World War - No Laughing Matter!

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World War – No Laughing Matter!

     Ask someone what their views on war are and your average reply will be something like:

     “ War is unjustifiable, there is no right in war, innocent lives are taken and the effects are devastating.”

This is a perfectly reasonable answer being both morally and ethically right, but what if you were to ask the same person what they think of programs such as Dad’s Army and ‘Allo ‘Allo, your answer may be:

     “ Excellent, they are hilarious very entertaining programs which keep me amused for hours.”

These two answers imply to me that the person is a little two faced. They are aware of the horrors of war and yet find it perfectly acceptable to laugh at these tragic situations being portrayed on television for comedy purposes. So, is it right to make war into a laughing matter or should we just leave the past behind us?

     To answer this question I have studied three war comedies: Dad’s Army, ‘Allo ‘Allo, and Blackadder. These sitcoms although very entertaining can sometimes become inconsiderate and offensive. Some would say that it is all right to make war into a laughing matter as it helps people come to terms with the past and turns something negative into something positive. Others would say that it could never be acceptable to make a mockery of war no matter what the circumstances. They would argue that although it is right to move on we should show respect for those who fought and suffered traumatic experiences to become our real war heroes.

     Dad’s Army has been a long running British comedy series based on the Home Guard in the Second World War. The series deals with seven main characters who live within the small seaside town of “Walmington-on-Sea”. The team is led by a pompous bank manager, Mr George Mainwaring who gets the platoon involved in some hilarious exploits in the name of civil defence. His platoon is very loyal and they always follow his instructions although some do question his decisions. In many episodes of Dad’s Army there are elements of slapstick, irony, pathos, wordplay and nostalgia, but does this television sitcom just give people idle amusement or does it serve a real historical purpose?

     The Home Guard was set up after Anthony Eden made his historic speech in June 1940, calling for men under and over the age of active service in the armed forces to form a local defence corps. There was an overwhelming response from every eligible male in the country. This had the effect of bringing the war into most peoples homes, pubs, village halls and the like, which became the headquarters to Britain’s new ‘fighting force’.

     The real Home Guard was an important part of the volunteer work, which is done to support the Armed Forces, the society and the individual citizen. As part of the regional defence the Home Guard prepares and executes military missions related to the local community. This is a visible sign of the commitment of the British population to defend their basic values. In accordance with the law, the individual member of the Home Guard keeps his weapon, ammunition, and personal equipment at home. Therefore the Home Guard has an operational readiness, that can and will be adjusted to the actual situation.

     The feature film ‘Dad’s Army’ portrays the Home Guard as being extremely disorganised and a little clumsy. After watching a documentary on the real ‘Dad’s Army’ I discovered that this was not poking fun at the Home Guard but that it was in actual fact historically accurate. People who wished to join up went down to their local police station where it was so disorganised that not only people from the ages forty to about eighty were enrolled but also boys as young as fourteen years. One gentleman giving an interview said that not only was joining up a shambles but the entire Home Guard as a whole. They were just normal citizens who had never seen a gun before and due to this fact many tragic accidents occurred. Seven hundred and sixty eight people were killed and five thousand six hundred and fifty were injured all due to the lack of training of the volunteers. One gentleman while admiring his gun accidentally pulled the trigger and killed his own wife. Fifty civilians were killed by the Home Guard during the war. This was all due to ignorance.

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     However the Home Guard wasn’t all negative. They always stuck together and there was a tremendous morale. It didn’t matter how old or how young you were, or whether you’d had any previous war experience, everyone was treated equally, and rank wasn’t important.

     ‘Allo ‘Allo is another program that portrays war in comedy form, but this time does not deal with the Home Guard but with the French Resistance movement of the Second World War. Throughout all nine series of this situation comedy many serious issues have been skated over in madcap comedy, making it ...

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