As a desi girl I can attest to how dear this show is to mine and so many families here 😭😭💖💖 It was just iconic! And I did wonder how it managed to be so inoffensive compared to so many bad desi portrayals of today. Tysm for answering my question and providing more insight in such a great video!
I grew up watching this and I enjoyed it because the jokes were hilarious. As an Asian in a almost all white school in England I didn’t feel embarrassed by this comedy unlike some other comedies. This comedy made fun of EVERYONE so everyone laughed together! The show reflected the combined humanity of everyone and how they all got along together and underneath it all wanted the same things in life. Throughout the comedy you see how the students try to help each other out and are actually very supportive of each other.
I gotta say I am loving your outfit in this video, no matter if you hit the 70’s on the nose or aimed for 70’s and missed and landed in the 60’s the decade before. It is super cute and actually reminds me of clothes that I had as a child in the early 2000’s.💞🌸🦩🤩
I feel very lucky to be someone who works in ESL teaching, since my students are some of the kindest people you'll ever meet! One of my students invited me to have Iftar dinner with them and her whole family was so welcoming. The portrayal of adult students with a teenage mindset doesn't hold true at all in my experience. Most of my students are very dedicated to learning and improving their English skills inside and outside of class. One of them even joined a local soccer team so he could practice speaking with his teammates. We still have lots of fun in the classroom though with games and puzzles designed to make learning engaging and enjoyable. I personally haven't been flirted with by any of my students, though one of my fellow teachers told me her student asked whether she had a boyfriend, which she used as an opportunity to discuss vocab around relationships!
100% agree. I feel like when people (especially Americans) approach those who don't speak English very well, they are forgetting that they are fluent in another (sometimes multiple) languages. Also, very cool that a real-life "Mr. Brown" watched this video :)
@@KarraMeansSpicy Absolutely agree. We have students who are incredibly smart polyglots who were trained as lawyers, engineers, doctors, journalists, etc. in their home country whose experience sadly doesn't "translate" to job positions here in the states without fluency in English (and/or just having to go to law school again)
@@AidanSullivan-tq1tr I have to ask this. Why if someone who wants to learn English to better themselves, who speak 1 or more native languages, gets poked at when they mispronounce words or the sentences are not quite right? I give them credit for learning, as I too get about learning other languages other than English.
I've never seen the show, but this particular concept is so funny to me. My grandparents were Hungarian refugees who came to the UK after fleeing the Soviets in the 1950s. They spoke absolutely no english when they arrived, and by the time they both died almost 70 years later their grasp of it was much better but still very, very tenuous lol. Every time I visited I'd be greeted with an enthusiastic "Dalink!" ("Darling!") and a big kiss on the cheek, and while they didn't teach me any hungarian (I think due to a sad mixture of trauma and xenophobia), I did pick up on a few swear words and the eternally famous "hogy hívják?!" ("what is it called?!") courtesy of my slightly potty-mouthed grandmother. Which is why the hungarian character who shows up speaking no english, shouts a single catchphrase, then gives up and leaves so fucking funny. I think my grandparents would have liked this show too, if they ever watched it. Now pass me the hogy hívják so I can change the channel.
Ok so basically he got home eat some dinner took a bath and went up stairs for bed He's specifically speaking cocnkey rymhing slang where words are replaced with words from ryhmes so for example in this little speech he's you see Rubba dub. Meaning bath or tub And appels meaning stairs because it ryhmes with appels and pairs Of course I don't know word for word because nobody I know really speaks like this except for older people because cockney is slowly being chased out but ... I forgot what it's called but it's like a blend between English and foreign languages brought by immigrant I think Again I'm by no means a languagest but I do dabble hear and there
Oh my gosh I'm over the that this meny people have liked my comment I was worried it was going to be incoherent or told that I made some horrible mistake on accident thank you all for this
Cockney rhyming slang is not a result of immigration, although the accents in London were of course influenced over generations. Cockney rhyming slang developed as a way of speaking that would be obscure to the authorities and those from outside of the locality.
@@shelleyphilcox4743 no I was talking about something I saw that now says the kids are using a new form of slang based on adopted words from others languages aperntly
I'm Malaysian and I grew up watching Oh My English, an adaption of Mind your language. it sets in high school and the cast are the Malaysian students and a British teacher Mr Henry Middleton. because it aimed towards a younger demographic, it's more like an educational show. for example, in each intermission of an episode, an animated Mr Middleton would talk to the viewers telling us how the characters got an english word wrong and then teaches us how to say it correctly and use it properly in a sentence. and also other basic english lessons like grammar, verbs and nouns
Agreed - Thank you for this! ☺ I think the fact that they evenly stereotyped the brits as well as the foreigners helped to diplomatize their delivery. Su-Lee (Actor, Pik-Sen Lim) is my favorite; I really felt the character was her own. I also love that this role explicitly flips the Western stereotype of a quiet, submissive, demure and mysterious, nonspecific East Asian woman on its head and instead delivers an intelligent, assertive, staunch communist minded demeanor that regularly criticises Western civilisation and passionately recites quotes from Chairman Mao's "Little Red Book", all while maintaining a constant, stone serious face in flawless comedic execution. My second and third favorites are Ana Schmidt and Ali Nadim, also Ranjeet, Taro, Giovanni and Juan.
I love Mind Your Language 😂 and yes British comedy cannot be replicated. The reason it's so good is because the show is a double-edged sword; it makes fun of foreigners but at the SAME time, it's a satire of the English language itself. That's why I think no one (or at least a good majority) got offended. The show _What a Country!_ missed that point and it's probably why people barely remember it. Great video and I just subscribed 😊
Me and my mother loved this show bruv. The only thing I hate is the amount of white people who complain about ‘’the woke mob would never let this show run nowadays!’’ which as an honourary member of the woke mob, is just not true.
15:36 I’m a Brit and speak in a cockney accent but do not speak in Cockney rhyming slang. I understood everything he said and here’s a true translation of what he said. Well I went home and had a bull n cow (row) with the trouble n strife (wife). It was all over the dustbin lids (kids), so I went down the frog & toad (road), into the rub a dub (pub) and met an old china plate (mate), he looked a bit uncle dick (sick) so I got him a jack the dandy (shandy) and I had a Vera Lynn (gin). I staggered home, took off my Dickie Dirt (shirt) and my daisy roots (boots) and fell backwards on the apples and pears (stairs). The origins of rhyming slang was to speak freely so the police wouldn’t know what was being said. These days, very few people speak it but certain phrases are used on a daily basis. For example, I might say, “I’m Hank mate.” That would mean I’m Hank Marvin (starving). I would highly recommend an English TV series called, “Only Fools & Horses.” It’s a classic comedy, guaranteed to make you bubble bath (laugh). I hope this has helped.
