Man Stuck In 1950's Alert!

[andy-hughes]

This man is somewhat out of date and needs to modernise his opinions

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-33904758

as well as cut!!

[RATTER15]

Ric, //Ratter - who's been breast feeding in Tesco?//

I will PM you her number!

[andy-hughes]

naomi24 - // In your book anything that offends is off limits.//

I don't believe I have said that.

As I see it, the concept of offence has its extremes - including people who will take offence at the sun rising - this is clearly not acceptable.

But similarly, there are other people who deny people the right to be offended, advising that they have no sense of humour, or take themselves too seriously, and again in my view that is not acceptable either.

The middle ground - as in most things - is what we hopefully aim for - and avoid the extremes where we can.

Clive James found Allo Allo offensive because he regarded the notion of resisting Nazis as a subject unsuitable for comedy, and he regarded the writers' justification - that they aped dramas focusing on the Resistance - as too flimsy to be given house room, given that it was hardly a massively popular drama setting.

For the record, I found Allo Allo deeply unfunny, but took no offence at it all.

We are all have our own perspectives of what we see as acceptable - but I think we should only call out the extremes where and when we see them - which is what I did with my OP.

[anotheoldgit]

/// Man Stuck In 1950's Alert! ///

You mean those glorious days of free speech, and when others were not offended for others?

Yes I remember them well, pity you are not old enough to remember them also Andy, before you had chance to be brainwashed by the thought police, and right-on brigade.

/// It smacks of the 'I believe in plain speaking...' brigade, which they think gives them carte Blanche to be rude to people. ///

The DJ was not directly rude to anyone personally, he was merely voicing his own personal opinion.

/// If you are the man in the pub, you can be challenged, or ignored. ///

Just the same as a Radio Presenter can be, criticised or challenged that's fair enough, ignored even better, but to be suspended that is OTT, after all he has said nothing unlawful.

[anotheoldgit]

andres

/// It was only when boobs became more associated with sex that a lot of people nowadays seem to get embarrassed and uneasy with seeing a mother breast feeding. ///

Blimey andres, when were those days when boobs were not associated with sex?

[anotheoldgit]

IMO, best answer goes to Sqad's 09:25 Fri 14th Aug 2015 answer.

[andy-hughes]

AOG - //You mean those glorious days of free speech, and when others were not offended for others?

Yes I remember them well, pity you are not old enough to remember them also Andy, before you had chance to be brainwashed by the thought police, and right-on brigade. //

I dispute that I am 'brainwashed' by anyone, and at approaching 61, I well remember the days before political correctness got out of hand.

/// It smacks of the 'I believe in plain speaking...' brigade, which they think gives them carte Blanche to be rude to people. ///

The DJ was not directly rude to anyone personally, he was merely voicing his own personal opinion. //

I did not suggest that the DJ was rude to anyone personally - I did state that this was a comparison in terms of attitude.

/// If you are the man in the pub, you can be challenged, or ignored. ///

Just the same as a Radio Presenter can be, criticised or challenged that's fair enough, ignored even better, but to be suspended that is OTT, after all he has said nothing unlawful. //

No it's not the same thing - which is why I was at pains to illustrate the difference - the man in the pub's views are heard by anyone within a ten-foot radius who is interested in listening, a radio presenter has an audience of tens of thousands.

And my point is that, with that audience, comes a level of responsibility.

Controversial opinions are fine in their place - local radio is rarely that place.

[naomi24]

andy-hughes, because Clive James found 'Allo 'Allo offensive and you found it 'deeply unfunny', it doesn't follow that it was either. That's the point, isn't it. Other people shouldn't be denied what they consider to be inoffensive or funny simply because it doesn't suit you and Clive James.

[andy-hughes]

Naomi - //andy-hughes, because Clive James found 'Allo 'Allo offensive and you found it 'deeply unfunny', it doesn't follow that it was either. That's the point, isn't it. Other people shouldn't be denied what they consider to be inoffensive or funny simply because it doesn't suit you and Clive James. //

That is not what I am saying - far from it.

My point is not that the world should turn on my, or anyone else's notion of what is acceptable. My point is that, equally, people who are upset should not have their views vilified as those of someone who has no sense of humour.

For the record, there are vast swathes of TV and other cultural outlets that I find neither entertaining, amusing, or enlightening, and I adopt the obvious attitude, I simply ignore them, and happily accept that other people see something of value that doesn't reach me.

But if I am offended by something, I would not expect my view to be minimised under the (mistaken) pretext that I have no sense of humour, or that I do not understand irony, or that I am in some way missing the point.

[-Talbot-]

You can't stop people having opinions, if you don't like his opinion vote with your of/on button.

[Mamyalynne]

It was more his views on women who breast feed rather than anti breast feeding itself that raised hackles I feel.

If it was satire it didn't reach home as he expected.

[naomi24]

andy-hughes, you seem to be going around the houses somewhat. Your OP declares //This man is somewhat out of date and needs to modernise his opinions//. Nothing about humour, but everything about causing offence.

[andy-hughes]

Talbot - //You can't stop people having opinions, if you don't like his opinion vote with your of/on button. //

I think that is over-simplifying the situation.

As I keep repeating - a public platform to express your views carries a level of responsibility. There are boundaries in place on the basis of the ethos of your platform - newspaper, TV station, radio station, whichever it may be, and it is not carte blanche for whatever comes into your mind to simultaneously come out of your mouth.

[Togo]

No one takes offence as he who would readily be offended.

[andy-hughes]

Naomi - //andy-hughes, you seem to be going around the houses somewhat. Your OP declares //This man is somewhat out of date and needs to modernise his opinions//. Nothing about humour, but everything about causing offence. //

Having read through a transcript of what he said, I have tried very hard to extract the humour from his observations, but I was unable to find any at all, and given the reactions by his audience and employers, it appears I am not alone in that conclusion.

[andy-hughes]

Togo - //No one takes offence as he who would readily be offended. //

Not sure if that is a quote - but I perceive it to be unworthy or repetition.

By the same token, no-one laughs as he who would readily laugh.

It's pointless.

[-Talbot-]

There is an argument that you can't argue with someone from a position of strength until you have heard what he has to say.

And I mean heard all he has to say - not the just the headline-grabbing rhetoric.

[naomi24]

andy-hughes, the fact that you and the complainers agree doesn't make you - or them - necessarily right. In my opinion people who jump on these sorts of bandwagons do lack a sense of humour. I think I'm allowed to say that .... but if I'm not I've no doubt you'll tell me.

[gness]

I was looking through the window thinking.....Yukk....what a miserable old day again.....I need cheering......
Then Sqad propositioned Ratter........☺☺☺

[naomi24]

I think Ratter's blown him out. Another fine romance bites the dust. ;o)