Do people today lack a sense of humour?

[Phil V]

I used to love the comedians, but agree they wouldn't go down so well these days. (`lazy fat old bastards`? tut tut Phil )
My G/parents took me to watch the B&W minstrel show, but they didn't enjoy it because it was racist.
I enjoyed a Jim Davidson show in B/pool.
I also enjoyed a night out @ Bernard Mannings club.

I used to ask people in pubs not to swear when there were woman present, but apparently that is now acceptable. Just words the same as name-calling?

Not being funny, but we are ALL different & realising that is actually a positive. We need to embrace & celebrate our differences, not deny they exist ffs.

Baby boomers emptying the till...... oh please, not again

Well if you enjoyed Bernard Manning and Jim Davidson I can understand why you don't get this issue. It's not your fault, but when it comes to celebrating difference, that doesn't extend to allowing people to be racist/homophobic.

You don't get that, which is fine, I know where you're coming from, you're entitled to hold those views, not 'right' but entitled to hold them.

20 years ago I was led to believe I'd get to retire in my mid 50's, I'll probably be around 60 though, and it'll likely be a partial retirement. If I was 5 years younger it'd be 67 or 68. If I'd been born in 1950 I'd almost certainly have retired at 50 or thereabouts.

My kids are starting their working lives with debt that would have bought my parents a mansion or me a house, but they're paying for the education that previous generations got free.

 

[Phil V]

Seriously Phil ... I was born in S Yorks in 1946 ................ are you saying that the opportunities etc., today are worse than when I was a "kid"

Yes.

You had healthcare and unlimited free education, my kids are the first generation who will not be better off than their parents. My kids are doing 'OK' but their generation is saddled with debt from University and will possibly never reach pension age.

 

[User.81858]

Just to add, I actually think being narrow minded & easily offended makes lots of things worse & many people now are actually even less tolerant.
What happened to `embrace & celebrate our differences`? ............ MY AR5E!!!!!

Well said Carl but I would add besides being narrow minded, hypocritical intolerant and abusive. There is one poster on here stands out more than most for fitting this description......

 

[tijuana taxi]

I was born in S Yorks in 1946 ................ are you saying that the opportunities etc., today are worse than when I was a "kid"

Today there are opportunities for working class kids that I didn't even dream about. I was born in the east end in the fifties and nobody from my school went to university. Tuition might have been free, but wouldn't have had b****r all to live on.
Some people did well, one of my schoolmates went on to form a world famous heavy metal band, another friend played in the cup final for Man Utd. Vast majority did manual work, apprenticeships and other semi skilled jobs. Through hard graft we did ok, good few bought houses and tried to give their kids the chance they didn't have.

My daughter went to university yes she has some debt, but is now employed in a healthcare profession that was previously seen as very middle class. Pleases me no end she could have that chance and can benefit from todays much improved life.
The world is so much cleaner, I remember the filth from the gas works and accompanying breeze block factory. All sorts of s*** was pumped straight into the river, it was so evil you needed a stomach pump if you fell in.
Many grim diseases have been eradicated, no more kids with leg irons from Polio, my late ma had TB probably from the London smog caused by pollution.

Oh yes, its so much worse now for our youngsters

 

[Nawty]

I cannot believe that you have brought driving without due care and killing someone and Trump into a discussion about what Hammond said ... and somehow equating these

you are just mad

I'm not comparing the two things which are obviously completely different, I'm comparing the defence you are putting up which isn't really a defence at all.

 

[viv1969]

....my late ma had TB probably from the London smog caused by pollution.

TB is a bacterial infection spread by airborne droplets passed from one person to another, not caused by pollution factors.

 

[BillN_33]

TB is a bacterial infection spread by airborne droplets passed from one person to another, not caused by pollution factors.

priceless - who needs Wikipedia

where does the bacteria come from?

 

[Phil V]

priceless - who needs Wikipedia

where does the bacteria come from?

Well if it's coming out of chimneys or chemical plants it's a worry

 

[viv1969]

priceless - who needs Wikipedia

where does the bacteria come from?

Why don't you enlighten us, Bill?
Are living organisms created by "smog"?

