You wouldn't think what people find funny would change over the years but it has. I think it's something to do with what is 'political correct' at the time of the humour. When I think of what I laughed at years ago compared to now, I can see such a difference.
Some humour has stood the test of time. The gentle sort, some relying on slapstick and some just on every day farce. Films that have Laurel and Hardy, Norman Wisdom and Charlie Chaplin in are still considered amusing today, Even Shakespeare. Obviously if you delve in to them you can see that there are characteristics that could be considered typecast, but they are innocent in their fun and a statement of society at that time. I can think of a couple of old television comedies that are going strong too. Dad's Army certainly still makes me chuckle. Only Fools and Horses, Open All Hours, Monty Python and Absolutely Fabulous are still being shown regularly. But humour is definitely a personal thing. I'm not a fan of Monty Python and I still don't find it particularly funny, but both my first husband, and current hubby Neil, adored it. My sons grew up finding it funny, and even now they all irritate me by randomly quoting various bits of the films. They sound like a talking relay race as each one of them rapidly churns out a whole repertoire of that comedy. I must say it's goes over my head sometimes, and I switch off. Monty Python seems to have a little cult of it's own, where you could be standing in a pub and suddenly someone will quote a bit of it and then someone else will answer. It's all beyond me, but I'll just mention the fact that on the whole it appears to be a man thing!!
I do recall some of the comedy shows around in my childhood made me uncomfortable even back then. You would end up with your hand over your mouth in a sort of shock horror joy at what was going on. Some programmes can never be shown now because of the outcry that would result. Alf Garnett and Love Thy Neighbour would cause a riot now. Ofcom, the regulator of communication, tv, video and radio, has considered banning some old programmes as they have huge undertones of racism and are offensive. They would be unimaginable to put on today.
The thing is should they be banned, or should they be held as an example of our history and celebrated as showing how far society has changed for the better? However much people frown about it, we did have a British Empire. That is the reality of our past. It doesn't mean it was right but it did happen, and you cannot be true to yourself and your country if you rewrite or omit historical facts. Words change and views change. In the past disabilities and race was made fun of. You could not, nor would want to, do that now. Strangely enough, in a poll, the majority of people still found on screen vulgarity of some types funny. Maybe that's a guilty secret? You may not swear, or think certain now considered incorrect things, but to watch someone else do or say that is a sort of funny shock? Now I am no prude but I don't like continuous swearing, but I'm going to admit that, while probably politically and racially incorrect, I still find 'Allo Allo' and 'It Aint Half Hot Mum' funny. That's my personal opinion though and other people may not do so.
I believe we need to look at the context, the time they are set in, and understand how society was then. Sometimes I feel we have swung the complete opposite way to all the incorrectness of the past, and now everyone is afraid to say or do anything without someone somewhere condemning them. There needs to be a balance, and we shouldn't be afraid to look at and admit the past. We all have guilty secrets. Humour may be one of them?
https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/11-british-comedies-1990s-funnier-295486
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/comedy/what-to-see/little-britain-brass-eye-20-politically-incorrect-modern-comedies/
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