Guilty for telling a joke

[Gunge]

Should John Cleese for his goose step act, ricky gervaise and Jimmy Carr all appear in court.

Ye but only cos they've stolen a living out of not being much cop. About as funny as shaving your head with a cheese grater the lot of 'em.

 

[Pavros]

Let's face it, times have changed and moved on. What may have been considered acceptable even 5 years ago, may not be now.
Things that you say in public and in the workplace are now under more scrutiny. If he had said this at a football ground, he certainly would have been prosecuted especially if Spurs were playing.

 

[BeerCat]

Someone at work once called me an 'opinionated bigot'. Well he's free to say what the hell he likes - I don't care. But on that occasion I happened to think he was right and I congragulated his astuteness. If I'd disagreed I'd have told him so and moved on. Why labour the issue?

Because its all about controlling the narrative and virtue signaling. What happened to sticks and stones.

 

[Thumper]

I think you will find that that what you have described here, with relative concepts such as 'consequences' of speech and 'protecting' people from them are as far from what is traditionally understood as free speech as it is possible to be. You are, however, describing 'regulated' speech almost perfectly.

Of course, those regulating speech are, at present, 'your' type of people, not like the ghastly man on the pug video who crossed your 'line', so you cannot see how any civilised person can object to these terribly reasonable restrictions.

But, my friend, that isn't free speech. It really isn't.

Actually, it is traditionally what has been understood as free speech. As has already been pointed out, free speech "comes down to uncensored media and the freedom to challenge and petition government". This ludicrously simplified interpretation that says anyone gets to say anything, anywhere, any time, with no consequences, is relatively recent.

I am a firm believer in free speech, it's essential for democracy, but I too am sick of people using it as an excuse to be arseholes. "It was a joke" and "freeze peach!" are not defences for hate speech and holocaust jokes. Actions have consequences, and people need to deal with it. Be an adult. Don't try and hide from the consequences of your actions by boiling an essential human right down to childishly simplified soundbites and claiming that it means you get to do what you like.

 

[Thumper]

making a tasteless joke mocking the Nazis treatment of Jews

Oh, come on. What evidence is there to show that was his intention? It looks to me like the "joke" was making a dog do something most people would find offensive. Occam's razor, and all that.

 

[Ciaran12s]

Good point well made thumped. I have to ask, freeze peach? Autocorrect?

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Oh, come on. What evidence is there to show that was his intention? It looks to me like the "joke" was making a dog do something most people would find offensive

Why didn't he say "raise your leg" instead of "Gas the Jews" the dog doesn't know the difference so why say it?

The answer is its the words that are going to cause offence to his girlfriend as without them the dog raising its leg would mean nothing and his plan to make it not cute would have failed.

 

[Thumper]

Good point well made thumped. I have to ask, freeze peach? Autocorrect?

Sorry; strange millennial internet phrase. I've mentioned the recent phenomenon of interpreting free speech to mean speech with no limits whatsoever; this view is generally differentiated from actual free speech (and, if I'm honest, mocked) by calling it freeze peach.

 

[Pavros]

To all those saying that free speech means that you can say anything you want, ask yourselves why is it that the only time you can say something without fear of prosecution is in the Houses of Parliament when the House is in session...

 

[marshbrewer]

Actually, it is traditionally what has been understood as free speech. As has already been pointed out, free speech "comes down to uncensored media and the freedom to challenge and petition government". This ludicrously simplified interpretation that says anyone gets to say anything, anywhere, any time, with no consequences, is relatively recent.

I am a firm believer in free speech, it's essential for democracy, but I too am sick of people using it as an excuse to be arseholes. "It was a joke" and "freeze peach!" are not defences for hate speech and holocaust jokes. Actions have consequences, and people need to deal with it. Be an adult. Don't try and hide from the consequences of your actions by boiling an essential human right down to childishly simplified soundbites and claiming that it means you get to do what you like.

Just endlessly repeating the word 'traditinal' without providing any evidence doesn't make for a strong argument, so I'm not sure why you feel the need to start being patronising and calling people childish, etc.

In fact, restrictions on free speech in the form of 'hate speech' are very recent, having been introduced into law in the last 50 years or so; many of them even more recent than that, which pretty much kills your argument stone dead, I'm afraid.

 

[simon12]

So anything goes as long as you call it comedy.

I was a bit drunk when I posted it but yes I don't think the state at least should be deciding what can't be joked about.

 

[MrRook]

He says his girlfriend thinks the dog is cute and he wanted to make it the most un-cute dog in the world maybe next time don't video yourself repeatedly saying "do you want to gas the Jews" while laughing at the dogs actions.

He failed, what he did was show the world what a dick he is.

 

[Gunge]

The only jokes I find amusing are those that are guaranteed to offend someone, somewhere. In fact, the 'sicker' the better!

 

[BeerCat]

I wonder what would of happened if he trained his dog to lie down every time he made the sign of the cross and said crucify the Christians.

 

[Gunge]

I wonder what would of happened if he trained his dog to lie down every time he made the sign of the cross and said crucify the Christians.

Nuthin'. Nuthin' at all. Christians seem fair game for everything... not that I care.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I was a bit drunk when I posted it but yes I don't think the state at least should be deciding what can't be joked about.

So if i go into town today with a sandwich board saying -

Gas the Jews
The above statement is a joke.

I shouldn't be arrested.

 

[marshbrewer]

As a counterpoint, if I walk up to your family manically yelling 'I'm going to kill you all' I would think that you would expect me to be attested.

Does that mean an actor doing the same thing in a scene should also be attested?

Context. Nobody in their right mind thinks pug guy was inciting people to gas the Jews.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Forget the counterpoint my answer was to the statement "I don't think the state should decide what can't be a joke"

Why did he video himself doing it if it was just to show his girlfriend her dog is not cute the answer is because he doesn't find what he said offensive and has **** for brains.

 

[simon12]

So if i go into town today with a sandwich board saying -






I shouldn't be arrested.

No as long as it was clearly a joke (beyond just saying it) and is not causing a disturbance. And even if it was causing a disturbance you should be asked to stop rather then being arrested.

 

[simon12]

Forget the counterpoint my answer was to the statement "I don't think the state should decide what can't be a joke"

Why did he video himself doing it if it was just to show his girlfriend her dog is not cute the answer is because he doesn't find what he said offensive and has **** for brains.

Sorry I don't understand your point.