Don't know how I feel about Bernard Manning. He's not PC of course but I can remember times when he did make me laugh and times when he made me cringe.

I'll always remember him tell one gag on Parkinson about two queer cowboys...one said "yup" and the other said "yep".


http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/enter...nt/6765093.stm


Comedy star Bernard Manning dies

Manning was a singer and a compere before turning to comedy

Controversial comedian Bernard Manning has died aged 76 after being treated in hospital for a kidney condition.
He shot to fame in the 1970s on ITV programme The Comedians, having already developed a career in music as a vocalist and a compere.
His website branded him "one of the most outrageous and successful comedians of our time".
He also denied being racist, once remarking: "I tell jokes. You never take a joke seriously."
However, in 2002, he was banned from performing the Dorset seaside town of Weymouth, where councillors were worried that his act would breach laws on race.

Until his dying day, he didn't understand what all the fuss was about
Biographer Jonathan Margolis on Bernard Manning

He died in North Manchester General Hospital at 1510 BST on Monday, a spokesman there confirmed.

I saw him live at the Stardust near usk in Wales when I was about 17. I do believe I wet myself - he couldn't do his stuff on the tv, far too rude.

The only other comedian of his ilk was Les Dawson - again, on tv a bit naughty but OMG on the stage he was wicked.

Dying like flies. We'll never see the like again.

hopefully we won't see the like of him again
racism isn't funny

Unfortunately it can be. As can murder, cancer, torture and many other unsavoury topics. It depends on the context. Racism expressed as such is off limits in any situation but a joke involving racism and designed to highlight the ridiculous nature of racism itself can be funny.

As a matter of inetrest, did you ever see him live or are you coming to the assumed conclusion that he was racist from media reports or from his TV appearances?

Whether Manning was racist isn't for me to judge, some of his jokes definitely crossed the limits, though, and were overtly racist in nature - beyond the pale as my grandad used to say - but maybe that was the point. The rest of his stuff was very amusing indeed.

He also told extremely feminist jokes, gay jokes, jokes about long haired layabouts, jokes about fat people (he could talk) , and generally picked on any thing or anyone - he didn't care.

I don't think we will see his likes again - the world has moved on (or at least the bit we like to think of as civilised).

'but a joke involving racism and designed to highlight the ridiculous nature of racism itself can be funny.'
....I look forward to hearing this joke....i'm sure no one would be offended..??

he told racist jokes that weren't funny
he told sexist jokes that weren't funny
he told homophobic jokes that weren't funny

as a white, straight, male i'm sure he didn't offend himself (or his white, straight male audience), but 70's/80's in the UK was sadly a place where he was tolerated

thankfully he wouldn't get airtime now

what do you think of Chubby Brown then?

In your opinion.
In your opinion.
In your opinion.

dave

Brilliant. Saw him live in Blackpool.

"You know they do all kind of Barbie dolls, "Dancing Barbie", "Horseriding Barbie".
Well now, they are even doing a "Divorced Barbie".......she comes complete with all Kens accessories."

dave

Wahoo - hook, line, and sinker .

I saw him in the company of the gayest guys I have ever had as freinds, and they thought his gay stuff was side splitting. And yes, there were non-white people in the audience, and they were not offended - he what the way he told em (oh, no that was someone else).

But I'm starting to get suspicious:

Did you ever see or hear him?
Were you actually alive in the 70s/80s?

I don't like Chubby Brown much - I think it really is the way he tells them - his style isn't for me.

Let's face it - whilst Bernard and Roy might not be certain peoples' cup of tea, they can be funny.

Jim Davidson. The fat piano-playing bloke. They were toned-down on TV but told blue jokes. Were they funny?

I bet you don't find Englishman, Irishman, Scotsman jokes funny either?

I'd say Les Dawson was the filthiest of the lot - and the way he played his piano just out of tune - talent like that just doesn't grow on trees. He snuffed it too, didn't he? A good while ago?

obviously, this is not funny either ....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Dawson

All humour is someone laughing at someone or something else or their misfortune. Half of what Manning told was only as risque as what you'd find in reverse on The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air, and they never pulled that.

I presume you gave "Borat" a miss then?

Four months ago he wrote his own obituary for the Daily Mail (I know....)

"The one bad thing about dying quietly in Manchester is that I cannot fulfil the solemn promise I made to the old battleaxe. "When you die, I'm going to dance on your grave," she once said. To which I replied: "I hope you do, because I'm going to be buried at sea."

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/liv...0&in_a_source=

I take it you don't like Bill Cosby, Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock either then..? Or are their jokes not racist...?

He was a comedian, he was (very) close to the line, and often over it, but at the end of the day I still laughed.

All comedians use "shock value" comedy to get a laugh, for example I went to see Peter Kay and he was doing a bit about old people

"You can't beat old people...

...pity."



I was howling. Does that mean he's ageist? No, it means he saw a play on words and used it in a controversial setting to get a laugh. That's what comedy is...

I didn't know Manning and I don't understand the jokes he tells in this low quality BBC snippet. (But the racism discussion reminded me a bit of Monty Python.)