Maureen Lipman: Cancel culture could wipe out comedy

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swansonj

Regular
...

How do you know if you go with the flow now that in 5 or 6 years time you might be pilloried by the latest twitter mob when values have once again 'moved on'.

...
Well, I don't know, but perhaps if you tried deciding what is acceptable for yourself rather than just "go with the flow", that might reduce the risk?
 

Cirrus

Active Member
My 2p worth, you either have free speech or you don't. People can choose to be offended or not.

If someone whilst exercising their free speech goes too far and the other party feels the need to take legal action then so be it.

Trying to shut people up because you don't like what they have to say, but want to be able to put your views across, even though others disagree, strongly disagree with them is just hypocrisy.

Someone who's being intentionally "offensive", well it probably says more about them and their deficiencies. If those views are abhorrent then shining a light on them, challenging then must surely be better than forcing them into the dark to fester and become more malignant.
 

farfromtheland

Regular AND Goofy
A simple observation on my part. We saw the same from Corbyn and the Anti semitic left not long ago. I suggest you stop digging
I had J.C. down as a victim of his party machine in the press. I'll get my spade...
 
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Pale Rider

Veteran
Really?
I'm sure she and her diaspora would be laughing their socks over a Palestinian/Moslem comic ripping the piss out out of them with jokes based on spiteful Jewish stereotypes. There are plenty good comics out there demonstrating she's wrong and out of touch without resorting to Bernard Manning or Jim Davidson levels of gay wit and repartee....

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-59703257

I'm not sure this is racist, although the OP has proven to be a little 'accident prone' in the past when discussing controversial topics.

Moral of that part of the story is pretending to be who you are not is exhausting and you will catch yourself out in the end.

More importantly, I think the assertion Lipman wouldn't laugh at anti-Jewish jokes is incorrect because she has shown in the past she doesn't take herself too seriously.

One of her lines refers to her middle name - Diane - leading to her initials being MDL, or as she describes herself: mutton dressed as lamb.

Even if she wouldn't laugh at such jokes, I don't see what that proves.

Would we expect an Irishman to laugh at an Irish is thick joke or Scotsman to laugh at a joke referencing their supposed meanness?

Lipman is also a realistic and grounded individual.

I recall some behind the scenes of one of her charity fundraisers in which Madonna was on the phone to pledge half a million quid.

Lipman appeared genuinely shocked, asking whoever could have so much money as to be able to give away so much with barely a thought.

In other words, she reacted as you and I might, not as some up their bottom celebrity.
 

winjim

Welcome yourself into the new modern crisis
I set my tweets to auto delete after six months. I also don't keep a written record of every pissed up nonsense conversation I've had with my mates in the pub my entire life.
 

mudsticks

Squire
Oh come on Maureen , you're not that dumb, bullying was never ok.

It's just the bullied are now feeling a teensy bit more able to stand up for themselves

And let's face it..

There's hours of comedy in witnessing old frothers claiming they've been 'cancelled' because they finally, got called out for punching down..

I mean who among us, can resist a wry smile at white people calling 'racism' when other white people suggest they've gone 'full gammon' :smile:
 

matticus

Guru
I can't think of any comedians that have been "cancelled" recently.

Surely well managed venues know their audiences and know who to book.
It seems the top/smart guys are purging their old tweets to avoid it happening!

But talking of venues, what did you think of the Old Vic cancelling their production of the Sondheim musical? (as detailed in the BBC article). That seems like "cancel" in the old and new sense of the word.
 
OP
OP
Fab Foodie

Fab Foodie

Guru
I'm not sure this is racist, although the OP has proven to be a little 'accident prone' in the past when discussing controversial topics.

Moral of that part of the story is pretending to be who you are not is exhausting and you will catch yourself out in the end.
Would you care to back that up?
 
OP
OP
Fab Foodie

Fab Foodie

Guru
My 2p worth, you either have free speech or you don't. People can choose to be offended or not.

If someone whilst exercising their free speech goes too far and the other party feels the need to take legal action then so be it.

Trying to shut people up because you don't like what they have to say, but want to be able to put your views across, even though others disagree, strongly disagree with them is just hypocrisy.

Someone who's being intentionally "offensive", well it probably says more about them and their deficiencies. If those views are abhorrent then shining a light on them, challenging then must surely be better than forcing them into the dark to fester and become more malignant.
Mostly I agree with the principles of free-speech and expression
Where I'm not so comfortable is that unfettered free-speech also normalises hateful or unpleasant stereotypes and attitudes and allows them to propagate. It gives them legitamacy.
 
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