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AIBU?

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Original poster

Aibu to want this presenter fired...

324 replies

Princess28 · 12/08/2015 20:07

I'm all for freedom of speech but I think as a radio presenter on BBC you do need to have some standards. He describes (from minutes 9-12) how breastfeeding is 'unnatural' and 'guys' don't want to see it in public. He describes a situation on a bus with a larger lady breastfeeding. He's not a rent a gob guest- he's the presenter. So aibu to want him off the airwaves?

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02y4dz4

OP posts:
Bakeoffcake · 13/08/2015 07:18

"He's entitled to his opinion"

Not necessarily. We like freedom of speech in the UK, thank god, but everyone has their limits.

He should be made to apologise for spouting such rubbish. And he should be made aware of the law on BFing.

Bakeoffcake · 13/08/2015 07:32

Just read the FB page. He is indeed a complete twat.

He's all offended at being called a cuntGrin.

Bakeoffcake · 13/08/2015 07:34

Sorry pressed too soon.

He thinks it's ok to say "chubby chavs shouldn't BF in public" but finds "cunt" offensiveHmm.

Can you get him in for a webchat MNHQ?

thehypocritesoaf · 13/08/2015 07:37

He's entitled to be publicly funded to spout sexist untruths on the radio?
O-kayyy

Booboostwo · 13/08/2015 07:42

Having an opinion s one thing, expressing it is another and the means by which it is expressed are crucial. This is not a private person expressing his opinion in a private context, he is a presenter, using the public broadcaster to spout this nonsense quite far and wide. He will have an editor and a director of programming who are both responsible for the content of what is broadcast by the BBC as it reflects the BBC. This is not a guest expressing an opinion but someone who works for the organisation and therefore represents it.

Bakeoffcake · 13/08/2015 07:45

And we're paying him to spout that rubbish! So no, he isn't entitled to express that mysoginistic crap.

JonSnowKnowsNowt · 13/08/2015 08:09

this guy sounds like a bit of a neanderthal

I doubt neanderthals had any issue with public breastfeeding! Perhaps he's more of a non-mammal. Reptile sounds about right :)

BlueAcres · 13/08/2015 08:12

People mistake freedom of speech for not being pulled up on anything you say. He's entitled to freedom of speech, he can express any opinion he likes, he's not entitled to protection from the consequences of the opinion he chooses to express though, which is a vital difference. Everyone can say what they like but if that happens to be something offensive or illegal there's going to be consequences and if they are losing your job then so be it. If I went on the radio and had a huge public rant at my female breastfeeding boss because she was 'being unnatural and shouldn't be doing it in public because she didn't look classy' etc I wouldn't expect to get away with it so why should he - spouting hate about at whole 'genre' of women is even worse than doing it at one, not better.

mollie123 · 13/08/2015 08:24

'a petition' really Shock - are there not more important things to petition about
yes women have a right to breastfeed - and this is protected in law
but he is not 'stopping' a woman breastfeeding, he is not singling out a BF mother and harassing her, he is 'expressing an opinion' and calling for him to be fired will not change his opinion one iota.

NickiFury · 13/08/2015 08:25

He's been taken off the air so seemingly many agree with you OP, as do I.

thehypocritesoaf · 13/08/2015 08:26

I'm sure the people who sign this petition can worry about other things too. Are you genuinely concerned they won't be able to?

Is it very important to you that paid broadcasters can insult a vulnerable group of society?

NickiFury · 13/08/2015 08:27

Oh and I am not at all surprised you've been slated and ridiculed by some, it's the AIBU default position, no matter how reasonable the OP is.

Kampeki · 13/08/2015 08:28

Why do people never see that there's a difference between being entitled to an opinion and being entitled to be given a very public platform to express that opinion? The former is a genuine entitlement, the latter definitely isn't.

This^

I'm amazed at some of the earlier responses on this thread, tbh. I absolutely don't expect a presenter on a publicly funded channel to spout views of this nature, and I find it unacceptable. I can't understand the comments saying "it's just his opinion". Surely there are loads of "opinions" that a presenter wouldn't be able to express.

We need to be making it easier for women to breast feed in this country, not harder!

Kampeki · 13/08/2015 08:30

Ah, just seen that he has been taken off the air. Good.

Hamiltoes · 13/08/2015 08:31

No mollie but it will reduce his platform to spout that opinion.

And yes he does single out breastfeeding women and harrass them, three seperate women were spoken about and pretty much ripped apart on the radio.

He actually made the point that all breastfeeding mothers should have to hang signs around their neck so they don't offend anyone who accidentally looks and so people can spot them easily and stay away from them.

You can't see how this opinion goes much further than just being offensive? You don't think this sort of opinion is dangerous to be spreading?

NormanLamont · 13/08/2015 08:32

The last time I drove through the Solent area, I thought that station was a spoof programme and then I couldn't turn it off. They ONLY employ idiot presenters I think; There's a creepy murmury 'guy' who plays golden oldies and someone whose name actually rhymes with Partridge.

Catsize · 13/08/2015 08:33

Disgusting comments - especially to those who want to breastfeed but fear people think like this.
Only babies with slim mothers of a certain social class can benefit from breastfeeding?
The BBC has employed this man, and we are paying for it in many ways.
Oh, and his hair is 'unnatural'.

NormanLamont · 13/08/2015 08:34

Maybe the whole station is someone's private joke?

Pneumometer · 13/08/2015 08:35

Ah, just seen that he has been taken off the air. Good.

Have you got a link? He's still listed as "next up" on the BBC page.

Kampeki · 13/08/2015 08:39

No link Pneu, I'm going on what NickiFury said further up the thread.

NickiFury · 13/08/2015 08:43

I can't see it now but it came up on my FB feed. Sorry, hope I am not giving false information :-/

lemoncordial · 13/08/2015 08:47

I listened to the show before signing the petition. I wanted to hack my own ears off after listening to that. He's arguments make no sense at all. The bit about him not knowing where to look when someone breastfed on the bus because the bus was too busy was especially stupid. Does he not know how eyeballs work? They can rotate!

I agree with pp who said his comments reeked of hate speech. Sounded like misogyny to me. I agree this is inappropriate for a broadcaster and he should be sacked.

haveabreakhaveakitkat · 13/08/2015 08:47

I listen to him most days and he gets some interesting debates going. He calls himself a 'shock jock', taking opinions to the extreme to provoke reactions. Regular listeners realise the point of the show, so I can understand why people who don't listen regularly will be outraged.

However, in this instance, I think he did overstep the mark with his BF comments. I'm surprised that such an intelligent man thought it would be a good idea to be so extreme with something as emotive as breast feeding. I'll be listening in at 10am to see how he deals with the backlash.

NickiFury · 13/08/2015 08:48

Found it, sorry was a petition with change.org Blush

Here's hoping anyway. He's being criticised on his FB page too.

PeppaWellington · 13/08/2015 09:08

I only listened to a little bit of the broadcast.

he is a tragic Smashy and Nicey plop-jock has-been with a truly dreadful haircut, utterly behind the times, and unable to think beyond his own opinion

And I know we shouldn't judge people on their looks, but he chooses that feathered highlighted 80s bob and I think that kind of narcissistic self unawareness (because you don't go to that much trouble with your hair unless you think it looks delightful) is indicative of a deluded egotist. I mean, he really has a face for radio. And the brain of a sea slug. We are talking about a man who said 'the bus was packed, i didn't know where to look' - HE IS TOO STUPID TO KNOW HOW TO CLOSE HIS EYES.

I too think that his sermon there is wrong for presenter, that's what you get some rentagob guest on for.

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