Posted on 04/15/2025 5:15:33 AM PDT by Angelino97
Benny Hill was once one of Britain's most popular entertainers, with his particular brand of comedy - slapstick and risque - hugely popular for some two decades with a theme tune that will bring back memories for anyone of a certain age.
It's reported that one of his specials, aired in 1969, attracted a bigger audience than the moon landings but in recent years, the comedian has fallen out of favour, with some of his sketches being criticised over their racist and sexist jokes.
This was the topic of a recent Channel 5 programme, The Cancellation of Benny Hill, looking back at the comedian's career, noting that his popularity extended to major stars including Michael Jackson, while he also appeared in a number of movies, including The Italian Job and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
In 1971, viewing figures for his show topped 21 million and the comedian was awarded ITV personality of the year.
But his success would come to a sudden end in the 1980s and his shows are 'rarely on TV nowadays – having been criticised for containing racist, sexist, risqué and vulgar content which would be deemed unacceptable by today's standards'.
Programme's makers looked back through the archives to find footage that cannot 'under normal circumstances' be played on TV today, and aired it for some younger viewers, Ellie, Pradeep, and Jodie, as well as cultural commentators, to get their reactions.
The show also sought to answer the question of 'whether it’s time to bring Benny out of the comedy cold, or whether he should stay "cancelled?".'
Some of the clips shocked the younger viewers due to their politically incorrect content, however, there were others that they found more amusing.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
I read that he was actually very shy around women in real life.
This is off topic but does anyone remember “The Paul Hogan” comedy skit show?
The Young Ones was hilarious when I was a teen in the 80s. I tried watching it again about a decade ago and was really put off by the anti-Thatcher stuff. But, it was still damn funny. They were my introduction to Motörhead and Ace of Spaces!
I like Benny, Monty Python and The Goodies.
Supposedly lived like a pauper.
The one Benny Hill joke that made me spew my drink all over the floor, it was so funny.
“What is the difference between a vitamin and a hormone?
You can’t make a vitamin!”
(think on it, think on it!)
Was he canceled or did the world just move on? It was always rather low brow humor. And even before the world got woke the world just moved past it. “OMG panties, let’s laugh” only had a certain shelf life. Especially once cable rose up, and things could get a lot more racy. “This is forbidden” was part of the fun of the show, but then it wasn’t. When Madonna started showing up on MTV wearing less than Benny Hill girls it was over for him.
If someone told a joke about 9/11 or the Holocaust or a child's head being cut off that would be out of line, right? So, I'm not sure why blasphemy is funny?
God is the greatest comedian of them all. And the punchline for people that actively mock Him is waiting at their judgement.
People that laugh at everything, extremely objectional subjects, think that they are above everyone else because they can "laugh" at anything. But they show they may have a lack of humanity in not being able to discern that there are some things that are just not funny no matter how hard they try to justify the chuckle.
We have a major issue with civility today and this is just one part of it IMHO.
Flame away.
H.L. Mencken defined puritanism as “The haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy.” The P.C. crowd has adopted that fear and persist in wanting everyone to be miserable. Anyone offended by Benny Hill can just not watch his show, or buy the videos. ‘Eff ‘em.
Same here.
No flame. I just disagree.
bkmk
Benny’s daughter: I’ll have you know I can have any man I please!
Benny: Yeah, but you don’t please ANY of them do ya?
Just classic.
BENNY: All r-i-i-i-i-ght! Tat!
***If someone told a joke about 9/11 or the Holocaust or a child’s head being cut off that would be out of line, right? ***
Sad but true. After a while the disasters are joked about by crude people.
“Other than that, Mr Lincoln, how did you like the play?”
Custer’s last thoughts....A painting of Indians picking cotton...”Where did all those cotton picking Indians come from?”
“Cinco de Mayo, A Mexican day of mourning for all the mayonnaise shipment to Mexico lost in the Titanic..”
“What color were Christa McAuliffe’s eyes on January 28, 1986? Blue. One blew this way and one blew that way.”
I remember a couple of people who almost got their butts whipped for making fun of those killed.
Even today on Facebook when someone posts about a crime taking place the clowns show up.
I watched this show a little while ago. The funny thing is while he was becoming less popular on British TV, he was at the same time becoming hugely popular in America as his old shows started being shown on American TV in the 1980s. We LOVED Benny Hill. I still think he’s hilarious and any risque skits he did that might offend some PCer don’t bother me in the slightest. In fact, the more it would offend them, the more I like it. Same goes for Blazing Saddles, Monty Python, the Airplane and Naked Gun movies, etc.
Huh? News to me. I've never heard anything about him being gay. As far as I know he wasn't.
Ya I already got read act by several!! Had there been an option to delete one’s own posts, I would have done it already!! (going back and sitting down!) Live and learn!!
I am behind the times on this. Is this just Benny Hill or other classic British shows affected? What about Monty Python?, Dave Allen?, The Goodies?, The Two Ronnies?
Little Britain was extremely funny and probably could not be made today.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.