Benny Hill. Pervert or Genius?

jam_mac_jam · 17-09-2019 10:27am

Thanks. Didn't even watch the video and now I have that stupid chasing tune in my head... Christ.

Will have to try and hum some ABBA or something to try and recover.

Mickeroo · 17-09-2019 10:30am

Why can't it be both?

dxhound2005 · 17-09-2019 10:30am

Genius pervert.

biko · 17-09-2019 10:32am

Comedy pre-woke era was gold.
Growing up I though he was brilliant.
It's fairly lame now but at the time it was brilliant.

B.A._Baracus · 17-09-2019 11:10am

Here's the thing about Benny Hill he never married or ever had kids. He lived in his mothers house for years. He was never known to be romantically involved with anyone.

His era was the 60s and 70s when being gay was a taboo. So... i'm leaning towards the fact that Benny was gay and given the nature of his comedy that makes him a genius. He knew what people found funny and used it.

jam_mac_jam · 17-09-2019 11:11am

I don't think it was very funny, even as a child I can remember thinking that it was a bit stupid. So I say neither pervert or genius.

bot43 · 17-09-2019 11:14am

is this another case of trying to put todays ethics on yestedays fun?

Stop it FFS. It was of its time.

JohnnyFlash · 17-09-2019 11:23am

A sweaty dude with a stupid grin on his face running after a load of women with huge norks? What’s not to like?

Marhay70 · 17-09-2019 11:23am

If Benny was a pervert then I reckon I am too. Lots of the comedy in the 60s/70s was in the same vein, Dick Emery, the Carry Ons, Terry Scott etc. It was all about boobs and frilly knickers in a society still emerging from the gloom of WW2 and 50s austerity. Don't make it what it wasn't.

Zorya · 17-09-2019 11:24am

I know someone who often makes Benny Hill facial expressions. How can one possibly tell another person straight out that this is the furthest thing from sexy one could possibly do. I cant. But for anyone else anonymously reading who imagines tongue waggling or that kind of business is in any way hot, please know now - It is NOT!!

antix80 · 17-09-2019 11:25am

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

A sweaty dude with a stupid grin on his face running after a load of women with huge norks? What’s not to like?

Who even says norks? Never heard it before.

Charlie19 · 17-09-2019 11:25am

jam_mac_jam wrote: »

Thanks. Didn't even watch the video and now I have that stupid chasing tune in my head... Christ.

Will have to try and hum some ABBA or something to try and recover.

I know a song that'll get on your nerves...

Get on your nerves.....

Get on your nerves.

pgj2015 · 17-09-2019 11:29am

B.A._Baracus wrote: »

Here's the thing about Benny Hill he never married or ever had kids. He lived in his mothers house for years. He was never known to be romantically involved with anyone.

His era was the 60s and 70s when being gay was a taboo. So... i'm leaning towards the fact that Benny was gay and given the nature of his comedy that makes him a genius. He knew what people found funny and used it.

That sounds similar to jimmy saville.

antix80 · 17-09-2019 11:29am

pgj2015 wrote: »

That sounds similar to jimmy saville.

Are you comparing homosexuality to pedophilia?

So basically what you're saying is gay people are all pedophiles and should be locked up.

Sorry just in a trolling mood.

TheShow · 17-09-2019 11:31am

It was harmless fun of its day.

Would it be acceptable now if it was a new concept? No, as the #metoo brigade and the perpetually offended would not be happy.

pgj2015 · 17-09-2019 11:33am

antix80 wrote: »

Are you comparing homosexuality to pedophilia?

So basically what you're saying is gay people are all pedophiles and should be locked up.

Sorry just in a trolling mood.

all im saying is they shouldnt be allowed near animals:pac:

Dublin Spur · 17-09-2019 11:51am

both

dxhound2005 · 17-09-2019 11:53am

He gave the wee Belfast man a hard time.

riffmongous · 17-09-2019 11:56am

Genius??? A few groin jokes and a bunch of women dancing around? Are you a Mrs Brown's Boys fan too?

NeinNeinNein · 17-09-2019 11:56am

Boring boring Benny.

partyguinness · 17-09-2019 11:56am

Albert Einstein
Thomas Edison
Leonardo da Vinci

I would class the above as geniuses.

Benny Hill...not so much.

Ray Palmer · 17-09-2019 11:58am

B.A._Baracus wrote: »

Here's the thing about Benny Hill he never married or ever had kids. He lived in his mothers house for years. He was never known to be romantically involved with anyone.