 

[BillN_33]

I find this fascinating

so Hammond said that if you, a grown man who eat ice cream you are Homosexual . etc., .......... what a stupid thing to say and to my mind it has no meaning ... the whole conversation just sounded like the usual "rubbish" from the pair of them

it has even been suggested that this was planned by the script writer and passed by the producers and Amazons lawyers ............ why .......... such does not add to the commercial value of the programme

we all know, even the most stupid of us, that this is not true ....... to me, reading what happened, Hammond seemed to make it up as he went along ........ and we all know that even more stupid things are said by the TG three ......... apparently JC said he could have sex with a horse and that that would be acceptable on the internet

now the PC brigade want to blow it out of all proportion ........ and for why ............ I just have no idea

It's comical, not only from the Hammond standpoint, but more so from what Peter Tatchell, et al, had to say

 

[BillN_33]

Why don't you enlighten us, Bill?
Are living organisms created by "smog"?

I have no idea, but I am sure you know, or I can look it up on Wiki

 

[viv1969]

I have no idea

Shocker.

 

[BillN_33]

Shocker.

I know ....... it get worse as you get older

 

[Phil V]

I find this fascinating

so Hammond said that if you, a grown man who eat ice cream you are Homosexual . etc., .......... what a stupid thing to say and to my mind it has no meaning ... the whole conversation just sounded like the usual "rubbish" from the pair of them

Totally agree
Let's remember this thread wasn't started by someone who was annoyed at the stupidity of it.
But by someone who thought it was funny and seems to think that there's something wrong with people who don't.

Just sayin'

 

[Llamaman]

it has even been suggested that this was planned by the script writer and passed by the producers and Amazons lawyers ............

It's not a live broadcast - it's heavily edited. So even if it wasn't scripted, someone in the edit room made a decision to leave it in.

why .......... such does not add to the commercial value of the programme

On the contrary, it's free publicity. They did it all the time on the old Top Gear.

now the PC brigade want to blow it out of all proportion ........ and for why ............ I just have no idea

It's already been explained to you why. The 'joke' is based on the premise that 'gay' is an insult. A clear inference that there is something wrong with being gay.
To have this idea reinforced on a high profile show is extremely damaging - not just for adults but especially for children who learn behavioural norms from what they see. One of my best friends at school was gay and he was deeply uncomfortable with the casual homophobic 'banter' he was surrounded by.

 

[tarric]

It is possible that the TB was caused by the smog although not created by it.

New research shows polluted city air could be even more of a health risk than we thought, because it's been found to carry traces of drug-resistant bacteria that can't be treated by common antibiotics.
Scientists are now cautioning that city smog might be spreading the genetic material that makes viruses untreatable, and at this stage, it's not clear how much damage this could do in the world's most polluted cities.
Researchers from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden analysed 864 samples of DNA taken from humans, animals, and environments worldwide, looking for genes linked to antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
The results showed that samples taken from the Chinese capital Beijing – known for its extremely bad pollution– turned up a high level of antibiotic resistance genes.

 

[noneforit]

My opinion is thus.

Anything you have no choice over (like being homosexual), should not be mocked.
The world has moved on leaps and bounds in the last few decades and that is a great achievement.

Is Richard Hammond genuinely homophobic? Probably not, it was likely just a stupid off the cuff comment where his mouth engaged before his brain.

You may not agree with me but something you have a choice over is fair game for criticism, Religion for example.

Top Gear or whatever they call it these days has always been known for pushing the boundaries to get a public reaction and this is no different.

 

[OldCarlos]

Well if you enjoyed Bernard Manning and Jim Davidson I can understand why you don't get this issue.

Oh I `get` the issue, believe me.

I was brought up to respect my elders & brought up with good manners.
I was taught the colour of someone's skin wasn't an issue & being tolerant was a virtue.


As I said, I used to. I know much of the content wouldn't be allowed these days, heck I didn't like every joke even then.
I also liked a lot of Les Dawson stuff, but not everything. I reckon the younger generation of today wouldn't like or appreciate mother in law jokes, but I don't remember thousands of MIL's campaigning to get them banned.

