AIBU to find this " Best Gag of the Edinburgh Festival in poor taste?

[speakout]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-49389208

I have seen and read this "joke " repeated several times on TV in the past few days and find it in very poor taste. Newsreaders on TV have been chuckling. Tourette's can be a serious and debilatating condition and sufferers have huge challenges in everyday life. Surely we are a bit more grown up these days than to poke fun at people with a neurological condition?
Is is just me being stuffy?

The problem with the joke is it’s targeting An easy group to make fun of. Tourette’s is a complex condition and most people don’t understand it - they just think a sufferers inability to control their words or actions is some bizarre life choice.

Secondly it starts in childhood - and children cannot speak up for themselves as adults can. How many other childhood illnesses get laughed at?

Thirdly not one of those other jokes targeted a minority issue. Not a single joke about Transgender people. No one would be brave enough.

Do you remember the last time you laughed at a person with Parkinson’s/ Dementia/ Cerebral Palsy - of course you don’t.

My children hide their Tourette’s in public precisely because of attitudes aligned with this joke. Most of our immediate family won’t even acknowledge their illness because our relatives are so conscious of the stigma.

It’s not being professionally offended, it’s being sick of the some people’s attitude to one condition that it is still acceptable to make fun of.

That’s why it’s offensive.

I am also with @MrsTWH you are being over sensitive OP.

Get a life.

Jess Thom is the woman with "Biscuit!" and body armour isn't she? She's ace, very entertaining to listen to and the opposite of precious about having Tourette's. If she doesn't like it that's enough for me.

I thought it was funny. But humour is subjective and what a boring place if we all found the same thing funny.

Are specsavers ads offensive too? If you think about it they are making fun of people who wear glasses. Do the ads offend partially sighted people? Many medical conditions can cause eyesight to deteriorate. It was a joke about veg, i really don't get why it's so offensive. Its shit but not offensive

@LadyRannaldini

Do be careful with saying that people get on their hind legs. I posted that same phrase today and somebody hopped on-quoted the 'get on their hind legs' with the comment that it was disgustingly offensive.

OP. Of course, you are being unreasonable. Unclench your buttocks and get out a bit more.

It's just a play on words. I think those are generally considered to be inoffensive. He isn't saying anything negative about people with Tourettes.

Like that Jason Manford joke about Muslim weather either being Sunni or Shiite. It's not derogatory or saying anything negative about Muslims, it's just a play on words.

I suppose some people will still find it offensive but I think the majority of people wouldn't.

What exactly can people make a joke about now? Perhaps a list could be supplied.

It's not offensive but it's not all that good of a joke

I loved the Eton one

"I've got an Eton-themed advent calendar, where all the doors are opened for me by my dad's contacts"

It was a shit joke. There were far funnier ones.

Secondly it starts in childhood - and children cannot speak up for themselves as adults can. How many other childhood illnesses get laughed at?

I think this poster above made a good and sobering point.

Surely we are above laughing at disabilities now?

If you disagree you should really check yourself.

Good grief OP have a

Apart from the fact that the joke isn't particularly funny (imho), I think the UK Tourette's Association's point was partly that it was yet another joke about Tourette's, when the syndrome seems to be the constant butt of jokes.

You're just nasty sending biscuits. You need to learn some empathy and grow up.

I agree with @happysummer2020, @pannalash is really taking the biscuit... Sorry couldn't resist!

The one about the anti depressants made me laugh out loud this morning.

I’ve had anxiety since childhood, and am on anti-depressants. I’m not offended by the joke that came second. It made me smile.

Surely, everyone can be offended by something? Jesus, I’m a ginger woman from Hull, who has anxiety. If I hadn’t developed the ability to laugh at myself life would be very difficult, considering the amount of ammo I give comedians just by existing.

People need to learn not to take everything personally.

Jesus - I’ve heard it all now. OP, lock yourself away from the world if you find this joke offensive. You’ll combust if you hear about really offensive things happening!

Wow. The professionally unoffended do feel they have the right to be as rude as they like, don’t they? It’s almost as if they suspect anyone who raises the slightest concern about something like this of being a vegan!

I don't know if it's offensive but it's definitely not very funny anyway.

Would I repeat it to a person with Tourette's......No....so that probably says that I think it could be offensive and insensitive.

I think if a comedian has to make jokes about disabilities, then they're a bit rubbish really.

I know a few people who say you should be able to make jokes about absolutely everything but they tend to have some 'interesting' views things and are not people that I have much in common with.

Not just bad taste but I think all of the best 10 jokes are just poor quality, I think the jokes on the back of penguin wrappers are better!

Jesus - I’ve heard it all now. OP, lock yourself away from the world if you find this joke offensive. You’ll combust if you hear about really offensive things happening!

Have some compassion. Think of parents in this position. How would you feel?

I assume you'd have really hated Dawn French's MN webchat way back in the day....

Reggiee: Could you tell me your favourite funniest joke?

Dawn: Ok here goes... it's in extremely poor taste so forgive: Old MacDonald had Tourette's - E I, E I, cock.

Think of parents in this position. How would you feel?

The same as I feel about autism - sometimes the black humour gets me through the fucking day. As shown beautifully in There She Goes with David Tennant/Jessica Hynes.