There's a British comedy from the late 60s called 'Curry And Chips' which was deemed too offensive even for those times, and was cancelled after 6 shows. It's on UA-cam. I used to work with an Indian man, much older than me, who remembered watching it and would always ask white colleagues of his own age group just what they thought about it.
Honestly, Chung Tsu Li was one of my favorites😂 a bit one-dimensional but funny nonetheless and frankly completely based in her interpretation of the people’s philosophy❤
Lol amazing! I’m so glad you’re talking about this bc I live this show as well! And what’s funny is that for the most part by hiring almost all actors from diverse backgrounds as real people facing a real struggle at that time in that country it’s actually kind of forward. Unfortunately Ranjit was the only brown face character otherwise all the characters were trained actors that weren’t really getting work otherwise, except for Ali and Jamila, and Max had some other bigger roles.
A suggestion for something "similar" is the BBC's "It Ain't Half Hot Mum". The premise is that of World War 2 Royal Artillery Concert Party, based in India. The British soldiers are served by a "Bearer" (an Indian character played by an English actor), a "Chai Waller" and a "Punka Waller". You may recognise one of them from Mind Your Language. All the usual stereotypes are catered for, the tough-guy Sergeant-Major, the "toff" officers, the concert/theatre company of dubious sexuality and of course the Indians being Indian with aspirations of being more British than the British. Check it out!
Sid's dialogue from 15:36 I went home and I had a row (bull and a cow) with the wife (trouble and strife) you see. It was all over them kids (dustbin lids). So I went down the road (frog and toad) into the pub (rub a dub) and I met an old mate (china plate). He looked to be sick (Uncle Dick) so I got him a Shandy (Gent and a Dandy) and I had a Gin (Vera Lynn). I staggered home, took off me shirt (Dicky dirt) and boots (daisy roots) and fell backwards on the stairs (apples and pears). These days people wouldn't say the whole phrase. In fact they'd just keep the non-rhyming part to really exclude outsiders. That first sentence would just be "I went home and I had a bull with the trouble".
I grew up in Kenya. I was really young to understand racism... which means, I loved this show. It was one of the only 5 shows we had on the one TV channel that existed. Now I'm not sure how to feel about it because it makes me laugh out loud every time.
I freaking love that you watched this and did a video on it. I grew up watching this in the UK, although I understood it only at a very basic level. Its obviously not "this" type of humour but did you get Goodness Gracious Me?
Have you seen the Indian remake Zabaan Sambhalke that aired in the early 90s and featured Pankaj Kapoor as a Hindi teacher for Indians from different regions?
Given that the UK is currently on fire and has completely lost their empire, I think it'd be funny to do a remake of the show with some other nationality at the helm, and with a few of the students being Brits and Americans. Apparently, there's a Malay remake called "Oh, My English!" and an Indian remake called "Talk With Care" about a Hindi teacher.
I very rarely need subtitles for British and Irish accents, including many regional ones. For American movies and TV shows I almost always turn on the subtitles, because to my ear, many American voices come across as a mumble. For context, I'm Australian and English is my first language. Just think it's kind of funny. Especially funny to have an Australian accusing anyone else of 'mumbling'
ok so weirdly, I can understand Australian just fine, it's just Bri-ish people that my brain refuses to comprehend without subtitles. Also, I can see the need for Americans to have subtitles. We don't make sense most of the time anyways.
That makes a weird sort of sense? Australian English is kind of smooshed between British English and American English a lot of the time. Plus, we often downplay our accents and slangier use of language cause it feels really cringe to say "aw yeeh nah the chippie's run by eshays now" or whatever
Fantastic TV show. Every character had their own personality. The reason this is not offensive, is due to each actor actually being Indian, sheikh, Japanese etc. If they themselves thought the script was funny enough to take on the role, I don't see how anyone else can see that as being racist. If it was a white person made up to be, say Sheikh, that would be different. Great tv show from another era ❤️
I adore this show. Watched it when it was on tv around 2010 and found it on UA-cam a few months ago. Still hilarious, and it makes fun of everyone relatively equally
I'm not British, so this is my first time ever hearing about this show. Thanks for the education! I'm an '80s kid, but I don't remember "What a Country!" Looks like it was on for one season, so that's probably why. 😄 I feel like you could do this show again today. Maybe it would be a mix of "The Good Place," "Community," and "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia." Heartwarming and a little out of pocket. With the right writers and actors, it could be a hit.
a show centering a group of adults in language class centering around how none of them speak the same language and they all come from differing cultures: YAYYYY it's racist to the core: naurrrr
I remember this show growing up in the 70's (I would have been 6 or 7 at the time). It was staple viewing at the time (mainly because there was very little else to watch. I was obviously too young to be able to conceive if it was racist or not,, but I do remember feeling warmth to all the characters. They were all people I liked. And it was the only show on British TV at the time where there was a diverse cast and we got to see people of other nationalities. I suppose for actors of ethnic minorities at the time you had to take whatever roles you could, and there would have been precious few in TV. Maybe a few more in theatre. I'm sure that some of them might have felt it was slightly derogatory, but at least it was exposed, and an opportunity to maybe build some recognition and push for more inclusion. All I can say, is that I'm glad we have got through this stage and more realistic diversity can be seen now.
I never heard of the show till now but it seems so funny. like you said tho it really just wouldn't work in todays era. I would love too see more deep dives' like this from you this was really fun and a blast to watch.
With Sid the caretaker, he's maybe an extreme example of rhyming sland but if you ever watch some "Only Fools and Horses" you might notice some. It's just saying something that rhymes with what they are meaning. Then sometimes you even drop the word that rhymes. The most ciommon one I know of otside of london is calling lying "telling porkies" Which is short for "Telling porky pies." because it rhymes with "Telling lies."
