To be appalled at R4 broadcasting a comment from the perve who liked to have coffee at the same time as the breastfeeding group?

[MelangeATrois]

Just listening to R4 PM. They were on about that coffee shop in Berlin which has banned buggies (biscuit for them).

A few listener comments were broadcast. One was from a bloke who didn't want buggies banned from coffee shops as that would have meant no "yummy mummies" (said in pervy voice by voiceoverman) and no breastfeeding club. Apparently the listener was a faithful customer of his local coffee shop because of this in his student days.

The man is a twat, clearly, but why did Radio 4 broadcast such shite?

Trying to appeal to a wider demographic?

YABU to call someone "a perve" based on this,

This joke was on 8 out of 10 cats the other night

This cafe was on PM for ages on Wednesday. Didn't realise we were in the middle of a news drought

Sounds like the presence of Jane Garvey wouldn't have gone amiss tonight.

OP didn't call anyone a perve, just described a tone of voice.

Totally agree OP - it was horrible, and then Eddie Mair made a joke, but not exactly at the expense of the bloke.

I have complained to the BBC. I mentioned how I thought it promoted the view that breastfeeding in public was a provocative or sexual act.

I did say perve in the title actually but someone who gets his kicks from watching someone breastfeed their child is a perve in my view.

I agree with you OP & thought the same. Sexualisation. Unnecessary of R4.

That cockney bloke made that joke on 8 out of 10 cats the other day. Micky Flanagan I think is his name?
I don't think it would've bothered me before I breastfeed but now it really irritates me!
I think it's a gross thing to say. Feeding your child isn't sexual!

Totally agree. I sent PM a comment about the item yesterday as yet another mum-bashing story. I couldn't believe they read that yuk letter out. Going to complain properly now along the lines of what melange said. Huff!

Heard it driving home from work today and was really shocked that it was read out as a funny story. Am going to complain too.

Mickey Flanagan said that?

He's a comedian, what they say isnt real. Its supposed to shock.

I love Micky Flanagan!

I mentioned how I thought it promoted the view that breastfeeding in public was a provocative or sexual act.

How does it? It's one, slightly weird, bloke's view. I'd say he probably needs to get out more and would cringe a bit for him, but I don't see how his single opinion promotes anything other than his oddness.

And I say this as someone who freely breastfed in cafes whenever the need arose.

Somerset.

Its not the individual bloke's view that promotes this but the way his view was normalised by Radio 4. His comment was read out as a jokey item, making it seem acceptable in a 'this is just what young guys do' kind of way.

If the comment had been read out and then the presenters had discussed it that might have been OK, but they didn't.

Not one slightly weird bloke- he said he and a group of student mates used to specifically go to a coffee shop to ogle the breastfeeding club. Given the fact that the item was nothing to do with breastfeeding, I do think his letter being broadcast was gratuitous at best.

I don't get it. Breasts aren't visible when breastfeeding. I bf for years without exposing myself in public.

I heard that too and was really taken aback that the presenter didn't add some snarky comment afterwards.

OK, I didn't hear the broadcast, so I'm probably not best placed to comment.

I don't get it either - the amount of boob actually exposed when feeding is so minimal as to be pretty much non-existent. These guys must be desperate for a thrill...

Carabos Yeah, I freely breastfed as well, hopefully without flashing too much flesh (2 tops system learnt from mumsnet!) so I don't actually know what the bloke would have been looking at. Eek! Maybe it was a Radio 4 troll?!

As you say, Somerset, one wierdo and his mates, fair enough, but I was more bothered about Radio 4 "normalising" ( ta Beatrice! ) his view by reading his strange story out.

Not usually one for taking offence or complaining to the BBC either. Just glad it wasn't just me who noticed it