Re: John Cleese (and imperialist humour)

[Juan Fajardo <fajardos@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> Date: Wed, 28 May 2003 09:28:30 -0400
> From: Louis Proyect <lnp3@xxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: Re: John Cleese (and imperialist humour)
>
> Although I completely agree that there is racist humor in Fawlty Towers
> directed against the Spanish and the Irish, there is little in the show
> to suggest the kind of fawning before imperialism that you find in the
> novels of Evelyn Waugh or V.S. Naipul.

And part of the joke is how odious and narrow-mindedly provincial Basil
and Sibyl are, which all come into play to build to a riotous climax in
the "Germans" episode in which Basil manages to say or do something
offensive about, aside from the infinitely patient Manuel, blacks,
Canadians, the Japanese, women, nurses, and Germans.  As Sybil so
eloquently put it, he's "either pawing at the guests and licking their
boots, or spitting venom at them like some Benzedrine puff-adder."
Either way, he always gets his come-uppance in the end.

- Juan