….Comedian found GUILTY of causing offence!

[RamesesNiblickTheThird]

It’s hard to find links of this because the main stream media are a bunch of weak, pathetic, controlled cunts.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/youtuber-count-dankula-found-guilty-of-hate-crime-for-teaching-pet-pug-nazi-salute-a3794926.html

Johnathan Pie sums it up perfectly imo.

He is so right about the lack of comedians and artists not saying anything?! What about Charlie Brooker? After all he dines out on this shit with Black Mirror! Doesn’t anybody have a spine anymore?

No wonder good comedy is a rarity these days in case they upset some bed-wetter.

Topic

[Ian Symes]

I find it hard to engage with this story because it’s been co-opted by, well, people like you.

[bloodteller]

i don’t want to click any link with the words “count dankula” in, to be honest

[RamesesNiblickTheThird]

Ah perhaps I should have mentioned I had never heard of this ‘Count Dankula’ and that I think his video is pathetic as fuck. But the idea he can be convicted of a hate crime for it is proper 1984.

[NoFro]

Obviously a shit joke, obviously offensive, obviously not a hate crime.

[Dax101]

Johnny Vegas doesn’t deserve this for Timewave.

[Ben Saunders]

I find it really hard to care about stories like this when the people being affected always seem like horrible cunts, and then of course what Ian said

Obviously nobody should be arrested for jokes though, within reason

[Taiwan Tony]

I disapprove of Count Dankula making dogs do unironic Nazi salutes, but I will defend on a Red Dwarf forum his right to do it.
Though I will point out that it definitely isn’t funny, and also that it’s a bit 1970s for fuck’s sake.

[Ben Saunders]

What other forums would you do it on? Would you do it on a Doctor Who forum? Would you do it on Reddit? Is there a limit to the popularity of the forum on which you would do it?

[Taiwan Tony]

It was just a bastardised version of a quote that is erroneously attributed to Voltaire.

Bit of autobiographical information, though. G&T is one of only 2 websites I ever post on. The other is Alexei Sayle’s.

[RamesesNiblickTheThird]

“I find it hard to engage with this story because it’s been co-opted by, well, people like you.”

Can you explain this comment please? Or was it you assumed I championed such a stupid video before I said so otherwise in a post after? I am only championing the freedom of expression to make a joke no matter how tasteless it is.

[Dave]

I am a huge defender of freedom of speech, but somehow I think there’s a better hill to die on than sticking up for someone who trains an animal to respond to anti-Semitic slurs and nazi catchphrases because they think it’ll be a daft laugh.

[Taiwan Tony]

I’ve just re-read the original post and it sounds like you, perhaps accidentally, likened Jewish people, or those who are offended by anti-Semitism/racism etc., to a bunch of bed-wetters?
I also think “some bed-wetter” is a phrase you could do without. Especially when attributed to people who might rightfully be morally offended.
Oppression is, after all, horrible. Insidious, victim-blaming oppression isn’t great either.
Sounds like you didn’t mean that though. So that’s good!

[RamesesNiblickTheThird]

Of course I didn’t. Just trying to point out people are so easily offended and that offense should some how tip the balance over someone who didn’t find something offensive. Which in turn is one of the reasons comedy is so dire to me these days.

I doubt Red Dwarf would even get green lite today. Because it took and still takes risks. Take ‘Cured’ for example yes it featured Hitler, but Doug wrote it so at times you could have felt sorry for that Hitler which sounds absurd but it works doesn’t it? It’s because a writer like Doug came up in another era a better era I might add for creativity.

Imagine pitching that to the BBC Comedy team today? They would close that down so fast wouldn’t they?

Ricky Gervais summed it up better so perhaps I should have posted his quote in my opening gambit.

“A man has been convicted in a UK court of making a joke that was deemed “grossly offensive”. If you don’t believe in a person’s right to say things that you might find “grossly offensive”, then you don’t believe in Freedom of Speech.”

[Dave]

Yes, I doubt an episode of Red Dwarf that came out six months ago would be made today.

[Taiwan Tony]

I like Ricky Gervais, and enjoyed 3 of his first 4 stand up shows. (Not Science.) I read a tweet of his promoting his most recent Humanity tour a few months ago that was something along the lines of “It’s like Hitler giving you AIDS.” Which, to me, seemed very tired and as if he were trying too hard to be offensive. It was strange because he’s usually at pains to explain how politically correct he is. But that’s all off the point.
My point is that I think there are plenty of “shock” or “offensive” comedians. More so than ever. Because a comedian in the 70s being casually racist, for example, wasn’t doing so to be shocking. They were just trading on stereotypes to get laughs. Comedians being casually racist now are doing so in the sure knowledge that they will be judged for it.
Also comedy is generally over-saturated now because there’s a mainstream demand for it so there’s a lot of TV friendly comedy everywhere, and, no, you’re probably not going to get many pro-Nazi comedies on the BBC.