His era was the 60s and 70s when being gay was a taboo. So... i'm leaning towards the fact that Benny was gay and given the nature of his comedy that makes him a genius. He knew what people found funny and used it.

You will find you are wrong there. He was known to have relationships with women. He was certainly a little odd and former dancers on the show have said they had sexual relationships with him although it sounded a bit strange. More like certain dancers pleasured him and it was never mentioned outside of his flat.

He just appears to have been a very immature man. His comedy was actually very good at the start but towards the end it became all about the women. They upped the dancing scenes because of top of the pops use of raunchy dancing.

He nephews own the rights to the show and have refused to let it be shown on TV again as they find it sexist.

The thing is it was the guys who were always shown as fools so it is sexist from that view point.

Dravokivich · 17-09-2019 11:59am

OP, if you're concerned about being corrupted by Benny Hill, keep away from "Carry On," "Are you being Served" and "On The Buses."

Ray Palmer · 17-09-2019 12:00pm

partyguinness wrote: »

Albert Einstein
Thomas Edison
Leonardo da Vinci

I would class the above as geniuses.

Benny Hill...not so much.

Edison not so much either. He appears to have stolen most of his ideas and only enhanced a few which people think he invented. Great PR guy though

Mad_maxx · 17-09-2019 12:08pm

Was a complete miser apparently, lived in squalor

Ray Palmer · 17-09-2019 12:22pm

Mad_maxx wrote: »

Was a complete miser apparently, lived in squalor

It wasn't squalor but he did live frugally. He owned two large high end London flats from Georgian times but only used 2 rooms even though they were joined. He would be sent rather large cheques and would put them behind a clock on the mantal. When the amount of cheques couldn't be held by the clock he would bring them to the bank. He was very very wealthy and did spend his money just not very house proud.

Oasis1974 · 17-09-2019 12:33pm

Who got all his money then when he passed on didn't he have a song in the charts as well?

Ray Palmer · 17-09-2019 12:55pm

Oasis1974 wrote: »

Who got all his money then when he passed on didn't he have a song in the charts as well?

His nephews. His close friend produced a "will" that he claimed Benny wrote and was about to get finalised. He had been promising people for years he would give them money in his will but never wrote one. The "will" was very suspect but he apparently never met his nephews either.
His body was dug up because people thought he was buried with a lot of gold jewelry he wore.

BillyBird · 17-09-2019 1:05pm

B.A._Baracus wrote: »

Here's the thing about Benny Hill he never married or ever had kids. He lived in his mothers house for years. He was never known to be romantically involved with anyone.

Unrelated but a very unusual relationship with money. Basically very rich (I think he has success in the US) but didn't ever spend much of it. Bought cheap at the shop, I'm petty sure he rented that apartment, frugal to the last. When they found him after he passed (I think he died in armchair at home) there was loads of cash/uncashed cheques laying around.

Each to their own and all but what's the point of the money if you're not going to enjoy at bit of it?

nkl12xtw5goz70 · 17-09-2019 1:09pm

TheShow wrote: »

Would it be acceptable now if it was a new concept? No, as the #metoo brigade and the perpetually offended would not be happy.

The objectification of women is alive and well in rap culture, but the #metoo brigade is silent about that for fear of seeming racist.

Bob Harris · 17-09-2019 1:11pm

Guilty of perverting the course of genius.

TheShow · 17-09-2019 1:34pm

Danna Polite Flake wrote: »

The objectification of women is alive and well in rap culture, but the #metoo brigade is silent about that for fear of seeming racist.

Jay Z was right when he mentioned the 99 problems...

Hotblack Desiato · 17-09-2019 1:34pm

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

A sweaty dude with a stupid grin on his face running after a load of women with huge norks? What’s not to like?

'Cept it was always the women running after him, Johnny...

JohnnyFlash · 17-09-2019 1:35pm

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

'Cept it was always the women running after him, Johnny...

Like myself, so.

Woke Hogan · 17-09-2019 1:40pm

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

Like myself, so.

You've always come across as a bit of a Benny, alright.

mariaalice · 17-09-2019 1:43pm

“The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.”

tdf7187 · 17-09-2019 1:43pm

His programmes have probably dated badly but I can certainly remember getting a few laughs out of them at the age of 11 or 12. I don't buy the argument that they objectified women, Benny was usually the butt of the joke.

JohnnyFlash · 17-09-2019 1:48pm

Woke Hogan wrote: »

You've always come across as a bit of a Benny, alright.

Sorry, I don’t get it. You’ll have to explain.

