[Albion] Am I a dinosaur/out of touch/or offensive?

[Alba Badger]

is the OP's real name a Mr Basil Fawlty? You can't say stuff like that, never mind "anymore" try EVER!

 

[Bold Seagull]

Not offensive at all. Even if she has no sense of humour, there was no need to take it further. Dear oh dear oh dear oh dear oh dear oh dear oh dear. AAAAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!

And this is the issue Fry has with people who chose a binary path in these matters. In your assertion there is no offense at all, you really are no different to the girl that took offence – you have both taken a definite view of the matter, you are just binary opposites, 2 sides of the same coin.

If you or the OP thought, well it might be offensive to some people I suppose, and the girl thought, that could be offensive but I doubt he actually meant it that way – that is essentially Fry's thinking to moving out of the Political Correctness Gone Mad cycle which only causes more division.

 

[Nitram]

Humour over the telephone or on forums does not always translate especially if the person is unknown to the audience.
However saying you did not harbour any ill feelings and then saying the person was acting under orders like a nazi was hardly in keeping with reconciliation. Not surprised they were upset at the passive aggressive tone.

 

[clapham_gull]

I still find this scene hilarious. Guess that makes me a dinosaur.

But that's satire and making the point the British can't get over the war whilst younger Germans were trying to "get on with it".

The joke is all on Basil, bit like this thread.

John Cleese:

Referring to the famous ‘Don’t Mention The War’ episode of Fawlty Towers, he added: ‘Everybody thinks that was a joke about the Germans but they missed it.

'It was a joke about English attitudes to the war and the fact that some people were still hanging on to that rubbish.

 

[Baker lite]

Yet its still shown on Fawlty Tower repeats, and the BBC DVD boxset (which I have). Quite surprising it hasn't been cut/airbrushed from the episode in this day and age.

Does it still show the scene with the Major patrolling with his elephant gun? Be very surprised that still makes screening.


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[Wellesley]

And this is the issue Fry has with people who chose a binary path in these matters. In your assertion there is no offense at all, you really are no different to the girl that took offence – you have both taken a definite view of the matter, you are just binary opposites, 2 sides of the same coin.

If you or the OP thought, well it might be offensive to some people I suppose, and the girl thought, that could be offensive but I doubt he actually meant it that way – that is essentially Fry's thinking to moving out of the Political Correctness Gone Mad cycle which only causes more division.

Yeah, but I couldn't give a shit what you or even Mr Fry thinks. I was giving my personal opinion to the OP's question. I'm well aware it could be offensive to some extremely over sensitive tarts because some people like to find offence in everything and I don't think we should pander to them.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Not sure if it really needs pointing out that there is a smidge of a difference between Harty joking that someone acted like a Nazi and that Fawlty Towers episode.

What a gag though.

Is there something wrong?
Will you stop talking about the war?
Me? You started it!
We did not start it.
Yes, you did, you invaded Poland.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Hey 'voice of reason' would you be able to define who 'pretty much everyone is' please? Who exactly is 'everyone'. Looking forward to you providing clarification on this.

Sure.

Let's start with all the people who have clicked the thumbs-up button to agree with my assessment, and then add every single person who has read the thread - discussing what is or is not offensive - and has chosen to completely ignore your lame, transparent attempt to illicit a reaction.

 

[CheeseRolls]

Had an issue with Worthing Borough Council about some funeral related paperwork, a 20 something office person came on the phone and suggested a way forward that adopted not one shred of common-sense or flexibility.

Eventually they came round to our way of thinking but as an aside I spoke to the young lady and said there would be no hard feelings, and somewhat tongue in cheek, stated because like the Nazis she was only acting under orders.

She found this analogy, in her words, extremely offensive, and I have received an official communication from her line manager reiterating this fact.

It was a quip, and I honestly meant no offence, but are these kind of things really deemed politically incorrect?

Basically we stopped them delaying a funeral because of some nit picking, and ultimately the families we look after are the ones paying the bill, both mine and that of the crematorium.