Times & tastes change, they always have & probably always will, but I'm just not a fan of `forced` changes & political correctness, especially folk being outraged at different views & even more so on behalf of someone else!
What a wishy-washy society we are becoming.

 

[OldCarlos]

20 years ago I was led to believe I'd get to retire in my mid 50's, I'll probably be around 60 though, and it'll likely be a partial retirement. If I was 5 years younger it'd be 67 or 68. If I'd been born in 1950 I'd almost certainly have retired at 50 or thereabouts.

My kids are starting their working lives with debt that would have bought my parents a mansion or me a house, but they're paying for the education that previous generations got free.

I also hoped to retire by 55, but for different reasons it didn't happen.
I'm also now in the group where my `official` retirement age is 67 & not sure why I'm being criticised (baby boomer generation?) because I got on the housing ladder at 21 yrs of age by working 6 days a week, saving instead of spending, waived holidays, didn't use a credit etc.

If you think someone retiring on a state pension of around £155 per week is milking the system, you have a very warped view.

You had healthcare and unlimited free education, my kids are the first generation who will not be better off than their parents. My kids are doing 'OK' but their generation is saddled with debt from University and will possibly never reach pension age.

You still have healthcare.
Education is still free.

Health wise, our children & G/children will be better off, unless they choose an un healthy lifestyle.
Financially they could be better off, depending on their work ethos.

My daughter also spent 3 yrs @ Uni after 2 yrs @ college. She also left education with a fair amount of debt, BUT she needn't have accrued quite so much if she had been willing to get part time work, or spent less on non essentials.
She now runs her own business (completely unrelated to her college & Uni courses) & is making her own way in life, just as I did.

When I left high school I started working in an apprenticeship & even earning £12 per 45 hr week, I managed to save if I wanted to purchase something. If I couldn't afford it I did without.
I also reckon those leaving school in my generation were less likely to go on to attending college full time (% wise)
Going to UNI was for the brightest kids in those days & wasn't somewhere the masses felt was a given right, so unfortunately these days it has to be paid for somehow.

What is different these days & seems to be getting worse, is lack of common sense & maybe not following as I was taught, that if it can be avoided don't get into too much debt, have dreams & aspirations, but ............ be realistic & not greedy.

Life is all about choices & learning from your own mistakes.
Good health is everything.

 

[Llamaman]

And what about housing costs as a percentage of earnings?

 

[Cobra]

And what about housing costs as a percentage of earnings?

I bought my present house over 35 years ago, it cost me ( on a reasonable salary) 2x my annual salary,
nearly 40 years on, (yes I'm still in the same place, on a reasonable salary) it would cost nearly 10x my annual salary.
And no, I couldn't afford to by my own house!

I blame
* the government
* Brexit
* the Russians
*the Chinese
*Global warming

* insert as required

 

[Phil V]

.

Times & tastes change, they always have & probably always will, but I'm just not a fan of `forced` changes & political correctness, especially folk being outraged at different views & even more so on behalf of someone else!
What a wishy-washy society we are becoming.

There's the rub though, all this has happened, no one forced it, all it takes is for decent people to speak out and the world turns.

And all that's happened here is that some idiot thought it was funny to behave like an 80's schoolboy. It's not a big deal, and I don't see any 'political correctness' or 'outrage'. Like I said, this thread exists because someone thought it'd be clever to complain about the 'outrage', all we've tried to do is put that straight.

 

[cambsno]

Totally agree
Let's remember this thread wasn't started by someone who was annoyed at the stupidity of it.
But by someone who thought it was funny and seems to think that there's something wrong with people who don't.

Just sayin'

No, I was annoyed at people seemingly lacking a sense of humour. Have not seen the clip yet so cannot tell if it is or is not funny. As others have pointed out, anyone can be offended by anything and making a joke about being gay does not mean one is homophobic. So basically if we cant make jokes about sexuality, race, religion it tends to reduce comedy to a 6 year olds joke telling contest. If we all laughed at each other bit more maybe the world would be a better place.

 

[cambsno]

The carry on films are full of sexist innuendo and quite a bit of campness, maybe they are homophobic too?

