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Bernard Manning

most outrageous and successful comedians of our time". (June 2007)

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LL
Lottie Long-Legs
I was fortunate enough to be working at a venue that once played host to a live performance by Bernard Manning.

The crowd - perhaps slightly unexpectedly, in my mind, given Manning's material - were a broad cross-section of people. Okay, so it was a gentleman's evening, so they were all male; but there were definitely black and Asian people among the audience, laughing and enjoying it along with everyone else.

After the performance, Manning made a point of going into the audience, and shaking hands with as many people as possible. Irrespective of colour.

At the end of the day, his "job" was to entertain by means of joke telling. Granted, many of his jokes were designed to offend - that is if you're easily offended, of course - but then, if you go to such an event, you know what to expect.
RM
Roger Mellie
Skytower posted:
I was fortunate enough to be working at a venue that once played host to a live performance by Bernard Manning.

The crowd - perhaps slightly unexpectedly, in my mind, given Manning's material - were a broad cross-section of people. Okay, so it was a gentleman's evening, so they were all male; but there were definitely black and Asian people among the audience, laughing and enjoying it along with everyone else.

After the performance, Manning made a point of going into the audience, and shaking hands with as many people as possible. Irrespective of colour.

At the end of the day, his "job" was to entertain by means of joke telling. Granted, many of his jokes were designed to offend - that is if you're easily offended, of course - but then, if you go to such an event, you know what to expect.


Thanks for that insight. I once watched a show where he noticed a young Japanese man in the audience, cue jokes about Pearl Harbour and POW camps and so on-- the Japanese bloke found it hilarious! After the show, he shook hands with the young man, and thanked him for being a good sport-- he thanked Bernard in return for entertaining him.

The moral is, that nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent Wink

Frank Carson has been the doing the rounds over the past couple of days, being a close friend of BM's. He remarked that Bernard's Indian neighbours often used to make curry for him Laughing So I doubt he was that racist in real life!

Frank Carson also pointed out that BM did a lot of charity work and gigs, and always contributed generously to charities he performed for, and that he waived his fee for such events.
:-(
A former member
FC said

there should a statue of him, and he'll be the first one to throw a brick!
:-(
A former member
another classic

a couple went to see him, and the woman never seen or heard of him before:

then He come on Stage, the woman turned to the man and said

" I never know he told jokes"" Laughing
LL
Lottie Long-Legs
From Digital Spy:

Quote:
An obituary Bernard Manning wrote for himself, defending his controversial act, is published following his death.

The comedian, 76, died earlier this week - several months after the Daily Mail challenged him to write the piece.

Manning used it to answer claims he was racist and sexist - but he began within a mother-in-law joke.

"Oh, I know there'll be a few who won't mourn my passing, like mothers-in-law up and down the country. I'll never forget the day I took my own mother-in-law to the Chamber of Horrors in Madame Tussauds. Suddenly, one of the attendants whispered to me: 'Please keep her moving. We're trying to do a stock take.'

"I don't think the Commission for Racial Equality will be holding a wake for me, either. Nor will the Lesbian and Gay Rights lot or the feminists."

He continued: "And I was never a racist. That's just an easy, catch-all term of abuse bandied around by the media elite against anyone who does not follow their agenda. It was just meaningless.

"When told by some toffee-nosed southerner that I was prejudiced, I used to say: 'Have you actually seen my act?' They would then admit they hadn't."

In the piece, Manning insisted he was only concerned about finding funny jokes which he said were appreciated by many.
RM
Roger Mellie
Skytower posted:
From Digital Spy:

Quote:
An obituary Bernard Manning wrote for himself, defending his controversial act, is published following his death.

The comedian, 76, died earlier this week - several months after the Daily Mail challenged him to write the piece.

Manning used it to answer claims he was racist and sexist - but he began within a mother-in-law joke.

"Oh, I know there'll be a few who won't mourn my passing, like mothers-in-law up and down the country. I'll never forget the day I took my own mother-in-law to the Chamber of Horrors in Madame Tussauds. Suddenly, one of the attendants whispered to me: 'Please keep her moving. We're trying to do a stock take.'

"I don't think the Commission for Racial Equality will be holding a wake for me, either. Nor will the Lesbian and Gay Rights lot or the feminists."

He continued: "And I was never a racist. That's just an easy, catch-all term of abuse bandied around by the media elite against anyone who does not follow their agenda. It was just meaningless.

"When told by some toffee-nosed southerner that I was prejudiced, I used to say: 'Have you actually seen my act?' They would then admit they hadn't."

In the piece, Manning insisted he was only concerned about finding funny jokes which he said were appreciated by many.


There's also a documentary filmed shortly before his death, called This Was Your Life for Channel 4. He slags off a load of people in the business too-- watch out Doddy Wink

Since we're on the subject of bad taste jokes and career deaths:


Wink
TV
tvarksouthwest
Excellent tribute to Bernard from Michael Winner in yesterday's Mail. Michael not only paid tribute to his friend but launched a stinging broadside on political correctness, as only he can.
GS
Gavin Scott Founding member
tvarksouthwest posted:
Excellent tribute to Bernard from Michael Winner in yesterday's Mail. Michael not only paid tribute to his friend but launched a stinging broadside on political correctness, as only he can.


As only a condescending fat misogynist can, yes.
PT
Put The Telly On
Calm down d..


ok.. sorry. Embarassed
MH
miss hellfire
Oh i thought he'd died ages ago. Not to worry i never liked him much anyway. He has always failed to make me laugh. Even when i was kid. I think it was after i repeated a joke of his at primary school and i made one of my bestest friends cry. I've got to admit that i didn't really understand the joke but my family roared with laughter at it. It broke my heart to upset my friend.
GS
Gavin Scott Founding member
miss hellfire posted:
Oh i thought he'd died ages ago. Not to worry i never liked him much anyway. He has always failed to make me laugh. Even when i was kid. I think it was after i repeated a joke of his at primary school and i made one of my bestest friends cry. I've got to admit that i didn't really understand the joke but my family roared with laughter at it. It broke my heart to upset my friend.


Which friend was that? Gay John, wheelchair Betty or Gupta?
MH
miss hellfire
black betty!

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