Henning Wehn

[StraightOuttaQ]

is not funny.

Moving to England and playing up his inherent German identity for laughs is no better than an American 30's comedian putting on facepaint and doing the whole Satchmo, Black And White Minstrel Show. He's playing on his cultural identity to get laughter. Cheap, lazy, insulting, and fundamentally false.I know this doesn't cross the whole skin colour thing - and that some might be uncomfortable at accusing a German comedian in this way - but the essential fact that he is playing up cultural identity for laughs, just cheapens himself. There is little insight, depth, or observation.

What you do have is him wearing leiderhosen on the front his DVD. No racial, or national or cultural stereotyping there, then.

What you do have is naming his latest stand up CD after the english translated title of a famous book. If you translated "Henning Wehn - My Struggle", back in german, it would be "Henning Wehn - Mein Kampf".

Would it work if it was a British comedian, putting on a German accent and spouting out this 'Look zee Germans are all funny, You Britisher are SO kerrazy' schtick? You know it wouldn't.

Would we be praising the likes of Dylan Moran, or Dara, if they came on stage and just talked about how comedy Oirish they were all the fecking time? No we wouldn't.

Do we look back at Lenny Henry's Radio 4 comedy set in a reggae record shop in handsworth on Radio 4 and think how genius that is? No. Same principle ; playing up to racial and cultural stereotypes for lazy, unearned, casually racist laughs at the expense of who you are, based solely upon national origin or skin colour. Do we look back at Lenny Henry shouting "katanga my friends!" and think of that as funny? No, we don't. And we'd be right not to.

 

[Balbi]

Except that he clearly uses the act to demonstrate a very odd bit of the British psyche. So when he explains through the process of naming his show, he gets the laugh from 'My struggle' and then deconstructs that reaction, by comparing it not just to Germany but the rest of Europe - and how it seems to matter more here than anywhere else.

 

[StraightOuttaQ]

Oh, so that makes playing up racial stereotypes alright then, does it? Basing your act on your cultural / racial identitty shows no talent at all. Talent finds the joke from something other than a pre-built expectation of you. If I, as a Midlander, where to come on and start a set "bostin'! ALLroight? Yow all okay loik? It's not a lang way to tipperarry, but it is ta Doodlee on da buzz! Yow get me?", that wouldn't show any talent at all. Just resorting to cheap stereotypes.

Still, don't mention the war, eh?

 

[Random]

Would it work if it was a British comedian, putting on a German accent and spouting out this 'Look zee Germans are all funny, You Britisher are SO kerrazy' schtick? You know it wouldn't.

You mean, would it work, a UK comedian coming on in a bowler hat, and talking like Downton Abbey and at the same time making fun of German expectations of the Brits? You know it would.

 

[StraightOuttaQ]

Not for me. That whole music hall thing, I'd rather leave to Bernard Manning, Chubby Brown, and 1968.

 

[Balbi]

Oh, so that makes playing up racial stereotypes alright then, does it? Basing your act on your cultural / racial identitty shows no talent at all. Talent finds the joke from something other than a pre-built expectation of you. If I, as a Midlander, where to come on and start a set "bostin'! ALLroight? Yow all okay loik? It's not a lang way to tipperarry, but it is ta Doodlee on da buzz! Yow get me?", that wouldn't show any talent at all. Just resorting to cheap stereotypes.

Still, don't mention the war, eh?

More like, why the hell would you mention the war - it's massively damaged your country's progress in the last sixty years or so - while Germany's been doing fine. Bless you English.

 

[paolo]

Oh, so that makes playing up racial stereotypes alright then, does it? Basing your act on your cultural / racial identitty shows no talent at all. Talent finds the joke from something other than a pre-built expectation of you. If I, as a Midlander, where to come on and start a set "bostin'! ALLroight? Yow all okay loik? It's not a lang way to tipperarry, but it is ta Doodlee on da buzz! Yow get me?", that wouldn't show any talent at all. Just resorting to cheap stereotypes.

There's a comedy music act called Mr B The Gentleman Rhymer, who is a stereotypical English upper class 'gent', doing 'Chap Hop'. He's very funny, very popular at festivals. I'm sure if you look hard enough you'd find something to be offended about. Lenny Henry traded off a range of black stereotypes, and many of the modern black comedians have similar approaches to their comedy.

The biggest dangers with these sorts of acts (IMHO) - isn't any kind of offense factor - it's not being funny. If there were a bunch of acts in the style of Henning Wehn, I'd imagine people would soon tire of it. As it is, there's just him, pulling it off in a way we've never seen before. I think it's quite refreshing. Better that than "isn't it funny when people are on drugs" or "ever noticed that women takes ages in the bathroom? Eh? Ever noticed that?" etc

 

[StraightOuttaQ]

More like, why the hell would you mention the war - it's massively damaged your country's progress in the last sixty years or so - while Germany's been doing fine. Bless you English.

Fawlty Towers reference ; as an example of crossreferencing how it doesnt work.

