Anything goes on the Beeb these days, pretty much. Apropos of comedy fruit, try this non-related: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/7981904.stm
I guess the confusion stems from American humour differing from the British. For example: In America, people will laugh at a man in a dress. In England, people will wait until after a man in a dress tells a joke to laugh at the joke.
That's from 'The Graham Norton Show' whose stock-in-trade is saying supposedly shocking or rude things. That's pretty tame for his show (although a lot funnier than most of the rubbish he comes out with).
Officially the BBC has a policy of dealing with each instance of swearing or what you might call lewdness, as it comes up. Unofficially use of the F-word as a verb is pretty much verboten these days (although it is featuring in the screening of 'The Wire' on BBC2 at the moment) since Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand did their little party trick for the nation on BBC Radio 2.
Nah, the trouble the BBC has is that their so-called checkers never notice the smutty double entendres being smuggled through until it's too late. Stuff like the old ventriloquists' joke "I see F you see K." The real legendary figure for all this was an old Music Hall comic named Max Miller who could make even the most innocent phrases sound truly filthy and actually was banned for several years, just in case. There's a long standing urban legend that's going around about him being banned for one particular joke, involving meeting a young blonde while walking home across a narrow bridge with the punchline "I didn't know whether to block her passage or toss myself off," but Max was usually a lot cleverer than that.
Great joke. loved that he left the names in that he did and didn't try to "hip it up". He also told a great story in his last appearance on Letterman. It had something to do with meeting some actor in an elevator on the way up to Woody Allen's office while Hoffman was in costume for Tootsie. The guy flat out tells great jokes!
I care not to analyze the BBC, their censorship policy or to worry about what Ken can or can not use. It's just a great joke on a sunny day here in Seattle! Thanks for another laugh Ken!
tb: It's a long depressing tale of sub-standard broadcasting, slipshod producing and the inevitable kneejerk reaction from a) the British press and b) the BBC Director General. Here's a overview of the whole thing: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7694989.stm
Jim: No one would have missed that gag, particularly not on Norton's show. Times, and editorial guidelines, have changed since Max Miller was getting away with his particular style of comedy.
The thing is, like "Inside the Actor's Studio" when you ask - or prod - someone to say something "naughty" it just ends up sounding clinical and lacking threat. I felt the time it took on tv to tell that joke was just not worth the payoff. And the names -- does anyone get the insider-points about Omar Sharif and B.Bardot? Seriously, it was like from Antiquity - how OLD is Hoffman? Or his public? Anyway, watching him tell a long joke on tv, with the camera cutting back and forth to the grimace of the host, just made me wonder if it would have worked without that particular dress the woman was wearing....
This makes things quite interesting when BBC America airs things, as infinitely less stuff gets bleeped over there than here.
One interesting episode of Gordon Ramsay's The F-Word had automotive journalist James May cooking with him and May decided to decorate his dish with the word COCK written out in peas.
They bleeped every time he said "Cock" but, apparently, it's okay to use profanities if the means by which one does so involves nutritious vegetables.
15 comments :
Thanks. That was great.
I guess the BBC recognizes adults.
He told that on conan in the states as well. still hilarious.
Anything goes on the Beeb these days, pretty much.
Apropos of comedy fruit, try this non-related: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/7981904.stm
I guess the confusion stems from American humour differing from the British. For example: In America, people will laugh at a man in a dress. In England, people will wait until after a man in a dress tells a joke to laugh at the joke.
What was the joke? I didn't hear it, the sound on my speakers was muffled.
WV: sacepot- "Is that my pot?" "No, that's sacepot."
That's from 'The Graham Norton Show' whose stock-in-trade is saying supposedly shocking or rude things. That's pretty tame for his show (although a lot funnier than most of the rubbish he comes out with).
Officially the BBC has a policy of dealing with each instance of swearing or what you might call lewdness, as it comes up. Unofficially use of the F-word as a verb is pretty much verboten these days (although it is featuring in the screening of 'The Wire' on BBC2 at the moment) since Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand did their little party trick for the nation on BBC Radio 2.
"I guess the BBC recognizes adults"
Nah, the trouble the BBC has is that their so-called checkers never notice the smutty double entendres being smuggled through until it's too late. Stuff like the old ventriloquists' joke "I see F you see K." The real legendary figure for all this was an old Music Hall comic named Max Miller who could make even the most innocent phrases sound truly filthy and actually was banned for several years, just in case. There's a long standing urban legend that's going around about him being banned for one particular joke, involving meeting a young blonde while walking home across a narrow bridge with the punchline "I didn't know whether to block her passage or toss myself off," but Max was usually a lot cleverer than that.
C'mon guys, didn't you see that punchline coming a MILE away?
Well Ken, maybe there you can finally use that one about "your VIP-ness"
What's this party trick from Jonathon Ross you're referring to, Jon Mac?
Great joke. loved that he left the names in that he did and didn't try to "hip it up". He also told a great story in his last appearance on Letterman. It had something to do with meeting some actor in an elevator on the way up to Woody Allen's office while Hoffman was in costume for Tootsie. The guy flat out tells great jokes!
I care not to analyze the BBC, their censorship policy or to worry about what Ken can or can not use. It's just a great joke on a sunny day here in Seattle!
Thanks for another laugh Ken!
tb: It's a long depressing tale of sub-standard broadcasting, slipshod producing and the inevitable kneejerk reaction from a) the British press and b) the BBC Director General. Here's a overview of the whole thing: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7694989.stm
Jim: No one would have missed that gag, particularly not on Norton's show. Times, and editorial guidelines, have changed since Max Miller was getting away with his particular style of comedy.
The thing is, like "Inside the Actor's Studio" when you ask - or prod - someone to say something "naughty" it just ends up sounding clinical and lacking threat. I felt the time it took on tv to tell that joke was just not worth the payoff. And the names -- does anyone get the insider-points about Omar Sharif and B.Bardot? Seriously, it was like from Antiquity - how OLD is Hoffman? Or his public? Anyway, watching him tell a long joke on tv, with the camera cutting back and forth to the grimace of the host, just made me wonder if it would have worked without that particular dress the woman was wearing....
heh, those wacky europeans, did they miss the memo on pretending to be eunichs?
This makes things quite interesting when BBC America airs things, as infinitely less stuff gets bleeped over there than here.
One interesting episode of Gordon Ramsay's The F-Word had automotive journalist James May cooking with him and May decided to decorate his dish with the word COCK written out in peas.
They bleeped every time he said "Cock" but, apparently, it's okay to use profanities if the means by which one does so involves nutritious vegetables.
A_Homer said:
> Seriously, it was like from
> Antiquity - how OLD is Hoffman?
The Wikipedia article about him says he was born, believe it or not, not in New York but in Los Angeles, on August 8, 1937, making him currently 71.
Verification word: "cousx", an experimental prototype cousin.
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