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

@IAmAlwaysLikeThis
You could help yourself by not making personal attacks on anyone who disagrees with you. You referred to an acid attack as a "ridiculous extreme". You are the one with the problem here. Your faux indignation is ridiculous.

I thought she was talking about politicians generally

did she specifically name one? That's even worse.

"You could help yourself by not making personal attacks on anyone who disagrees with you. You referred to an acid attack as a "ridiculous extreme". You are the one with the problem here. Your faux indignation is ridiculous."

Personal attack?!

Where?

And I'm not trying to 'help' myself. Just giving my opinion, the same as you.

My faux indignation??? I'm the one saying I'm not bothered, so not sure where you got that from.

Is there an ignore button here?

Sucking - it wasn't just Jo Brand's word. Adrian Chiles was also there: www.theguardian.com/media/2009/feb/03/bbc-drops-carol-thatcher

Alexa there's no comparison because it's one thing to make homophobic, racist or antisemitic jokes aimed at a whole section of society and another to make one aimed at one individual.

I disagree that JB is a national treasure - that phrase is over used imo. But I wouldn't sign a petition to sack her. I think this is something the BBC ought to have cut since the BBC is supposed to be a public service broadcaster and politically impartial.
I don't think comedians should be censored in their own shows since a) the audience signs up to it knowing what they will get and b) development of comedy needs the pushing of boundaries. But I think sometimes comedians lose perspective on what is funny and they stray into areas that really just aren't funny. This Jo Brand acid joke being one. Frankie Boyles 'joke' about Katie Prices' child being another that springs to mind.

I love Jo Brand, but she does lose control of the anger sometimes. This was beneath her, even with the attempt to roll it back afterwards.

Pretty disappointing.

I’m surprised she’s not been arrested for saying that.

There's an argument to be made that the BBC has forgotten its own remit in that it no longer provides a public service which cannot be obtained elsewhere, is no longer impartial, is hypocritical, sexist and therefore no longer deserves public funding. I guess that's a separate thread though.

RosaWaiting She refers to "certain unpleasant characters". This combined with recent headlines about milkshakes being thrown narrows it down - Nigel Farage, Tommy Robinson and I believe a couple of UKIP candidates.

I have actually just dug out the clip from curiosity

I can't see any justification in comedy for this at all.

if the show isn't live, then yes, the BBC should have been responsible, edited it out, and then I'd still have her fired.

I know it's a fine line to tread but this seems several feet over the line.

Completely unacceptable. Also beside the point: we shouldn’t be making a joke of throwing anything over anybody, nor making it normal or funny to do so. Forget battery acid - it’s unacceptable to throw anything full stop.

If a woman posted on here to say her DH had thrown his drink over her in an argument, she’d be told it was abuse and assault and to leave him. Because it is. Disliking somebody’s politics doesn’t excuse assault.

Who would have thought there were so many delicate humourless flowers on MN?

I'm really surprised.

Its the editor's fault.

People can say it's a joke, but if someone does it now she will be blamed. It's such a scary thought. Being in the public eye anything you say is dissected and she should have known not to say something like that.

I wonder if she assumed they'd edit it out

Jo Brand was our of order ...

I find it surprising that NF is so up in arms when he was very quiet when a member of his former party refused to apologise when he made a ‘joke’ about raping Jess Philips ...

I think this in incident is more misogynistic than anything ...

Some idiot out there will take it seriously, and before we know it, a public figure will be maimed or killed. Personally I think this was a hate crime. Danny Baker was sacked for the monkey joke. This is worse.

I heard it when listening to the ( slightly confused but interesting) programme and it gave me a jolt. Memories must be pretty short if the awful spate of random acid throws that happened over the past couple of years in parts of London have been forgotten, let alone those used against women in abusive partner and familial relationships.

It wasn’t funny in context, it isn’t funny at all.

All the ‘ it’s just a joke, she didn’t mean it reallllly , get a life, you don’t understand comedy ‘ comments afterwards were horribly tone deaf.

I really liked her, from her original stand up, monotone personna, then to her straight acting and creation and the jolly, edgy Extra slice compère. This was vile, misjudged and she’s lost me now.

@ComtesseDeSpair

Completely unacceptable. Also beside the point: we shouldn’t be making a joke of throwing anything over anybody, nor making it normal or funny to do so. Forget battery acid - it’s unacceptable to throw anything full stop.

If a woman posted on here to say her DH had thrown his drink over her in an argument, she’d be told it was abuse and assault and to leave him. Because it is. Disliking somebody’s politics doesn’t excuse assault.

Don Macnaughton an 81 year old ex paratrooper who served for 22 years has milksahkw thrown over him. Absolutely despicable to chuck anything over anyone.

There is a split second or more when you acknowledge something Ian being thrown over you and in this day and age when acid has been used it must be very frightening as to what you are going to be doused with.

I meant to add that I completely agree with @ComtesseDeSpair

Im sorry but i think the culture of hounding comedians out of their jobs due to ill judged remarks is the tip of the iceberg in our ever decreasing freedom of speech. Robinson and Farage can pedal hate speech and call it politics but Jo brand cant make an immediately qualified off colour joke.

No she shouldn't be sacked, neither should have danny baker. Its obviously a joke. There are lots of "comedy" things i dont find funny but i dont expect people to be sacked.

No one should be making jokes about violently attacking anyone.

’Jo is a national treasure’

No she isn’t. She’s proved by this comment (and others) that she’s a bigoted moron.
And anyone defending her needs to take a long hard look at themselves.