Removing demographics from comedy

(Note: because of the number of youtube links in this post, I have not coded my links to open in a new window, as multiple open youtube links sometimes crash computers. If you would like the links to open in a new window, right-click on them and select "Open in New Window".)

This train of thought started when I was looking for the Four Yorkshiremen, and found a more recent version (Enfield, Rickman, Izzard, and Reeves, for those of you keeping score). One thing I found really distracting about the new version was the performers' obvious and exaggerated attempts at the Yorkshire accent. To me, this didn't add anything to the experience. While I'm sure is (or was in the 1960s) some cultural reason I don't grok for making these characters Yorkshiremen, they don't actually have to be Yorkshiremen - or men at all. They really just have to be people who are old enough to talk about Kids Today.

But people don't usually think of this. If you put me on a stage and told me to perform a Python homage, I'd reach for a British accent. And if you put me in a pepperpot role, I'd probably start screeching. But if you think about it, these features aren't actually integral parts of the characters. Python characters are British because the Pythons are British. Pepperpots screech because they're female characters played by male actors. I could say "lobster thermidor aux crevettes with a mornay sauce garnished with truffle pate brandy and a fried egg on top and spam" just as effectively in my own voice, or in some other made-up voice, as in a screechy British accent.

So this got me thinking, what if you took some of the classics and redid them, removing all elements that are the result of the performers' own demographics?

For example, take Penguin on the Television as two immigrant grandmothers played by older female performers.

Or imagine Nudge Nudge performed by two thugged-out hip-hop type characters. Or maybe just the guy on the left is hip-hop, the other guy is some stuffy business suit type. You'd have to change some of the language, making the argot less 1970s British and more hip-hop, but that wouldn't hurt the humour of the sketch - all it really needs is for Character A to insinuate, insinuate, insinuate, Character B to call him on it, and Character A to deliver the punchline.

Or what if Mr. Bean changing at the beach were rechoreographed for a woman?