How Mr.Bean Gained His Popularity
Essay by aldemar • November 28, 2011 • Essay • 346 Words (2 Pages) • 2,134 Views
One of the reasons why the sitcom Mr Bean became popular is that Mr Bean is an example of an "under-dog" and it appeals to many viewers. He lives in a standard apartment by himself and has an income of an unknown origin. Mr Bean's lifestyle is a lot like any average person's lifestyle in Great Britain.
Another aspect which makes Mr.Bean such a success is his way of solving the problems in an extraordinary way. For inctance, in the epizode "Do-it-yourself, Mr.Bean", he buys many tools and appliances to decorate and improve his apartment and decides to paint his room. He covers everything in newspaper and uses a firecracker to blow up a paint can and paint his room. The way he reacts in a range of circumstances, from funerals to train journeys, is like a bored child that makes the situations look funny.
The third reason why Mr.Bean gained so much popularity is because of his strong personality of a British origin. It stands out and makes Mr Bean famous not only in Great Britain but also universally, and not simply because the slapstick humour is almost completely non-verbal. Mr Bean plays like a child, so you're reminded of your own childhood and this is quite universal. While much of the humour is that universal physical comedy adored by small children, Mr. Bean's "Britishness" is very much part of his appeal.
I'll conclude by pointing out that that Mr Bean is one of the most successful British cultural exports ever: since the first Bean TV show was broadcast in 1990, its episodes have been famous around the world, but most of all in the country of its origin. If you ask a non-British person to describe Mr Bean, these are the words they deliver back: childlike, disaster-prone ... and British. It is about being an under-dog, being creative when dealing with various situations and being easy-going, acting like a child that makes Mr.Bean successful. r Bean successful. Resplendent in geeky tweed, the Mini-driving Mr Bean increasingly seems to be a symbol of Britishness around the globe.
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