It Ain't Half Hot Mum
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irocfan

Original Poster:

46,726 posts

213 months

Thursday 16th April 2020
quotequote all
Just watched S1E1 on YouTube

I remember watching this 'back in the day' at my paternal grandparent's, and much loved it was by them too - I guess that they could identify with a lot of the attitudes portrayed in this series (interestingly my grandfather was another of that era who spoke fluent Urdu).

It must be said though that I suspect a lot of people would find it beyond offensive (millenials would likely want to erase every copy in existence!), despite I this I did laugh at the trip down memory lane

Pericoloso

44,044 posts

186 months

Thursday 16th April 2020
quotequote all
I don't think it gets repeated on TV for the reasons you gave .

It's almost as un- PC as you can get.

I was in the same class in secondary school as Windsor Davies' son.

vixen1700

27,917 posts

293 months

Thursday 16th April 2020
quotequote all
I remember it being very funny as a kid.

The campness of the troupe always cracked me up together with how much it wound up the Sergeant Major. laugh


Countdown

47,437 posts

219 months

Thursday 16th April 2020
quotequote all
irocfan said:
Just watched S1E1 on YouTube

I remember watching this 'back in the day' at my paternal grandparent's, and much loved it was by them too - I guess that they could identify with a lot of the attitudes portrayed in this series (interestingly my grandfather was another of that era who spoke fluent Urdu).

It must be said though that I suspect a lot of people would find it beyond offensive (millenials would likely want to erase every copy in existence!), despite I this I did laugh at the trip down memory lane
I think you might be wrong about "millenials finding it offensive". I'm of asian origin and I remember my dad and his friends watching it in the 70's. They thought it was hilarious. All the characters are exaggerated stereotypes (arguably the British are being lampooned as much if not more than the "Indian" characters.)


ETA My uncle was the spitting image of Windsor Davies, right down to the moustache. He was ex-REME.


Edited by Countdown on Thursday 16th April 17:17

Skyedriver

22,334 posts

305 months

Thursday 16th April 2020
quotequote all
Michelle Dotrice was worth watching back then......Ooooh Betty...

Pericoloso

44,044 posts

186 months

Thursday 16th April 2020
quotequote all
Skyedriver said:
Michelle Dotrice was worth watching back then......Ooooh Betty...
Erm , not Some mothers do 'ave 'em.

Epic fail.....tongue outbiglaugh

Simpo Two

91,393 posts

288 months

Thursday 16th April 2020
quotequote all
Sad that so much good comedy has been wiped out by the miserable angst-ridden offence-by-proxy PC brigade. But you can stand up on stage and talk about genitals and they fall about laughing. Strange times.

J4CKO

45,941 posts

223 months

Thursday 16th April 2020
quotequote all
I remember it but was perhaps a bit too young to get it apart from the shouting and loving Windsor Davies, the attitudes were like my grandad, think it was nostalgic for him as he was in the RAF in North Africa and Egypt during WW2.

The Major in Fawlty Towers also reminded me of how he spoke, as in "those people arent ***** they are ****", he wasnt being nasty, that was just normal back then.

I think for me its Windsor Davies's expressions,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10dmK7O-KSY

I dont think we can erase culture from history, but just caveat it that it was "of its time" and in a lot of cases, perhaps like John Cleese creating Major Gowan, poking fun at those old attitudes.


Big-Bo-Beep

884 posts

77 months

Friday 17th April 2020
quotequote all
I notice that it, unlike allo allo, Hi De Hi and Summer Wine it doesn't get a run on Drama.

It must be beyond the pale for TV planners, the pre-broadcast warning that it contains
" references and language that were common at the time " being not enough to justify
the un-woke utterances.


Although it is fondly remembered I didn't find it a classic show, too much reliance on Davies' OTT character.

mikal83

5,340 posts

275 months

Friday 17th April 2020
quotequote all
One of the funniest progs at the time and still is. You can stuff the pc brigade up your...........

jet_noise

6,002 posts

205 months

Friday 17th April 2020
quotequote all
I don't know why this is found to be offensive.
Multi-ethnic caste - check.
Multi-sexual orientation characters - check.

For the avoidance of doubt winksmile

Fane

1,345 posts

223 months

Friday 17th April 2020
quotequote all
I think it's more that the bearer chappy was white irl and had makeup applied. Same reason that you don't see the Black and White Minstrel Show.

However, I did see a programme which featured one of the asian cast members talking about the bearer and saying that he wasn't offended by him and that his mannerisms were all spot on.

droopsnoot

14,174 posts

265 months

Friday 17th April 2020
quotequote all
Fane said:
I think it's more that the bearer chappy was white irl and had makeup applied. Same reason that you don't see the Black and White Minstrel Show.
I was just about to post the same, wasn't it Michael Bates, who had previously appeared in Last of the Summer Wine? And had a very English accent in real life, and his fake accent added to the issue.

It is available on DVD though.

irocfan

Original Poster:

46,726 posts

213 months

Friday 17th April 2020
quotequote all
droopsnoot said:
Fane said:
I think it's more that the bearer chappy was white irl and had makeup applied. Same reason that you don't see the Black and White Minstrel Show.
I was just about to post the same, wasn't it Michael Bates, who had previously appeared in Last of the Summer Wine? And had a very English accent in real life, and his fake accent added to the issue.

It is available on DVD though.
Ironically enough said chap was born in India - IIRC he was mixed race? As an aside I also remember reading that there weren't enough Indian actors suitable for said role - this being the case should they have caned the whole production?

Countdown

47,437 posts

219 months

Friday 17th April 2020
quotequote all
jet_noise said:
I don't know why this is found to be offensive.
Multi-ethnic caste - check.
Multi-sexual orientation characters - check.

For the avoidance of doubt winksmile
Yeah, I forgot Windsor Davies was Welsh biggrin

Jonesy23

4,650 posts

159 months

Friday 17th April 2020
quotequote all
irocfan said:
droopsnoot said:
Fane said:
I think it's more that the bearer chappy was white irl and had makeup applied. Same reason that you don't see the Black and White Minstrel Show.
I was just about to post the same, wasn't it Michael Bates, who had previously appeared in Last of the Summer Wine? And had a very English accent in real life, and his fake accent added to the issue.

It is available on DVD though.
Ironically enough said chap was born in India - IIRC he was mixed race? As an aside I also remember reading that there weren't enough Indian actors suitable for said role - this being the case should they have caned the whole production?
They did the same thing with Fisher Stevens in Short Circuit but that (mostly) is allowed to get away with it.

jet_noise

6,002 posts

205 months

Friday 17th April 2020
quotequote all
Countdown said:
jet_noise said:
I don't know why this is found to be offensive.
Multi-ethnic caste - check.
Multi-sexual orientation characters - check.

For the avoidance of doubt winksmile
Yeah, I forgot Windsor Davies was Welsh biggrin
hehe

eccles

14,191 posts

245 months

Friday 17th April 2020
quotequote all
irocfan said:
droopsnoot said:
Fane said:
I think it's more that the bearer chappy was white irl and had makeup applied. Same reason that you don't see the Black and White Minstrel Show.
I was just about to post the same, wasn't it Michael Bates, who had previously appeared in Last of the Summer Wine? And had a very English accent in real life, and his fake accent added to the issue.

It is available on DVD though.
Ironically enough said chap was born in India - IIRC he was mixed race? As an aside I also remember reading that there weren't enough Indian actors suitable for said role - this being the case should they have caned the whole production?
I also seemed to recall that he spoke more of the local language (being brought up there) than the other Asian actors who were born here.