# Does Mr. Bean set a bad example? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 22, 2015, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-mr-bean-set-a-bad-example/741090 "2015-12-22T12:50:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2015, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-mr-bean-set-a-bad-example/741090/21 "2015-12-23T00:13:58Z")
A man who wears matching coat and pants and a bright colored necktie can’t do much wrong. Lots of worse examples you can pick. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2015, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-mr-bean-set-a-bad-example/741090/22 "2015-12-23T01:46:30Z")
Does anyone set their moral compass by the standards of Mr. Bean?Don’t get me wrong; I love the numpty. ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2015, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-mr-bean-set-a-bad-example/741090/23 "2015-12-23T02:00:15Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > First let me say I love Rowan Adkisson’s “Mr Bean” series. We have them all on dvd. I’ve wanted to drive his little yellow car (are they real?). > > However I cannot help but noticing; > > 1. Mr. Bean never works a real job so I dont know where he makes any money. > 2. His basic gag is to make fun of rules, standards, and most parts of civilized society. He cuts in line at the hospital. He sneaks into a parking garage for free. He cheats on a test. He shoplifts in a store. He pokes fun of serious occasions like church services, weddings, funerals, and even visiting the queen. > 3. He provides no real benefit to society. His only “friend” is his girlfriend and he treats her poorly. > > All this yet he gets by just fine. > > So I have to ask, is this a common theme in British comedy? At least in American comedy the characters hold jobs and follow rules. > > He really is a poor example of a person to follow. Those may be his basic failings but beyond all that, he still has virtues that often pull through at the end: loyalty, valor, and common decency. ---
**Author:** ![kferr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@kferr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kferr)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2015, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-mr-bean-set-a-bad-example/741090/24 "2015-12-23T14:08:53Z")
The car is very real, a [1976 British Leyland Mini 1000](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Bean#Mr_Bean.27s_car). ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2015, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-mr-bean-set-a-bad-example/741090/25 "2015-12-23T15:00:03Z")
All of the premises of this question just seem rather odd to me. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2015, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-mr-bean-set-a-bad-example/741090/26 "2015-12-23T15:32:11Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > Is a character who manages to paint a room by lighting a stick of dynamite in a paint can supposed to be realistic or setting some kind of positive example? [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/T9MAmWnOznI/hqdefault.jpg "Painting His House | Funny Clip | Mr Bean Official") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9MAmWnOznI) ---
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2015, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-mr-bean-set-a-bad-example/741090/27 "2015-12-23T16:40:27Z")
If you’re basing your moral code off a Rowan Atkinson character, go for Blackadder. Much more fun. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-mr-bean-set-a-bad-example/741090.md?page=1)