4 ms·

Watched that show not so long ago, for the first time really. I guess I had fawlty expectations, I thought it might have more good jokes and less racism.

• asveikau 6y ago
  It's been a long time since I saw it last, but Fawlty's racism is meant to be backwards even for 1970s standards, so you're meant to laugh at him for idiotic prejudices that often backfire on him. I guess a similar American example of that time period would be Archie Bunker. Fawlty is a little bit less overtly boorish than him. I guess there are a lot of cheap jokes at Miguel's expense and they don't really fit with what I've seen of Spanish culture. But also Spain was under Franco in that time so a pretty different place too.
  • marzell 6y ago
    Yes, I do get all that, and that it is meant to be in jest and actually making fun of Fawlty. I also can't fully appreciate the context... for instance in the UK I've heard it was common in the 50s and 60s for the N word and it's variants to be used but weren't meant to be derogatory (still having a hard time with that one). However, in Fawlty Towers there was a lot of use of several racial epithets, and Miguel's character seemed overtly racist in portraying a clumsy/clueless Hispanic much in the same way as Blacks being portrayed as overly cheerful willing servants in other shows from the past.
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