Miriam Margolyes trashes 'Mama Mia' (and discusses Dominic Cooper's member) — Page 2

I'm not finding anything she says objectionable. Deadpan and edgy, but not objectionable; certainly not racist or anti-American.

The woman is obviously a genius onstage/screen and off. The kind of actor who could challenge Truman Capote's thesis that all great actors are dumb.

HorseTears, we both agree that she's not revealing a genuine superior or nasty attitude.

Where we disagree, I think, is that your read is that her age and class make her not realize that she's pushing the envelope and or inducing cringes.

My read is that her wisdom and intelligence make her absolutely aware of what she's doing and inform her playfulness; in a very funny and effective way (which I'm not sure you are fully picking up on). The same edgy m.o. that informs all of her humor (which I get that you get)).

If she might induce cringes with her comments about race and America in some who aren't getting where she's coming from, she probably cares as little about that as she does about anyone taking offense from her comments about Winona Ryder.

Updated On: 3/21/14 at 11:01 AM

I agree fully with Henrik on this one. I don't think any of it is due to her age or class (and again, compared to so many actors she's not all that ancient so if one did find her racist--and I know nobody here is actually saying that--I don't think her age would justify it at all, whereas, as unpopular opinion as this may be, someone 30 maybe even 20 years older than her I could see that justification a bit.) It's all part of her thing and she knows exactly what she's saying and means it to come off as funny but also mildly shocking. That doesn't mean it is or not (I could do without her going on about using a black voice or mentioning a man is black in tones that suggests she's watched Mandingo too many times, myself, but...)

I'm probably more immune to Anti-Americanism being in Canada and I'll be careful not to say anything more on the subject (Although I honestly have met in my travels the random American who asked if we had TV sets and lived in igloos. But there are dumb people here too :P When I spent half a year working in Dublin, a weird sorta "Americana-revival" was all the rage--there were a bunch of pop song hits by B*Witched and similar acts which all played on wild west/cowboy camp and many of my co-workers at a fairly lower class Tesco's honestly seemed to think that a good chunk of "America" as they always call it there is still the Wild West.)

Yes, it's so cold here that that's the only way we kiss. It makes oral sex, as well, rather interesting.

Gaveston--I don't doubt anything you said, but those black comments I paraphrased were from the late 80s Wogan clip. Again, I don't think it's any more offensive than what many white comedians say about black people (in fact it's much less so to me) but, she has always been aware of what she's doing. If you watch the clip her persona seems to be the chubby, charming woman who always could use a bit of affection.

Gaveston--I don't doubt anything you said, but those black comments I paraphrased were from the late 80s Wogan clip. Again, I don't think it's any more offensive than what many white comedians say about black people (in fact it's much less so to me) but, she has always been aware of what she's doing. If you watch the clip her persona seems to be the chubby, charming woman who always could use a bit of affection.

Eric, I didn't mean to seriously suggest that MM is senile--for one thing, her timing is still too good. I was just allowing that some people do discard the restrictions of political correctness as they age.

I agree with you that she knows exactly what she is going and I will add further that it probably plays even better in England than here. (You KNOW Graham Norton is is thrilled by anything that pushes boundaries!)

But in my many evenings with her in person, her sense of humor was pointed, but never to my mind politically offensive, racist or xenophobic. I suspect she enjoys the fact that she can get away with it on TV. I'll ask our mutual friend (also British and has known Miriam forever) the next time I talk to her.

I finally saw the episode with Dominic Cooper. Except for her off-the cuff remark about MAMMA MIA!, Miriam seemed pretty tame to me (though still delightful).

And let's face it: when it comes to MAMMA MIA!, she's not wrong.