Hee Hee Ha Ha

Earlier in the year I posted a blog about how Asian culture has influenced western music. This started me thinking about other forms of entertainment that have similarly merged the east and the west. There are three shows in particular that stand out that reflect the era that they were made in. The first show is ‘It Ain’t Half Hot Mum’, a show made in the 1970s.

The show was set in India and Burma during the last days of World War Two. The only two memories I have of watching this show was firstly Windsor Davies who played a Sergeant Major just shouting every line he had and the second was that an English actor was playing an Indian. The show portrayed a stereotypical view of Indians from the perspective of the west and showed that during the seventies the British still had not got over the fact that the empire was over.

Move forward to the nineties and the tables were reversed by the show ‘Goodness gracious me’. This show exploited the conflict between British born Indians and their integration within the west. Characters included, ‘The Coopers and The Robinsons’ who thought they were English, Chunky Lafunga a Bollywood actor trying to make it in the West, the Chav girls ‘Meena and Beena’ who reflected the social issues of the West. To me these characters were stereotyping against the English culture and getting one back for how they were portrayed in the seventies. The standout sketch from the entire show was the ‘Going for an English’ sketch where a group of Indians go to an English restaurant and turn the tables on the normal ‘going for an Indian’ joke.

Today Asians have finally learnt to laugh at themselves after years of being laughed at or trying to see where and how they fit into Western Culture. The current comedy ‘Citizen Khan’ makes fun of the Asian culture and all the stereotypical ingredients that we believe are a part of us. From being tight with money, the ideal of the ‘Man of the House’, the need to be accepted and have a high status within the community and our love of chillies are all part of this wonderful comedy.

Although focused on a Muslim family I can relate to many of the situations it creates. It is good to see that Asians have a sense of humor (although there have been many complaints) and can laugh at themselves.