The fact that Charles Chaplin had a shelf full of Benny Hill's works in his office is a tangible example of the influence that the British comedian had worldwide. The Benny Hill Show (1969-1989), mainly broadcast on the British channel Thames Television, premiered in Spain in 1981.
During the peak of the "uncovering" cinema era, the actor's sketches with scantily clad women, some of them submissive, and spicy jokes delighted millions of Spanish viewers. In the UK, the show reached peaks of up to 21 million viewers. But what he conveyed through words and expressions became taboo.
In 1989, Thames stopped airing the show citing high production costs per episode of 450,000 pounds at the time and a dramatic drop in viewership. However, the reality was quite different. The program was labeled as sexist, racist, backward, outdated, and, according to experts, The Benny Hill Show was the first victim of cancel culture.
A few days ago, British Channel 5 aired The Cancellation of Benny Hill with the aim of answering two simple questions: Should it remain canceled? What happened when Generation Z met the 70s comedian? Producers dusted off part of the archive to review some of those sketches through the eyes of young people and cultural commentators. They agreed that the portrayal of women was with little clothing and in purely ornamental roles.
As an example, several instances were highlighted. The Daily Mail reported on some issues. In one sketch, Hill plays a worker counting letters and has reached the number 2,044. But distracted by the secretary's lascivious gaze, he realizes he lost count and has to start over. One of the young women named Pradeep commented: "The fact that this was on television during prime time is crazy"; Jodie exclaimed that "if that happened while you're watching TV with the family, it would definitely be very weird," and veteran journalist Nina Myskow argued: "So this is just male fantasy about what a secretary is: submissive, compliant when asked, simply sordid. Simply sordid." However, actress Nina Wadia was a bit more flexible: "It's sad that it had to be a woman in suspenders who distracted him, but in a way, it works in that sketch. It works for me because the conclusion is funny."
Another scene showed a close-up of a firefighter going up and down the pole at the station in a short skirt and garters. The action was repeated. Feminist journalist Julie Bindall stated: "I couldn't help but laugh when they arrived at the house to rescue them from the burning building, and the female firefighters were wearing short skirts and high heels as they climbed the stairs. It's ridiculous to think that it wasn't even questioned at that time." She also pointed out that one of the firefighters entered the burning building with the sole intention of caressing a trapped woman. Despite everything, she emphasized that "there were also some very funny parts. Clever writing."
It may be worth mentioning what Canary Islands homoerotic writer Nayra Ginory said: "Sin lies in the eyes of the beholder, not in the body of the one who shows." Several participants in the documentary highlighted that when the show aired, beauty pageants like Miss World had millions of followers worldwide, and judging women solely based on their appearance was more normalized than today.
Another topic discussed was racism. A scene showing Benny Hill with his face painted black sparked controversy. One of the characters that brought considerable popularity to the British comedian was the Chinese character Chow Mein, which raised skepticism among commentators. One of the jokes involved Chow misunderstanding the word "election" as "erection" due to Benny Hill's stereotyped accent in the sketch.
From 1989 onwards, Hill not only fell into depression because people had started to forget him. He had amassed a fortune of 10 million euros, but the actor did not flaunt luxuries. He lived in a rented apartment, considered a car a superfluous expense, took the subway, glued his broken shoes, mended well-worn clothes, and took advantage of near-expiry food from supermarkets.
After suffering a heart attack in February 1992, Michael Jackson visited him in the hospital because he had been a big fan since childhood. Two months later, Hill passed away at the age of 68 from a heart attack while watching TV in a rickety armchair surrounded by trash and dirty dishes. He was alone at home, and his nephews, with whom he was estranged, inherited his estate.
HE WAS THE INSPIRATION FOR MR. BEAN
He never married or had children. Benny Hill brought back into fashion the slapstick comedy of the Charles Chaplin era. One of the performers inspired by him in gestures and mischief was the actor, writer, and comedian Rowan Atkinson, in his role as Mr. Bean.