Taking offense - Dutchboy- JournalHome.com

10/29/2009 - Taking offense

These past few days there were a couple of interesting debates on the BBC about people who are offended by things they had seen or heard in comedy programs on British radio and TV, and in performances by stand up comedians. It all went back to the infamous Russell Brand/Jonathan Ross phone pranks affair, that led to Mr. Brand giving up his job at the BBC, and Mr. Ross being suspended for three months.

If you're unfamiliar with the case... Around this time last year on a radio show they phoned up Andrew Sachs, the actor who played Manuel in Fawlty Towers. They left several messages on his answering machine stating that they had had sex with his daughter. This of course did offend Mr. Sachs, but it wasn't until a week or so later when people who had heard or read about the prank, and not even heard it first-hand on the radio, started complaining, that the BBC saw themselves forced to take action. I don't remember exactly what Mr. Sachs said about the whole affair, but I do remember his words weren't quite as harsh as the words of those who complained.

This in turn reminded me of my entry about a Heineken commercial featuring a blind man and a drunk guide dog. Two of the comments were posted by people who weren't blind, but offended on behalf of blind people. Now, this commercial disappeared in less than a month, but that had nothing to do with offended blind people, but more with a referral to the Heineken website.

One of the most interesting views expressed these past few days, I think, was that it is OK to be offended by comedy if the jokes really affect you, but by Jove, don't be offended on anyone else's behalf. You don't know if the people affected really are offended, and your complaints are only annoying.

Now, I'm still thinking about it, but unless you're really being racist, or denying the Holocaust, I think there is very little a comedian shouldn't be able to say. I think it's wrong to use the N-word for instance, but if you use the stereotype about the size of a black man's babymaker you shouldn't let anyone who isn't black stop you.

The same with jokes about Jewish people, something that a lot of comedians won't even get into... I'm yet to meet the first Jew who doesn't laugh about funny jokes about the apparently humungus size of their noses. Just stay away from the realm of Holocaust jokes, and Holocaust denial, because there is nothing funny about that.

Now, if anyone at all is offended by anything I blog, please post a comment, and if it's at all reasonable, I'll post an apology. I'm not likely to change that particular entry but apologize I will. If however I have a feeling you're offended on someone else's behalf, someone I don't know is offended him- or herself, just piss off.

Share |

A Penny For Your Thoughts! (non JH-members may use dutchboy@temporaryinbox.com when posting a comment here).

10/29/2009 - Ugh, I hate people who get offended

Posted by SilverWind

People who get offended on their own behalf are obnoxious enough to me. I don't have much patience for people being "offended" but people who get offended on someone else's behalf are just complete and total pompous douchbags.

And people who get offended by in sort of comedy act, are retarded (and if anyone is offended by that, I don't care)

It reminds me of something that the talk show I use to listen to would say "No one has the right NOT to be offended"

I might see a commerical or something that I personally don't like ore agree with, but hate people who want to impose censorship just becasue of thier high horse

Permanent Link

Share and enjoy

<- Last Page :: Next Page ->

No, I haven't returned to MySpace. This acquaintance goes back eleven years.

EntreCard

Want 3,000 credits? Tell me how you wish to earn them, and if I like it, you win.
View all cards
EntreCard browser by createlf.com
Text links to every blog on my EC favorites list are found by scrolling down

Welcome to Web 3.0. Everything you need, all within one domain. Web 3.0 has been completely stripped of all the non-essential rubbish, by someone who really shouldn't have been entrusted to do the job.

Currently reading: Joseph Heller - Catch-22
Currently watching on TV: In Europa, QI, Graham Norton, Jonathan Ross (only when it's on, of course)

Click for Amsterdam, Netherlands Forecast

Meet California Singles

For info on how to put a badge from that site on your JH blog, please click here

Free advertising for similar webshops available for any serious JH member. I will be the judge of who is serious.
EntreCard members who sell homemade stuff on their blog may also advertise for free. Just send me a message within EC, providing a link to a 70x70 (or at least a square) image I can link to your blog.

The translation this generates is poor, but intelligible

ultimate website translatorWidgetbox

Google searchbox

Unword of the Year

nominated for 2009:
YAWN RAPE

Previous winners

* 2008 - Dog grooming porno
* 2007 - Autism community

For those who mourn my old templates

My top 3 of favorite search terms that have directed visitors to my blog

1 How to tell North American venimous snakes from n0n-venimous snakes
2 Counter bad luck from shoes on table
3 Vietnamese eggroll machine
4 Alarm clock smurf song
5 Pets for sale Sandusky Ohio
Needless to say you're not going to find anything useful on my blog, using these terms.

Entry dates

ICH SUCHE:
Vinyl-LPs:
Reinhard Mey - Er zijn dagen...
Reinhard Mey - A Vote for Tomorrow
Reinhard Mey - M(e)y Instrumentals
Frederik Mey - Bobino?

Bitte ohne Kratzen. Ich bezahle nur was ich f?mal halte.

Sie k?n meine Email-Adresse auf dieser Seite finden.?

Plugins

My spytools

Find broken links on your website for free with LinkTiger.com

Weblog hits since yesterday
free hit counter code

I'm # 393

My Chatbox

Please first express a desire to chat with me (PM, email, comment), and then be here during my 'office hrs'. I'm unfamiliar with English text message lingo, so bear with me.

Blogthings

You are Sandusky, OH

Loser!
You are boring, have no sense of adventure, no sense of humor, you have no friends, in fact you're no good to this world. You are definitely Sandusky, OH!

Famous Sandusky, Ohio, residents: probably a few hockey players, but no one worth a second glance

What American City Are You?