A recent post on Urbanlife.se, which covers all things Afro-Caribbean in Sweden, was about an overtly black stereotype on Bolibompa, SVT’s flagship kids’ programme. The still image showed a puppet with thick lips, dopey eyes, gold chain and flat nose … taken out of context it wasn’t so far removed from Amos and Andy.. .. but then I was looking at it out of context – for all I knew, the character may have been one of many black characters on the show and was a neat foil for the black policemen, professors, politicians and other positive characters… perhaps the editors of Urban Life are overly sensitive to such things and they just don’t appreciate a funny character who just happens to be black.
What I do know is that from my experience of performing comedy and listening to other performers, Sweden often seems about 30 years behind the UK and US in terms of political correctness. One good example is the use of the word ‘Neger’, which although, as defensive Swedes are keen to point out, is not the equivalent of ‘Nigger’, sets off alarm bells when I hear it.
I should add here that I’m against censorship of words, and in humour, which should be about breaking down taboos, there is a place for everything. In fact, I use the word ‘Neger’ in my own routine to illustrate the outdated flippancy with which it is used in Sweden, which, to me is the point: context. I’ve cringed watching routines here which are either racist, homophobic or misogynist with no justification or where the only ‘laughter point’ is the stereotype. It’s a two dimensional joke that says laugh at the Neger, the Queer, the Slut or the Spaz simply because they are black, gay, female or disabled.
And then I came across this advert for a local opticians in Linköping. I’m not offended by it in a way that many people in the US probably would be, but more shocked that at some point down the line they thought this would be a good idea. There’s a very weak play on words (Bågar means ‘frames’ and ‘bows’) but that’s about it. My comedian reflex wanted to make a joke about needing to make a Reservation at the optician’s, but I was overwhelmed by the thought: ‘What were they thinking?’. Ugh! indeed, Ögat, ugh! indeed… a very short sighted advert.