 

[Phil V]

The carry on films are full of sexist innuendo and quite a bit of campness, maybe they are homophobic too?

Of course they are, but it's irrelevant as there's a considerable date difference.

Do you suggest the idiot in Love thy neighbour wasn't racist? And as we'd agree he was, would that excuse the same jokes today?


What a ridiculous premise.

 

[Phil V]

No, I was annoyed at people seemingly lacking a sense of humour. Have not seen the clip yet so cannot tell if it is or is not funny. As others have pointed out, anyone can be offended by anything and making a joke about being gay does not mean one is homophobic. So basically if we cant make jokes about sexuality, race, religion it tends to reduce comedy to a 6 year olds joke telling contest. If we all laughed at each other bit more maybe the world would be a better place.

They don't lack a sense of humour, they're just intelligent enough to realise that what he said is neither funny nor acceptable.

Most of my TV viewing is comedy shows, I have dozens of comedy DVDs and I see live comedy gigs on a fairly regular basis, I'm also considered by friends and family to be quite the funny guy, so I'm certainly not short of 'a sense of humour'.

So let's see what's wrong... I don't think using 'gay' as an insult is funny, not because I lack a sense of humour - but because it's simply not funny.

It's simple really isn't it.

Maybe you should have watched it and judged for yourself instead of the 'mockrage' about 'political correctness'. If you thought it wasn't funny, you could have saved us all some typing

 

[cambsno]

They don't lack a sense of humour, they're just intelligent enough to realise that what he said is neither funny nor acceptable.

Most of my TV viewing is comedy shows, I have dozens of comedy DVDs and I see live comedy gigs on a fairly regular basis, I'm also considered by friends and family to be quite the funny guy, so I'm certainly not short of 'a sense of humour'.

So let's see what's wrong... I don't think using 'gay' as an insult is funny, not because I lack a sense of humour - but because it's simply not funny.

It's simple really isn't it.

Maybe you should have watched it and judged for yourself instead of the 'mockrage' about 'political correctness'. If you thought it wasn't funny, you could have saved us all some typing

Whether or not I find it funny is irrelevant - there are plenty of things I don't find funny that others do and vice-versa.

If you read what homophobic means - Homophobia is the hatred or fear of homosexuals - that is, lesbians and gay men - sometimes leading to acts of violence and expressions of hostility. It does not mean you cant make jokes. In fact, take a look at this guy - I think he is one of the best around...

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QqjJOWiKZ0


Ok, so Hammond (AFAIK) is straight, but is there really much of a difference?

 

[Blank_Canvas]

Of course they are, but it's irrelevant as there's a considerable date difference.

Do you suggest the idiot in Love thy neighbour wasn't racist? And as we'd agree he was, would that excuse the same jokes today?


What a ridiculous premise.

There was both anti-white and anti-black insults being hurled around by both neighbours, it wasn't all one-way. Bill called Eddie 'snowflake' etc. There was also Till Death do us part, Curry & Chips. Britain didn't know how to behave then and all women should strive to be the perfect housewife while husband went to work. That was the norm in the 60s and 70s. Back then, this was mainstream comedy and didn't set out to course offence. I never found the series particularly funny, pathetic really. Clearly not acceptable today and definitely bigoted and racist thankfully there has been a massive culture change.

 

[cardiff_gareth]

Agree! Some people just want to say how offended they are by 'everything' because they have very argumentative personalities and believe that their point of view is the right point of view, at least that's how I see yours Phil.

I surround myself with people who are fun and positive rather than negative so I find things funny. Don't get me wrong words that have been listed above like the N word etc I condone as that's not funny, even though black people use it now in a cool way so maybe the word is losing it's past? I don't know but it's not a word I use. I call my friends gay all the time and vice versa and before anyone says anything, that's straight and gay friends. I always thought gay meant happy anyways?

Life is too short to be offended by everything! Get a life PC people and enjoy it as we're on this planet for a very short time frame in the grand scheme of things.

 

[Llamaman]

So basically if we cant make jokes about sexuality, race, religion it tends to reduce comedy to a 6 year olds joke telling contest. If we all laughed at each other bit more maybe the world would be a better place.

