Damian Barr oh dear oh dear

[teawamutu]

I'm not applauding cancel culture, but grimly amused that this is entirely down to his own actions regarding Baroness Nicholson:

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/9af54daa-cdfe-11ea-979f-ba077cfea17c?shareToken

[SarahTancredi]

Let he who is without sin, cast the first stone.

And all that....

Where are all his mates now?

[Haggisfish]

Share token didn’t work for me.

[OfficeBird]

Good!

I used to be a fan of his, but the way he orchestrated the campaign against the Baroness was vile.

Let's hope it makes him reflect on his actions.

And this is a timely reminder - I must write to The Savoy and remind them of how unsuitable he is. . .

[ThePurported]

Me neither OP, but why should anyone be exempt from the Purge.

[RoyalCorgi]

Karma's a bitch, eh.

[testing987654321]

I'm not applauding cancel culture,

Live by the sword...

[SophocIestheFox]

Hey Damien, your should make your next book about Robespierre.

You clueless banana 🤣

I hate cancel culture, I really do, but I can’t let a delicious morsel of schadenfruede like this go begging I’m not that big of a person.

[crumpet]

It is hard to feel any sympathy for him, and must confess to a lurch of satisfaction when I read it. It must be galling for him - particularly in his home town (I think he now lives in Brighton?). Agree though that the endless cancelling is a direction we shouldn’t be going down.

[MannymanMunroe]

None of this would have come out if he hadn't gone after BEN. Hoist by his own petard. He failed his own purity test.

[ARoombaOfOnesOwn]

He did say something truly horrible though, far worse than a lot of people have been cancelled for.

[CourtneyLurve]

Oh, this is delicious.

[SophocIestheFox]

I like to think of a purity spiral, such as the one that Damien set off by going after Emma Nicholson, as a sort of tornado. You never know where it’s going to land and while you might think you’re watching it create carnage from a safe distance, at any moment you could find yourself whisked off the earth like a startled cow, eh Damo?

[MannymanMunroe]

@ARoombaOfOnesOwn

He did say something truly horrible though, far worse than a lot of people have been cancelled for.

Nothing worse than someone like Frankie Boyle might say. Free speech is free speech, and we should have the right to say awful things. People should have the equal and opposite right to judge you for it and possibly tell you they don't want you to be part of their gang anymore and won't be buying your books.

This is totally different from "cancel culture", which tries to stop you saying the thing that might be offensive in the first place and effectively cuts off your voice, preventing anyone being able to agree or disagree with you after an objective hearing. You are pre-judged before you've opened your mouth.

The grey area in between is where Barr shoved the Baroness and where he currently occupies space. The place where your past words and deeds are taken out of the context in which they were framed, in order to beat you up in the present day, in an unconnected debate. He went after the Baroness for opposing gay marriage, at a time when it was still controversial, and when she voted with her religious conscience, as did many. He did this in order to go on the attack in support of the present day trans lobby and get her sacked from her Booker position (where her views on gay marriage are wholly irrelevant).

Arguably, Barr's own (horrible) past words are being used similarly. Some of his terminology would have been used and been acceptable when he made them. Gallows humour is common amongst edgy comedians, and even the woke ones, like Frankie Boyle. Barr said (I think) that he didn't appreciate how hurtful they were. People should be allowed to change/grow. However, since Barr likes to occupy the moral high ground on all matters LGBT+, and weaponised someone else's past to get them sacked, he cannot bleat when it happens to him too.

[BertiesLanding]

He won't reflect. He probably isn't capable of it. It's a well-known psychological defence mechanism when a person either condemns or swings to the radical defence of perceived victims of their own unconscious behaviours and beliefs. ("Reaction formation")

[SquirrelChaser]

He’s a “leading Scottish writer”? Bet there are some things he wishes he hadn’t written.

[Helmetbymidnight]

cancel culture is shit. however, who couldn't be guiltily pleased by this?

[FloralBunting]

🤣

[CatandtheFiddle]

Schadenfreude is a beautiful word ... I wonder if Mr Barr has his German dictionary to hand?

[Al1Langdownthecleghole]

Well if you insist on certain standards....

[Ameanstreakamilewide]

In honour of @Glinner, only this gif will do!




[Ameanstreakamilewide]

Drat!

[highame]

I'm still laughing and it's an hour and a half since the topic was posted

[NotBadConsidering]

I’d never even heard of him before his hypocritical Baroness attack, but this does make me snigger a little bit.

[HermioneWeasley]

What a shame!

[Odense]

@CatandtheFiddle

Schadenfreude is a beautiful word ... I wonder if Mr Barr has his German dictionary to hand?

🤣🤣🤣