Blazing Saddles? Hell, you could not even make The Bob Newhart Show today. All of the advocacy groups for various mental illnesses would be jumping right down your throat.
I watched “Clueless” a week or so ago, and noted a scene in there where the (clueless) lead character and her friend had to have it pointed out that her latest crush was gay. This was done (by a black character no doubt for a measure of insulation) who commented along the following lines:
Murray: Your man Christian is a cake boy!
Cher and Dionne: (together) A what?
Murray: He’s a disco-dancing, Oscar Wilde-reading, Streisand ticket-holding friend of Dorothy, know what I’m saying?
No WAY that would get produced now.
About 3 weeks ago I bought the complete Sanford and Sons series collection. It could never be made today.
I know Redd Fox was raunchy in his lounge shows but in Sanford he is genius.
“Blazing Saddles? Hell, you could not even make The Bob Newhart Show today. All of the advocacy groups for various mental illnesses would be jumping right down your throat.”
My sentiments exactly. Over the weekend, I was at my parents’ and the local PBS station in Watertown was having it’s semi annual membership drive and wheeling out the same mindless drivel of Daniel O’Donnell and Lawrence Welk. It seems that is the only stuff they will show, as my idea of PBS doing a service like dusting off the videotapes and film cans of original programs not seen in many, many years would not be a realistic idea. My parents (as liberal as they are) do remind me on occasions like these that Norman Lear originals or “Till Death Us Do Part” or NBC variety programs from the late 1950s and early 60s in colour or comedians like Mel Brooks or Don Rickles (as mentioned by someone else here) would be too politically incorrect or controversial to be shown today in their original forms.
You even have Gary Butthead of the NHL cracking down on the vintage hockey games and fight footage trade, as he and his minions want us to just watch the Eurotrash that is in vogue today.