YMMV / Father Ted S 3 E 1 Are You Right There Father Ted

• Common Knowledge: The episode has gained something of a reputation as "the one where Ted takes on Political Correctness", especially among people who only see the "I hear you're a racist now, Father!" scene without knowing its full context. In reality, as per Word of God, the scene is meant to serve as a joke as to how people can use religion as an excuse to validate their own prejudices while ignoring what the Church is actually trying to say. Other than that, the episode doesn't really touch all that much on the topic of political correctness, and more speaks out about gossip and rumour-mongering in general.
• Memetic Mutation: "I hear you're a racist now, Father!"
• Values Resonance: The fiasco caused by Ted's "Chinaman" impression is something that strikes a chord with conservatives and liberals in the modern day. For conservatives, it demonstrates how a person who isn't fundamentally bigoted can have their reputation instantly destroyed by a momentary, ill-timed lapse in judgement (which is what happens to Ted), essentially "cancel culture". For liberals, it illustrates why when someone unintentionally offends a member of a minority, one should actually take the time to apologize, instead of making excuses about how what they did wasn't really racist and/or trying to make up for their slight with grand gestures (which, along with a mishap involving a perfectly square piece of dirt on a window, is what causes the situation to escalate to the point where Ted gets his reputation ruined).

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