Who Dares Wins: "Ayatollah at Breakfast Time" (1986)

Here's the sort of sketch that probably wouldn't normally get made today: a skit on 80s Breakfast TV featuring a fictional rock star (Phillip Pope) and... Ayatollah Khomeini (Tony Robinson). Needless to say this was made before the real Ayatollah Khomeini delivered his fatwa against Salmon Rushdie for writing "The Satanic Verses". There's a couple of vaguely topical references to the 1980-86 war with Iraq and presecution of the Kurds, but it's generally played as light and frothy show in the style of the 80s Breakfast TV style it's portraying.

UPDATE: It's interesting to see the discussion this has generated. Of course if there is anything wrong (Sometimes satire address the mood of the times rather than actual facts) then it's important to note the errors, although I don't see there's any here. However, the point of this sketch is not really what Ayatollah Khomeini did or didn't do, but the way the format of "show" treats him as just another celebrity commodity.

It should also be pointed out that "Who Dares Wins..." has a history of deliberately edgy comedy. One of the show's most well known sketches (Which I'm trying to get hold of.) involves a parody of a well-known cigar advert- in their version, it features Jesus on the cross...

80s POP CULTURE REFERENCES:
* UK Breakfast TV ( http://tinyurl.com/of3vp )
* Breakfast Time ( http://tinyurl.com/etkr8 )
* Good Morning Britain ( http://tinyurl.com/fb78p )
* Ayatollah Khomeini ( http://tinyurl.com/mojcl )
* Leslie Crowther ( http://tinyurl.com/z4pd6 )

SLANG:
"Muckers" = good friends

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Ayatollah
• Khomeini
• breakfast
• time
• who
• dares
• wins
• tony
• robinson
• whodareswins
• tonyrobinson
• comedy
• controversial

[raminss80]

iran is now is a super power 2009  and ayatollah will kick your asses

[alephnaughtpix]

(This is a little reminder to everyone new here to read the full info for this video (Click on the "more" link) and not to jump to conclusions...)

Raminss80, the Ayatollah in 1986 (When this sketch was broadcast) was also powerful, which is why he was in this topical UK sketch, but it's about the way the vapid celebrity TV treats serious people as gossip commoditites, whilst ignoring their politics. If it were done today, the sketch might have Kim Il Jong instead, or Jesus, or Hitler...

[optimistsRUS]

alephnaughtpix,

the sketch is *about* "being misinformed and misguided by their media".

I take your word for it but looking at the Western media today this is what they still do, and a sketch like this today would mean that they are actually mocking the person and not mocking the media (the media must have been a little better back then to make such a video mocking the trivialization of personalities).

[alephnaughtpix]

optimistsRUS, you're probably right in that "Who Dare Wins", the makers of this sketch did credit viewers with more intelligence than similar programmes might today.

Additionally, it's important to note that UK breakfast TV at this time (1986) was considerably lighter in tone (less news, more gossip and celebrity) than now, so a serious global figure would be have been unlikely to appear on such a show, which would have signaled to 1986 audiences watching a comedy sketch: this is a spoof.

[avayekherad]

Propaganda can be subtle sometimes. Crimes committed by Saddam's government(Iraq) is intentionally attributed to Khomeini.

Now, one can't expect too much intellect from the audience of such "funny" video clips. I do however find it truly funny how the population of so-called civilized, free countries is deliberately being misinformed and misguided by their media and government. It reminds me of what goethe said: "None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free."

[alephnaughtpix]

avayekherad, the sketch is *about* "being misinformed and misguided by their media". It's *about* the trivialisation of important figures by celebrity TV- something which was occurring even in 1986 when this was made, and as almost the norm now.

Be very wary of dismissing the intelligence of viewers and programme makers if you do not understand this important point.

[Revvvo]

It´s so funny how people cant take a joke and gets really offended. Me myself am persian and I think its funny. If you cant take a joke then what can you take in life? If you cant break up a smile and laugh then I feel a big pity for you, You sir should then already begin to dig your own grave! The world is fucked up because of religion wish it never existed see people still beat on each other faces for which is right or wrong, Ever thought of have an open mind? And think for yourselves?

[FrankChickens]

@housesolidor : Do you have a nice collection of tin foil hats that you like to wear on a regular basis?

[fodsaks]

Would everybody please stop apologising to berks with no sense of humour!

[Abuamina001]

Mashallah, that is funny. Iran is not a Superpower by any stretch of the imagination - the current Posturing around Nuclear power is a profound embarrassment to the entire Muslim world and is a disgrace on the holy faith of Islam.

[Hazra1969]

Mashallah. That is HYSTERICAL.

[housesolidor]

Ur Accussation are without evidance, however it's expected from those of impure soul

[housesolidor]

Although u may call them disbeliefersCompared to the old regime this is more Islamic than u would imagine it could be in such a short time

[sasua741]

@housesolidor Im Muslim! But Khomeini's rule contradicted Islam's teachings!!! The Islamic Republic has no legitimacy and will be dissolved soon

[housesolidor]

@sasua741 khomeini purified ur country. But if ur not a muslim than ull see it differently