Totally agree with the Office. And I agree that there hasn't been many classic TV comedies in recent years. But that isn't down to some fictional PC mob, just a lack of great comedy writers with new ideas. If there are some TV producers trying to tick boxes on what wil appeal to the public, then the work is already dead. Great work can't be created that way. Sadly that's how much TV and film is created which strangles good work. But that isn't anything to do with politically correct censorship - that's just marketing execs that don't understand creativity.
In short, PC or not, if great work is created, it will make it out.
I remember that night vividly Frog. First time I had heard the song. It was a cup match and the winners played Newcastle at home. We won with a late goal. We stopped for petrol on the way back and John Hall's roller pulled in behind us. Kevin Keegan and Terry McDermott were with him. I had a bit of a chat with Kev about the match - really nice bloke. I know he had bumped into some Rotherham fans on the way down and got a round in (we drew with Newcastle and lost the replay)
I'm not that familiar with the scenes you have in mind. But I think you might have in mind deleting of scenes in DVD re-releases? I think similar things have happened with old beloved series of mine such as The Young Ones, Filthy Rich and Catflap and even Only Fools and Horses?
I would argue that these are just cosmetic readjustments that the owners make as they feel that they don't want to offend a 'market' with different tastes and world views from when they were made. Are they necessary? Not for me, in these instances I thought they were funny and well observed details. I don't think they are offensive. Are they enforced? No they aren't - it's the commercial owners trying to adjust content to a more (in their opinion) 'developed' market. But no one has to make these cuts. Loads of old non PC stuff is re released un changed, Carry On, Frankie Howard, Benny Hill. Mixed quality but no ones stopping it. At the very worst, it's marketing execs and producers that are worried about their sales. Take the problem up with them, not some non existent PC censors that exist only in some paranoiac heads!
ragingpup is clearly an expert on these matters but a number of leading comedians disagree. Chris Rock, John Cleese, Russell Peters, Scott Capurro, Daniel Lawrence Whitney, Patton Oswalt, Jim Norton, Gilbert Gottfried, Lisa Lampanelli, Dennis Miller and Mel brooks have all gone on record arguing that political correctness is killing comedy. The idea that "PC censors" are "non existent" is frankly laughable and wilful ignorance of what is happening in organisations like the BBC.
Ok I did 5 mins of research and found a collection of quotes from the people you quote and others:
http://www.salon.com/2015/06/10/10_f...eing_offended/
Note that not one of them has said that they have ever been stopped making comedy by any censors. They are all saying that they have received public criticism in response to their work.
So what? An artist in whatever form is there to work to please themselves, not pander to their public. So if they are inhibited from creating the work they want due to criticism on social media, who is doing the censoring? If the work is good, there will still be a market for it and, in the world of stand up there most certainly is. Ask Jimmy Carr!
I think you have a point re: TV organisations. But I've already pointed out that any censorship there is more due to box ticking marketing executives trying to reach as large an audience as possible. And such box ticking = anodyne work as its further removed from its source writer/creator - kind of comedy by numbers. Yeah, deadly but again NOT imposed censorship of the kind complained about on here.
BBC is a rather special case as they are publicly funded and I think that they will feel a special responsibility to not wilfully offend the people it serves. That may well cause much introspection, but at least with the very excellent BBC comedy W1A, it can laugh about itself about it!
Let's look at how this might have affected a comedy very dear to me: Bottom with Rik and Ade. They had a wonderful 3 series in the 90s with some 'near the knuckle' stuff "Wazzo jugs!" etc and then it ended with the BBC. Near the end of Rik's life they both wrote a 4th series which was turned down by the BBC. Was this political correctness? We'll never know but I suspect that we as a public, including myself as a big fan, has moved away from that kind of comedy (you could see it happening in Guest House Paradiso, the Bottom movie) and whilst I still love watching the series, for me its a classic, but we all move on. I don't think the audience would have been there for it now, and I was almost relieved it wasn't made. So I don't blame the BBC for it.
But I guess you are right in that the BBC, by nature, has to be more sensitive to the public, and as I've said such box ticking self consciousness does stifle comedy. But the point is it is not active censorship of the type you almost seem to be wanting to be there in order to be angry at! It's not. Great comedians and writers have platforms and audiences, and as Carr continues to do, should just get on with it and create.
Here's a few to try: http://www.monsterchildren.com/55976...cials-netflix/