Ricky Gervais, Was The Dead Baby Joke A Storm In A Teacup?

[piggynose]

I haven´t read it in detail, but just caught the headline.

[mikey4444]

Link please !

[murraymints]

you know what you are going to get at a live concert from him and the like !! if you are offendable..is that a word ?...take offence..do NOT attend

[Baldric]

What's the story?

[murraymints]

a couple who had experienced a still birth walked out of a concert as he made some kind of joke that included a dead baby..heard about this on radio ..

[murraymints]

http://www.beyondthejoke.co.uk/content/3782/news-ricky-gervais-dead-baby-joke-controversy

[Prudie]

It would be easier to comment if we actually knew the joke

[murraymints]

no idea Prud..sorry..

[andy-hughes]

I don't know what the joke is, but I think Ricky Gervais is of the modern comedic genre, anything and everything is out there for humour. If you don't appreciate that, or you are sensitive about anything, then don't attend a modern stand-up show.

I don't think Mr Gervais can tailor his show to the potential sensitivities of maybe one or two people in his audience - that level of PC is the death of entertainment.

[naomi24]

Always thought him an idiot.

[aelmpvw]

a dead baby joke? i doubt if my sides are going to ache laughing at that one

[andy-hughes]

Naomi - Mr Gervais is many things, but clearly he is not an idiot.

His stand-up is not to my taste at all, but The Office remains one of the finest comedy series written and performed in the last fifty years, and you don't co-create and drive that by being an idiot.

Maybe it's just that you don't like him?

[andy-hughes]

ael - //a dead baby joke? i doubt if my sides are going to ache laughing at that one //

By definition, comedy is an entirely subjective concept.

Personally, and I am far from alone, I have a very dark sense of humour, and I can laugh loudly at something while consciously thinking, I am a horrible human being because that makes me laugh.

There are massive audiences for people whose comedy resides in that mind-set - the main exponent is Jimmy Carr who freely admits that what he wants to hear is the laugh followed by the gasp.

Of course some people are offended by that - but life is full of offence, everywhere you look. It is beholden on us as adults to either avoid offence where we can, or live with it if we can't.

[naomi24]

andy-hughes, I meant what I said. I think he's an idiot.

[murraymints]

what Andy said ^^^ and as I said you know what you are going to get with live shows from these new age comics...don't like ? .... DON'T go !

[Samjenko]

I agree with Andy. I found Bernard Manning funny. You only have to listen to 'comedy' on the BBC to know how hilarious PC 'humour' is.

[RandyMarsh]

By definition, comedy is an entirely subjective concept.
Unless slippers are involved. :)

[andy-hughes]

RandyMarsh - //By definition, comedy is an entirely subjective concept.
Unless slippers are involved. :) //

No argument there.

I was offended, and I did act on it - but I didn't contact any organisations to warn granddads of potential offence risked by walking into BHS - I contacted the store with my views.

The parallel is - this couple should have written to Mr Gervais, who would no doubt sympathised with their upset, but possibly reminded them that comedy cannot exist without potentially offending someone somewhere, and avoidance of all offence is the death of humour.

[andy-hughes]

Naomi - //andy-hughes, I meant what I said. I think he's an idiot. //

I am not for one moment disputing your opinion, merely arguing that whatever else Mr Gervias is or is not, he is not an idiot.

If you opined that you think his stand-up is un-funny, I could join you there - but I cannot agree that he is an idiot, so we can agree to differ on that one.

[vulcan42]

andy-hughes, who are you tell this couple who lost their baby how and who to complain to?

[naomi24]

andy-hughes, intelligence doesn't always equate to sense.