Sun 31 Jan 2010
Widening gyres make prams nervous
Posted by Dan Binns under Uncategorized
[2] Comments
I’m not ashamed to admit I like the new Channel Ten promo. You can see it here.
What I take issue with is the nigh-immediate response it got from folks that work in the mental health industry, who state that it unnecessarily lampoons the very serious issue of mental health.
Point number one – at which point does it poke fun at real people who are genuinely suffering from mental disability (which, may I say, is definitely a real problem, and not a single person is doubting this)?
Secondly, I despair for the advancement of comedy when something so benign is taken as being offensive. Making fun of minorities, of society’s fringe, is wrong. But this kind of humour is brilliantly self-deprecating in the most wonderfully and classically Australian way.
Making fun of oneself is a comedic principle the British pride themselves on, and is the reason for the success of Monty Python, Little Britain and other comedy gold. The second Australia tries it, some advocacy group comes out of the woodwork and slams it down.
No wonder there’s nothing good on TV any more.
Until next time…
Nah, it’s not offensive. As someone who has had to participate in group therapy, it’s actually reasonably accurate, if exaggerated for comedic value.
I just didn’t think it was all that funny. And humour is relative.
Hear, hear. I was beginning to think I was the only one who found it amusing (not funny hahaha, but amusing). As for it being offensive, FFS! As you say, it was self-depreciating and taking the piss out of themselves.