The teacher was in real life an orphan adopted as a baby. He was later found dead in his home in 1997 aged 53. I personally think he was murdered as he was found dead in face down in his living room surrounded by acohol bottles and he also had an huge bump on the back of his head. 😢
Loved this now i need to watch the show. But your take made me think of Kal Penn's Sunnyside. I don't remember if he mentioned "mind your language" when discussing the show in his nook but it would be interesting to look more into the similarities and differences.
when this channel is up there with other greats of “”breadtube”” (still wonder if i know what that word even is) we’ll all get to be like, yeah. we were there
The show was written by one guy: Vince Powell. He wasn't a racist, and was heartbroken when things changed in the 80s and he was accused of it. The show was written to be a popular show - lowbrow, coarse - and was highly refined by him for mass appeal of all ages and sensibilities. In the 70s, when it was shown, Britain was far more isolated than now. People were only just going on their annual holidays - vacations - to southern Europe. Sure, especially these days, the stereotypes are very broad brushstrokes and lazy, but in a 24 minute tv show with such an ensemble cast, it was inevitable. Hit the audience with instantly recognisable traits and work out character later. Furthermore - and this can't be stressed enough - had that show been made just a few years earlier, there wouldn't have been the representation there is here: most of the Europeans would've been just English actors doing a funny voice (like Manuel in Fawlty Towers) and they from further away might even have been English actors in makeup... Why doesn't it come across as racist? Simple. Usually, it's Mr Brown gets into a bit of a pickle (as we'd say) and it's the ingenuity and teamwork of the class which saves the day. It's because the jokes ARE about misconception and naivety, yet not at anyone's expense; there's no punching down. Several major cities in the UK were becoming more multicultural, and this series brought it into every home where it was watched. It normalised different nationalities and faiths working together and taking each other as people. Your Indian heritage allows you to find it funny; your American heritage means you haven't the slightest idea what you're looking at, and really need to do a deeper dive into other cultures. It was thrilling to see a be in the (television) audience for the show, and to see many of our favourite 'world' actors who'd be the foreign spy in an adventure series actually getting something to say - as opposed to playing a silent henchperson to an English guy in makeup doing an accent. From what I understand, the actors had input regarding their roles. DID YOU KNOW that Kevork Malikyan had a very visible role in Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade? Well he did. He's there on the boat getting chewed up by a propeller in a scene in Venice. ALL of the actors were well-known as 'thingy from that show/film,' in the UK. Is there stuff 'wrong' with the show? Sure. Even at the time. What's even worse is that you don't understand the joke, and called the student stupid. They were NEVER portrayed as stupid; merely mistaken in their use of English. Were they stereotypes? Sure, in the same way that the first 2 seconds of a commercial tells you all you need to know about the character to get you through the next 30 seconds. Did you know that the majority of UK sitcoms at the time didn't have writers' rooms, but were either a solo or a duo of authors? They weren't just the credited names, THEY were the draw for the show. "The new Galton and Simpson's on next week... why is this so familiar - oh, it's another Vince Powell!" Sometimes the odd episode was written by a ghost writer, but not often. So thanks for your perspective here, but this was just a surface review and reaction video in my opinion. You didn't name the actors or the writer; it was THEY who made the show what it was. And we in Britain, at the time, loved it. I hope I haven' come across as too sharp; that wasn't my intention.
I think this show didn't come out as racist because they're making jokes about the situation not punching down the joke on certain ethnicity and person.
My Punjabi friend says this show is fucking iconic - I just love seeing how it used to be considered progressive for the time and then nowadays its so...fascinating
You have a simplistic idea of China. In the 70s when this was made, if they wanted to sell it internationally you have to remember the Vietnam war had just ended, so the USA was overly sensitive, about Soviet/Russian and Chinese characterisation. You have to remember when things are made to understand why sometimes... China wasn't the manufacturing powerhouse it is today, it was a closed and almost isolated nation. It was 1978 a year after this was broadcast that Deng Xiaoping had ushered in sweeping reforms...
The comedy is linguistic. As a TEFL teacher I have had many similar experiences with my students. Sulin is a member of the communist party in the late 70s and a brainwashed ideologue, the red guard did behave this way, the cultural revolution was a very dark period for China .one big misconception is the Chinese learners don’t mix R and L this is usually a Japanese trait. Japanese students usually have problems with a following ‘o’ as Japanese has very few final consonants, only n, I think. Post modern western exceptionalism applied to xenoculture, ie western leftists telling people from other cultures how to think, is what gives the impression that this is racist. Each character is treated with respect and their misunderstanding exposes the absurdity of English and gives insight into what a foreign mind interprets. Unless you spend time in another culture going through the same process you will not see the universal truth in mind your language. On occasion though there are some questionable choices.
Thank you. The show was about the humour that came from misunderstand, not racism. It always reminded me of another show "Please Sir" which was set in a secondary school (with all of the "kids" looking at least ten years too old) A question I've asked of others. If "Mind Your Language" was made with an entire white European cast, ignoring the none white immigration of the 70s, would that make it more or less "racist"?
Simply put Cockney rhyming slang works by taking a common word and using a rhyming phrase of two or three words to replace it. bull and cow = row trouble and strife = wife dustbin lids = kids, although sid is not supposed to have any kids, except for the one he gave up for adoption frog and toad = road rub a dub = pub china plate = mate uncle dick = sick jack the dandy = brandy vera lynn = gin Brahms and Liszt = pissed dicky dirt = shirt daisy roots =boots apples and pears = chairs Well I went home, I had a bull and a cow with the trouble and strife. lt was all over the dustbin lids! So, I went down the frog and toad into the rub-a-dub and I met an old china plate. He looked a bit Uncle Dick so I get him a Jack the Dandy and I had a Vera Lynn One thing led to another and we both got Brahms and Liszt So I staggered home, took off me Dickie dirt and me daisy roots And fell back on the apples and pears. Well I went home, I had a row with the wife. lt was all over the kids! So, I went down the road into the pub and I met an old mate. He looked a bit sick so I get him a brandy and I had a gin One thing led to another and we both got pissed So I staggered home, took off me shirt and me boots And fell back on the chairs
They got on well in real life too. They are still really good friends 47 years later. Only Sue Lee, Max, Giovanni, Anna, Jamila, Ingrid and Danielle are still around in 2024.
I mean, I wouldn’t go so far as to call this not racist. Just because “everyone” is being made fun of doesn’t absolve the creators or reduce the harm. I noticed my family making arguments like that to deflect. It’s hard to push back on adults saying that stuff but what do we want for ourselves as adults? To just manipulate everyone around us into thinking we’re good, innocent people? Like whatever, it’s all self-serving lies, of course it’s racist. I think we’ve gotten so used to unfunny racist drivel that when it’s just a bit funnier, that stands out. I’d rather people admit it when we like something problematic, because if we spend all this effort trying to rewrite the definitions of what is and isn’t harmful to accommodate things we happen to like, there’s nothing left. I know y’all know the difference between humor made to laugh at Indians (other anyone being othered) vs humor made by and for them. This is obviously not the latter.
