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The major used the N word, the show was edited by the BBC quite a few years ago to remove it, Cleese was fine with it, Netflix and UKTV were using the unedited version, it’ll be back soon in edited form.
Nothing to do with Germans, nothing to get upset about.
Here’s the Daily Mail last year trying to make you angry that it is there:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7767363/Unedited-Fawlty-Towers-episode-containing-N-word-broadcast-Britbox.html
Here’s the Daily Mail yesterday trying to make you angry that it isn’t there:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8412479/Germans-episode-Fawlty-Towers-taken-air.html
I saw his tweets but it was unclear exactly what he was railing against, not least because he's been reported to have okayed the editing when it happened 7 years ago. He also blames 'the BBC' which is odd because they're not involved in this. UKTV is owned by them (more likely BBC Studios in fact which is a different company) but not controlled by them.
What are you thinking of in particular? The n-word has never been said in a Bond film, the worst I can think of is Strutter referring to 'spades' in LALD.
There's plenty enough from the Bond franchise, from racial-esque slurs to the way women are treated, that I'm sure some would be happy to edit out and permanently destroy if given the chance.
Of course, this is another debate entirely when it comes to the topical issue of statues being destroyed in the past several weeks.
Destroying and removing old culture you don t like is what both the nazis and the Islamic State and Mao did, just to name a few. You can add Moses.
Same thing with Gone With The Wind. Let the film educate people on all the wrongs of the past. Pulling it from the list is just sad. It's one thing to openly discuss something important; it's a whole other thing to cowardly yield to a sudden outbreak of anger and all the irrational and stupid demands that come with it.
I noticed a certain torrent website put Gone With The Wind on its "hot list" today. I actually like that. If Netflix or whatever doesn't want you to see it anymore, downloading the film for free is just as good.
Yes, we need to discuss racism and all that was and still is wrong. But films, TV series, comic books, novels, ... produced decades ago, leave those alone. There's woke and there's crazy woke. Pretending a certain Fawlty Towers episode doesn't exist is an example of the latter.
I'm guessing that UKTV was using the full version and not the edited one, for whatever reason. In any case, the episode is being reinstated, presumably with a trigger warning. His comments about the corporate management at the BBC seems spot on, even if the production arm is separate from the streaming one.
Once again, infinitely better than I could've stated it, Dimi.
I think that’s unnecessary extrapolation. No one has asked for that and there’s no sign of that happening. It’s best to worry about things when they happen and try to understand why other things are happening now.
To think this sensitivity to racism is comparable to the extreme racism the Nazis undertook is completely the wrong way around.
No culture is being destroyed at all.
Intolerance for racism is bad, is that what you’re saying here?
And it is welcome in their programming: the episode in particular will be returning.
Everything gets censored. Even Bond films before we ever get to see them.
It’s HBO Max, and they have literally said it will return to their platform with a "discussion of its historical context".
They’re not pretending it doesn’t exist: they will be replacing it with the edited version made 7 years ago and which wasn’t there presumably purely through error.
If you’re going to get angry you need to pay attention to the actual facts: there’s an awful lot of uninformed kneejerking in your post.
Apart from the BBC not being responsible, you mean?
The main problem with all of this is that it’s a massive distraction piece, designed to get comfortable white people angry because ‘those awful people are taking our beloved sitcoms away’ (much the same technique as was used in Brexit campaigning), so compassion for the black lives matter campaign is eroded and attention is taken off the real problems to be replaced with non-issues. It’s tragic.
You’re being played: some of you are even complaining about things that haven’t even happened, and all so you turn away from the real issues.
This censorship from the entertainment industry is getting out of hand. Where does it end?
It hasn’t started: you have it on DVD as you say. The original version of the episode is still widely available.
To worry about this is to completely ignore the most important problems of racism in our society today. Which do you think is more important?
Who got annoyed when they changed the name of Agatha Christie’s novel ‘Ten Little N——-‘?
The storyline with the Germans is the least offensive of the episode.
We can't change history, but we can change the future. To tell people what people they can and can't watch is not going to solve any racist issue's society has.
I suspect it's only the Major's dialogue which is the issue in this episode.
What helps to change the future is making racist terms unacceptable. Loads of kids watch Fawlty and love it, by not showing them that calling someone a 'w*g' is funny, you help to change the future just a little bit.
I've watched movies and tv shows with my kids, that I've explained afterwards why it may be inappropriate.
Does watching Fawlty Towers make me a racist?
I hope not. Can I not find the content funny, even if it's no longer acceptable. I know the difference between right and wrong.
That's not the point: I'm saying racist language is unacceptable. It's not about whether it offends you, it's about whether using it in society offends those people it is directly aimed at.
If it's used in a hard-hitting drama tackling these issues then it has a place, but I can't think of anywhere else it should be.
No idea why that's important.
Who suggested that? That's a strawman.
Why is keeping racist language in circulation 'right' then?
So false equivalence rather than actually being able to answer my points? That's dummy-spitting, it's not discussing the situation.
It's not an ideal situation: I'd love these things to stay unedited too. But it's just less important than the real issues at play. Nothing is being erased forever, it's just certain platforms which are trimming them, much like Licence To Kill gets its exploding head and swearing cut out when it's shown at 3pm. If you can understand why that happens, you can understand why this is happening.
You're clearly looking for an argument.
Is there offensive material in 'The Germans' ?Yes
Would it be allowed today? No
This was aired over forty years ago, when it wasn't deemed offensive. Can I or we change that? No.
By removing such things from people is not going to cure racism. Would it not be better to educate on why these things are offensive?
No, I'm looking for a conversation. I'm not angry about this, I'm sorry if you're getting that impression, but you'd be wrong.
I'm giving reasoned, non-argumentative answers to your points but you're ignoring mine and then going on the offensive against me personally. If anyone is looking for an argument it's not me.
This whole situation is about airing it today. No-one is calling for the past to be changed: that would be impossible and insane. Please, the strawmen aren't helping.
It's still available to buy in unedited form.
Yes it will. Bit by bit. Racism is caused by a cumulative drip-drip of what is seen as permissible and acceptable. It's not acceptable to be used in comedy anymore, and people watch these as entertainments today. Those who wish to watch them as historical documents are able to do so too and seek out the original edit, which won't be hard to find.
The only shame is that the recent Blu-Ray isn't as good a job as it could have been, but that's another matter!
Not really, no. Fawlty Towers isn't designed for educational purposes. Some things are, and it is helpful to absorb some attitudes of the past, but shocking moments like this won't help when folks are seeking entertainment and sends out the wrong message when a lovable old duffer like the Major says it, even despite Fawlty being slightly uncomfortable in that circumstance.
You don't need to watch Fawlty Towers to learn why being racist is offensive, why would you?
Not sure what this means..? Do you think you're being called a racist?
Again, I'm not sure what this is in answer to. Literally no-one has said that people who watch Fawlty are racists.
Anyway, UKTV have said it's being reinstated with a guidance note on it:
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2020/jun/12/john-cleese-attacks-stupid-removal-of-fawlty-towers-episode
I'm not quite clear on whether that means they'll be using the original or 2013 edit.
\m/