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Basil Brush is being investigated after a complaint was made about an alleged racist joke in the puppet's BBC series.
A complaint was received by the police following a recent screening of an old episode that features the fox telling jokes about gypsies, reports Metro.
The episode, which was originally shown six years ago, features a sketch where a gypsy woman tries to sell Basil some wooden pegs.
A police spokesperson said: "We can confirm we have received a complaint about a TV show featuring Basil Brush from a member of the public in February. The complaint was logged as an incident of a racist nature."
Joseph Jones, a spokesperson for the Romany, Gipsy and Irish Traveller Network, said: "Racist abuse of black people is quite rightly no longer deemed acceptable, but when a comedian makes a joke on TV about pikeys or gypos, there's no comeback."
Did you see the offending episode? Do you think Basil should be banished from our screens?
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When the episode was made six years ago this would not have been picked up on as rasist
Posted by: marilyn160 on Mon Mar 17 01:21PM | Report abusePC gone Mad again ! Im from Yorkshire and have had years of EE By Gum's, names like Pudding head (referring to of course the Yorkshire pudding) etc. Ive also in my profession had to work with Gipsies & Travellers and received a fair bit of abuse but I did not go moaning about it when rightly according to this issue i could have. Some people need to get to grips with what really is important in life not analyse sketches on a puppet show.
Posted by: andybutterworth58 on Mon Mar 17 01:21PM | Report abuseHow much more rediculous can this country get???
Posted by: roz.benfield on Mon Mar 17 01:21PM | Report abuseAbsolute rubbish. No I don't think Basil should be banished. I sometimes think this country is going completely bonkers in so many ways. I think alot of the mamby pamby attitude has maybe stemed from the USA.
Posted by: l.phillips2 on Mon Mar 17 01:22PM | Report abuseKeep Basil - it wasn't his fault
Posted by: tracey.sparkes1 on Mon Mar 17 01:23PM | Report abuseOr cant they just turn off if they dont like it thats what i would do
Posted by: djsimonbrown on Mon Mar 17 01:23PM | Report abuseYes I have seen the programme and cannot find anything about it as being racist. It is getting to the point now that we cannot open our mouths without someone being upset and saying "that's racist" - political correctness gone bonkers! People should grow up and just take it as it is meant to be - a children's programme trying to be funny and entertaining
Posted by: debbie.pryde on Mon Mar 17 01:23PM | Report abuseI remember as a child in the 60s and 70s gypsy ladies coming to the door to sell pegs. It's a fact of history that that was their way of life even then. In the 80s and 90s they would be in the High Streeet of the town where I lived selling sprigs of heather for luck. I didn't see the offending joke, but it's sad to see that these people would like to pretend that time never existed. Of course it is also necessary to educate youngsters about how things used to be - but the Basil Brush show is hardly the right place for that.
Posted by: susandavidplus3 on Mon Mar 17 01:23PM | Report abuseSurely the police have better things to spend their time on. Wwhat a complete waste of time. This is taking being PC too far!
Posted by: the.ecclestones on Mon Mar 17 01:23PM | Report abuseThe Country sinks to a new Politically Correct low by investigating a puppet - Does this now mean that Comedians can no longer tell jokes ? I used to love watching Basil Brush when I was younger and whilst some of the jokes were risque at times - they were only jokes - It did not turn me into a Rascist. I have a lot of friends and colleagues who are from different Nationalities and Religions so how has it affected me ??? If you want to push the Rascism card why do a large number of these Travelling communities not pay taxes like the rest of us - Surely we are the ones being rascially abused - by Taxes ??? I am sorry but there are too many so called "Do Gooders" who are destroying our Country. There is a massive void between a joke and a Rascist comment - Unfortunately some people do not know the difference. Unfortunately it appears you cannot have a laugh anymore. Yours Miserably etc...........
Posted by: alan.trigg on Mon Mar 17 01:23PM | Report abuse