If it exploits the stereotypes of people from different countries it is also doing the same with the English people, to me there is absolutely nothing wrong with that and it also has truth to it. People more make fun of the British and the way they see us, but no one makes fun of the British more than the British themselves, yes we make fun of ourselves all the time.They all look like they are from the seventies, not everyone had those huge collars, high waisted trousers and very flared at the bottom. Like now there’s a scale of fashion. Let’s talk about the English stereotypes the mild mannered silly English teacher, the head who is shown as a plain battle ax of a woman, the dour Scotsman, all stereotypes and all very funny. Stop taking offensive non was meant.
he was talking about going to pub getting drunk goes home takes his clothes off and fell down the stairs lol did not understand some of it but i got the jist lol hope that helps lol
It may be just me but I am wondering if thus show was acting like a parody. While portraying these stereotypes, I wonder if they were making fun of them as well. I don’t know.
Agreed. The English teacher himself is a stereotype and there’s a satirical element to it with the fact he gets so exasperated and condescending to these foreigners that ‘can’t speak English’ but he himself can’t speak a word of another language. He kind of acts like a magnifying glass to British culture and it’s classist, racist flaws. honestly think this is actually great satire.
OK - so today I went down the rabbit-hole of watching "Reacts to Mind Your Language" I was around 11 years of age when it aired on British TV. It was very popular, and the various actors became stars and household names (some more fleetingly than others). Is it racist? An interesting question - personally I take the viewpoint that racism comes from a position of hate - whereas what happened here was that we had a diverse cast who, as the show progressed, became like a family and their loving relationships with each other are the focal point. It was great to have such a show which highlighted the stereotypes that exist but which also broke them down whilst bringing them to an audience who came to know the characters as people more than the stereotypes that they began as. It is a pity that Mind Your Language was cancelled and is unlikely to be made again.... I'm sure somebody could, as anecdotally, evening classes in English for 'Foreigners' were in fact very similar to the portrayal that this TV series gave.... somebody could - but should they???
If you like mind your language I recommend two other shows, as time goes by and new tricks. If you do watch new tricks start from season 1 as the writing quality gets worse in the final few seasons and cast members leave, it unfortunately died a long and painful death.
ua-cam.com/video/v2IIXn7Vt7I/v-deo.html in this episode go to 5 mins from the start and watch the indian lady write her name (thanks to indie jam channel for explaining it is in Urdu)
Theres one show I feel borders on offensive and still has heart is Outsourced. I'd love to know your take of it. I used to love that show, but i wonder how I'd feel about it now, all these years later. I wonder how much of it was us starving for representation, and just taking anything we could get.
Believe it or not, I've never seen Outsourced before! I heard so many mixed things, I'm honestly avoiding it because I don't wanna cringe into the next dimension LOL
Interesting show. I wonder if they would depict any africans? They seem to be missing and not diverse enough without africans when u have the rest of the world depicted.
interestingly enough, there's an episode (Season1, Episode 2) where an inspector from the board of education is visiting the school, and Mr. Brown mistakes him for a student from Africa who doesn't speak any English (of course). Another example of a really funny episode where there is racial humor but the joke is moreso on Mr. Brown for being the clueless British man
There's no malice, it's innocent humour. It looks at differences without accusations or assertion of wrong doing. It's also obviously a fabrication for situation comedy. Mind Your Language was broadcast back in the 70s so why is it so notable that everyone looks like they were dressed for the 70s?
As a desi girl I can attest to how dear this show is to mine and so many families here 😭😭💖💖 It was just iconic! And I did wonder how it managed to be so inoffensive compared to so many bad desi portrayals of today. Tysm for answering my question and providing more insight in such a great video!
I grew up watching this and I enjoyed it because the jokes were hilarious. As an Asian in a almost all white school in England I didn’t feel embarrassed by this comedy unlike some other comedies.
This comedy made fun of EVERYONE so everyone laughed together!
The show reflected the combined humanity of everyone and how they all got along together and underneath it all wanted the same things in life.
Throughout the comedy you see how the students try to help each other out and are actually very supportive of each other.
you are one of my new favourite creators! so excited to see you thrive 🫶🏽
I gotta say I am loving your outfit in this video, no matter if you hit the 70’s on the nose or aimed for 70’s and missed and landed in the 60’s the decade before. It is super cute and actually reminds me of clothes that I had as a child in the early 2000’s.💞🌸🦩🤩
Thank you!! I've had this dress for almost 8 years and I've never worn it except for filming this video
I feel very lucky to be someone who works in ESL teaching, since my students are some of the kindest people you'll ever meet! One of my students invited me to have Iftar dinner with them and her whole family was so welcoming.
The portrayal of adult students with a teenage mindset doesn't hold true at all in my experience. Most of my students are very dedicated to learning and improving their English skills inside and outside of class. One of them even joined a local soccer team so he could practice speaking with his teammates. We still have lots of fun in the classroom though with games and puzzles designed to make learning engaging and enjoyable.
I personally haven't been flirted with by any of my students, though one of my fellow teachers told me her student asked whether she had a boyfriend, which she used as an opportunity to discuss vocab around relationships!
100% agree. I feel like when people (especially Americans) approach those who don't speak English very well, they are forgetting that they are fluent in another (sometimes multiple) languages.
Also, very cool that a real-life "Mr. Brown" watched this video :)
@@KarraMeansSpicy Absolutely agree. We have students who are incredibly smart polyglots who were trained as lawyers, engineers, doctors, journalists, etc. in their home country whose experience sadly doesn't "translate" to job positions here in the states without fluency in English (and/or just having to go to law school again)
@@AidanSullivan-tq1tr I have to ask this. Why if someone who wants to learn English to better themselves, who speak 1 or more native languages, gets poked at when they mispronounce words or the sentences are not quite right? I give them credit for learning, as I too get about learning other languages other than English.