It's not about not telling jokes about sexuality, it's about not making sexuality an insult. The 'humour' in Hammond's comment is based entirely on the premise that homosexuality is wrong, and thus calling a straight person gay is an insult.

Plenty of comedians have made jokes about sexuality, race and religion without resorting to playground name calling. It's not that these topics are off-limits, but that Hammond's comments were, at best, ill-judged.

 

[simon ess]

It's outrageous people being outraged at people being outraged at gay jokes.

Even when they're not.

I'm outraged.

 

[Phil V]

Whether or not I find it funny is irrelevant - there are plenty of things I don't find funny that others do and vice-versa.

If you read what homophobic means - Homophobia is the hatred or fear of homosexuals - that is, lesbians and gay men - sometimes leading to acts of violence and expressions of hostility. It does not mean you cant make jokes. In fact, take a look at this guy - I think he is one of the best around...

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QqjJOWiKZ0


Ok, so Hammond (AFAIK) is straight, but is there really much of a difference?

I don't recall anyone on the 'anti-hammond' side using the word homophobic to describe what he did.
And nothing in that video is comparable to using the word 'gay' as an insult.

Sometimes I feel people are arguing a non existent straw man that they feel will work for them.

It really does matter whether you think Hammonds line is funny. Because if it's not, you started a thread arguing something you don't believe.

 

[nilagin]

It's not about not telling jokes about sexuality, it's about not making sexuality an insult. The 'humour' in Hammond's comment is based entirely on the premise that homosexuality is wrong, and thus calling a straight person gay is an insult.

Actually it was about ice cream. But everyone is so offended, they fail to realise it and that makes it funny. Jokes on them.

 

[Phil V]

Straight up question for everyone (should I have started a poll).

Because as usual this thread has drifted all over the place, mostly into irrelevant territory.

Do you believe that using the word 'gay' as an insult is OK?

 

[Bobsyeruncle]

Straight up question for everyone (should I have started a poll).

Because as usual this thread has drifted all over the place, mostly into irrelevant territory.

Do you believe that using the word 'gay' as an insult is OK?

Straight up question? No pun intended

It's not a word that I'd use as an insult.

 

[viv1969]

I'm a little disappointed in the 2 words accepted to describe sexuality as a whole, really.
Gay....well, given the original definition of the word, I'm amazed that more aren't constantly up in arms at it's use in this context, to be honest.
Straight.... Used purely to denote the opposite of bent. Again, rather insulting in and of itself, on both sides.

In this "enlightened" day and age, should heterosexual and homosexual not be more acceptable?

 

[Nod]

Straight up question for everyone (should I have started a poll).

Because as usual this thread has drifted all over the place, mostly into irrelevant territory.

Do you believe that using the word 'gay' as an insult is OK?

Difficult one. Surely the main point of an insult is to be deliberately offensive so the use of ANY word as an insult is equally wrong?

 

[noneforit]

Straight up question for everyone (should I have started a poll).

Because as usual this thread has drifted all over the place, mostly into irrelevant territory.

Do you believe that using the word 'gay' as an insult is OK?

As an insult no, it's definitely not ok.

When I was a kid, I am sure I used it regularly when taking the Micky out of friends but it was the norm to use it back then, which wasn't actually that long ago. When I look back now, as an adult I see it wasn't right as a couple of my friends have come out since then and is calling them gay at the time could well have delayed them coming out.

Calling somebody gay as an insult is the same as making a derogatory comment about some bodies skin colour and that is not ok either.

People don't choose to be gay and they don't choose their race, people insulting them for something they have no choice over is not ok.

I would like to think kids and School are being taught better than we were but not having kids myself, I don't know for sure.

 

[Phil V]

Difficult one. Surely the main point of an insult is to be deliberately offensive so the use of ANY word as an insult is equally wrong?

I don't know why you'd think insults can never be funny, almost all humour has a victim, even if it's the person delivering it.

 

[Nod]

So SOME insults are OK while others aren't? FWIW, the most savage bout of insult hurling I've ever seen was between two self proclaimed screaming queens including most of the now-seen-as-homophobic terms for homosexuals.