Bernard Manning (saint or sinner)

[monty]

As a comedian I never thought this guy was up to much, stale jokes poorly delivered, some of those jokes are now condemned as being none PC. He ran the Embassey Club in Manchester where numerous performers got their starts. In his day he would pack out theatres all over the country and even performed as a solo artist in Vagas.

Today's papers appear to dismiss the guy as a racist, right wing bigot failing to recognise his earlier vast popularity in such shows as the Comedians and Wheeltappers and Shunters Club.

What do you lot think of Manning the man and the performer, was he a racist, I don't think so as he played many gigs on behalf of such luminaries as Clive Lloyd, Farouk Engineer, John Coteh. Was he a right-wing bigot, again I don't think so as he played shows for gratis to help miners in the 80's. If I'm correct in my train of thought, who are these people who see fit to condemn a second rate comic who did so much for charitable purposes whilst alive, are they the same prats who are driving the PC movement?

Any one have any thoughts on this?

 

[inertia3112]

I think manning was just a product of a bygone age.

But I have seen the distress that can be caused by some of his jokes, and it can be pretty grim.
That said I never really felt that he 'got it' just how upset some people could get.
And he would dismiss it, as only a joke, they should be able to take it etc

But he never realised how much trauma those jokes could bring back from peoples youth or otherwise, the psychological repercussions etc.

Emotions are too complicated to be dismissed as someone being 'overly sensitive'.

Like I said a product of a bygone age, an age that simply WAS less intergrated.
I don't think he was the evil man, some do.
But I do think he said some very nasty things, and we wont see the like again.

And that is a good thing.

 

[Rob]

I never particulary found him funny, but it takes all sorts and he was from a different era.

Nobody condemns Ronnie Barker for the "racist" jokes made at the expense of the black scotsman in Porridge, purely because at the time (and still today) it was and is funny.

I learnt at school - "Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me"

Christ, If I can understand that concept at age 5 then why can't fully grown up adults?

PC idiots.

 

[Latch]

I never really found him funny to be honest, his view on things was that he wasn't racist as he took the [Poor language removed] out of everybody, Black, Brown, Yellow or White.
This morning on the radio they gave an example of one of his 'Jokes' ~

A Blackman with a parrot on his shoulder walks up to the bar ~

Barman ~ Where did you get him from?

Parrot ~ Africa, F***ing loads of them there.

............................................................

No doubt about that one being a racist joke, i didn't laugh out aloud but i did find it funny, but if i had been sat next to a coloured bloke at one of his shows it would have made me cringe, but then again if he had made a 'White' or 'Welsh' joke would that have made the coloured gentleman cringe ?
I guess making fun of some races is worse than others, at the end of the day people knew the kind of material that he came out with yet his shows were always sold-out.
I dont think he was racist just a product of a bygone age as some have already said on this thread, the type of 'comedies' at the time included 'Love thy Neighbour' 'Porridge' 'Rising Damp' and probably worse of all that one with Alf Garnett, ( cant remember the name ), all had racist overtones although in at least two of those programmes the 'joke' was meant to be on the White man, showing how him up for his igrorance.
Anyway like i said i didn't find him all that funny but many people did.

 

[chicoazul]

Its a PC country we live in.

Its hard to define what is acceptable and not, I have mates from different nationalities and we enjoy taking the piss out of our cultures/colour/traits. I dont like racism when its downright nasty, I've been on the receiving end in the past. It didnt really bother me but I can see how a lot of people who be offended by it.

The most important thing is that a popular comic has died.

R.I.P Senor Manning.

 

[Rob]

I never really found him funny to be honest, his view on things was that he wasn't racist as he took the [Poor language removed] out of everybody, Black, Brown, Yellow or White.
This morning on the radio they gave an example of one of his 'Jokes' ~

A Blackman with a parrot on his shoulder walks up to the bar ~

Barman ~ Where did you get him from?

Parrot ~ Africa, F***ing loads of them there.

............................................................

