Citizen Khan - Funny or racist?

Have you seen the new comedy on BBC about a Pakistani family living in Birmingham? ("British Pakistan")

I have heard that some people have labelled it as racist and offensive and people say that it reinforces racist stereotypes. Is it really offensive or are people "bandwagoning" it?

Rather than try to justify the program and allay fears that it is racist, if I were the creator I would just say, "yes there is racial humour in it, we do joke about stereotypes of British Pakistanis, thank you for pointing it out, now go away."

It's not funny or racist.

I watched the first episode and was mouth a gape at just how utterly abysmal it was.

I don't see why it's racist, it's just rubbish.

It's about as racist as the Royal Family that just takes all the stereotypes of working class families and pokes fun at them.

I'm not a british pakistani though so i've no idea whether it would offend someone who is, so happy to be corrected.

I haven't seen the programme. I am aware of it. I am aware that one of the most complained about scenes depicted a British Pakistani girl secretly changing out of her hijab into more Western clothes, in defiance of her father.

Some Afro-Carribean people complained about Ali G. Some Jewish people complained about The Producers. As soon as you make any comedy programme about anything to do with race or racial identity, someone will complain.

how can it be racist?

its made and directed by Indians/Muslims...

I think...

I dont care anyway, I think its funny as fuck.

I've not seen it, and I'm confident it's not racist.

Speaking of these sort of films, I love East is East (who doesn't?) and I even enjoyed Bend it like Beckham when I saw it for the first time in years the other week.
I don't know if anybody's seen the East is East sequel? Don't! It's shite.

Seen both episodes so far and its as sfunny as Mind Your Language from the 1970's!!!



It plays on people's ideologies of stereotypes of various sections of the British community - in this case Pakistani Muslim. If they want to moan its racist then why haven't people bothered moaning about Mrs Brown's Boys, Father Ted, Desmonds, Love Thy Neighbour (wait they did on that one - oops), It Ain't Half Hot Mum (oops even that was pulled off screens for a while thinking people might think its racist!) - funnily enough a pattern is beginning to emerge about certain comedies that people moan about.......

If you know a person's sense of humour, you will know them better than knowing what colour, race, or creed they are. Such programmes are always tongue in cheek, but always have some worth. Take them for what they are, and not get your knickers in a twist because some arsehole decides to take umbrage at a supposes sleight. One thing we don't do enough, and that is laugh.

Natasha Whittam wrote:It's not funny or racist.

Indeed

Shan't be tuning in again

I just watched it again.

Didn't laugh once but that daughter is hot.