two "camp aciors — fighting for a purse. He pauses, then slips into a 'queer" voice: "That big one, all At least we are spared this week a Did you bear about the The Two Ronnies is one of popular series or elevision. It is a sad though that millions of people watch it and tacitly accept its attitudes Crude humour belps legitimise a lumpen ideology that dolls with inflated breasts, portrays gay people as limp wristed pansies, the Irish -01 drunken buffoons and trade unionists as Losis.
This type of humour 1s no confined to The Two Ronnies Overt sexism, sexual innuendo demonstration and the guying of minorities are themes the STATES! progriumes of many other - In their moulhs, humour is debased by a cheap and rancid vulgarily. Forry five minutes of Corbett and Barker gave me as much picasure as plunging my arm into a blocked lavatory.
sations sexu. taboos are still strong they help to reinforce those cuted.
Ser la not a joy bui the a quick grope to be sniggered mates Humour, at its best, when it strips bare the absurditics and pretensions of society, can be a powerful liberating force. The the hands of such practitioners as Corbelt and Barker, humour has all the liberating force of a STORIA SOTAF EIGHT opposition MPs Mauritius have been jailed for three months under the Public Order Act, along with six other militants from their part the Mauritius Militant Movement - inciuding the mayor of country's capital, Port The charge arose out of a 2121 against any rise in trausport There Is a massive transport crisis in Mauritius to which the porcement's ou ansaer has been to raise fare by 100 per cent A uniced front called Frot Komin Transport organised a rush hour protess ngainst the proposed increase. Ten organicook part, bur only MMM members were prose The MMM is the only one of represented in Parlianient — it has 32 out of 70 seats, making it the largest single party and constlutes the sole parlismentary opposition to the Labour-Social Democrat charges MMM members were nothing more than obstruction. As tbeir lawyer said in court: Their soke crime is that they differ from BIL is | the goveriment."
The Public Order Acr was introduced in 1970 at a time of and when MMM had just won its first CALICELST seal by-election. It was introduces as an expacitly political piece of legislation, and so it has remained The MMM urgently needs solidarity. Strike actions are piarined in Mauritius and these could he effectively backed by messages of support Irom abroad.
Telegrams of protest lo Prube Minister Ramgoulamn, Goveromen: House, Port Louis, Mauritius.
* As we go lo press we bear that the fourteen MPs and trade antonists have been released under pressure from solidarity action, Including from France One MP still resuins in jail: Amerce Darga, also MMM. Darga was convicted of describing the memhers of the secret police, the Stale Special Service, scorpions whe must CINCE Socialist Challenge 10 August 1978 Puge 7