"Little Britain" is one of the most popular comedy productions. But what makes it that popular and funny? Without any doubt one considerable reason are the minorities in British society, who become the butt of jokes: Immigrants, homosexuals, transvestites, people with special needs or those of different ethnicity.
Making fun of minorities, however, also evokes criticism: Johann Hari (2005), commentator of The Independent, for instance, claims that “[Little Britain] is cluttered with ugly prejudices“. Thus, the question occurs if Little Britain really entertains on behalf of minorities, implying racism and hate towards minorities.
In this paper I will try to answer this question by introducing Homi K. Bhabha's theory of defining ethnic and racial minorities and by asking if consolidated views on Asians and Africans become the humoristic substance for two main characters in Little Britain, the Asian lady-boy Ting Tong Macadangdang and Marjorie Dawes, the leader of a weight loss support group.
In the next chapter I will focus on gender minorities, who will be introduced by Judith Butler's work on sex and gender. Her performance and performative theory shall help to analyze the two transvestites Emily and Florence and the young homosexual man named Daffyd Thomas from a small Welsh village.
Chapter four summarizes the findings and tries to answer the question how exactly Little Britain works with making fun of minorities.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Ethnicity and race – the creation and function of otherness
2.1 “The duplicity of the Asiatic“ as humoristic substance
2.2 “The bestial sexual license of the African“ as humoristic substance
3. Gender Minorities – performance and performativity
3.1 Two unconving transvestites
3.2 The only homophobe gay in the village
4. Conclusion
5. Bibliography
Objectives and Topics
This paper explores whether the popular British comedy series Little Britain relies on discriminatory humor against minorities or if it utilizes these portrayals on a meta-level to subvert stereotypical perceptions. By applying the theoretical frameworks of Homi K. Bhabha and Judith Butler, the study analyzes specific character arcs to determine who is truly the target of the humor.
- Analysis of racial stereotypes through Homi K. Bhabha’s theory of "otherness."
- Examination of gender performance based on Judith Butler’s performative theory.
- Critical review of power dynamics in Little Britain sketches.
- Assessment of whether the show is inherently racist or subversive.
Excerpt from the Book
2.1 “The duplicity of the Asiatic“ as humoristic substance
The first sketch taken into consideration is the partnership of Dudley Punt and his Asian wife Ting Tong Macadangdang. He orders her from a Thai bride magazine, but is disappointed by what he gets because Ting Tong turns out not to be the slim and pretty girl he has exspected: She has a fairly loud voice, is over-weighed and it often seems as if she was not able to understand Dudley. Furthermore, Dudley some day finds out that Ting Tong is a lady-boy when she goes to the toilet, and that her real name is Tong Ting, which is a male name. Additionally, she admits that she does not come from Thailand but from London.
She finally makes her complete family move into Dudley's apartment and wants to make a restaurant of it.
Ting Tong is a character Bhabha calls “the duplicity of the Asian“, as she makes Dudley marry her, cheats on him concerning her sex, brings her family to the UK without any permission and excludes Dudley from her plans to make a restaurant out of his appartment although it is his.
What is striking as well is the fact that Ting Tong turns out to know more about politics and English society than Dudley, and she pretty well understands how to treat him as she quickly realizes his selfish character.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the research topic and the primary question of whether Little Britain relies on harmful stereotypes or employs a subversive, meta-level approach to comedy.
2. Ethnicity and race – the creation and function of otherness: This chapter discusses Bhabha’s theory of colonial discourse and the construction of "otherness" as an apparatus of power.
2.1 “The duplicity of the Asiatic“ as humoristic substance: This section analyzes the partnership of Dudley and Ting Tong, arguing that Dudley, not Ting Tong, is the actual center of the jokes due to his selfish and stereotypical behavior.
2.2 “The bestial sexual license of the African“ as humoristic substance: This chapter examines the interaction between Marjorie Dawes and her boyfriend Derek, highlighting how Marjorie’s own prejudices and flaws make her the target of ridicule.
3. Gender Minorities – performance and performativity: This chapter introduces Judith Butler’s gender theory to explain how sex and gender are constructed through repeated performative acts.
3.1 Two unconving transvestites: This section analyzes Emily and Florence, concluding that their humor stems from their failure to perform as convincing women rather than their status as transvestites.
3.2 The only homophobe gay in the village: This chapter analyzes the character of Daffyd Thomas, arguing that his egocentric behavior and heteronormative stance make him the butt of the joke, not his homosexuality.
4. Conclusion: The final chapter summarizes the findings, asserting that the show uses stereotypes to undermine rather than reinforce discriminatory views.
5. Bibliography: This section provides a list of all academic sources and media used in the research.
Keywords
Little Britain, Homi K. Bhabha, Judith Butler, otherness, performativity, gender, race, stereotyping, subversion, humor, discourse, post-colonialism, identity, comedy, satire.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this research paper?
The paper investigates whether the comedy show Little Britain perpetuates racism and bigotry or if it uses minority stereotypes to create subversive, meta-level humor.
Which theoretical frameworks are applied in this work?
The author primarily uses Homi K. Bhabha’s concepts of colonial discourse and "otherness" for ethnic analysis, and Judith Butler’s performance and performativity theory for examining gender.
What is the main research question?
The central question is whether the humor in Little Britain functions as an expression of hate towards minorities or if it successfully turns those stereotypes against the dominant, prejudiced characters themselves.
Which specific characters serve as case studies?
The paper analyzes Ting Tong, Marjorie Dawes, Emily, Florence, and Daffyd Thomas to explore how they interact with societal perceptions of race and gender.
How is the humor structured regarding the characters?
The author argues that the "victim" or the center of the joke is rarely the minority character, but rather the person holding the stereotypical, racist, or heteronormative perspective.
What do the chosen keywords signify?
The keywords highlight the intersection of media studies, social theory, and comedy, specifically focusing on how identity is performed and perceived within a post-colonial and gendered context.
Why does the author focus on Dudley Punt in the analysis of Ting Tong?
Dudley serves as an example of a character whose selfish behavior and reliance on "ordering" a wife from a magazine reveal his own superficiality, effectively shifting the ridicule away from the Asian character onto himself.
Why is Daffyd Thomas labeled a "homophobe gay"?
Daffyd is described this way because, despite being homosexual himself, he adopts heteronormative and exclusionary attitudes, refusing to acknowledge the existing gay community in his village.
What conclusion does the author reach regarding the show?
The author concludes that Little Britain should not be labeled as racist, as it successfully employs a meta-level critique that exposes the absurdity of stereotypes through the failure of the characters who hold them.
- Citation du texte
- Dennis Schmidt (Auteur), 2015, Minorities in "Little Britain". Ethnicity, Race, Gender and the Creation and Function of Otherness, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/307887