Lenny Henry traded off a range of black stereotypes, and many of the modern black comedians have similar approaches to their comedy.If there were a bunch of acts in the style of Henning Wehn, I'd imagine people would soon tire of it.

I referenced the Lenny henry earlier. Talking about his time in 1975 where he was contractually obligated to do it and was a naive teen, i understand. Continuing the schtick once contractually free - as he did with "katanga my friends! Ah ha!" - is excusable. Apologising for some racial stereotypes, yet excusing others, is both hypocritical and false.

I have a similar problem with Richard Pryor - its dated incredibly badly, it's all "'N***ah" this and that. All the time. I find the use of that racism makes its unfunny.

Henning Wehn thus, by that logic, is funny by virtue that no one else has the same german-stereotype schtick, rather than intrinsically funny. Which He isnt.

 

[Orang Utan]

He is funny though. Have you seen him?

 

[Random]

I have a similar problem with Richard Pryor - its dated incredibly badly, it's all "'N***ah" this and that. All the time. I find the use of that racism makes its unfunny.

You think that Richard Pryor's comedy is racist? This makes it very hard for me to take you seriously. I think you've got the wrong end of the stick entirely.

edit: and btw no one is 'intrinsically funny'.

 

[StraightOuttaQ]

I don't find Richard Pryor funny.At all. In the slightest. His continued use of N-bombs make me uncomfortable. I can't find any common ground in my life and his - at all, whatsoever - to relate to. No common point of reference makes it abstract and alien to me.

Comedy I find comes out of human interaction, not skin colour. But that's me.

 

[Orang Utan]

You appear to have no sense of humour

 

[Orang Utan]

Chris Rock uses the word nigger to great comic effect. Using the word does not necessarily make someone unfunny.

 

[Orang Utan]

And there's nothing wrong with using people's perceptions of national stereotypes as comic material, so long as it's funny.

 

[Random]

You have no common sense of humanity with Richard Pryor? Are you a shapeshifting lizard, or a tory? And it's not an 'n bomb' it's the word nigger, which he uses because it's part of his life, not to shock.

 

[Orang Utan]

Lol at n-bomb!

 

[Random]

His continued use of N-bombs make me uncomfortable.

It's like Lenny Bruce died for nothing.

 

[StraightOuttaQ]

It's like Lenny Bruce died for nothing.

Lenny Bruce didn't die to defend hate speech, did he? It's not about the supression of words. When Lenny was arrested, it was for the words "ass, balls, cocksucker, cunt, fuck, motherfucker, piss, shit, tits". It wasn't for the word Nigger.

Use that word, you give it power. Some people find it offensive. I don't use it, because it's not about censorship of swearing, but instead about not endorsing the attitudes that word embodies.

Remind me again, what did Lenny Bruce die for? So we can continually racially abuse people? I'd beg to differ if anyone thinks that.

Let me make it perfectly clear for you - I'm white, my children are with a black woman - and they have been racially abused, insulted and threatened by both white and black people. For either not being black enough, or just being non-white full stop. They have had to move twice already due to racist attacks and threats. So forgive me for not finding the word 'Nigger' particularly fucking funny.

And if thats having no sense of humour, see how you deal when its YOUR family, YOUR children, being racially abused.

 

[Random]

Use that word, you give it power.

And making it a holy nuclear weapon also gives it power.

Remind me again, what did Lenny Bruce die for? So we can continually racially abuse people? I'd beg to differ if anyone thinks that.

Are there any niggers here tonight? Could you turn on the house lights, please, and could the waiters and waitresses just stop serving, just for a second? And turn off this spot. Now what did he say? "Are there any niggers here tonight?" I know there's one nigger, because I see him back there working. Let's see, there's two niggers. And between those two niggers sits a kyke. And there's another kyke— that's two kykes and three niggers. And there's a spic. Right? Hmm? There's another spic. Ooh, there's a wop; there's a polack; and, oh, a couple of greaseballs. And there's three lace-curtain Irish micks. And there's one, hip, thick, hunky, funky, boogie. Boogie boogie. Mm-hmm. I got three kykes here, do I hear five kykes? I got five kykes, do I hear six spics, I got six spics, do I hear seven niggers? I got seven niggers. Sold American. I pass with seven niggers, six spics, five micks, four kykes, three guineas, and one wop. Well, I was just trying to make a point, and that is that it's the suppression of the word that gives it the power, the violence, the viciousness. Dig: if President Kennedy would just go on television, and say, "I would like to introduce you to all the niggers in my cabinet," and if he'd just say "nigger nigger nigger nigger nigger" to every nigger he saw, "boogie boogie boogie boogie boogie," "nigger nigger nigger nigger nigger" 'til nigger didn't mean anything anymore, then you could never make some six-year-old black kid cry because somebody called him a nigger at school.

If you think that Richard Pryor's comedy involves racial abuse then you've got the wrong end of the stick, like I said.

