Cilla Black On The Sixties.

[anotheoldgit]

Saw a recent TV snippet of a Cilla Black programme, all about the sixties.

I was surprised it showed a lengthy section regarding the Black & White Minstrel Show, and no one seems to have gone on Twitter or phoned up the TV station, stating that they were deeply offended, what a refreshing change that makes.

Yes that particular show was essential Saturday Night viewing for most in those days, and no one gave it a moments thought.

[andy-hughes]

10ClarionSt. - //In the film Magnum Force, Clint Eastwood meets a fellow officer early in the film who says to him: "Harry, I haven't seen you in a c o o n s' age" I thought that might have been cut out.//

I think you can get away with that - the 'coon' did refer to a racoon, so it's not a problem - even though DH was one of the less PC officers of law enforcement at that time!

//What about The Dam Busters? Guy Gibsons dog was called N i g g e r. Another term from the past that wouldn't be acceptable today. //

Now there, you are on dodgy ground. When the film is shown on TV, the name is cut out, and in the re-make, the dog became Blackie.

[hc4361]

N****r brown was a valid paint colour, and the colour of shoe polish. I do believe that that phrase is still in use in some English speaking countries.

[andy-hughes]

hc - it was recognised as a fabric and wool colour as well, I remember my mum referring to it in a knitting pattern back in the day.

[hc4361]

Yes, indeed. :)

[hc4361]

You could also buy an Austin 7 in that colour

[piggynose]

not to mention " love thy neighbour" that was a tad ott

[Zacs-Master]

I know, lets play a game....
Lets all try to think up words which were / are offensive to a whole race of people and try to justify them!

What fun Timmy! Then we can have crumpets for tea and listen to Lord Haw Haw on the radio. Aaaah.

[piggynose]

this for example

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1dakp4FT0w

[hc4361]

Love Thy Neighbour was brilliant. It showed the racists as pig ignorant buffoons while their tolerant and accepting wives were portrayed as the reasonable and rational ones.

I'll have half

[andy-hughes]

piggynose - //not to mention " love thy neighbour" that was a tad ott //

That was a show that pretended to be daring and 'out there' in the early 70's, but in fact it was a one-trick pony, and once you got past the racial insults, you saw it for what it was - a seriously unfunny, lazily written sitcom which didn't really deserve airtime.

[andy-hughes]

hc - we have cross-posted, but I stand by my opinion. I thought it was lousy at the time - not because of the comedy racism, but because it was not very well acted, and the scripts were dreadful.

[anotheoldgit]

andy-hughes

Now there, you are on dodgy ground. When the film is shown on TV, the name is cut out, and in the re-make, the dog became Blackie.

I am really surprised that even Blackie is acceptable now?

But to get back to what Guy Gibson's dog was really called, my grandad had a dog answering to such a name and her then lived in an area which is now predominately occupied by ethnic minorities. imaging the scene if he was alive now and calling in his dog?

[piggynose]

what about alf garnett´s " till death do us part" this was supposed to show racism as plain ignorance. no link this time

[andy-hughes]

He'd have had to bang two dustbin lids together!!

[piggynose]

the old ones are the best, andy.

[hc4361]

And it did, piggynose.

[piggynose]

It did to a point hc, but just like many Sun readers, many didnt see alf garnett´s character as being someone being plain pig ignorant.