[Archived] Bernard Manning Dies

[Bazzanotsogreat]

My girlfriend was in a party of ten or so who went to see BM a few years ago . They ended up walking out ......not because of the racism or sexism , but purely because of the foul language . Perfectly understandable IMO ....but then again they shouldn't have gone in because it's common knowledge he's a tadge blue . A lesson learnt ......

So why is it that it's always the "racism" bit that gets the likes of Paul McGarry/Mellelieu to start foaming at the mouth ?

My theory is that they've been brainwashed by incessant propoganda into thinking that "racism" in ANY perceived form is about the greatest offence known to man . It isn't . Jokes about a person's colour or culture are , in the end , just jokes .......

Paul McGarry/Mellelieu isnt that the same guy who has listed communism as one of his interests?- thats maybe why he has such strong opinions on things

[Rovermatt]

Eh?

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Watched his funeral p1ss take with laughter, a lump in my throat and then a tear in the eye....brilliant way to go out Bernard

F!CK THE LOT OF YA!

[thenodrog]

Watched his funeral p1ss take with laughter, a lump in my throat and then a tear in the eye....brilliant way to go out Bernard

F!CK THE LOT OF YA!

I bloody well missed it!

[Anti Euro Smiths Fan]

I bloody well missed it!

It might one day be repeated Gord - that's if Channel 4 weren't inundated with complaints from the PC brigade about some of Manning's jokes about black people. There was a clear warning given before the show, when the Channel 4 announcer said: "This programme contains racially offensive language" - but I suspect that didn't stop some of the more sensitive liberals being upset by it.

Before he died Bernard was on 16 pills a day, suffering from a string of ailments like angina and diabetes. "They say they'll dance on my grave. That's fine by me because I'm going to be buried at sea," he said.

When Bernard visited an undertaker's to choose a coffin, he said: "I want it to be soundproofed so I won't hear Frank Carson." When asked if he had done anything wrong in his life, Bernard said: "Well I've told a couple of little white lies. I said that Ken Dodd was a funny man."

There's a warm and compassionate side to Bernard too though, as we saw in the incidents with his family on the programme. 1986 was a particularly bad year for Bernard, with his wife Vera dying of a heart attack at a fairly young age and his Embassy Club being forced to close down after a major fire. It was clear in the TV clips we saw of Bernard visiting Vera's grave, that he missed her a lot in the last 20 years of his life. You'd need to have a heart of stone not to have felt some sympathy for Bernard at that point in the programme, but I suspect some of the PC brigade would merely think it was deserved karma for him telling "racist" jokes.

In the 1990s we started to see the increasing influence (and resources) of the Commission for Racial Equality - who hated Manning and funded an industrial tribunal case brought by two black waitresses who were claiming compensation for quitting their jobs at a hotel. This was after Bernard, appearing at a charity performance at the hotel, asked the girls about their sexual partners and made a joke about the size of black men's penises.

How dare Bernard suggest that black men have got big willies!

I suspect there would have been outrage from some people towards the end of the programme, when we saw Manning performing to an audience that included a black guy. "Hello, we've got a black man in the audience," said Bernard, pointing to a man towards the back. "This has gotta be better than swinging from the trees hasn't it".

That type of humour isn't everyone's cup of tea by any means, and I accept that it's not just the PC brigade but an increasingly large section of Middle England that gets upset with those type of comments. Attitudes have changed since the 1970s and those type of jokes are increasingly frowned upon now. In Bernard's defence, I would say that if you listen to some of the extremely violent and homophobic rap lyrics that are about, then personally when a rapper talks about raping his sister and his mother and shooting people in the street, I find that a lot more offensive than some of Bernard's jokes.

As for Lenny Henry, he has always been crap.

Yes, and it seems that some of Lenny's cronies within Comic Relief have been guilty of faking competition winners and deliberately deceiving the public. Along with Children In Need and Sport Relief, production staff have been posing as competition winners.

