Little Britain, Big Issues?

‘Little Britain’ was one of my favourite TV shows. I admit I jumped on the bandwagon, because everyone seemed to like it. The show was funny because it took all the stereotypes we find in Britain and exaggerated them to show not only how stupid they really are, but also how stupid we are to allow ourselves to fuss ourselves over them.

‘Little Britain’ can be said to have been good for gay visibility. Although on the surface of it, I wonder why. A prissy Queen in latex and outlandish club gear who seems about as small minded as local religious fundamentalists.

And yet, the inclusion of the character of Dafyd was perhaps the most politically centred character in the hit show. All the other characters could be said to have been for comic value, and while ‘the only gay in the village’ never failed to draw a laugh, he reminded us that not only are most gay people nothing like that, but that we do exist even in villages in Wales.

The Dafydd sketches also went above just mocking a gay character. They included aspects of gay culture, from internet meets with an older ‘bear’, a lesbian bar maid who seems straight to discussing poppers with a granny at the church fate. Funny to those in the loop, but also enlightening to those not in the loop.

If people can resist the temptation to cast us all as Dafyd’s, ‘Little Britain’ has the potential to go beyond the humour, to give people a glimpse into our culture. Perhaps then, it won’t all be so alien.

Perhaps then, we might get better acceptance of who we are?