# Little Britain - Do you think it is funny? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 30, 2011, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-britain-do-you-think-it-is-funny/583771 "2011-05-30T17:25:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2011, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-britain-do-you-think-it-is-funny/583771/1 "2011-05-30T17:25:48Z")
A friend came over last night raving about the show _Little Britain,_ and insisted that we watch some clips from it on YouTube. So we watched: [Ye Know Too Mouch](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMagY_CQopA&feature=related) [Vicky Pollard Goes to Court](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mpMEnxcVkA) [Ray McCooney and the Critic](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLrAhcimpnQ&feature=related) I was just…baffled. I didn’t find it funny at all. I don’t “get it,” I guess, even though my friend thought it was the most hilarious thing ever. Said friend doesn’t like _Mr. Show_, which I adore, yet he loves Little Britain. DO _you_ think it’s funny? Is it just lost on me because I’m not British? (Even though I love _Monty Python_, _The Office_ and _Extras?_) ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2011, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-britain-do-you-think-it-is-funny/583771/2 "2011-05-30T17:36:54Z")
I find some of it funny and am ‘meh’ about some of the other bits. It’s also one of the few shows that I find actually offensive - the Andy stuff (bloke in a wheelchair isn’t actually disabled) is horrific. This tends to get me labelled as being ‘oversensitive’ but I don’t care. ---
**Author:** ![mutantmoose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a87d85/32.png) [@mutantmoose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mutantmoose)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2011, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-britain-do-you-think-it-is-funny/583771/3 "2011-05-30T17:39:21Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > Is it just lost on me because I’m not British? No. It’s horrible, unfunny, racist crap ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2011, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-britain-do-you-think-it-is-funny/583771/4 "2011-05-30T17:51:01Z")
Never liked _Little Britain_. It always struck me as a poor imitation of _The Fast Show_ ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2011, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-britain-do-you-think-it-is-funny/583771/5 "2011-05-30T17:57:03Z")
The first season was funny because it was something we’d never seen before. Season 2 was more of the same. I’m one of those people who rolls their eyes at people who find this sort of thing offensive. Sorry. Having said that it went downhill after season 1, and the specials were just not funny at all. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2011, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-britain-do-you-think-it-is-funny/583771/6 "2011-05-30T18:00:56Z")
I think it’s hysterical. I like a fair amount of British comedy, but I don’t think its provenance really matters much – you just need to like absurdist, performance based comedy. You don’t have to be intimate with Bristol\* to “get” Vicky Pollard, you just have to observe a certain type of seemingly-ubiquitous teenage girl. Seeing an unlikely an actor as [Matt Lucas](http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/article62092.ece) transformed so utterly and convincingly into a broad cartoon of this type of young girl is astounding, and pants-wettingly funny, for me, anyway. The manifestly asexual Welshman Daffyd, whose completely defective gaydar allows him to cling to his identity as “the only gay in the village” also slays me. Also, Tom Baker. _TOM BAKER!_ \*free straight line - you’re welcome. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2011, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-britain-do-you-think-it-is-funny/583771/7 "2011-05-30T18:04:47Z")
Larry, what do/did you think of Come fly with Me? ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2011, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-britain-do-you-think-it-is-funny/583771/8 "2011-05-30T18:13:37Z")
I find some of it funny, some offensive, and some boring. I do like “Computer says no.” ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2011, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-britain-do-you-think-it-is-funny/583771/9 "2011-05-30T18:21:23Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > The first season was funny because it was something we’d never seen before. Season 2 was more of the same. > > I’m one of those people who rolls their eyes at people who find this sort of thing offensive. Sorry. > > Having said that it went downhill after season 1, and the specials were just not funny at all. Part of the reason I find it offensive is not the show itself, but the way people use it - people do actually use Andy and Dafydd to take the piss out of gay and disabled people. That’s not the show’s fault in a way, but it makes the sketches less funny for me to watch, and the show made it so _easy_ for people to do that, especially with Andy. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2011, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-britain-do-you-think-it-is-funny/583771/10 "2011-05-30T18:27:38Z")