[Ben Saunders]

I don’t really want to get into the “PC correctness culture” stuff, but I wonder how difficult it would be to make a show on BBC 2 that starred exclusively men, today. Or if just having the computer be a female would be enough. They’re fine on the racial representation front, but I know for a fact panel shows are required to have at least one woman on them every single episode, so I wonder about sitcoms.

For basically any other show such a stipulation would be absolutely fine, but Dwarf is somewhat of a special case.

[Ben Saunders]

Dave aren’t BBC2 and Dwarf has been running for 30 years so I don’t think pointing to the fact that the show is, indeed, being made today, would be helpful in the gender case.

I was going to ask if there were any XI and XII episodes which didn’t feature women in any capacity but actually now I think about it’s roughly half, if I’m not misremembering.

[Ben Saunders]

Gervais does seem to be riding the “offensive is funny” train these days, and that kind of comedy really bores me. I enjoyed Frankie Boyle as much as any other 12 year old boy watching Mock The Week, but I’m over that now.

[Taiwan Tony]

Are there any regular female characters in the remake of Porridge?
I haven’t seen it, obviously.

I don’t see the problem of the “at least 1 woman per show” ruling. I think it’s a good thing and probably a note for the producers to remind them that women are funny, too.

[Pete Part Three]

Gervais’s stand-up shtick is about as amusing as shuffling through Cards Against Humanity and trying to find the most tasteless card, saying it outloud, smirking when people say “Oh, that’s a bit much” and congratulating yourself on your daring.

If there was some a level of subtext to it, it would at least be worthy. . Instead, it’s riding a level of “I can’t believe he said that” rather than “That’s inherently amusing”.

> I am only championing the freedom of expression to make a joke no matter how tasteless it is.

Hitler in Cured is a piss-take of Hitler. No one’s getting offended by that. Teaching a dog to react to racial slurs is attempting to turn shouting racial slurs into performance art. Where’s the irony here? Remove the dog and YouTube from the equation and say this guy is just wandering the streets shouting Nazi nonsense. See how far he gets without being arrested.

[RamesesNiblickTheThird]

“Hitler in Cured is a piss-take of Hitler. No one’s getting offended by that. Teaching a dog to react to racial slurs is attempting to turn shouting racial slurs into performance art. Where’s the irony here? Remove the dog and YouTube from the equation and say this guy is just wandering the streets shouting Nazi nonsense. See how far he gets without being arrested.”

I never said Hitler wasn’t a piss take I was merely saying that idea that Doug’s writing can almost make you feel sorry for a clone of him is taking a risk. It’s one of the great things about the show. It can go anywhere.

But yes if you go down the street and start shouting nonsense about Nazis you probably would get collared. But I don’t see what that was to do with a joke a guy played on his girlfriend and then sharing it over 3 million times. People find it funny because it’s a dog. It’s her dog. That is the joke. That is the prank.

Quite frankly I couldn’t imagine wasting hours training a dog to do Nazis salutes. It’s just insanity. But it was probably in part him thinking he can making money from such a video. Social media makes twats of people.

But it’s also the court hearing that was an issue and yet not by a complain from anyone. The whole thing stinks. It’s scary.

[bloodteller]

in response to one of the posts slightly above, wasn’t ricky gervais’s new standup incredibly transphobic as well? if so, that’s awful

[Ben Saunders]

Nothing should be off-limits for comedy, but some people’s definition of “comedy” is really rather questionable

[Pete Part Three]

>But I don’t see what that was to do with a joke a guy played on his girlfriend and then sharing it over 3 million times.

You’re right. Doing it on video to 3 million people is far worse than shouting it in the street to the limited number of people in earshot.

And which is it, by the way? Is it a prank for his girlfriend or a video for a YouTube audience?

The prank thing, by the way doesn’t even make any sense.

“Hey, look love; I teached the dog to react to racial slurs”
“Gee, I’d better make sure I don’t use any racial slurs in case that dog makes me look like a racist”

[RamesesNiblickTheThird]

“And which is it, by the way? Is it a prank for his girlfriend or a video for a YouTube audience?”

Who knows. Probably a bit of both in the end? If social media didn’t exist perhaps he still would have shown the dog that anyway.

Only the Count himself could answer such a question. So I PM’ed him and asked him to come and join in here.

* Only Joking.

[Ian Symes]

Can you explain this comment please? Or was it you assumed I championed such a stupid video before I said so otherwise in a post after? I am only championing the freedom of expression to make a joke no matter how tasteless it is.

Apologies for the delay. What I meant was that I don’t hold much truck with people who complain about “the mainstream media”, or who describe people who take offence with terms such as “bed-wetter”. You’re using the language of the bellend.