Your Face · 17-09-2019 2:34pm

Pervert or Genius?

Neither.

Harry Palmr · 17-09-2019 2:52pm

Ernie the Fastest Milkman in the West will always be a very good song indeed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8e1xvyTdBZI

antix80 · 17-09-2019 3:00pm

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

Sorry, I don’t get it. You’ll have to explain.

I had to Google it.
When i was young kids used to say benny as another word for handicap/retard/spa.

Well... Per urban dictionary

During the Falklands War, British troops noticed the similarities of many of the Falklands Islanders, to a Character from a British soap opera, ('Crossroads')

In this soap opera, Benny was a simple (mentally challenged) odd job man, known for wearing old knitted jumpers and a woolly bobble hat.

Ger Roe · 17-09-2019 3:12pm

Dravokivich wrote: »

OP, if you're concerned about being corrupted by Benny Hill, keep away from "Carry On," "Are you being Served" and "On The Buses."

And the classic 1969 film 'The Italian Job' where Benny played a 'BIG' woman obsessed computer expert that the gang employed to mess with the traffic light system in Turin.

His part in The Italian Job film is often forgotten, but the basic character traits lived on in much of his future 70s TV work.

ohnonotgmail · 17-09-2019 3:12pm

antix80 wrote: »

I had to Google it.
When i was young kids used to say benny as another word for handicap/retard/spa.

Well... Per urban dictionary

nah, benny predates that. i remember it from primary school. and it wasnt a euphamism for handicap/retard/spa. It was a euphamism for homosexual.

whisky_galore · 17-09-2019 3:16pm

riffmongous wrote: »

Genius??? A few groin jokes and a bunch of women dancing around? Are you a Mrs Brown's Boys fan too?

It was the Mrs Brown's Boys of its day.
Not particularly funny, but inexplicably popular.

IAMAMORON · 17-09-2019 3:19pm

De de de de de didddle de de de de didddle de de diddle diddle de.

de de de de de diddle de de de de diddle duuuuu de de de de de de de.

de de de de de diddle de de diddle diddle diddle de de

de de de de de diddle de de de de diddle de

Dravokivich · 17-09-2019 3:21pm

whisky_galore wrote: »

It was the Mrs Brown's Boys of its day.
Not particularly funny, but inexplicably popular.

I guess we'd just have to disagree to agree on that comparison.

Cyclepath · 17-09-2019 3:22pm

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

nah, benny predates that. i remember it from primary school. and it wasnt a euphamism for handicap/retard/spa. It was a euphamism for homosexual.

Can confirm. Was called a benny for most of 6th year in secondary school. Jesus H, just cos I wore GUYliner (not eyeliner). It didn't take much more than being a New Romantic/Depeche Mode fan back then... :cool:

Ray Palmer · 17-09-2019 3:52pm

Ger Roe wrote: »

Dravokivich wrote: »

OP, if you're concerned about being corrupted by Benny Hill, keep away from "Carry On," "Are you being Served" and "On The Buses."

And the classic 1969 film 'The Italian Job' where Benny played a 'BIG' woman obsessed computer expert that the gang employed to mess with the traffic light system in Turin.

His part in The Italian Job film is often forgotten, but the basic character traits lived on in much of his future 70s TV work.

He is also in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and very hard to spot in Monty Python's Meaning of Life as he has heavey makeup and a dread wig on. He is they guy who had his organs removed while alive as he agreed to be an organ donor.

Modern TV won't hold up well either. The likes of Love Island are just thin excuses to show scantily clad people. Lots or gawker TV around and fake reality TV will be frowned upon.

ohnonotgmail · 17-09-2019 3:54pm

Ray Palmer wrote: »

He is also in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and very hard to spot in Monty Python's Meaning of Life as he has heavey makeup and a dread wig on. He is they guy who had his organs removed while alive as he agreed to be an organ donor.

Modern TV won't hold up well either. The likes of Love Island are just thin excuses to show scantily clad people. Lots or gawker TV around and fake reality TV will be frowned upon.

jeez i've seen that countless times and i never spotted him.

jimgoose · 17-09-2019 4:00pm

IAMAMORON wrote: »

De de de de de didddle de de de de didddle de de diddle diddle de.

de de de de de diddle de de de de diddle duuuuu de de de de de de de.

de de de de de diddle de de diddle diddle diddle de de

de de de de de diddle de de de de diddle de

A.k.a. "Yakety Sax", by Boots Randolph. :cool:

Personally, I think Benny Hill was a bit of harmless fun.

Benny Hill. Pervert or Genius?

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