I am a huge fan of British comedy, but I loathe Little Britain. It’s one of these shows that uses endlessly repeated catchphrases instead of actual comedy. Sort of like SNL at its worst. Or MadTV at its best. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2011, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-britain-do-you-think-it-is-funny/583771/11 "2011-05-30T18:30:40Z")
I laughed a lot at the show the first time through but some stuff was offensive. I wouldn’t watch it again, I would probably be bored. Although o can watch Lou & Andy over and over 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2011, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-britain-do-you-think-it-is-funny/583771/12 "2011-05-30T18:41:44Z")
Occasionally funny, occasionally boring. offensive?..racist? heck no. You have to work far harder than that to offend me. Now “the X factor” or “Britain’s got talent” (they forgot the question mark there) they are offensive on a much deeper level than Little Britain is. ---
**Author:** ![YaraMateo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/58f4c7/32.png) [@YaraMateo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YaraMateo)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2011, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-britain-do-you-think-it-is-funny/583771/13 "2011-05-30T18:52:20Z")
I don’t think it’s offensive, because they poke fun at everyone. I do find it funny. Some skits I like more than others, though. I also don’t like they tend to recycle things A LOT. I also don’t like the American Little Britian (on HBO) didn’t have that much new stuff. I also think, the skinny guy is funnier and more versatile than the fat guy. The fat guy’s annoys me and his shtick is really “Look at how fat and ugly I am. Laugh at me.” A lot of his characters have annoying unrealistic voices/accents. There’s a scene in Run Fatboy Run where he’s buying cookies (the skinny one) and he made me crack up. The only skit the fat guy does that I like is the weight watchersesque skit. That’s only funny because he’s fatter than all the other “fatties” (as he calls them). ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2011, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-britain-do-you-think-it-is-funny/583771/14 "2011-05-30T18:58:42Z")
I watched a few episodes when it was on HBO, i believe i made a thread about how much it sucked. It is the same catch phrases repeated over and over in the same situations every single show. ---
**Author:** ![blindboyard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blindboyard/32/2833_2.png) [@blindboyard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blindboyard)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2011, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-britain-do-you-think-it-is-funny/583771/15 "2011-05-30T19:15:33Z")
Was alright on the radio. The catchphrases were quite funny, but obviously catch-phrase based comedy has a limited lifespan and it was tedious before it even got on the telly. Very simple stuff, though, it’s not something you can “not get” because of the complicated nature or cultural limitations or anything. It’s not the League of Gentlemen. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2011, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-britain-do-you-think-it-is-funny/583771/16 "2011-05-30T21:44:25Z")
Computah says… … … … Nnnnnnnowhhhh… ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2011, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-britain-do-you-think-it-is-funny/583771/17 "2011-05-30T23:11:58Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > Larry, what do/did you think of Come fly with Me? I think I’ll check it out - thanks! ---
**Author:** ![GreedySmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a698b9/32.png) [@GreedySmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreedySmurf)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2011, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-britain-do-you-think-it-is-funny/583771/18 "2011-05-30T23:41:29Z")
> [@digs](#): > > Computah says… > > … > > … > > … Nnnnnnnowhhhh… \ Sorry that’s not complete until she coughs in your face 😃 For the record I really enjoy Little Britain. Yes some sketches/characters are better than others, but overall a very entertaining show. ---
**Author:** ![Shamozzle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shamozzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shamozzle)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-britain-do-you-think-it-is-funny/583771/19 "2011-05-31T09:24:58Z")
The two main actors are highly talented and it is a brilliant show. They rotated the same sketches too heavily, though. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-britain-do-you-think-it-is-funny/583771/20 "2011-05-31T09:27:24Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > Never liked _Little Britain_. It always struck me as a poor imitation of _The Fast Show_ Ditto. I’ve always just assumed that a few years out of the country has left me out of touch from what Brits like these days. After hearing a lot about it I was amazed when I saw it. Amazed at how painfully unfunny it was. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-britain-do-you-think-it-is-funny/583771.md?page=2)