I've never seen the show, but this particular concept is so funny to me. My grandparents were Hungarian refugees who came to the UK after fleeing the Soviets in the 1950s. They spoke absolutely no english when they arrived, and by the time they both died almost 70 years later their grasp of it was much better but still very, very tenuous lol. Every time I visited I'd be greeted with an enthusiastic "Dalink!" ("Darling!") and a big kiss on the cheek, and while they didn't teach me any hungarian (I think due to a sad mixture of trauma and xenophobia), I did pick up on a few swear words and the eternally famous "hogy hívják?!" ("what is it called?!") courtesy of my slightly potty-mouthed grandmother.
Which is why the hungarian character who shows up speaking no english, shouts a single catchphrase, then gives up and leaves so fucking funny. I think my grandparents would have liked this show too, if they ever watched it.
Now pass me the hogy hívják so I can change the channel.
Bocsánat?
ok this comment made me LAUGH OUT LOUD
props to your grandparents, they've probably been through more than we can ever comprehend
Ok so basically he got home eat some dinner took a bath and went up stairs for bed
He's specifically speaking cocnkey rymhing slang where words are replaced with words from ryhmes so for example in this little speech he's you see
Rubba dub. Meaning bath or tub
And appels meaning stairs because it ryhmes with appels and pairs
Of course I don't know word for word because nobody I know really speaks like this except for older people because cockney is slowly being chased out but ... I forgot what it's called but it's like a blend between English and foreign languages brought by immigrant I think
Again I'm by no means a languagest but I do dabble hear and there
Oh my gosh I'm over the that this meny people have liked my comment I was worried it was going to be incoherent or told that I made some horrible mistake on accident thank you all for this
I...am so massively impressed that you gleaned anything at all from what he was saying LMAOOOO
@@KarraMeansSpicy oh well thank you very much 😁
Cockney rhyming slang is not a result of immigration, although the accents in London were of course influenced over generations. Cockney rhyming slang developed as a way of speaking that would be obscure to the authorities and those from outside of the locality.
@@shelleyphilcox4743 no I was talking about something I saw that now says the kids are using a new form of slang based on adopted words from others languages aperntly
I'm Malaysian and I grew up watching Oh My English, an adaption of Mind your language. it sets in high school and the cast are the Malaysian students and a British teacher Mr Henry Middleton. because it aimed towards a younger demographic, it's more like an educational show. for example, in each intermission of an episode, an animated Mr Middleton would talk to the viewers telling us how the characters got an english word wrong and then teaches us how to say it correctly and use it properly in a sentence. and also other basic english lessons like grammar, verbs and nouns
This definitely was interesting!! I’d love more videos like this!! :3 so glad ur getting more recognition
Agreed - Thank you for this! ☺
I think the fact that they evenly stereotyped the brits as well as the foreigners helped to diplomatize their delivery.
Su-Lee (Actor, Pik-Sen Lim) is my favorite; I really felt the character was her own.
I also love that this role explicitly flips the Western stereotype of a quiet, submissive, demure and mysterious, nonspecific East Asian woman on its head and instead delivers an intelligent, assertive, staunch communist minded demeanor that regularly criticises Western civilisation and passionately recites quotes from Chairman Mao's "Little Red Book", all while maintaining a constant, stone serious face in flawless comedic execution.
My second and third favorites are Ana Schmidt and Ali Nadim, also Ranjeet, Taro, Giovanni and Juan.
💯🎯 Su Lee is my favorite for exactly these reasons! ❤ the show
I love Mind Your Language 😂 and yes British comedy cannot be replicated.
The reason it's so good is because the show is a double-edged sword; it makes fun of foreigners but at the SAME time, it's a satire of the English language itself.
That's why I think no one (or at least a good majority) got offended.
The show _What a Country!_ missed that point and it's probably why people barely remember it.
Great video and I just subscribed 😊
Me and my mother loved this show bruv. The only thing I hate is the amount of white people who complain about ‘’the woke mob would never let this show run nowadays!’’ which as an honourary member of the woke mob, is just not true.
You want to be white you're ashamed to be Indian.
This is by far the the most insightful comment on this show I have watched. Thank you, Karra. 🙂
loved this video, love all your videos, you give a lot of good insight on these topics, keep up the good work
I hope you make more videos about mind your language. This was excellent!
I grew up watching this show in Ghana and your take is spot on.
15:36 I’m a Brit and speak in a cockney accent but do not speak in Cockney rhyming slang. I understood everything he said and here’s a true translation of what he said.
Well I went home and had a bull n cow (row) with the trouble n strife (wife). It was all over the dustbin lids (kids), so I went down the frog & toad (road), into the rub a dub (pub) and met an old china plate (mate), he looked a bit uncle dick (sick) so I got him a jack the dandy (shandy) and I had a Vera Lynn (gin). I staggered home, took off my Dickie Dirt (shirt) and my daisy roots (boots) and fell backwards on the apples and pears (stairs).
The origins of rhyming slang was to speak freely so the police wouldn’t know what was being said. These days, very few people speak it but certain phrases are used on a daily basis. For example, I might say, “I’m Hank mate.” That would mean I’m Hank Marvin (starving). I would highly recommend an English TV series called, “Only Fools & Horses.” It’s a classic comedy, guaranteed to make you bubble bath (laugh). I hope this has helped.
There's a British comedy from the late 60s called 'Curry And Chips' which was deemed too offensive even for those times, and was cancelled after 6 shows. It's on UA-cam.
I used to work with an Indian man, much older than me, who remembered watching it and would always ask white colleagues of his own age group just what they thought about it.
Curry & Chips was very bad, but even worse was The Melting Pot, which was pulled after only one of the 6 episodes was broadcast.
I love the Hindi-Urdu they speak on this show it makes it so real man
Honestly, Chung Tsu Li was one of my favorites😂 a bit one-dimensional but funny nonetheless and frankly completely based in her interpretation of the people’s philosophy❤
Lol amazing! I’m so glad you’re talking about this bc I live this show as well! And what’s funny is that for the most part by hiring almost all actors from diverse backgrounds as real people facing a real struggle at that time in that country it’s actually kind of forward. Unfortunately Ranjit was the only brown face character otherwise all the characters were trained actors that weren’t really getting work otherwise, except for Ali and Jamila, and Max had some other bigger roles.
A suggestion for something "similar" is the BBC's "It Ain't Half Hot Mum". The premise is that of World War 2 Royal Artillery Concert Party, based in India. The British soldiers are served by a "Bearer" (an Indian character played by an English actor), a "Chai Waller" and a "Punka Waller". You may recognise one of them from Mind Your Language. All the usual stereotypes are catered for, the tough-guy Sergeant-Major, the "toff" officers, the concert/theatre company of dubious sexuality and of course the Indians being Indian with aspirations of being more British than the British. Check it out!
