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I watched 'Benidorm' last night on ITV2 and it depicts the English working classes as thick, undignified and ill-mannered. 'Shameless' on Channel 4 is quite similar. I have no problem with it, it's not to be taken too seriously, and I think it's all quite funny - but the term 'snob' has never been used to criticise writers of such pieces.

Here's what's interesting though: if someone who wasn't Scottish wrote a series depicting Scots as Haggis eating, tartan wearing heavy drinkers; or Irish people as leprechaun loving people who dressed in green and boozed heavily; or Welsh people as old men in flat caps who sat on hilltops all day calling each other Jones The Postman and Jones The Baker, everyone would go mad.

Doing it along class lines appears to be fine though and no one says anything. What are people's views on this?

It's merely an aspect of working class culture. You went to see the Manic Street Preachers who i think you would agree are working class and yet I don't think you'd choose to see the Manics as 'thick' or 'ignorant' etc. If you choose to see social class as multi-faceted and diverse rather than something that's reduced to a handful of stereotypes it's much easier to see such programmes as glib entertainment rather than as some attempt at social comment.

Just as Shamless and Benidorm depict the working classes as "chavs" (for want of a better word), Jimmy McGovern's The Street depicted them in a more realistic light.

Good points, Max. I'm not too offended either but there is an argument that if you're going to show any sex/race/class behaviour then it's important to give a balanced view. Not all British holiday makers going to Benidorm a are drunk louts, just like not all kids involved with the gang culture in our inner cities are black.

Hypocrisy is everywhere and we all seem to just accept it. Racist jokes aren't tolerated on TV these days but sexist humour still is. Little Britain is based on poking fun at cross-dressers, gays, the mentally ill as well as the disabled.

Cross-dressing:

[img]http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/images/396x ... orence.jpg[/img]

Gays:

[img]http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/images/396x222/daffyd2.jpg[/img]

Mentally ill:

[img]http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/littlebrita ... /anne1.jpg[/img]

Physically Challenged:

[img]http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/images/396x222/lou_andy.jpg[/img]

Today's youth:

[img]http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/images/396x ... ollard.jpg[/img]

Although in Andy's case, he's not really disabled and so the joke is really on the 'do-gooder' friend, Lou.

I guess that some groups/sexes just don't complain loud enough (or just don't care) for society as a whole to take notice.

What a horrible thing to say.

Nothing suits comedy writers better than using stereotypes.....you
write and draw broadly from human experience to create a comedic
effect....
Once upon a time working class types were Arthur Mullard "gor blimey
guvnor" dumb, fat, cloth-capped or equally daft and lovable Norman
Wisdoms etc etc.
Since chavs are more than a sad joke to most of us it seems fine
to me that they now become the butt of humorists....This is unfair,
grossly unfair, to most of the working class, but good humour is never
fair, it is in fact often quite cruel.
Even toffs get stereotyped too, though these days its usually as gay
wimps....I liked them better as Bertie Wooster-
monocle wearing- Terry Thomases....

I think that all those so-called "progressives" who constantly bleat on about "negative stereotypes", while at the same time taking it upon themselves to be "offended" on other people's behalf, should get their heads out of their arses and get a fucking life.

Lighten up a bit, people!

Stereotypes exist because (like it or not) certain groups, nationalities or whatever tend to display some degree of broad similarity in terms of behaviour, appearance, mannerisms, language, cultural mentality etc. etc. Which is what comedians tap into.

Sure, it may be a generalisation and an over-simplification - but so what? Most people have the intelligence to understand that and not take it too seriously. They don't need some sanctimonious cunt to tell them that not all Indians go round saying "verily verily", and not all gays are mincing queens.

As Mr. Thring rightly points out, toffs are stereotyped as well. And foreign films and TV shows commonly stereotype Englishmen as bowler-hatted, pin-striped City gents or buck-toothed, incompetent nincompoops. I've seen it many times in German comedies over the years. And frankly - as an Englishman - I couldn't give a fuck, because I'm sensible enough to know that it's not really malicious. And I'd be mightily peeved if some interfering do-gooder took it upon themselves to come over all "offended" on my behalf.

"Joke" and "humour" used to mean something not to be taken too seriously. Something said purely in jest and not intended as malicious. But the art of jest, banter and light-hearted ribbing has now largely been lost thanks to the po-faced paragons of political correctness. Because God forbid you may "offend" someone.

What set of joyless, morally-conceited twats they are.

- Eric