Dawn French

[Violetparis]

Anyone else appalled and shocked at Dawn French's social media video mocking the reaction to the terror attack in Israel on Oct 6th. What on earth was she thinking ? She comes across as horrible and lacking in any empathy. I feel sorry for the innocent people on both sides of this war, in Palestine and in Israel.

Are you able to send it to me?
it’s been deleted now.

Watch it and make your mind up.
Personally I think there were many serious attempts made to resolve the situation but various players within and outside Israel/Palestine had their reasons for wanting those attempts to fail. Hamas certainly profit very well from it continuing.

She needs to say nothing. She's a vacuous faded celebrity with the understanding of a dead snail about the incredibly complex, centuries-long conflict in the region. Who asked for her opinion? Who wants it?

Being disgusted by French's post doesn't mean you defend the actions of Netanyahu. Take, for example, the Southport stabbings last year. The resulting riots were utterly vile. But if any celebrity had responded to the riots by mocking the victims the way French has, sarcastically downplaying the original attack as a "bad thing", all hell would break loose. I doubt we'd ever see them on mainstream TV again.

wait, have I got this right?
Your justification that it's not as bad as people are saying is because she could equally be mocking the murdered Palestinians when she's doing the silly baby voice?
Oh, that makes it okay then!

Again, if her purpose was to portray third parties trying to use trope arguments to defend the indefensible, she would have used the third person/impersonal "oh but they did it first" "but but but the history"

The moment she decided to use first person "they did a bad thing to us" and "our history, our land", she was pretending to be one of the parties directly affected and mocking them. I don't see how the argument that it's actually fine because perhaps she could have been mocking dead palestinians rather than dead israelis is really a 'gotcha.'

do you not understand what "taking something at face value" actually means?

Search her name in YouTube and you'll see it.

I wasn't trying for a 'gotcha'. I was simply saying that imo what she was saying could apply to either 'side'. Both Hamas and the Israeli government have used past atrocities or they want to steal our land as excuses for extreme violence.

I personally feel that her video was about the people that make excuses for the extreme violence, not the dead victims themselves.

And yet, I see it exactly the other way around

On your first point: yes they should, if it means not going back. Some of the most elite fighter pilots wrote a letter to Netanyahu saying they wouldn’t participate any more. Soldiers in military jail temporarily is better than soldiers in Gaza.
On your second point: she can say no all she likes, as long as she doesn’t dehumanise Israelis.

Jesus fucking Christ can you hear yourself?

The moment she decided to use first person "they did a bad thing to us"

Did she say 'bad thing' or 'bad fing'?
I can't decide.

I think the poster nomas on this thread is one of the most offensive posters I've ever come across on Mumsnet. Just staggering.

Thank you, I saw it.

Dawns idiotic video is being reported on the BBC website. I can't imagine what she was thinking to post it because it is truly awful in a horrible, mean patronising way. I

I've previously rated DF and JS but I wonder if this will be DFs Gerald Ratner moment (a reference for the MN youngsters there 😂)

M&S are doing really well. They won’t want anything to do with her after this debacle.

I remember Ratners, and the gaffe made by the owner, saying they sell low quality shite basically. Didn't that finish Ratners off?!

As for Dawn French, what a silly woman. Really bad thing to say, and all these decades (more than 40 years) of successful career, and talent, and hard work is going to be flushed down the loo now.

This is all she will be remembered for now.

Dawn French is a fool.

I find her comments not only insulting to Isreal but also the Palestinians. For such hell on earth to be commented on in such a childish manner minimises the suffering the Palestianians are being subjected to.

It's utterly tactless, to even post this skit in a jokey tone, both sides should be offended.

War and death have no buisness being commented on in this manner.

Apart from the hacking attack you mean?

I was going to say that. Still no online orders and shelves half empty.
Surely they can do without French and her offensive rambles.

Not sure I agree really.

I don’t think she’s funny and I’m not a fan. But I think all the outrage at this is a bit hysterical.

She called 7th October “a bad thing”. Well, yes, it was a bad thing, it was awful.

She used a stupid voice to represent Jewish people. Well, yes, but she’s an unfunny, has-been comedian. I think she just wanted to do a stupid voice.

I don’t think she particularly cares one way or the other. I don’t think she’s anti-Semitic. I don’t think she’s pro-Palestine. I think she’s just totally wrapped up in herself and wanting to take any opportunity she can to get her camera out and film herself trying to be funny. She was trying to be relevant and made a fool of herself. I don’t think it goes any deeper than that.

'I don’t think she’s pro-Palestine'

She has their flag in her bio. Despite saying in her grovelling apology that she hasn't taken sides she doesn't have Israel's flag in her bio. Funny that.

Yes, it did finish off Ratners. From memory he made the comment at an after dinner speech I think and it was long, long before social media.

I can only imagine DF lives in a bubble where mocking terrorism, war, death etc in a silly baby voice is acceptable.

I'd find her explanation and apology alot more credible if she didn't display the Palestinian flag in her bio as well because it make it obvious it was a dig at Israel and not at both sides as she's now saying.

What a tool she is.

She put up a notice now and taken the video down

Takedown par excellence!

I've always liked her and admired her work.

I think I understand what she was trying to say. Blaming those at the top of both organisations for perpetuating the violence begun by Hamas.

She expressed herself very badly, she's usually more articulate.