Sid's dialogue from 15:36
I went home and I had a row (bull and a cow) with the wife (trouble and strife) you see. It was all over them kids (dustbin lids). So I went down the road (frog and toad) into the pub (rub a dub) and I met an old mate (china plate). He looked to be sick (Uncle Dick) so I got him a Shandy (Gent and a Dandy) and I had a Gin (Vera Lynn).
I staggered home, took off me shirt (Dicky dirt) and boots (daisy roots) and fell backwards on the stairs (apples and pears).
These days people wouldn't say the whole phrase. In fact they'd just keep the non-rhyming part to really exclude outsiders. That first sentence would just be "I went home and I had a bull with the trouble".
My headmistress in England was exactly like Miss Courtney. This was back in the 80s
…. And yes we were scared of her!
I grew up in Kenya. I was really young to understand racism... which means, I loved this show. It was one of the only 5 shows we had on the one TV channel that existed. Now I'm not sure how to feel about it because it makes me laugh out loud every time.
pink looks so good on you
With the eye shadow, too!
I freaking love that you watched this and did a video on it. I grew up watching this in the UK, although I understood it only at a very basic level.
Its obviously not "this" type of humour but did you get Goodness Gracious Me?
Have you seen the Indian remake Zabaan Sambhalke that aired in the early 90s and featured Pankaj Kapoor as a Hindi teacher for Indians from different regions?
Your embroidery in the profile pic is amazing
OMG thank you, you're the first person to notice the change :DDD
This was a nice deep dive!
Given that the UK is currently on fire and has completely lost their empire, I think it'd be funny to do a remake of the show with some other nationality at the helm, and with a few of the students being Brits and Americans. Apparently, there's a Malay remake called "Oh, My English!" and an Indian remake called "Talk With Care" about a Hindi teacher.
Mind Your Language 2: The Reckoning
can't wait to see it
I very rarely need subtitles for British and Irish accents, including many regional ones. For American movies and TV shows I almost always turn on the subtitles, because to my ear, many American voices come across as a mumble. For context, I'm Australian and English is my first language. Just think it's kind of funny. Especially funny to have an Australian accusing anyone else of 'mumbling'
ok so weirdly, I can understand Australian just fine, it's just Bri-ish people that my brain refuses to comprehend without subtitles.
Also, I can see the need for Americans to have subtitles. We don't make sense most of the time anyways.
That makes a weird sort of sense? Australian English is kind of smooshed between British English and American English a lot of the time. Plus, we often downplay our accents and slangier use of language cause it feels really cringe to say "aw yeeh nah the chippie's run by eshays now" or whatever
@@KarraMeansSpicy I do have problem understanding some southerners speaking English.
This show was made and aired in the times when everything was normal. Because nobody felt exploited.
Fantastic TV show. Every character had their own personality. The reason this is not offensive, is due to each actor actually being Indian, sheikh, Japanese etc. If they themselves thought the script was funny enough to take on the role, I don't see how anyone else can see that as being racist. If it was a white person made up to be, say Sheikh, that would be different. Great tv show from another era ❤️
I adore this show. Watched it when it was on tv around 2010 and found it on UA-cam a few months ago. Still hilarious, and it makes fun of everyone relatively equally
I'm not British, so this is my first time ever hearing about this show. Thanks for the education!
I'm an '80s kid, but I don't remember "What a Country!" Looks like it was on for one season, so that's probably why. 😄
I feel like you could do this show again today. Maybe it would be a mix of "The Good Place," "Community," and "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia." Heartwarming and a little out of pocket. With the right writers and actors, it could be a hit.
a show centering a group of adults in language class centering around how none of them speak the same language and they all come from differing cultures: YAYYYY
it's racist to the core: naurrrr
I met the Chinese actress Pink Sen Lim a few years ago. Lovely lady.
Thanx for the suggestion, after this video i wanna watch this show
I remember this show growing up in the 70's (I would have been 6 or 7 at the time). It was staple viewing at the time (mainly because there was very little else to watch.
I was obviously too young to be able to conceive if it was racist or not,, but I do remember feeling warmth to all the characters. They were all people I liked. And it was the only show on British TV at the time where there was a diverse cast and we got to see people of other nationalities.
I suppose for actors of ethnic minorities at the time you had to take whatever roles you could, and there would have been precious few in TV. Maybe a few more in theatre.
I'm sure that some of them might have felt it was slightly derogatory, but at least it was exposed, and an opportunity to maybe build some recognition and push for more inclusion.
All I can say, is that I'm glad we have got through this stage and more realistic diversity can be seen now.
I never heard of the show till now but it seems so funny. like you said tho it really just wouldn't work in todays era. I would love too see more deep dives' like this from you this was really fun and a blast to watch.
With Sid the caretaker, he's maybe an extreme example of rhyming sland but if you ever watch some "Only Fools and Horses" you might notice some. It's just saying something that rhymes with what they are meaning. Then sometimes you even drop the word that rhymes. The most ciommon one I know of otside of london is calling lying "telling porkies" Which is short for "Telling porky pies." because it rhymes with "Telling lies."
The teacher was in real life an orphan adopted as a baby. He was later found dead in his home in 1997 aged 53. I personally think he was murdered as he was found dead in face down in his living room surrounded by acohol bottles and he also had an huge bump on the back of his head. 😢
Have you seen “Welcome back, Kotter”? Similar vibe, but in 1970s Brooklyn with Italian, Black and Jewish high school kids.
11:08
I remember this scene as being "1 to hold the bucket"
I don't know if they changed it or I remember wrong
If one holds the bucket and the other pulls the goat up and down, then who will hold the teats? 🤔
MIND YOUR LANGUAGE AND LOVE THY NEIGHBOR TAUGHT ME NOT TO BE RACIST AS MOST PEOPLE WERE IN UK BACK IN THE 60s
Loved this now i need to watch the show. But your take made me think of Kal Penn's Sunnyside. I don't remember if he mentioned "mind your language" when discussing the show in his nook but it would be interesting to look more into the similarities and differences.
when this channel is up there with other greats of “”breadtube”” (still wonder if i know what that word even is) we’ll all get to be like, yeah. we were there
Ok shut the he*ck up, this is the nicest comment ever 🥺
The show was written by one guy: Vince Powell. He wasn't a racist, and was heartbroken when things changed in the 80s and he was accused of it. The show was written to be a popular show - lowbrow, coarse - and was highly refined by him for mass appeal of all ages and sensibilities.
