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Little Things That Irk You VII: Seething Pains

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    Waiting for a prescription today I discovered that children’s cologne is now a thing. WT-actual-F! And body spray too. And of course it’s branded with well known licensed characters.
    Just let kids be kids.

    Comment


      Originally posted by Dogg Thang View Post
      You'd think Skinner would know that it's "who's" rather than whose?!

      Tut tut.

      Comment


        Originally posted by teddymeow View Post
        You'd think Skinner would know that it's "who's" rather than whose?!

        Tut tut.
        Mercy...

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          Re, Baker.

          You'd think that being a football fan, he’d know the racial connotations of things like that.

          However, I read an interesting piece by Billy Bragg about it at the weekend, that seems to suggest that the image had a context that fitted in with a common theme of his radio show:

          ‘Nobody should be surprised that Danny Baker has been sacked by the BBC from his job as a DJ on Radio 5Live for posting a photo of a posh couple holding a monkey dressed in human clothes captioned ‘Royal baby leaves hospital’. The use of such an obvious racist trope to comment on the birth of the first mixed race baby in the royal family has rightly cost him his job. Baker is a much-loved broadcaster and many are frankly surprised that he could be so insensitive. His style of humour isn’t malicious, but it clearly blinded him to the obvious connotations of using such an image in that context.


          Baker’s shtick is based on banter with his audience. It was there in his reaction to being fired, when he tweeted ‘Just got fired from @bbc5live. For the record – it was red sauce. Always’. Any ideas why he mentioned the red sauce? No, me neither. Apparently it was a reference to the Sausage Sandwich Game, a popular feature on his Saturday morning radio show in which listeners are asked to guess what sauce Danny’s studio guest would put on a sausage sandwich. The guest then reveals their choice.


          It’s a silly game that all involved treat with a mock seriousness that makes the whole thing even more silly. Danny, his guest and listeners are all in on the joke. It’s the kind of banter that Baker excels at; his free-association sense of humour can result in his live theatre show running for four hours. But the problem with banter is that it relies on everyone being in on the joke. When expressed outside of the initiated, as in his 'just got fired' tweet, it risks causing confusion or, in some extreme cases, offence.


          Banter is a form of social lubricant. Among tight-knit groups who live or work together it offers a means of getting through what may be mundane or difficult situations. We banter a lot on the road. Five guys stuck in a van for hours each day travelling to gigs, we use it in conversation to keep ourselves entertained.


          However, the key feature of banter is mock humiliation, ‘taking the mickey’ out of each other. Knowing that you can say things about the behaviour of a mate that would otherwise be hurtful – and being able to take the same treatment in response - has the effect of creating a bond among the group. Our friendship is so great that we can say these transgressive things about one another (I’m not talking about racism or sexism or other bigoted discourse – which is never acceptable, even among friends; I’m referring here to general piss-taking).


          The trouble arises when that banter comes into contact with the outside world. Those not within the group, unaware of the permissive bond between members, can only take what’s being said at face value. As a result, statements that participants recognise as being in jest can sound hostile, derogatory, racist.


          Apparently Baker has a running joke on his show about monkeys dressed in human clothes. It may be that he was making assumptions about how his tweet would be viewed based on that thread. Whatever it was that blinded him to the racist nature of his post, I don’t think it was intentional. Why? Because he has no previous.


          Compare his reaction to being called out for a racist remark with that of Boris Johnson. Baker has spent the past days apologising profusely for the offence he caused, at first maybe a little begrudgingly, but the sincerity of his Twitter thread mea culpa on Friday was clear. Meanwhile, Boris Johnson has still not apologised for comparing Muslim women to letterboxes, a racist slur that was just the latest in a litany of bigoted statements about people of colour.


          I’m willing to give Baker the benefit of the doubt, to recognise, that, although he made a racist statement, it was a massive error of judgement rather than the product of a racist mindset. I don’t have the same sympathies for Johnson, who clearly believes he can get away with his dog whistles to bigotry. Give me Danny’s embarrassed contrition any day over Boris’ entitled sense of impunity.


          That said, Baker has no grounds for complaining that he has lost his job and should reflect that, for all his love of banter, it doesn’t matter what you intended with your remark, it’s how others, those from outside of your trusted group of initiates, perceive what you have said.


          In the febrile discourse of online debate, it’s perception, not intention that must be considered when posting a comment. It is a lesson that we should all take on board.”

