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Jo Brand and battery acid comment

174 replies

decisionsindecisions · 13/06/2019 12:20

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

OP posts:
RiftGibbon · 13/06/2019 15:47

To add something of a vague balance - Farage is in favour of relaxing gun laws, and has said he would 'pick up a rifle and head for the front lines' if he doesn't get the Brexit outcome he wants.

floribunda18 · 13/06/2019 15:50

I find it in poor taste but it doesn't cross the line of inciting someone to hatred or violence, for me.

KnittingForMittens · 13/06/2019 15:54

She should've think before she spoke. It's an absolute insult to real acid attack victims.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Theatre
comoagua · 13/06/2019 15:55

I love her but this was too far and a horrible remark - that said, I’m in favour of second chances for anyone apologising for things that were ill considered on the hoof remarks as this was, for politicians or comedians. People get flustered and say things they don’t mean to convey fully sometimes.

We live in a trial by media culture and actions and people’s full careers are more important than a one off ill chosen remark.

1forAll74 · 13/06/2019 15:55

Of course it was very bad taste for Joe Brand to joke about an acid attack, but she often ad libs about the most outrageous things, but that's her style sometimes, but she is also known for her very caring nature and charity work. She will obviously feel bad about her mistake now, so hope there will be no serious repercussions for her.

NotAnActualSheep · 13/06/2019 15:56

She definitely said she thought milkshakes were pathetic and people should use something more effective, like battery acid. The audience sounded a bit shocked

No, she said "milkshakes are pathetic" but said absolutely nothing about battery acid being more effective... That is just what you imply from the structure of the joke. Of course the audience sounded shocked, cos its was a close to the bone with acid attacks being a really horrible thing (though having a milkshake chucked is hardly pleasant, and rightly classed as abuse... so obviously not "pathetic" by my understanding. Should she be criticised for underestimating the mental or potential physical harm done by milkshake-throwers?). She wasn't instructing or recommending people did anything of the sort (milkshake or acid) , and she even said (as if it needed saying) it wasn't something she was planning!

And I don't think I've ever used "milkshake" as many times in a paragraph...

Fibbke · 13/06/2019 16:15

What were her exact words does anyone know

Although we are splitting hairs here, it was more than clear what she meant which is why the audience sounded so shocked.

It was a weird program anyway, half testy and serious, half 'funny'

Fibbke · 13/06/2019 16:19

"Replying to a question about the state of UK politics, she said: “Well, yes I would say that but that’s because certain unpleasant characters are being thrown to the fore and they’re very, very easy to hate and I’m kind of thinking: ‘Why bother with a milkshake when you could get some battery acid?”"

floribunda18 · 13/06/2019 16:37

It was a weird program anyway, half testy and serious, half 'funny'

It's called satire.

Fibbke · 13/06/2019 16:47

Yes, well done floribunda!

NotAnActualSheep · 13/06/2019 17:04

Taking the entirity of her contribution to that question/ statement, that we are united in feeling we are living through a terrible time from a parliamentary point of view, she said something like:

Well yes, I would say that, but I think that's because certain unpleasant characters are being thrown to the fore and they’re very, very easy to hate. And I’m kind of thinking, 'why bother with a milkshake when you could get some battery acid' ? That’s just me. I’m not going to do it, it’s purely a fantasy. But I think milkshakes are pathetic, I honestly do. Sorry.

Which I think is very different from the first sentence in isolation

Burpsandrustles · 13/06/2019 17:08

In light of how frighteningly easy it is to access acid, the sheer volume of attacks we have seen in recent years regarding it, I think it's an awful dreadful comment to make.

SinisterBumFacedCat · 13/06/2019 17:11

Does anyone seriously think Jo Brand is any threat to Farage etc? Compared to Tommy Robinson with a history of violent offences, including head butting some guy at the weekend, or Farage without his “not one shot fired” comments literally weeks after Jo Cox was murdered by a far right supremacist his party was encouraging?

Burpsandrustles · 13/06/2019 17:12

The full transcript is even worse. .

She's saying it's a fantasy of her's to see battery acid thrown at farage.

Just awful.

BlueberrySkies · 13/06/2019 17:13

Smoke and mirrors (again)

I care more about what comes out of the mouths of Boris Johnson, Donald Trump and Nigel farage. They are the ones spouting racist homophobic, misogynistic language from a point of power, yet people seem oblivious. Far more scary than a throwaway joke (Or 'joke', if you prefer).

Justanotherlurker · 13/06/2019 17:13

Being investigated as a hate crime now

mobile.twitter.com/SkyNewsBreak/status/1139196253873553414

It was a terrible joke, but this weaponisation of crappy laws for political ends is as damaging as was predicted.

NotAnActualSheep · 13/06/2019 17:14

Sorry, that posted before I'd finished! I was going to say it's basically irrelevant whether we find it funny or not. It was on a comedy show, and the BBC deemed it appropriate to broadcast in that context, and the audience laughed quite a lot, even if in a shocked way. It's not something I would say in that situation, but it is a perfectly valid thing to say in the context of comedy testing boundaries/ walking along tight lines of tastelessness. If Tommy Robinson had been commissioned to appear on the same show and made a joke about throwing battery acid at a Muslim leader I would, I confess be a bit more sceptical given his previously expressed views... But for that reason it would be very unlikely to be a decision a commissioning editor would make. JB is not known for her violence-inciting views, but is known for not being afraid to say controversial things in a "funny", or at least thought provoking if you don't find her funny, way.

BlueberrySkies · 13/06/2019 17:14

In fact, what was it they all said about guns again 🤔 (rhetorical question).

DaisiesAreOurSilver · 13/06/2019 17:15

She's saying it's a fantasy of her's to see battery acid thrown at farage.

No she isn't. Get a grip. You sound ridiculous. Are you always this literal? Grown ups usually aren't.

dottiedodah · 13/06/2019 17:16

Agree with CrossPelican have also found her to be somewhat abrasive .Often funny but does cross a line sometimes .This time has definitely gone too far .

isadoradancing123 · 13/06/2019 17:20

How could anyone think that what she said is funny

comoagua · 13/06/2019 17:21

It was clearly a joke that fell a bit flat and came out wrong as many do but there’s no motive there for inciting a hate crime, how silly

Whydoesitalwaysdothis · 13/06/2019 17:21

I agree with your comments also I wanna. I really like her but this comment is really offensive.

NotAnActualSheep · 13/06/2019 17:24

She's saying it's a fantasy of her's to see battery acid thrown at farage.
No, she's not saying that. She's saying it is a fantasy to throw battery acid at unpleasant (political) characters that are very very easy to hate. Obviously we link that to the attack on farage, but it seems more likely to be a comment on how we are being provoked to react (in fantasy, not real life, as she's stated) to the "divisive" nature of today's politics. Like the question she was responding to.

ineedaknittedhat · 13/06/2019 17:33

I like jo brand, but I don't think she should have said this. Attacks on people aren't funny, especially in this volatile climate.