What do you think? Joke I found offensive.

Is panto aimed mainly at kids? I never thought so, certainly not when I went to see the best ones ever at Glasgow's Kings Theatre. Pantos are for all ages. That's part of their charm.

I hunted down your yesterday evening post, ana. Read the injun joke. Didn't get it. Shrug. I wonder if that's what will happen to other old 'jokes' like fairy and poof? I suspect it might.

(It's not a sin to say the word 'injun', is it?) << serious question.

This must be about the 5th Panto we've seen with my GDs and the only one with any dodgy jokes (however weak!). Absolutely no need.

IMHO both the Injun and the poof/fairy are outdated and unfunny.Pantos can be funny without either sexist/homophobic jokes and in fact would be a lot better without them.There can be a few double entendres that usually go over the childrens heads but no need for anything more.

I don't think we're that far gone on GN, grannypiper!

Oh please ! no wonder snowflakes cant cope

Yes, I fear we are - which is worrying in itself!

Are we overthinking this

No, merlot, but the 'poof' and 'fairy' jokes presumably weren't personal either.

(post to Jayanna9040)

Not really comparable to a children's pantomime production though, is it?

But the girl playing Tiger Lily was acting. Surely the jokes weren't aimed at her personally?

Anybody seen Book of Mormon? Plenty of offensive jokes there, including African ones. Thing is the Mormons haven't taken offence at all..........

It just seemed demeaning to the poor girl playing Tiger Lily, who was the butt of another couple of jokes along the way as well.

Bet if the tribe had been African there wouldn't have been any so-called jokes...

It reminded me of an old fashioned stand-up comedian's joke. The kind you'd get at the end of the pier.

We grew up talking about cowboys and injuns but it was a long time before I understood what poof and fairy referred to so I suppose I would find that joke more or less harmless.

Yes, I know, but I still felt mildly annoyed by it. Perhaps we're all getting a bit too PC these days...?

Sorry Ana.Didn't mean to ignore you. Yes, the joke you mentioned could be seen as offensive to native Americans, but, to be absolutely honest, I can't feel the same about it, probably because there are likely to be fewer native Americans around to be hurt by it.

Has anyone got a comment about the 'joke' I referred to in my post of 19.55 yesterday?

There were a couple of others along those lines. TBH I'm sure it went over the children's heads, but humour like that really has no place in a theatrical production primarily for children.

If anyone is interested, my lunchtime friends weren't bothered by the panto lines, just thought it old fashioned and not humorous. Don't expect it raised a laugh. They did say a few other things, but People might be offended!!!!!

I think it is highly inappropriate! But I have found pantos pretty inappropaite for quite a while now. Why not try a theatre show instead - I took my grandchildren who are younger to the Hungry Caterpillar last week ...and used to to take my children when older (12) to a tbeatre show rather than a panto, a,ways a success

So let's deal with the concept that it is OK to have such jokes in Panto because that is the nature of Panto. Perhaps it has been, but in the past it was also considered fine to have shows like The Black and White Minstrels. No one would consider that acceptable now. Things change and it is perfectly possible to have a funny Panto with appalling and corny jokes without resorting to ones that refer to a particular group of people in unacceptable words that have been used as insults.

There is still homophobia in society and in schools and nothing should be done which encourages this or gives the impression that this is acceptable.

You ve done what you can shame on the woman who obviously is very old fashioned and out of touch Nothing more to be done really

I replied as follows -

"I accept you are happy with it. I, however, think it was quite wrong to put such words into the mouths of children. If any of the children in the production, or in the audience for that matter, went back to school and called another child a 'fairy' or a 'poof', they would be in deep trouble. I believe we need to educate children away from such unkind mocking."

And there, I will leave it. You will be glad to hear.

I have had a reply. The director hides behind the old chestnut of, "it's what pantos do". As I thought she would.

Not good enough IMO.

A pantomime is not a school playground and bells was right to send a letter of complaint. Quite honestly I'd be cross at the use of language that belonged in 'It Ain't 'alf Hot, Mum' because today it reveals ignorance and banal script writing rather than a desire to amuse offend.

Unfortunately there will always be some cruel kids but they're not ALL like that. They throw homophobic comments around without a thought to the meaning or effect. In our day it was playground jokes about spastics and people who stammered.

Most grow out of it. Those who don't are best avoided.