To think Jo Brand should be allowed to joke about anything and everything?

[noleftturn]

I don't want to live in a world where we are all censored

*The police work in and for the society

You’ve lost me, OP.*

If the society didn't agree with the police's decisions they'd be ousted

Sometimes I hate the 21st century.

Sure she can, and people are allowed to react. That's how free speech works.

As a pp said, so then it's OK for humour like Bernard Manning's to be shown on mainstream TV, and for Jim Davidson, Chubby Brown, etc to say what they want? And Danny Baker needs reinstating after his clumsy racist 'joke?'

Or is it only left-wing comedians who can say what they like?

I suppose there is nothing wrong with attacking middle class/white males in politics, even though an acid attack is utterly horrific and NOTHING to be 'joking' about, because they are an easy target. God forbid she said this about Muslims.

I have always liked her and have always thought she is funny, but this was WELL out of order.

Some people on twitter thinks what she said was 'harmless' and 'just a joke' and what Danny Baker said about the new Royal baby was worse! Anyone who thinks what Danny Baker said, is worse than what SHE said, needs to give their head a wobble. What she said is a disgrace.

So NO she cannot say what she wants, especially, as I said, she would never have said the same thing about Muslims or other POC.

The amount of disingenuous bollocks on twitter about this is laughable. Loads of support for Jo Brand, purely because she is left-wing; from the same thick numpties who scream RACIST at Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage, but worship the ground Jeremy Corbyn walks on.

Corbyn is no better than Johnson and Farage, and is probably worse as at least you know where you are with Johnson and Farage, and they don't pretend to be something they're not. Corbyn is the most duplicitous, disingenuous, fake bullshitting piece of crud in politics IMO.

If the society didn't agree with the police's decisions they'd be ousted

Well, let me know when the revolution comes. In the meantime, they will make this decision.

So is it just comedians that should be allowed to make jokes that cross the line?

Should they get protected status?

No, I don’t think Jo Brand, or anyone else for that matter, should be allowed to joke about ‘anything and everything’.
Some things are just not funny and making a ‘joke’ about attacking someone with acid is one of those things. She was very irresponsible imo. It was very bad taste.
I doubt anyone who has been the victim of an acid attack would see the humorous side of this ‘joke’ just as a victim of sexual abuse or rape wouldn’t find someone ‘joking’ about that amusing either.

The joke isn’t actually funny.

It could have been told so much better if you replaced battery acid with BS then you could have smelled them coming and made your escape or something like that,

I am no comedian (as you can tell) but battery acid would only be funny if it involved a robot or something metal otherwise it doesn’t make sense

OP you think "Society" would oust the Police?

How does that work then?

I heard the original broadcast and thought the comment was crass and in very bad taste even for an edgy comedian on an edgy programme. Free speech is not a licence to gratuitously offend.

Sure she can, and people are allowed to react. That's how free speech works

She’s said it, and people are free to disagree with her, as they are doing. It was a stupid, nasty thing to say.

But this isn’t a police matter. Everyone is free to now disagree with Jo Brand and tell her why they think she’s wrong. This is how it should be. It isn’t a crime to be stupid, or to be unpleasant, or to have bad ideas, or to have a funny five minutes and say something you later regret.

Who should be the arbiter of ‘correct’ speech? The government? The police? The army? The Twitter mob?

It wasn’t funny, which is what a joke is meant to be.

Neither, as DM would say, was it big or clever.

Which is a great shame, as Jo is far better than that.

But it's not really a 'joke' is it?
It's not funny.

And just suppose some warped individual decides to do it? God knows acid attacks do happen and he could be attacked like that. It's not beyond the realms of possibilty as a high profile disliked person.

I like Jo but she shouldn't have said it.

Jo Brand is currently being investigated by the Met for 'inciting violence.' Joke or not, it is being taken seriously.

www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/jo-brand-investigated-by-met-police-over-bbc-battery-acid-joke/ar-AACPIU1?MSCC=1560448947&ocid=spartandhp

Not sure it's going to go anywhere, but there ya go!

Free speech is not a licence to gratuitously offend

Of course it is! Otherwise it wouldn’t be free speech! You have the perfect right to say anything you please. It might not make you a pleasant person in my opinion, but you sure as hell have the right to say it! Offence is taken, not given.

I agree, people should be able to make jokes, but there is a lot of people now wanting this who wanted the Pug Guy arrested.

Common sense will take hold once again, but at the minute the backlash against Brand is wanting the law applied evenly which some where more than happy to champion when it was against the other side

You have the perfect right to say anything you please.

I want you to walk into your workplace tomorrow and have a crack at that and see how far it gets you.

Should she have made this joke? No.
Should the police be spending time investigating her? Also no.
This is a classic case of the police intruding where social disapproval is quite capable of dealing with the problem.

OP you think "Society" would oust the Police?

How does that work then?

I mean, the police are there only to implement what society views as acceptable/right. They aren't a separate entity. I can't get my views down properly! It's so frustrating

I like Jo Brand, alot, but lets be honest her joke was not remotely funny. Not in the least. It was not a 'joke'.

Secondly given what happened with Jo Cox I don't know how anyone in their right mind could do this. The climate of fear and febrile atmosphere at the moment, I think she has been very foolish indeed.

I suspect it’s the acid that’s got people so angry. If she’d said dog shit most people would have nodded in agreement.

Even in the interests of self preservation she should not have said this. If anyone were to happen now she would be held responsible.

The police are not there to implement what society thinks is right. They are there to enforce the criminal law. The criminal law sets the standard below which conduct should not fall without risk of penalty, up to and including imprisonment. Jo brands joke, tasteless and stupid though it is, does not begin to approach that level.
The police need to deal with real crime not soft targets.

I listened to the show when it was broadcast. I think she made a comment later saying 'don't throw acid folks'. It was clear from the context of the show that it was not intended to be taken seriously and was just a cheap joke. If Jimmy Carr is allowed to make his jokes about rape then I don't think it's very different to that to be honest.

Interestingly enough they had a section later in the show about what kind of jokes are acceptable.

I think the trans debate has changed things for me, I think it has really re-emphasised the importance of free speech, even if you disagree with what someone says. If you deny free speech that can always be turned against you.

I loathe Nigel Farage and frankly I wouldn't spit on him if he was on fire, but an acid attack is all too sadly within the realm of possibility in the UK at the moment. That's why I don't think it's funny or acceptable.

Several politicians have received credible death threats in the past few months and as we all know, one was murdered just three years ago. And acid attacks on members of the public are far from unheard of. I wouldn't exactly liken Brand's comment to shouting 'Fire!' in a crowded theatre, but at best it's irresponsible.