It seems a simple enough idea. Surely, the days of the Black and White Minstrels are gone. End of story. But I struggle with a black and white ruling when it comes to the court of comedy. I laugh at racist things. Don't we all?
I enjoyed Jonah from Tonga, from the basic principle I apply to all comedy: Is it funny? Did I laugh? The answer is yes, and yes, though it is not as funny or satisfying as Lilley's other works, especially the equally inappropriate and delightfully puerile, Summer Heights High.
In that series Lilley plays a bunch of memorable characters, like Ja'mie, Mr G and a Tongan lad called Jonah. He has a gift for making fun of, and having fun with, a variety of stereotypes, some of which are racist or politically incorrect, depending on your politics.
Like many great comedy talents Lilley is largely undaunted by the lines of taste and decency. In his world other people are funny. Other races are hilarious. If we make fun of everyone we can make fun of anyone. If only it were that simple.
Let's look at some of the rules at play.
It's accepted that Woody Allen can make fun of Jews because, well, he is one. Likewise, Billy T James could take the piss out of Maori - much to the delight of many a redneck Pakeha. We get that. But white guys playing non-whites, that's a rockier road.
Remember Peter Sellers in The Party, pretending to be an Indian? I still love that film for all its cultural problems, but it's a comedy of another time. He's forgiven under the clause marked "man of his time".
This rule also applies to Monty Python, Fawlty Towers, Benny Hill, and somehow, to Robert Downey Jr in Tropic Thunder.
Pakeha New Zealanders like to think of themselves as being less racist than Australians. It's almost a source of pride, up there on the mantle piece with Crowded House and the All Blacks. But perhaps there is some truth to that notion. I'm not sure how well a middle-aged white guy playing a Tongan boy would have gone down on a kiwi show. ...
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- nzherald.co.nz
