Is what used to make us laugh not funny anymore?

And how much of what once made you laugh would now be judged as terribly politically incorrect? As far as my childhood went, probably most of it. LOL.

As a child of the 1970s, I was subjected to all the very un-PC, usually British, television comedies my parents watched: The Benny Hill Show, The Dick Emery Show, Love Thy Neighbour, Robin's Nest, The Two Ronnies, George and Mildred.

The Two Ronnies was probably the least offensive, and often quite poignant. It's funny how images stay with you. Ronnie Corbett, hands clasped in his lap, legs swinging in that seat, delighting in his end-of-show monologue, laughing as much as the audience.

And don't forget The Kenny Everett Video Show. Brother Lee Love (Big Hands) is still funny, because it is so ridiculous. The whole show was. Especially as it also featured the Hot Gossip dancers, probably highly-questionable for after-school entertainment. What was that all about? There was also The Goodies. Remember the baby Rolf Harris episode? Ouch. Later, British revelation The Young Ones kept us laughing in high school. Quoting Rik. Being as obnoxious as Vyvyan. Fawlty Towers had the whole family rocking with laughter.

And, oops, our family also loved to listen to Bill Cosby's comedy routines on cassettes when travelling in the car. It's tragic that they were so funny, but nobody can listen to them now without knowing how awful he was in real life.

As kids, it wasn't just about TV. Comics were big. Mad magazine introduced us to a sense of the absurd and how to bring overinflated egos down to earth. Those folding pages at the back were so clever!

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Footrot Flats was a delight. The elongated, floppy books by Murray Ball beautifully making light of farm life, with Wal and Cooch, Dog and all the rest.

One of our favourite things to do as kids when we were visiting our grandmother in Tamworth was to scour a book shop that was across the road from the florist where she worked. There were cardboard boxes full of comics. Mostly Donald Duck and Scrooge McDuck. A treasure trove.

But back to TV. Because, it's now the 1980s, veering into the 1990s, and that's all there was to do.

There were the Australian classics - Kingswood Country ("Leave your money on the fridge!"), Dame Edna and Sir Les, The D-Generation, The Late Show (Piss Weak World Fun Park: still funny).

Much later came Chris Lilley. We know he's now on the nose with some, but, the man is brilliant.

Summer Heights High, as they might say on D-Gen, was champagne comedy. It gave us the egomaniacal Mr G ("Coffee, coffee before teachy teachy"), the narcissist school girl Ja'mie and the beautiful, underestimated Jonah Takalua.

Lilley got into trouble for Jonah, as if that one character represented a whole ethnicity, but has there ever been such a heartbreaking portrayal in a comedy? I dare you not to cry as Leon tries to save Jonah from being ejected from Gumnut Cottage. Where was the outcry about Lilley's portrayal of the monster that was Ja'mie? Outraged Spoilt Rich Schoolgirls Unite! Granted, Lunatics was dire, but hardly worth cancelling someone. Kath and Kim is fantastic but makes fun of white bogans. So. No cancelling there.

Now I'm a mum and I'm proud to say my kids have a finely developed sense of the ridiculous. My 12-year-old daughter has watched all the episodes of The Office (American and British), Modern Family, Schitt's Creek. (With some censoring.) All very, very funny. I love them all, too. Dwight and Michael from The Office are like extra family members.

But, in hindsight, I realise I have not seen that much live comedy. I saw Dylan Moran at the Canberra Theatre Centre years ago, Peter Helliar somewhere I can't remember (but still recall his riff about when a bird comes into the classroom, it's the most exciting day ever at school). Saw and loved Judith Lucy. And I have tried to see Arj Barker anywhere I can. His voice just has to start GETTING THAT LITTLE BIT LOUDER and I already dissolve into helpless giggles. So funny.

I can also see my childhood exposure to comedy was, how would you say, very white. And male. But I'm not going to flail myself over it. That's just the way it was. I'm glad there are so many more voices and perspectives in comedy. That we are aeons from Eddie Booth.

So, I will be making an effort to get to one of the many brilliant shows at the Comedy Festival, which continues until March 26. Check out the program at canberracomedyfestival.com.au/

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