'British' Beef


A throw-away line while Scrooge is listing the things that can upset his stomach, when he first encounters Marley's ghost.

This version was made while the Mad Cow/BSE scare was in full effect but it's a very jarring line that doesn't belong at all. Patrick Stewart as Executive Producer probably thought it was an amusing line at the time but it doesn't stand up well after just a few short years.

This is one of the best arguments for leaving topical jokes out of the classics - they don't age well.

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Yeah that was really out of place,though i guess they tried to change it up a bit,i for one will be interested to see what next years version is goona go for,a straight up copy or try something different like scrogged did in 88 with bill murray (and i for on loved)

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Not "British Beef", but "a bit of beef".

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^^^
Exactly. He said "a bit of beef".



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There were a few 'topical' comments on this theme I noticed that didn't survive the transfer to DVD so maybe he did think better of them ! He only has to read the original text to see several other political comments that were hot topics of the day and don't mean anything to us now at all

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maybe if he had some good bbq he'd be in a better mood?



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I just watched this and he clearly does say "British beef."

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The line still works and makes sense whether you get the joke or not.

Not jarring at all. It would have been jarring if he said horse burgers or something else highly improbable and incongruous. "British beef" hardly makes a ripple.

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