Strange that they threw the book at him for this in the same season Leeds got fined £200,000 for watching training from a public place and Millwall got fined twice 12K for rascist fans. Put them together in seriousness??
Bobby Madley is back
- Thread starter alexv
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You do know that discriminatory jokes about a person's nationality fall under one of the protected characteristics listed in the Equality Act of 2010 and that to discriminate on that basis is a criminal offence? If you didn't, you do now.
Would you report someone or expect anyone else to do so, for telling an Englishman-Scotsman-Irishman joke, Brian? Jokes on nationality are common place, nobody seems to pay a blind bit of notice of the fact it’s a criminal offence.
zarathustra
RefChat Addict
Leeds and Millwall will have been punished by the EFL, Maddley will have been punished by PGMOL/The FA.
I suspect this was a knee jerk reaction, but I suspect there was a clause in his contract about not doing anything that brings his employers into disrepute which is what made it so easy for them to sack him.
Of course, a cynical person might think they had been waiting for an excuse to get rid of him and took the first chance they got. Of course the fact he has gone public about it highlights how his punishment, for a first offence, was so out of proportion to the crime.
I'm an Irishman and have spent much of my life being maligned as stupid or a terrorist sympathiser. I have reported people for anti-Irish jokes in the past which cost them positions in football. So I guess the answer to your question is yes.
Would I report a single instance to the police? It's unlikely as they have better things to do. If it was repeated, then I would. Otherwise where do you draw the line.
As for all the other things you mentioned, while not protected by law per se, repeated comments made in a derogatory manner could be construed as harassment. Now there are laws which cover that and make it a criminal offence. The owners of this forum have stepped in more than once where they felt harassment of an individual placed them at risk of being called out for condoning the harassment by failing to take action.
Must've been shockingly bad jokes there Brian
I love ripping it out of people for all host of reasons; and it's even better when on the receiving end. We are drifting off topic, that said
Fixed for you.
Hand on the tiller, steering back into calmer waters. Will be interesting to see whether Bob will make it back to Select Group One and compete directly with his brother Andy. They deserve the opportunity to lead the next generation along with Michael O. Someone who has impressed me recently is Ollie Langford. Got a good no nonsense approach and seems to command respect from the players.
Watched him on Tuesday.
Nicely done
As I mentioned I’ve also been on the receiving end purely because of where I come from, much like yourself. If someone crossed the line where the joke isn’t really a joke but abuse dressed as such, then it’s different.
In the context of the Madley incident I don’t think it falls into any of the above.
If Madley was repeating it, harassing anyone or even offending them in a derogatory manner directly then I don’t think you’d have anyone sticking up for him. But you ask where do you draw the line? I’d say much further across the room from where Madley was standing.
StiltonRef
Member
How difficult is it to be a comedian these days where literally anything you say can offend somebody?
Lets not pretend that we haven't all made jokes which can be considered offensive even if it was just with mates down the pub, having a laugh or whatever. Yes what he did was wrong, and we know the jokes we've all made are wrong, but sacking was him was harsh. Especially as he was sacked by people who probably have made similar jokes in private as well. He was just unfortunate to be caught out and have a friend he couldn't truly trust.
I'm not defending what he did, but a course and a telling off is fine. It's just one of those things
I'm not defending what he did, but a course and a telling off is fine. It's just one of those things
You'd be surprised how many left-leaning "woke" comedians are managing to make a good living out of it. It's definitely possible to be funny without being offensive, certainly without having to target minority and disadvantaged groups to do it.
Having said that, offensive "blue" comics (your frankie Boyle/Jimmy carr's) do exist by being quite smart about who they target, but it definitely takes some thought and can sometimes miss the mark. And then you get the question of apologise or double-down?
And obviously you've got a 3rd group who revel in being offensive and unapologetic. The fact that the likes of Jim Davidson and Chubby Brown are still active does suggest that it's perfectly possible to be offensive if you're happy to go along with the consequences of being "cancelled"
StiltonRef
Member
I didn't say it couldn't be done, just that it is extremely difficult. Especially compared to 20+ years ago when pretty much anything went.
You appear to be confusing the words 'offensive' and 'discriminatory'.
Example: Person A mocks Person B for being disabled. Person B can't exactly mock Person A for being fully abled, can he? It's not a 'level playing field'. These types of jokes have the potential to marginalise. This is why cases of discrimination cannot be dealt with just a "quiet word".
I went to a 50th celebration of The Comedians a few years ago which used to be on ITV in the 70s. They’re all in their later 70s plus now, all household names, Mick Miller, Roy Walker. Most jokes were borderline today but 5000 people left their offended hats off at home and had a blooming good night. Different era, nothing racist though, all still very funny and great timing and stage presence. I didn’t find Tommy Cooper funny back then but his timing was brilliant. The leftie luvvies today are not a patch on the old boys!
You can be discriminatory about any number of things. It seems absolutely anything can be offensive these days. My whiteness and the apparent privilege that comes with it, seems to be offensive to a growing number of ‘wokes’ these days. Clear racism, but again it’s practically accepted- which is outrageous. But make a joke about a welsh fella and sheep and you are committing a criminal offence! See how ridiculous it is?
Using your example, person B can mock person A for being bald instead. Where does it end? Do we hand person B out to dry too? Who’s to say person B would’ve have found it funny? I’ve joked to friends who were no longer in one piece, about that fact. No different than them taking the piss out of me for any number of reasons in that circumstance.
The end , it seems to me, is the episode of the twighlight zone where everybody has to think happy thoughts!
BM has made a comment in private, sounds like it’s in bad taste, it’s a quiet word in my book.
zarathustra
RefChat Addict
It's not about the intention, it's is about how it is received.
And it doesn't have to be the intended target that finds it offensive.
And it doesn't have to be the intended target that finds it offensive.
ANYONE could be offended by ANYTHING. That’s my point. If it’s minor, let them be offended, it’s no big deal is it? Unless someone has crossed the line by being racist, or abusive etc. they shouldn’t be severely reprimanded for a comment somebody may find offensive.