But I've always disliked Comic Relief and the way Lenny Henry talks about African people being "our neighbours". I'm sorry, but not all of them are our neighbours. Some of them live in their mud huts many hundreds of miles away and when we've got a situation in this country where thousands of pensioners die each year from the cold because they can't afford to heat their homes properly, personally I'd prefer to concentrate on sorting out some of Britain's problems first before looking at Africa.

John Jackson, the head of Burma Campaign UK, suggested that although Comic Relief aided war victims in Rwanda, it also helped to fund the military regime in Burma. So Lenny Henry and Peter Kay can shove their red noses where the sun doesn't shine....

[Rovermatt]

It might one day be repeated Gord - that's if Channel 4 weren't inundated with complaints from the PC brigade about some of Manning's jokes about black people. There was a clear warning given before the show, when the Channel 4 announcer said: "This programme contains racially offensive language" - but I suspect that didn't stop some of the more sensitive liberals being upset by it.

Conjecture shocker!

I would say that if you listen to some of the extremely violent and homophobic rap lyrics that are about, then personally when a rapper talks about raping his sister and his mother and shooting people in the street, I find that a lot more offensive than some of Bernard's jokes.

I know you're a great advocate of gay rights Smithy ... but 'raping his sister and his mother'? Have you actually every heard this in any song or is it simply what you believe rap music to be about? Talk about disconnected.

[Flopsy]

Isnt Rap music just crap?

[broadsword]

Yep, I can't imagine anyone comes home after a hard day and fancies sticking some Public Enemy on to relax.

[blue phil]

Have you actually every heard this in any song or is it simply what you believe rap music to be about? Talk about disconnected.

Do you know better , Matt ?

Perhaos you'll give us an assessment on the cultural merits of rap "music"

[Rovermatt]

Do you know better , Matt ?

Perhaos you'll give us an assessment on the cultural merits of rap "music"

The onus isn't on me to source the accusation.

Anyway, I don't like rap music particularly.

[RevidgeBlue]

Back to Manning, only just watched the "fake wake" show the other night and loved this gag:

"Blind fellow walked into a department store and started swinging his guide dog around above his head by the tail."

"Store manager said "What are you doing?"

"Man said, Just having a look around"

[MCMC1875]

If anyone's missing King Bernard, pay a visit to the Merrie England Bar on Blackpool's North Pier and see Joey Blower, Saturdays, Sundays and only 2 quid on Sunday afternoon.

[Anti Euro Smiths Fan]

Cockney comedian and actor Mike Reid dies

I'm not a fan of Eastenders, but Mike Reid was a talented stand-up comedian. Alongside Bernard Manning he was part of the 1970s TV show "The Comedians", together with other guys like Jim Bowen, Frank Carson and Stan Boardman.

Mike Reid suffered a family tragedy in 1990 when his son Mark committed suicide.

RIP Mike.

Given that during Mike's career as a comedian he occasionally made jokes about Asians, I wonder if Paul Mellelieu / Paul McGarry will be posting "Good Riddance. Racist Pig" again ?

[adopted scouser]

Given that during Mike's career as a comedian he occasionally made jokes about Asians, I wonder if Paul Mellelieu / Paul McGarry will be posting "Good Riddance. Racist Pig" again ?

Who gives a toss if he does ?

RIP Mike, I'm old enough to remember 'Runaround', he'll be sorely missed.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

[LeChuck]

He said: "He would see the funny side of any situation, no matter how black it was. Even now I'm sure he's laughing."

Surprised you didn't quote that snippet from the article AESF.

[Billy Castell]

Punaround pt. 1

Punaround Pt. 2

[MCMC1875]

If anyone's missing King Bernard, pay a visit to the Merrie England Bar on Blackpool's North Pier and see Joey Blower, Saturdays, Sundays and only 2 quid on Sunday afternoon.

Surprised to see Joey Blower giving TV interview this week as the owner of Fleetwood Pier. He was introduced under his real name and described as a 'Blackpool businessman'.

[Ninjathunder]

Yep, I can't imagine anyone comes home after a hard day and fancies sticking some Public Enemy on to relax.

Err...I have. Their early stuff is magic.