In the 70s, when it was shown, Britain was far more isolated than now. People were only just going on their annual holidays - vacations - to southern Europe. Sure, especially these days, the stereotypes are very broad brushstrokes and lazy, but in a 24 minute tv show with such an ensemble cast, it was inevitable. Hit the audience with instantly recognisable traits and work out character later.
Furthermore - and this can't be stressed enough - had that show been made just a few years earlier, there wouldn't have been the representation there is here: most of the Europeans would've been just English actors doing a funny voice (like Manuel in Fawlty Towers) and they from further away might even have been English actors in makeup...
Why doesn't it come across as racist? Simple. Usually, it's Mr Brown gets into a bit of a pickle (as we'd say) and it's the ingenuity and teamwork of the class which saves the day. It's because the jokes ARE about misconception and naivety, yet not at anyone's expense; there's no punching down.
Several major cities in the UK were becoming more multicultural, and this series brought it into every home where it was watched. It normalised different nationalities and faiths working together and taking each other as people.
Your Indian heritage allows you to find it funny; your American heritage means you haven't the slightest idea what you're looking at, and really need to do a deeper dive into other cultures.
It was thrilling to see a be in the (television) audience for the show, and to see many of our favourite 'world' actors who'd be the foreign spy in an adventure series actually getting something to say - as opposed to playing a silent henchperson to an English guy in makeup doing an accent.
From what I understand, the actors had input regarding their roles.
DID YOU KNOW that Kevork Malikyan had a very visible role in Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade? Well he did. He's there on the boat getting chewed up by a propeller in a scene in Venice. ALL of the actors were well-known as 'thingy from that show/film,' in the UK.
Is there stuff 'wrong' with the show? Sure. Even at the time.
What's even worse is that you don't understand the joke, and called the student stupid. They were NEVER portrayed as stupid; merely mistaken in their use of English. Were they stereotypes? Sure, in the same way that the first 2 seconds of a commercial tells you all you need to know about the character to get you through the next 30 seconds.
Did you know that the majority of UK sitcoms at the time didn't have writers' rooms, but were either a solo or a duo of authors? They weren't just the credited names, THEY were the draw for the show. "The new Galton and Simpson's on next week... why is this so familiar - oh, it's another Vince Powell!" Sometimes the odd episode was written by a ghost writer, but not often.
So thanks for your perspective here, but this was just a surface review and reaction video in my opinion.
You didn't name the actors or the writer; it was THEY who made the show what it was.
And we in Britain, at the time, loved it.
I hope I haven' come across as too sharp; that wasn't my intention.
I did not know this. I remember watching the show when I was very young. So thanks for sharing this info.
It exploited communal tensions that were created directly through British colonialism. It was a ghastly series.
the only good channel on youtube
I'm going to pronounce Fate, fat'e now.
Wait why is your look giving 70's Bollywood actress...I love it
I think this show didn't come out as racist because they're making jokes about the situation not punching down the joke on certain ethnicity and person.
I forgot about this show😂😂
Karra, ninna ee video nange tumba ishta aayuthu. Plus ninna ear rings masth
😊 Yellaru ee comment noddubattu annkonthare: “Yavvu bashe iddu? Ee bloody foreigners yennu halethaydare?” Loooooool
YOU GUYS BETTER NOT BE TALKING SMACK ABOUT ME
My Punjabi friend says this show is fucking iconic - I just love seeing how it used to be considered progressive for the time and then nowadays its so...fascinating
You have a simplistic idea of China. In the 70s when this was made, if they wanted to sell it internationally you have to remember the Vietnam war had just ended, so the USA was overly sensitive, about Soviet/Russian and Chinese characterisation.
You have to remember when things are made to understand why sometimes...
China wasn't the manufacturing powerhouse it is today, it was a closed and almost isolated nation. It was 1978 a year after this was broadcast that Deng Xiaoping had ushered in sweeping reforms...
In my opinion top 3 comedies of all time.💯
The comedy is linguistic. As a TEFL teacher I have had many similar experiences with my students. Sulin is a member of the communist party in the late 70s and a brainwashed ideologue, the red guard did behave this way, the cultural revolution was a very dark period for China .one big misconception is the Chinese learners don’t mix R and L this is usually a Japanese trait. Japanese students usually have problems with a following ‘o’ as Japanese has very few final consonants, only n, I think.
Post modern western exceptionalism applied to xenoculture, ie western leftists telling people from other cultures how to think, is what gives the impression that this is racist. Each character is treated with respect and their misunderstanding exposes the absurdity of English and gives insight into what a foreign mind interprets. Unless you spend time in another culture going through the same process you will not see the universal truth in mind your language. On occasion though there are some questionable choices.
Thank you. The show was about the humour that came from misunderstand, not racism. It always reminded me of another show "Please Sir" which was set in a secondary school (with all of the "kids" looking at least ten years too old) A question I've asked of others. If "Mind Your Language" was made with an entire white European cast, ignoring the none white immigration of the 70s, would that make it more or less "racist"?
My fav episode is the second one where the conspicuous inspector comes in and is assumed to be a student. Bwana?
Simply put Cockney rhyming slang works by taking a common word and using a rhyming phrase of two or three words to replace it.
bull and cow = row
trouble and strife = wife
dustbin lids = kids, although sid is not supposed to have any kids, except for the one he gave up for adoption
frog and toad = road
rub a dub = pub
china plate = mate
uncle dick = sick
jack the dandy = brandy
vera lynn = gin
Brahms and Liszt = pissed
dicky dirt = shirt
daisy roots =boots
apples and pears = chairs
Well I went home, I had a bull and a cow with the trouble and strife. lt was all over the dustbin lids!
So, I went down the frog and toad into the rub-a-dub and I met an old china plate.
He looked a bit Uncle Dick so I get him a Jack the Dandy and I had a Vera Lynn
One thing led to another and we both got Brahms and Liszt
So I staggered home, took off me Dickie dirt and me daisy roots
And fell back on the apples and pears.
Well I went home, I had a row with the wife. lt was all over the kids!
So, I went down the road into the pub and I met an old mate.
