PC Punch and Judy..

[Gob]

For generations he has been a raucous presence at the British seaside.

But in our more sensitive and politically-correct times Mr Punch has sometimes found that his no-holds-barred performance is not to everyone's taste.

Now officials at a coastal resort have deemed a traditional Punch and Judy show too shocking for modern tastes, and ordered any violence to be removed from the script.

For his week of performances at Portsmouth's Spinnaker Tower, Mr Punch's stick has been replaced by a fluffy mop.

There will be no scenes in which Mr Punch hits Judy, and the scene where he throws away the baby has been replaced by the child simply being put to bed.

But puppeteer Daniel Liversidge will be keeping Mr Punch's catchphrase: 'That's the way to do it.'

Yesterday the decision to 'modernise' the show, which begins tomorrow, was questioned by potential customers.

Mother-of-two Emma Bridge, 28, from Fareham, Hampshire, said: 'It does seem a little unnecessary. I have never heard of anyone getting offended by Punch and Judy.

'I hope it does not affect the show too much as the whole point of the act is how mischievous and, in many ways, nasty Mr Punch is.'

But Mr Liversidge, who has been performing Punch and Judy shows for 21 years, was philosophical about adjusting the centuries-old tale for a more sensitive audience.

The 36-year-old from Enfield, North London, said: 'At the end of the day I am a children's entertainer and my job is to keep children happy. Mr Punch is still a rascal and still has a variety of weapons in his arsenal but they are more socially appropriate.'

Paul Mahy, commercial manager at the Spinnaker Tower, said: 'Some people could be offended by the traditional story, especially at our family friendly attraction. We have agreed that many aspects of the traditional script had to be omitted.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z0uSw4r9cQ

[@meric@nwom@n]

Massage and Judy now?

[Gob]

Hell yes!! It's not "Grand theft Auto" or "Resident Evil Two" or "50 cent: Bulletproof" we have to worry about, it's Punch and Judy corrupting our young...

The Punch and Judy show can trace its roots to the 16th-century Italian commedia dell'arte. The figure of Punch derives from the Neapolitan stock character of Pulcinella, which was Anglicized to Punchinello. He is a manifestation of the Lord of Misrule and Trickster figures of deep-rooted mythologies. Punch's wife was originally "Joan".

In the British Punch and Judy show, Punch wears a jester's motley and is a hunchback whose hooked nose almost meets his curved jutting chin. He carries a stick, as large as himself, which he freely uses upon all the other characters in the show. He speaks in a distinctive squawking voice, produced by a contrivance known as a swazzle or swatchel which the professor holds in his mouth, transmitting his gleeful cackle— "That's the way to do it". So important is Mr Punch's signature sound that it is a matter of some controversy within Punch and Judy circles as to whether a "non-swazzled" show can be considered a true Punch and Judy Show.

[rubato]

Culture evolves. Is there some reason we should not want it to?

yrs,
rubato

[loCAtek]

We like it, unevolved?