Is Sir Michael Parkinson within his rights?

[flaviaritt]

Says men are funnier than women. He says, ‘It's a very contentious statement, but they're much better'.

My view is that, by the age of 85, if you think men are funnier than women, it’s just your opinion based on your experience and nobody should be getting riled up about it.

Reasonable?

he's being a sexist twat

He can say what he likes. It's not true and only makes him look a prick, but I cba to care much. His opinions are fairly irrelevant to my life.

He can say it. It makes me dislike him though.

It actually doesn’t make me dislike him. It makes me like him a bit more.

My eXH worked in a shop during his student days. He once served Michael Parkinson and said he was an arrogant twat. He had reserved an item and when eXH asked what the name was he replied as if to say “don’t you know who I am?” Arsehole.

Former famous person in desperate fight to be relevant by ‘owning the libs’ shocker!

He has a right to express his view. I have a right to think he is a sexist twat.

Well he's never met me and I'm fucking hilarious actually. It's a bullshit statement unless he's met every single person in the world and clarified their humour. Also a humour is subjective so there's that too. He's entitled to an opinion but that's a statement not an opinion.

He can say what he wants.

People will base their opinion of him on what he says though.

He's entitled to an opinion but that's a statement not an opinion.

I don’t see the difference. He’s stating an opinion.

YANBU It's his opinion. Maybe he knows a lot of funny men, or is more a fan of male comedians, I don't think I can bring myself to get bothered about it either way though.

My father is 80 and he would probably say the same TBH. Is that ageist-I am not sure?

Have you seen that awful interview where he salivates over Helen Mirren?

He's a sexist old man, who doesn't understand, or more likely doesn't listen, to feminine humour.

Well I disagree with him.
But he is well within his rights to say it, and I cannot get upset about in the least.
Humour is subjective.
I cannot control what other people find funny and I dont want to anyway.

I suppose he is allowed to say he's found men to be funnier than women; it's an observation he's made according to his sense of humour.

I've known more funny men than funny women, but that proves nothing other than my sense of humour is probably on the wonk.

Have you seen that awful interview where he salivates over Helen Mirren?

No. I can’t bear Helen Mirren.

It’s such a nakedly obvious attempt to try and jump on the anti-woke wagon to start a Twitter beef and get an opinion piece in The Mail that I’m actually embarrassed for him. Times must be pretty hard. Maybe some investments have gone wrong and he needs to generate headlines to open up new opportunities.

He's entitled to his opinion but I'm not sure there's any point in him airing them. Not surprised he holds these views as I'm pretty sure I've read some not nice things about him.

I think it’s a bit sad really. If you live to your 80s without understanding that being funny/having a good sense of humour isn’t exclusive to either gender then that’s impressive, particularly for someone whose job it was to talk to people!

I do think some men put women in a box. Good for nurturing/caring/loving, and men are good for friendship/fun/laughter.

But I’m not offended by what an old man thinks.

He’s entitled to his opinion

I’m entitled to think he’s a sexist dick

🤷🏻‍♀️

I find some people funny and others not so good, if you want to categorise comedians by what they have in their pants...

If you live to your 80s without understanding that being funny/having a good sense of humour isn’t exclusive to either gender then that’s impressive, particularly for someone whose job it was to talk to people!

I don’t think it’s a matter of understanding anything. It’s completely subjective, isn’t it? He finds men funnier than women.

Ridiculous. I say he can think it but he should keep his thoughts to himself when they are sexist. He would not be able to say white men are funnier than black men.

He's allowed his thoughts. I disagree with him, as I'm sure many others do. I doubt he cares that it makes him sound like a dotty, sexist old man, and therefore doesn't have much influence on anyone with his views.

He comes from an era where men where the biggest part of the comedy/entertainment circuit and women were just there to look pretty/be a prop. It's a shame he couldn't change his thoughts over time, or recognise why there are less women in comedy because of this mentality rather than 'women are less funny' is a fact, but there we go.

He would not be able to say white men are funnier than black men.

What would prevent him?

Am I the only person who didn't realise MP was still alive.