People deserve to be treated with respect in their work, so yes I think you crossed the line, but I also understand your frustration and sense of proportion. A conversation with a family around a funeral delay, for no explicable reason (now averted) is a worse prospect, than taking a bit of abuse on the telephone, but this wasn't her problem, but yours.

I would recommend a trip to the cinema to see Jojo Rabbit, which walks a fine line between poking fun at Hitler and the Nazis, with some gritty reality thrown in. I laughed out loud at a bunch of 10 year old boys, making a swastika shape as part of their exercise routine - It is all about context.

 

[Baker lite]

What a gag though.

Is there something wrong?
Will you stop talking about the war?
Me? You started it!
We did not start it.
Yes, you did, you invaded Poland.

Classic, bit like some of the fools and horses punchlines, you know they’re coming, you’ve seen them before but still piss yourself laughing.


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[BadFish]

For me it was a badly chosen phrase in the context of a disagreement at work. I'm not sure if it makes you a dinosaur or out of touch as i think it would have been a poor choice of phase at any time.

Having said that she should probably have recognised the intent behind the comment and let it slide.

People like to be outraged about stuff though, as we can see from some of the responses on this thread

 

[studio150]

Not something I would have said, but I do find that there is an ever increasing inflexibility of business to actually be customer friendly.

Last month we received a communication from our bank, which contained a number of errors, which we queried by phone. What should have been a short call, resulting in the bank agreeing that the detail needed changing and then issuing a revised letter with the correct detail.

No such luck, an hour on the phone, as the savings department refused to issue a letter. The only way to get one, raise a complaint.

Just following a process without actually thinking about what the process was achieving.

 

[Alba Badger]

I still find the whole Fawlty Towers thing very funny but possibly because I’m laughing at Basil Fawlty for being such a prat where as many seem to see him as a fricking role model!

 

[Bold Seagull]

But that's satire and making the point the British can't get over the war whilst younger Germans were trying to "get on with it".

The joke is all on Basil.

John Cleese:

Of course it was, as it was always on Alf Garnett. The great tragedy with satire is that some people didn't see it as such. Warren Mitchell never quite got over the fact certain people saw AG as a champion, not a parody of unpalatable attitudes.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Classic, bit like some of the fools and horses punchlines, you know they’re coming, you’ve seen them before but still piss yourself laughing.

The Dad's Army one gets me every time...

Vat is your name?
Don't tell him Pyke.

 

[Yes Chef]

It's nothing to do with being a gammon or a snowflake, more common sense that if you have had a fractious dealing with someone, then comparing them to nazis will be offensive.

 

[clapham_gull]

Of course it was, as it was always on Alf Garnett. The great tragedy with satire is that someone people didn't see it as such. Warren Mitchell never quite got over the fact certain people saw AG as a champion, not a parody of unpalatable attitudes.

I've never been convinced that Alf Garnett was totally that to be honest because of the writers other work, but that's open to debate obviously.

The Germans episode is making a statement about xenophobic British attitudes. There is a bit of a myth it's been "censored". Some edits were made so the series could be shown pre-watershed for a while. It's held in such high regard that John Cleese was asked personally to give his permission.

It's never been edited in any other context, whatever people would like to believe.

 

[Easy 10]

But that's satire and making the point the British can't get over the war whilst younger Germans were trying to "get on with it".

The joke is all on Basil, bit like this thread.

Sure, I get that as most people of my (our) generation do. But in the current climate, there are plenty of people actively seeking to get offended by pretty much anything, and to make sure people know about it. If the BBC repeated this episode on prime TV, I'd bet my left bollock that some woke millennial would complain about it. Probably on twitter.

 

[RossyG]

Of course it was, as it was always on Alf Garnett. The great tragedy with satire is that some people didn't see it as such. Warren Mitchell never quite got over the fact certain people saw AG as a champion, not a parody of unpalatable attitudes.

And conversely the other extreme, who couldn’t tell the difference between a character being racist and a show being racist.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

incidentally my 27 year old daughter said that it was out of order

Take it on the chin mate, your daughter is completely correct. The young kid you more or less called a Nazi is somebody's daughter too. And for all you know, her nan or grandad might have been a victim of the Nazis. It's really not bantz.