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Mel Brooks: Blazing Saddles would 'never' be made today
BBC ^

Posted on 09/20/2017 9:30:44 PM PDT by Sub-Driver

Mel Brooks: Blazing Saddles would 'never' be made today

By Rebecca Jones Arts correspondent, BBC News

14 minutes ago From the section Entertainment & Arts

Mel Brooks, one of Hollywood's funniest film-makers, has told the BBC political correctness is "the death of comedy".

He said Blazing Saddles, his Western spoof about a black sheriff in a racist town, could "never" be made today.

"It's OK not to hurt the feelings of various tribes and groups," he said. "However it's not good for comedy.

"Comedy has to walk a thin line, take risks. It's the lecherous little elf whispering in the king's ear, telling the truth about human behaviour."

Brooks made his name with a series of successful film comedies, including Blazing Saddles, The Producers and Young Frankenstein.

Among the subjects he has satirised are racism, religion and feminism - and he describes himself as "the king of vulgarity".

But there is one subject he insists he would not parody.

Referring to World War Two, he said: "I personally would never touch gas chambers or the death of children or Jews at the hands of the Nazis.

"In no way is that at all useable or correct for comedy. It's just in truly bad taste."

However, he says that is the "only thing" he would avoid. "Everything else is OK."

(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: Alabama
KEYWORDS: alabama; cheaplaborexpress; comedy; hollywood; humorlessdems; mobrooks; pc
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To: morphing libertarian
I see movies all the time with the n word.

Image result for black woman bulging eyes gif

I see what you did there.

81 posted on 09/21/2017 8:15:34 AM PDT by Responsibility2nd
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To: Dr. Sivana

1967 was a landmark year for American movies. My personal favorite is ‘Point Blank’ with Lee Marvin. ‘Heat’ was a non daring way of being daring.


82 posted on 09/21/2017 8:24:27 AM PDT by Borges
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To: lefty-lie-spy

Great resource - thanks.


83 posted on 09/21/2017 9:16:46 AM PDT by aquila48
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To: dragnet2

> “Blazing Saddles was a recruitment film for Nazis.”

Also for rustlers, cut throats, murderers, bounty hunters, desperados, mugs, pugs, thugs, nitwits, halfwits, dimwits, vipers, snipers, con men, Indian agents, Mexican bandits, muggers, buggerers, bushwhackers, hornswogglers, horse thieves, bull dykes, train robbers, bank robbers, ass-kickers, shit-kickers and Methodists.


84 posted on 09/21/2017 10:52:33 AM PDT by jim_trent
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To: xrmusn
Can’t hardly get an uncut version anymore.

My kids had watched that on TV and thought it was a dumb movie. A couple years later, they streamed the uncut version and were rolling on the floor. It was a totally different movie when all the "edgy" politically incorrect stuff was left in.

Ditto for "Airplane".

85 posted on 09/21/2017 10:58:15 AM PDT by SamAdams76
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To: Sub-Driver
Referring to World War Two, he said: "I personally would never touch gas chambers or the death of children or Jews at the hands of the Nazis."

Although he cut it pretty close in "To Be or Not To Be" ... with "Concentration Camp Erhardt" (Charles Durning) ...


86 posted on 09/21/2017 11:03:25 AM PDT by BlueLancer (ANTIFA - The new and improved SturmAbteilung)
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To: aquila48

You are most welcome. There is enough wonderful content to digest until our grandchildren are dead. Please browse and enjoy. All the old time radio show podcasts get their content from this website.


87 posted on 09/21/2017 11:38:34 AM PDT by lefty-lie-spy (Stay metal. For the Horde \m/("_")\m/ - via iPhone from Tokyo.)
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To: ifinnegan

Agreed that All In The Family does not hold up well. To me, it just seems like a constant holler at each other. I find none of the characters likable. I suppose it was cutting edge comedy at the time. But now I find it bad television.


88 posted on 09/21/2017 11:46:28 AM PDT by Pappy Smear
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To: Pappy Smear

I remember when the creators of All in The Family were aghast, because they found out its popularity and ratings were tied to the fact that a lot of the viewers liked and agreed with Archie. I didn’t care for the way he treated Edith, though. Meathead and Raggedy Ann were just as ridiculous as Archie thought they were. They’d fit right in with today’s SJWs.


89 posted on 09/21/2017 12:02:17 PM PDT by Flaming Conservative
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To: dfwgator

Is that Lawrence O’Donnell of PMSNBC? LOL I just saw the video an hour ago or so. Ouch.


90 posted on 09/21/2017 1:09:33 PM PDT by SaveFerris (Luke 17:28 ... as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold ......)
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To: jiggyboy

#57 Moses was sure clumsy.
Dropped 590 commandments. I bet one said:
“Thou shalt not drop thy commandments!”


91 posted on 09/21/2017 1:35:48 PM PDT by minnesota_bound
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To: karnage

Bill Maher gets away with it, too.


92 posted on 09/21/2017 1:48:36 PM PDT by daler
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To: Pappy Smear

AITF still hilarious. What from that era does hold up well then? Do you think The Honeymooners holds up well? That’s also a bunch of people yelling at each other.


93 posted on 09/22/2017 12:11:17 PM PDT by Borges
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