Jo Brand and battery acid comment

[decisionsindecisions]

I love Jo Brand. I love her stand up comedy and I think she's great when she presents HIGNFY.

I don't know what to make of this comment that she has apparently made regarding throwing battery acid instead of milkshake. Some people are saying this is comedy. Some people are disgusted by the comment. I sit somewhere in the middle of this. I think it's in poor taste and to be honest I am surprised that someone of her obvious intelligence would say something like this. But at the same time we live in a free society.

I just wondered what people on here think about it?

www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/jo-brand-sparks-fury-by-saying-politicians-should-have-battery-acid-thrown-at-them-instead-of-a4165941.html

Apologies if there is a thread about this already. I did a quick search and I couldn't find anything. But then I am having a skive at work so my search was not very thorough.

I heard this and thought it was pretty distasteful. I was suprised at her tbh.

I think she has seriously overstepped (and I despise her target)

I can't get too fussed about it.

She’s awful and whilst I believe in freedom of speech, a comment like that made by someone in the public eye could be viewed as inciting hatred and supporting a criminal act.

If I was to say the same thing there is a chance I would be investigated so she should be too.

The problem is the left wing are full of hate to anyone who doesn’t feel the same way they do.

I think its highly irresponsible. Was it meant to be funny? Because it's not.

Acid destroys lives, maybe she should read Katie Pipers biography.

That's kind of where I am too. I don't think it's ok to say that about anyone, regardless of their political opinions. I don't agree with very much that most politicians say and do (particularly at the moment) but surely if it's ok to say it about Nigel Farage, which I assume is who she was getting at, then it's ok to say it about any public figure who we don't agree with.

Funny.

Horrible thing to say. I've always found Jo Brand highly abrasive though.

The thing is, comedy is supposed to be funny. There's nothing funny about someone having acid thrown over them. No matter what their politics.

"The comic then went on to immediately make clear she was joking and criticised the milkshake stunts.

"That's just me. I'm not going to do it," she said. "It's purely a fantasy, but I think milkshakes are pathetic, I honestly do, sorry."

Her follow-up comments were edited out of widely-shared clips on social media. "

Note the last bit.

I am on the left but think it’s appauling. There are unhinged nutters out there who don’t need any ideas. I don’t think she should be fired but we the increase in acid attacks I don’t think it’s something to joke about.

I was listening to the programme in the car and did take a sharp intake of breath when I heard her comment. I like Jo and thought this was beneath her. Plus it wasn't funny. Imagine if Tommy Robinson had said it 'as a joke'.

The problem is the left wing are full of hate to anyone who doesn’t feel the same way they do

I don't think it's funny but I also don't agree with freedom of speech being curtailed.

She's obviously not literally saying 'go and throw battery acid on people', she's saying 'I really hate those people'. People are obviously not stupid enough to mix those two things up.

Personally I think the milkshake throwing thing is bullshit, I hate Farage et al as much as the next person, but it's just childish to throw stuff and makes the left look moronic.

That's the thing with anyone who is "quoted" as saying something. They almost always follow up their nasty comments with something that is supposed to excuse what they said in the first place. Why anyone would want to conflate milkshake with battery acid, when the two liquids would have entirely different outcomes if thrown over someone, I really don't know.

As I say, I like Jo Brand. She is funny and I enjoy her wit and sarcasm but I don't know, this just seems to be a stupid thing to say.

I despise hate speech and, taken at face value, this seems to be just that. I like Jo B though, and think she often speaks sense regarding women in society even if her political stance is not identical to mine.
I am a regular listener to the Radio 4 programme and heard this episode, and her comments passed me by at the time of listening as just the tone of Heresy. Not sure what that says about me.
This was more than ill-judged, and really should have been left on the cutting room floor in a pre-recorded programme...

I've always liked Jo Brand but this comment isn't funny. Not after what happened to Jo Cox. If you disagree with a politician, tell them so. Don't advocate a physical attack on them. OP, we don't live in a free society because you can't just chuck acid over someone you dislike. What if someone said this about you or a member of your family?

"Why anyone would want to conflate milkshake with battery acid, when the two liquids would have entirely different outcomes if thrown over someone, I really don't know."

That's kind of the point of the joke though. It's taking things to a ridiculous extreme.

I know you can't throw battery acid over people. That is not what I meant. Free society as in free speech. And I don't agree with what she said. I think I was conflicted because I like her. I usually find her very funny. But I don't find this funny.

@IAmAlwaysLikeThis
It isn't a joke and acid attacks aren't ridiculous. They ruin lives.

First rule of comedy is that the joke needs to actually be funny. This isn't. I think about Katie Piper and all the other people who have had acid thrown at them and I think joking about this is grotesque.

I also think this is one of those things that has a nugget of meaning behind the 'joke'. Iirc it's not the first time she's said something in this vein about people she dislikes.

For me it comes down to fairness. Either everyone gets the right to be as rude and offensive as they like or no one does. I don't agree with the current situation where the left wing think they have carte blanche to throw milkshakes at people and joke about battery acid but at the same time complain at people like Nigel Farage saying things they personally don't like.
I believe in legal freedom to say what you like but also taking the personal responsibility to not abuse it. Right to free speech doesn't overrule another person's right to go about their business without being interested with by the rude behaviour of others. Jo Brand showed huge lack of judgement and responsibility.

If someone had said this about her, would she still think it funny?

IWanna completely agree with all of your post.

If she was talking about Corbyn she'd be vilified by now.

Comments like hers will be enough to convince lunatics to do something as abhorrent as she suggests.