 

[StraightOuttaQ]

Not

And making it a holy nuclear weapon also gives it power. If you think that Richard Pryor's comedy involves racial abuse then you've got the wrong end of the stick, like I said.

You didn't understand a single word I said, did you? I'm not treating it like a holy nuclear weapon.Its a word I don't use. Some people do, and I can't abide by that. Especially when I see it being used so flippantly.

Semantics don't matter shit when your own children gets hounded out their home twice by racist attacks. When they get abused in the back garden playing, when they get abuse shouted at them on the bus by people of both colours. You can argue that words may not hurt, but you try explaining that to a three year old when you have to move house because you don't know when the words will stop and petrol being poured through a letterbox will start. If you don't think racism exists in this country, you're a fool. I've not made a single word of this up.

 

[Random]

You can argue that words may not hurt,

I'm not saying that, I'm saying that Richard Pryor's comedy isn't racist, even though he uses the same language as racists. And that Lenny Bruce specifically said that using 'nigger' flippantly could drain it of its power.

 

[FabricLiveBaby!]

Richard Prior is just like Henning Wehn.

That is a fact.

 

[FabricLiveBaby!]

Not
Semantics don't matter shit when your own children gets hounded out their home twice by racist attacks. When they get abused in the back garden playing, when they get abuse shouted at them on the bus by people of both colours. You can argue that words may not hurt, but you try explaining that to a three year old when you have to move house because you don't know when the words will stop and petrol being poured through a letterbox will start. If you don't think racism exists in this country, you're a fool. I've not made a single word of this up.

What exactly have you're kids being attacked for the colour of their skin, and people using "nigger" have to do with Henning Wehn taking the piss out of the English expectations of the Germans, and football?

I'm a bit confused?

 

[Reno]

I hadn't realised that racists got all fired up by listening to old Richard Pryor routines.

 

[Orang Utan]

I'm a bit confused?

so is SAQ

 

[Onket]

For fucks sake.

I posted this on the last page, in case anyone missed it in the stream of bollocks that then got posted-

HENNING KNOWS BEST

German comedian Henning When (QI, News Quiz, The Unbelievable Truth), is hosting a new six part comedy series for Radio 2 where he delivers his unique views on British life in the form of hilarious comedy lectures. With the help of some special guests, Henning will take a look at very British subjects as diverse as Class, Sport, Languages and Humour from his own German perspective.

Henning will be recording these shows at The Drill Hall in central London on the evenings of 10th January, 17th January and 24th January 2012. If you would like to join the audience, then apply now!

http://www.sroaudiences.com/

 

[ViolentPanda]

Do we look back at Lenny Henry's Radio 4 comedy set in a reggae record shop in handsworth on Radio 4 and think how genius that is? No. Same principle ; playing up to racial and cultural stereotypes for lazy, unearned, casually racist laughs at the expense of who you are, based solely upon national origin or skin colour.

Have you actually listened to "Rudy's Rare records"?
Lenny Henry's character Adam is middle-class, up-tight and insecure, about as far from playing up to stereotype as you can imagine. The shop assistant is a Goth who likes reggae. Adam's son is at university. The only stereotype played up to is the stereotyped crap dad who drinks Guinness and plays dominos.

 

[ViolentPanda]

Fawlty Towers reference ; as an example of crossreferencing how it doesnt work.

I referenced the Lenny henry earlier. Talking about his time in 1975 where he was contractually obligated to do it and was a naive teen, i understand. Continuing the schtick once contractually free - as he did with "katanga my friends! Ah ha!" - is excusable. Apologising for some racial stereotypes, yet excusing others, is both hypocritical and false.

I have a similar problem with Richard Pryor - its dated incredibly badly, it's all "'N***ah" this and that. All the time. I find the use of that racism makes its unfunny.

Henning Wehn thus, by that logic, is funny by virtue that no one else has the same german-stereotype schtick, rather than intrinsically funny. Which He isnt.

Richard Pryor, as with Chris Rock later, didn't use "nigger" as a race-encompassing perjorative, he used it as a perjorative against a section of black people that he saw as making no effort to change their situation, as living up to the stereotypes that had been put on them. Even Eddie Murphy always distinguished between black people in general, and the black people he referred to as "niggers".

 

[ViolentPanda]

I don't find Richard Pryor funny.At all. In the slightest. His continued use of N-bombs make me uncomfortable. I can't find any common ground in my life and his - at all, whatsoever - to relate to. No common point of reference makes it abstract and alien to me.

Comedy I find comes out of human interaction, not skin colour. But that's me.

Richard Pryor has a neutron bomb?

 

[ViolentPanda]

And if thats having no sense of humour, see how you deal when its YOUR family, YOUR children, being racially abused.

Been dealing with it on and off for most of my life.

I think you miss a very important point, which is that humour defuses. Humour helps to render ridiculous what was once threatening. Most of us laugh at stereotypes because we recognise them for what they are, not because we're actually anti-German, anti-black or anti-semitic. We laugh because we understand what the comedian is doing and find how he plays the situation funny.