For what it’s worth, the idea of anyone being arrested or punished for a joke makes me queasy, and I am completely against this happening in principle. But as I said, I’ve found it hard to get into the specifics of this case, because it’s been hijacked by some very unsavoury characters.

[RamesesNiblickTheThird]

I wasn’t describing someone who takes offence as a bedwetter because really everyone one way or another including myself take offence at something at some point. I was using it to describe the reasons I personally find comedy so dire these days.

I could say bemoaning Thatcher was still alive in 1988 on a podcast which has nothing to do with politics in the first place was the language of a bellend….but I digress.

And yes the case has been hijacked but so was both sides of Brexit for instance. It happens unfortunately.

[Pete Part Three]

>Probably a bit of both in the end?

See, for that to work; his girlfriend has to be in the video. But she’s not. It’s just a guy saying “gas the Jews?” to a dog for three minutes using an intonation that causes the dog to react.

The dog appears to be the subject of the joke (really?!) and the target is the girlfriend (who doesn’t appear).

Or maybe the target is Nazis? Because he’s making light of something Nazis would say, and that’s,er, obviously ripping the piss out of them.

Or maybe the target is anyone who doesn’t find this amusing? Not because they find it necessarily offensive, but just because it’s a moron trying to get a reaction by saying something toxic repeatedly. Seems like the guy got his wish and made the point he wanted to make. Cuh, you can’t say anything these days! Cuh!

I don’t think he should be going to jail, but I do think hiding behind “it’s a joke” and “it’s all about context” are a pretty weak defence, when the same thing could be trotted out by Internet trolls when they’ve been hauled into court for abusing people on social media. If you’re going toscrutinise the context of the “joke”, you have to look at the agenda of the person who’s making it.

Maybe he should leave the satire and irony to people who understand it.

[Seb Patrick]

“A man has been convicted in a UK court of making a joke that was deemed “grossly offensive”. If you don’t believe in a person’s right to say things that you might find “grossly offensive”, then you don’t believe in Freedom of Speech.”

Ricky “You are blocked from following @rickygervais and viewing @rickygervais’s Tweets” Gervais talking about freedom of speech, there.

[Dollar Pound]

i agree with symes: he does feel queasy

[Ian Symes]

I could say bemoaning Thatcher was still alive in 1988 on a podcast which has nothing to do with politics in the first place was the language of a bellend….but I digress.

I’ve only just remembered what this is in reference to. You realise it was a riff on the Red Dwarf Night intro, right?

[RamesesNiblickTheThird]

“Ricky “You are blocked from following @rickygervais and viewing @rickygervais’s Tweets” Gervais talking about freedom of speech, there.”

No surprises really. Though with it being via the avenue of social media I have a feeling most of the people were blocked for being trolls or simply being abusive to him.

“I’ve only just remembered what this is in reference to. You realise it was a riff on the Red Dwarf Night intro, right?”

That maybe but still, it’s not the sort of thing I welcome when I tuck into a G&T podcast all lubed up and ready to go. Margaret Thatcher on a cold day indeed!

[John Hoare]

I have just read this thread and I can’t say I enjoyed it.

[Ian Symes]

That maybe but still, it’s not the sort of thing I welcome when I tuck into a G&T podcast

Honestly, you can’t even make a joke these days without some bed-wetter getting offended.

[RamesesNiblickTheThird]

“Honestly, you can’t even make a joke these days without some bed-wetter getting offended.”

I wasn’t offended by that, it was more of being slightly miffed so to speak. Though however I am offended that you thought I was wholly offended by my previous comment.

In conclusion, I’m off to change my sheets.

[RamesesNiblickTheThird]

I wonder what JK Rowling thinks?

[RamesesNiblickTheThird]

“in response to one of the posts slightly above, wasn’t ricky gervais’s new standup incredibly transphobic as well? if so, that’s awful”

I wonder what JK Rowling thinks?

[Dave]

I wonder what JK Simmons thinks.

[NoFro]

I wonder what Jay Kay from Jamiroquai thinks.

[Dave]

I wonder what Jeff Kay thinks.

[RamesesNiblickTheThird]

I wonder what Jack Kyle nickname “JK” (Actor, Intolerable Cruelty 2003) thinks?

*special thanks to imdb

[Ben Saunders]

I wonder what John Casey thinks

[Nick R]

lol j/k

[bloodteller]

i wonder what i think

[Ben Saunders]

I could care less

[Plastic Percy]

I wonder what the Pink Panther thinks pink?

[bloodteller]

i don’t think the pink panther thinks, it’s a diamond isnt it? gems dont have the power of cognitive thought

[Ben Saunders]

I wonder what Black Panther thinks

[Dave]

I wonder what Panthro thinks.

[Ben Paddon]

I think everybody’s right, except me, so just forget I spoke, alright?

[Author]

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