He looked a bit sick so I get him a brandy and I had a gin
One thing led to another and we both got pissed
So I staggered home, took off me shirt and me boots
And fell back on the chairs
not the line-to-line translation LOLLL thank you for this
@@KarraMeansSpicy my pleasure
🎉
Apples and pears is stairs. He fell down the stairs not back on the chairs.
They got on well in real life too. They are still really good friends 47 years later. Only Sue Lee, Max, Giovanni, Anna, Jamila, Ingrid and Danielle are still around in 2024.
I mean, I wouldn’t go so far as to call this not racist. Just because “everyone” is being made fun of doesn’t absolve the creators or reduce the harm. I noticed my family making arguments like that to deflect. It’s hard to push back on adults saying that stuff but what do we want for ourselves as adults? To just manipulate everyone around us into thinking we’re good, innocent people? Like whatever, it’s all self-serving lies, of course it’s racist. I think we’ve gotten so used to unfunny racist drivel that when it’s just a bit funnier, that stands out. I’d rather people admit it when we like something problematic, because if we spend all this effort trying to rewrite the definitions of what is and isn’t harmful to accommodate things we happen to like, there’s nothing left.
I know y’all know the difference between humor made to laugh at Indians (other anyone being othered) vs humor made by and for them. This is obviously not the latter.
If it exploits the stereotypes of people from different countries it is also doing the same with the English people, to me there is absolutely nothing wrong with that and it also has truth to it. People more make fun of the British and the way they see us, but no one makes fun of the British more than the British themselves, yes we make fun of ourselves all the time.They all look like they are from the seventies, not everyone had those huge collars, high waisted trousers and very flared at the bottom. Like now there’s a scale of fashion. Let’s talk about the English stereotypes the mild mannered silly English teacher, the head who is shown as a plain battle ax of a woman, the dour Scotsman, all stereotypes and all very funny. Stop taking offensive non was meant.
he was talking about going to pub getting drunk goes home takes his clothes off and fell down the stairs lol did not understand some of it but i got the jist lol hope that helps lol
Do some stuff on Monty python!
Another great one.
20:11 "In Sickness and in Health"
It may be just me but I am wondering if thus show was acting like a parody.
While portraying these stereotypes, I wonder if they were making fun of them as well.
I don’t know.
Agreed. The English teacher himself is a stereotype and there’s a satirical element to it with the fact he gets so exasperated and condescending to these foreigners that ‘can’t speak English’ but he himself can’t speak a word of another language. He kind of acts like a magnifying glass to British culture and it’s classist, racist flaws. honestly think this is actually great satire.
OK - so today I went down the rabbit-hole of watching "Reacts to Mind Your Language" I was around 11 years of age when it aired on British TV. It was very popular, and the various actors became stars and household names (some more fleetingly than others). Is it racist? An interesting question - personally I take the viewpoint that racism comes from a position of hate - whereas what happened here was that we had a diverse cast who, as the show progressed, became like a family and their loving relationships with each other are the focal point. It was great to have such a show which highlighted the stereotypes that exist but which also broke them down whilst bringing them to an audience who came to know the characters as people more than the stereotypes that they began as. It is a pity that Mind Your Language was cancelled and is unlikely to be made again.... I'm sure somebody could, as anecdotally, evening classes in English for 'Foreigners' were in fact very similar to the portrayal that this TV series gave.... somebody could - but should they???
Wasn't Russell Hunter in one episode?
Yes some people speak like Sidney and no as a Brit i cant understand cockney people either. 😂😂😂😂😂😂
If you like mind your language I recommend two other shows, as time goes by and new tricks. If you do watch new tricks start from season 1 as the writing quality gets worse in the final few seasons and cast members leave, it unfortunately died a long and painful death.
ua-cam.com/video/v2IIXn7Vt7I/v-deo.html in this episode go to 5 mins from the start and watch the indian lady write her name (thanks to indie jam channel for explaining it is in Urdu)
I love this show and still watch theses episodes on UA-cam and no it's not a racist show 🤣💖💯
Theres one show I feel borders on offensive and still has heart is Outsourced. I'd love to know your take of it. I used to love that show, but i wonder how I'd feel about it now, all these years later. I wonder how much of it was us starving for representation, and just taking anything we could get.
Believe it or not, I've never seen Outsourced before! I heard so many mixed things, I'm honestly avoiding it because I don't wanna cringe into the next dimension LOL
15:59 1. No. 2. Cockney Rhyming Slang.
My Bangladeshi friend showed me this show. I'm gonna guess that it's not unforgivably racist.
Random, but I like your earrings also ya some shows REALLY didnt age well, not cool
15:52 😂
If you like MYL, Try It Ain't Half Hot Mum. Or Love Thy Neighbour.
You should try "It ain't half hot mum"
I think that one can do a racial joke, they just gotta be clever about it. this show I gotta see ; the clips are sending me
it's definitely worth a watch! All the episodes are available on UA-cam (for now lol)
you're so beautiful karra
i'd love to see more like this. there must be so many problematic gems among britcoms from the 60s - 80s.
snazzy channel intro?? ok?? 💅
you know I had to do it to em 😤😤😤
it was put together by endtheworldfx (I linked them in the bio) :)))
Interesting show. I wonder if they would depict any africans? They seem to be missing and not diverse enough without africans when u have the rest of the world depicted.
interestingly enough, there's an episode (Season1, Episode 2) where an inspector from the board of education is visiting the school, and Mr. Brown mistakes him for a student from Africa who doesn't speak any English (of course). Another example of a really funny episode where there is racial humor but the joke is moreso on Mr. Brown for being the clueless British man
Till death us do part and love thy neighbour were also racist but extremely funny.
❤ 70s
okie kockie.
Suee lee is not Chinese she from Thailand
No, for me he’s racist Barney Fife, lol.
Allo Allo. and it ain’t half hot mum
Zoltán was the worst and he was from my country
There's no malice, it's innocent humour. It looks at differences without accusations or assertion of wrong doing. It's also obviously a fabrication for situation comedy.
Mind Your Language was broadcast back in the 70s so why is it so notable that everyone looks like they were dressed for the 70s?
First
the fastest fingers in the west! ⭐
funny
Was not a fan. Felt too insulting of how the Indian culture and mannerisms.
Even Dcooby Doo is dumb and entertaining but not at otger people's cost.
As much as it pains me to say anything nice about a south Asian, I quite enjoyed your analysis.
Answer is ... back then there is no woke-ism 😂
Dr who and the dialects.