MovieChat Forums > What's Happening!! (1976) Discussion > SO many fat jokes

SO many fat jokes

posted 13 years ago by angelsoul68
29 replies | jump to latest

Ok when I was a kid, I loved this show. A lot of it was VERY funny and entertaining. Dee was my favorite character and hysterical.
However, there were SO many fat jokes that it was stupid. Down to even when the mom hugged Raj and he couldn't breathe.
We knew they were FAT, they knew they were fat, but I do think it was probably somewhat degrading to the actor and 2 actresses, regardless of what they were paid and sadly I think they all died from weight related illnesses.
I think of that show any time I have a grape soda! :)

[–] KoolBlackKat 13 years ago

i agree. It was funny the first few times around, but they went overboard, especially with Rerun. I really didnt like the jokes used on mabel because she was a positive mother and her weight(reguardless of how overweight she was) she have been overlooked.

"Go To Hell, Devil!"

[–] joewhiteyipee 13 years ago

Mabel King was so charismatic that I really would sort of forget how large she was. She was great!

[–] joewhiteyipee 12 years ago

By season 3, there seemed to be hardly any fat jokes. There also weren't any about Shirley's looks; at one point, one of the boys even said she was "cute"!

[–] boomtown1 12 years ago

I so,so agree! they were all great people and I'm sure they cringed when it was time for another jab about weight. I so loved Mama (Mabel) she would'nt have bin so beautiful if she was not just the way she was! and I too really got tired of the re-run fat jokes it was not a mean spirited show and those jabs at him were not necessary.

[–] mhlebik 11 years ago

Back then, not everybody was so sensitive. If Fat people joked about being fat, it was ok, Rerun was the only one made fun of--no one made fun of mama or shirleyu

[–] UN_Jefferson 11 years ago

The fat jokes are awesome, this show would never be made today it's not PC to make fun of the obese.

[–] sirrap2 11 years ago

NOBODY in this show could claim to be lookalikes of Adonis or Halle Berry. The comedy fell flat once the token white cop and his son moved into the rundown Watts apartment building and became friends with Raj and the guys.

The shark unfortunately couldn't jump here. The cast killed it for him.

The 'fat' jokes parallel the ongoing 'ugly' jokes on Good Times. They just weren't funny and downright annoying!

When life gives you lemons, make apple juice and let the world figure out how you did it!

[–] sylvia67 11 years ago

It was a different time back then. There was not the sensitivity to certain issues like there is today.
i remember one episode dealt with fat jokes being wrong. It was the episode where Rerun was accepted into a dance troupe, what he doesnt know is that he has been accepted as a fall guy for fat jokes.
Dwayne found out about this and talked it over with Raj's mom... He says "Rerun usually laughs at the jokes" Rajs mom said "I used to laugh too, but when i got home i used to cry, but then i learned to laugh instead of cry. And i got so tired of all those jokes and i didnt think much of those laughing at them either."
Raj and Dwayne never met to hurt with the fat jokes.. their intent was not malicious, but this episode deals with the issue of fat jokes being wrong.

[–] mrjonz72 11 years ago

lol I just watched the episode with "The Lockers" dance troupe a week or two ago. I probably haven't seen a "Whats Happening" episode in at least 10 years..glad I came across it by accident around 12 or 1am in the morning.

[–] jac91604 11 years ago

Well I grew up with the show and back then you didn't have all the fatties that you have now walking around.

Look at "Mike and Molly" they're considered normal nowadays which is pathetic.

It was better when people were normal size and fat was not the norm.

[–] wackpacker (48) 5 years ago

ReRun could move!

[–] 11 years ago

[deleted]

[–] 11 years ago

[deleted]

[–] womenofbocc 11 years ago

I'm not crazy about the fat jokes either, but I think that they were ok with it because I remember an interview I saw with Mabel King and she said that she purposely gained the weight for another acting role, and when she lost weight, she couldn't get work. So I think that was part of the foundation of the show, not that it had to be....

[–] disconnexions 11 years ago

I never realized how many fat jokes there were until I re-watched my DVD's.. the first episode alone had at least a dozen. If I'm not mistaken they even used at least one fat joke twice in the same season. I guess it was a different time..

And for the record.. I am fat and I probably laughed harder at the fat jokes than my skinnier friends. I'm fine with my weight and I learned a long time ago not to take it too seriously.

http://www.facebook.com/bringbacklaworder

[–] Arimas01 11 years ago

I thought that the fat jokes were a bit much and very offensive myself. I remember thinking that we would finally get a break from the fat jokes when I was watching one episode and Shirley and Rerun were going back and forth with the fat jokes, then Dwayne chimed in and said something like "Why do you to keep calling each other fat? You both know how it feels to be called fat and neither of you like it so why do it?". Then he kept talking and threw in "There's no reason to keep doing it, everybody already knows your fat". Then he tries to fix it with "I mean, you both know how it feels to be fat and unattractive." I was like Oh Damn! Not sweet little innocent Dwayne too.

Don't Worry Be Happy.

[–] MrsMonroe74 11 years ago

fat jokes weren't as mean & vicious as they r now. what type of "jokes" out now r just plain mean & hurtful.

___________________
he left u NAKED in a DITCH!

[–] jefgg 11 years ago

Most TV shows just ignore overweight people. Isn't that worse?

[–] UGLYINTHAMORNING 10 years ago

It makes me wonder how sensitive people are today, they could of never survive through the 70's with this poor me attitude.