The World Loves a Bastard
Posted by Dave Tanner on 7 May 09 in TV
It is the gits of this world that not only get the luck, but also the laughs.
It’s a fact of life that no matter how generous, kind and wonderful cheerful you are, you’re unlikely to get the laughs. It is the gits of this world that not only get the luck, but also the laughs.
Basil Fawlty is the ultimate TV swine. Imagine if Basil was in a loving relationship with Sybil, if treated his staff with the highest politically-correct respect and he ran his hotel smoothly, welcoming guests with open arms. It would be boring. Similarly with Blackadder - he’s a dastardly weasel, yet he is regarded as one of the finest comedy creations of all time.
Before I elaborate on stating the bleedin’ obvious, I’d like to try and get an insight into why the British comedy consumer prefers to route for the git rather than the goody-two-shoes. Why is being horrible to someone so much funnier than someone who donates to charity or goes on fun runs?
It isn’t true for everything, of course. Think of The Vicar of Dibley and The Good Life.
Although fine sitcoms in their own right, they aren’t terribly cutting edge - they are safe as the safest house on safe street after the new safety measures of Councillor Safety had been implemented.
Only Fools and Horses is an odd one; Del Boy is rather loveable but let’s not forget he has tried to sell a baby, sabotage his younger brother’s love life and committed fraud throughout his life. What a cheeky devil - now arrest him, officer. And which of all the many characters is the only one to get its own four-series-and-counting spin-off series? Sly Hitler-moustached Boycie.
The truest example of a collection of cads is Fawlty Towers, which is a concoction of two key elements; perfectly-formed farce and a collection of unlikeable characters. The only likeable ones are exploited, smacked and insulted and the friendly, frolicking guests are rather irritating. Having a grumpy, unlikeable cad as the lead character allows comedies to encroach more into sensitive subjects such as race, homophobia and sexism.
How, for instance, could the Good Life discuss true 1970’s issues such as racism that would cut through? It wouldn’t dare. Indeed, as likeable as the Vicar of Dibley is, its attempts to hammer home moral messages about ‘Make Poverty History’ resulted in cringe-worthy sanctimonious-ness of the highest order. The best way to combat taboo subjects is to have a rather vulgar example to hold a mirror to the ridiculousness of prejudice.
A good example is, again, with Basil. Arguably the most iconic scene in British comedy is Basil’s insane stretched-leg bout of xenophobia. But like the rants of Alf Garnett, if you really think the programme is simply using prejudice as a cheap and dated way of getting laughs then you haven’t understood the joke.
Chris Morris is even more cutting with his messages, but the same applies.
It was Rimmer in Red Dwarf who remarked “the world loves a bastard,” and he’s absolutely right. But it takes a bastard to not only get the big laughs, but also commentate on society’s attitudes in a less patronising way.
Read more about Fawtly Towers, watch the exclusive news viral and watch exclusive videos of the reunited cast over on our sister website G.O.L.D