No doubt about that one being a racist joke, i didn't laugh out aloud but i did find it funny, but if i had been sat next to a coloured bloke at one of his shows it would have made me cringe, but then again if he had made a 'White' or 'Welsh' joke would that have made the coloured gentleman cringe ?
I guess making fun of some races is worse than others, at the end of the day people knew the kind of material that he came out with yet his shows were always sold-out.
I dont think he was racist just a product of a bygone age as some have already said on this thread, the type of 'comedies' at the time included 'Love thy Neighbour' 'Porridge' 'Rising Damp' and probably worse of all that one with Alf Garnett, ( cant remember the name ), all had racist overtones although in at least two of those programmes the 'joke' was meant to be on the White man, showing how him up for his igrorance.
Anyway like i said i didn't find him all that funny but many people did.

Till Death Us Do Part

And then in sickness and in health, or something like that.

 

[SuitsBlue]

I guess making fun of some races is worse than others

sorry Ev, have to point out that 'some' might consider that a little racist.

manning was born in 1930, which means he was around in a different time, well before womens liberation, well before political correctness and so called tolerance.

did you know he started his entertainment career off as a singer.

anyway, some of his "jokes" are down right diabolical, and arent the kind of ones you commit to memory for use down the pub, but the same can be said of chubby brown.

to add to the comedies of their age, it is possible to look at 'rab c nesbit' in a negative way and condemn it for stereotyping scots as drunks and whatever else.

chris rock, eddie murphy, richard prior, all had/have elements of race as part of their act, but then they arent white so there is no call to arms.

yes bernard was offensive at times, and in the same breath he was also funny at times, its too easy in the current climate to just write someone off and stereotype them as a bigotted racist. Or for that matter anything else.

 

[SuitsBlue]

http://www.grandoldteam.com/forum/showthread.php?t=88&page=2

post #16

 

[monty]

I can only add that if the guy was a racist the the likes of Clive Lloyd, John Conteh and Farouk Engineer never saw it. He was a product of a by gone age that one time ruled the roost. rest in peace Mr Manning, Citeh supporter methinks as well, that leaves Ricky Hatton!

 

[gordonjblair]

I do genuinely think that although he was a bit ignorant, and bigoted, he wasn't the devil incarnate that everyone makes out.... the fact that he's always mixed with minorities personally and professionally would bear that out. I wouldn't perhaps have seen him as a card carrying BNP supporter (UKIP, perhaps, if they had any)

Unfortunately there is a flip side, his material often gave ammunition to those who were nasty little racist bastards, and was often used to demean, belittle and generally bully those of all minorities...

There is a big difference between good natured banter with friends about your social or cultural differences, and the way in a which a lot of his material was used by others.

Which sort of leads round to the point: Was he any more culpable for that racist use of his material, than a ballistics expert at Glock would be for all the people shot with their weapons?

Maybe that's pushing the analogy a little far (or maybe a lot far b) ) but you get the idea...

Personally, I didn't really like him that much, his material was formulaic, lacking in originality and his delivery and timing was rubbish.



..... and he was a fat [Poor language removed]

[I bet he'd have got a much worse reception had the question been asked before he died]

 

[monty]

Personally, I didn't really like him that much, his material was formulaic, lacking in originality and his delivery and timing was rubbish.



..... and he was a fat [Poor language removed]

[I bet he'd have got a much worse reception had the question been asked before he died]

I actually thought he was dead already and no doubt he died a few times on stage. (PS, leave us fat bastards out of this please)

 

[Latch]

sorry Ev, have to point out that 'some' might consider that a little racist.

.

You knew what i meant Suits, if a coloured guy called me a White [Poor language removed] it would not sound as bad (racist) as it would if it was the other way around, but either way it's still racism.

 

[SuitsBlue]

indeed.

the hypocrisy surrounding the idea that only white people are or can be called racist is what currently gets on my nerves.

this subject is something of a pandoras box, and the fear involved with actually discussing associated issues is used as a weapon by some.

 

[Rob]

Thats the thing about racism in this world, its bollocks.

Only white people can be racist. FACT.

 

[The Esk]

You only have to have lived in South East Asia for a short period of time to appreciate that racism is not the exclusive property of white caucasians.