by Lando_Griffin » Tue Jun 19, 2007 6:17 pm
I think people need to understand that he only played to his audience, and such racist jokes were accepted by the majority in the 70's and 80's. It's only in recent years, with the influx of many new races, that people have altered their views.
Back in the 70's, a moderate, accepted view would have been "Oh, foreigners - dirty, filthy scum."
Nowadays, that's nigh-on a hanging offence.
I'm not saying I agreed with Manning, and I'm not defending racism.
I'm simply saying he was a comic for a time gone by, and to judge him by today's standards, where he was virtually banned from TV and radio, is unfair.
Let's be honest; The character Borat is just as racist as Bernard Manning, yet people think that's great.
Double standards, people.
Anyhoo - R.I.P. Bernard - may you meet a black man up there to change your views.
Rafa Benitez - An unfinished Legend.