enough tp not buy it on Audible.

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Dylsnick t1_j21d9xk wrote

yes! And apparently he got a first in philosophy at Cambridge! Not that he ever mentioned it.

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myeff t1_j1z2upw wrote

Went to look up some of his work. Unbelievable that this skit of The Long Johns with Bird and John Fortune was made in 1996. Some things don't change.

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[deleted] t1_j1z3g7y wrote

Really good satire. Unfortunately his career was marred with a lot of Brown and Black facing

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HellsMalice t1_j2089ft wrote

Whining that people did something completely acceptable at the time just because it's no longer acceptable is fucking stupid.

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heres_ultramark t1_j209rcw wrote

It wasn’t really acceptable at the time, people just weren’t including the marginalized groups in the conversation. It always sucked, but we’ve only recently begun letting people of color in the door to tell everyone blackface fucking sucks.

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_Los t1_j209seh wrote

The argument is that it also wasn't acceptable at the time. It wasn't right to do then, it's just that most of society shared the mistaken opinion that it was okay.

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[deleted] t1_j22h5qt wrote

It was not acceptable then as well. I am not saying anything about his comedy, he, infact was a terrific comedian the little I have seen, but having your sitcom pulled in the 70s for playing Pakistani Immigrants is a whole different place no one should have gone. Not even in "those days"

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btmvideos37 t1_j23crgb wrote

Disagree. It was accepted by the mostly white people producing these things and watching these things.

Do you really think bigoted behaviour that was once “acceptable” was accepted by all people? Including the minorities that were being discriminated against, mocked, and oppressed?

It was once acceptable to hit your wife. And marital rape wasn’t a thing. According to the law and society it was acceptable. But do you think the wives EVER liked or accepted this? Hell no

Black Face was either done to mock and belittle black people. Or when it was done somewhat “respectfully”, it was still being done to avoid hiring actual black people for those roles.

People were against black face back then. Just like there were people against slavery when it was legal.

It was wrong now and it was wrong then

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implicitpharmakoi t1_j20d6zu wrote

Slavery was acceptable if it weren't for all those abolitionists whining about it.

Still, we shouldn't erase those sketches, we should just have context when we watch them (bring back Brutalitox!).

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geek180 t1_j22ajgt wrote

I wouldn’t equate wearing blackface to owning slaves.

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implicitpharmakoi t1_j23qea6 wrote

>I wouldn’t equate wearing blackface to owning slaves.

I made no such equivalence, I was pointing out how change happens.

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Stamford16A1 t1_j2145dy wrote

And that ladies and gentleman is why there's no decent satire on TV any more.

Nobody else was taking on Idi Amin or Robert Mugabe... certainly nobody "of colour". I don't recall Lenny Henry satirising Mugabe when he massacred the Matabele for example.

−3

[deleted] t1_j22gtgr wrote

There's satire and there's brownfacing yourself to be immigrants from Pakistan. John Bird was a terrific comedian, but having your sitcom, along with the great Spike Milligan being cancelled because of racial insensitivity in the 70s was not a good thing.

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BeerNTacos t1_j1zhhu9 wrote

I've seen a good batch of these "George Parr" interviews on Bird and Fortune over the years.

The Iraq war one just plain brilliant.

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san_murezzan t1_j1zspkn wrote

That’s sad, don’t think he’s known much outside of the UK but he did some excellent television

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Quesdem t1_j20py9v wrote

A great loss. He was brilliant as the unethical barrister, ‘John Fuller-Carp’. RIP, George Parr.

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SpecificAstronaut69 t1_j21up51 wrote

He's back with Fortune now...

"Seraphim George Parrius, you're an angel on the Holy Signs and Visions Committee..."

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soboi12345 t1_j22nxg8 wrote

His idi amin radio show and Absolute Power with fry was really funny!

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