          Comment


            It’s riles me up that 4 men can’t be in a car together without it restoring to playground bants and piss taking, maybe men should concentrate in talking about their lives, stresses, insecurities and god forbid any of their feelings.
            Maybe if we got better at that suicide rates would take a tumble and we would be in a better place all round.

            If only men could open up to other men without it resorting to bants because they know no other emotion.

            Thanks for coming to my TED Talk.

            Comment


              Bantz, man. Bantz.

              Comment


                Bruze Wayne is Bantzman.

                Comment


                  Originally posted by Family Fry View Post
                  It’s riles me up that 4 men can’t be in a car together without it restoring to playground bants and piss taking, maybe men should concentrate in talking about their lives, stresses, insecurities and god forbid any of their feelings.
                  Maybe if we got better at that suicide rates would take a tumble and we would be in a better place all round.

                  If only men could open up to other men without it resorting to bants because they know no other emotion.

                  Thanks for coming to my TED Talk.
                  The last time I was in a car with pinny and ploughboy, I did a really eggy sulfur smelling parp. And pinny had to wind the window down to ask a guide where we could park. So the guy was greeted with pinny’s mug and a right eggy waft of air in his face.

                  Comment


                    Mr Peeble Parps - title of your new kids book

                    Comment


                      Originally posted by Zen Monkey View Post
                      I'll play any way I like.

                      I'm not that interested in connotations or perceptions - all that stuff is imaginary, we can all feign insult to all manner of things. I'm interested in actual intent and that's a little harder to ascertain with any degree of certainty. I believe human beings make mistakes, that we can fail to see things, and fail to foresee things - such as how something in our own head might seem inside another person's head, but I don't believe in punishment for that.
                      What a load of old cobblers! Danny Baker is a white bloke who grew up in Deptford and Bermondsey- both places are in South East London and have large West Indian communities- therefore to feign ignorance about monkey-jibes is bullsheet. He does or ought to know better.

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                        What a load of old cobblers? I love that saying!

                        I'm not sure I have anything more to say on the Danny Baker incident that wouldn't amount to a repetition but I respectfully disagree. I think Prinny's post is very interesting though.

                        Comment


                          Originally posted by Zen Monkey View Post
                          What a load of old cobblers? I love that saying!

                          I'm not sure I have anything more to say on the Danny Baker incident that wouldn't amount to a repetition but I respectfully disagree. I think Prinny's post is very interesting though.
                          I’m going to be straight with you Zen. You’ve obviously hit the drugs too hard and far too often as you've fried your brain. Your just not on the same wavelength as the rest of us I feel.

                          Sometimes you’ve got some interesting concepts, but mostly it just comes across as you’ve lost the plot.

                          I’m not saying this to be horrible as your probably a nice guy, but maybe before posting your more outlandish “ideas” stop and think for a second, am I the only one that thinks this, the answer is, probably, probably.
                          Last edited by fishbowlhead; 14-05-2019, 17:43.

                          Comment


                            Originally posted by fishbowlhead View Post
                            I’m going to be straight with you Zen. You’ve obviously hit the drugs too hard and far too often as your fried your brain. Your just not on the same wavelength as the rest of us I feel.

                            Sometimes you’ve got some interesting concepts, but mostly it just comes across as you’ve lost the plot.

                            I’m not saying this to be horrible as your probably a nice guy, but maybe before posting your more outlandish “ideas” stop and think for a second, am I the only one that thinks this, the answer is, probably, probably.
                            That's just like.....your opinion....man.

                            Comment


                              I love donuts, so was hyped as hell when i heard Krispy Kremes set up shop, trip back from dublin went in and got several different sorts.......was really really disappointed, Texture was odd the "Flavoured" ones only taste i got was sugar and the filling was just sickly and had a horrible slimy texture.

                              Had far better donuts from my local shop and yesterday got a pack for 3 Salted Caramel ones from tescos which were far far better (at a quarter of the price to)

                              Comment


                                Originally posted by eastyy View Post
                                I love donuts, so was hyped as hell when i heard Krispy Kremes set up shop, trip back from dublin went in and got several different sorts.......was really really disappointed, Texture was odd the "Flavoured" ones only taste i got was sugar and the filling was just sickly and had a horrible slimy texture.

                                Had far better donuts from my local shop and yesterday got a pack for 3 Salted Caramel ones from tescos which were far far better (at a quarter of the price to)
                                Yep. Had same experience at you with the Dublin one (never had them anywhere else). Offbeat are better.

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