… to ask why Giles Coren hasn’t been cancelled yet?

[mowly77]

The vile Dawn Foster tweets ffs. But he seems Teflon coated. He will never be cancelled. Three fucking columns a week … a pissing radio show, albeit on Times Radio, which surely no one listens to. I would love to be proved wrong. Absolutely love to be.

For those who want to abolish free speech, do you really think that because you shut someone up, people will not continue to think in a certain way you may not like?

Remember that you cannot kill ideas

I'm speaking in general, not condoning what GC may or may not have said BTW

Nobody wants to abolish free speech. I don't think it's ever been the case that you can say whatever you like without consequences.

I'm stunned that people are shocked by this.

@mustlovegin

Free speech has always had consequences

I don't like the sound of this, frankly

Why not? Hate speech laws make it illegal for someone to threaten or abuse someone for their race or sexuality, for example. Why should one person's wish to abuse take precedence over the other person's rights?

Cancel culture is more than just objecting to what someone says though isn't it? It's deliberately getting a large group of people together to target the person's employers and family to ensure that they don't work again.

Of course everyone trying to break into competitive fields will take every advantage they will get. But it's not unreasonable to protest against the current very unfair playing field. It's incredibly hard to break into mainstream journalism if you're not from the 'right' background and don't know the 'right' people, and our national voices are the poorer for it. It's one of the reasons we're now seeing the massive, and often harmful, backlash against 'the MSM', because the establishment press is so dominated by a small section of society and their views.

Dawn Foster's tweet was a flippant allusion to this situation. If Giles is so fragile that he can't understand the context, I'm going to go all out and call him a snowflake.

our national voices

I've heard it all now...

For those who want to abolish free speech, do you really think that because you shut someone up, people will not continue to think in a certain way you may not like?

No one is saying they want to abolish free speech, but as per usual there's a huge gulf in what some people think free speech is and what it actually is.

Everyone had the right to express themselves, their ideas, views and thoughts. No one had the right to be immune from the consequences of airing said views, ideas or thoughts.

You are perfectly entitled to hold the view that a certain race is sub-human and should be cleansed or that women are nothing more than broodmares but you are not entitled to voice those views without consequence.

There's a type of sarcastic middle aged man in my experience who likes to dish it out but can't take it.

Pound shop Jeremy Clarkson. (And he knows it, as do those who commission him) as ageing enfant terribles are a waste of column and commissioning space...

@Buccanarab

For those who want to abolish free speech, do you really think that because you shut someone up, people will not continue to think in a certain way you may not like?

No one is saying they want to abolish free speech, but as per usual there's a huge gulf in what some people think free speech is and what it actually is.

Everyone had the right to express themselves, their ideas, views and thoughts. No one had the right to be immune from the consequences of airing said views, ideas or thoughts.

You are perfectly entitled to hold the view that a certain race is sub-human and should be cleansed or that women are nothing more than broodmares but you are not entitled to voice those views without consequence.

Well by that token what GC tweeted wasnt technically hate speech.

our national voices

who are 'our' national voices?

Is it for example the American influence present in a lot of MSM, arts, and education that is constantly trying to undermine UK culture? Should we be all eager to listen to and make room for that?

It was a term I was using to try to describe the people who currently write in mainstream papers, appear on mainstream TV etc. The majority of them come from a very small section of British society.

Giles is mildly amusing. His restaurant reviewes are often funny and informative and I really liked his hotel program with Monica. I had no idea idea about his tweets until this post appeared, it looks poor, however why the poster reads them if she doesn't like the guy anyway? Personally not interested in his views on any other matters apart from hospitality industry and his employment as a restaurant critic shouldn't be terminated because of some tweets

however why the poster reads them if she doesn't like the guy anyway?

Because she doesn’t want to live in an echo chamber? Because that’s not how Twitter works?

Well by that token what GC tweeted wasnt technically hate speech.

I'm sorry but you've lost me. I didn't say it was hate speech. I said freedom of speech doesn't mean freedom from consequences.

@Buccanarab

Well by that token what GC tweeted wasnt technically hate speech.

I'm sorry but you've lost me. I didn't say it was hate speech. I said freedom of speech doesn't mean freedom from consequences.

But what "consequences" do you think someone should face from that tweet other than having people think they're an arse?

@GreyhoundG1rl well he's embarrassed his employer so there should be consequence for that.

[quote forfucksakenett]@GreyhoundG1rl well he's embarrassed his employer so there should be consequence for that. [/quote]
That's for his employer to decide.

@markmichelle

What a disappointment he must be to his late father. Alan was a humorous essayist and on quiz shows on radio I remember. One of those gentle old fashioned nice blokes.

His upbringing by his late father, and his mother too (or perhaps their LACK of involvement in his upbringing - I don’t know) is at least partly responsible for the Giles you see before you today. He behaves as is he has been utterly, utterly spoiled and has rarely been told no.

I guarantee you that he was (and still is, in fact) a spoiled, petulant brat. Nobody who posts that kind of thing on social media about a woman who has suffered ill health during her lifetime and has died tragically young can be said to be a truly good, kind person.

But what "consequences" do you think someone should face from that tweet other than having people think they're an arse?

In general it depends on the opinion. If a teacher publicly expressed a view that the age of consent should be 4 I would expect them not to be allowed to work with children.

If a MP made a comment that women who dress a certain way are asking to be raped I'd expect them to be removed from their post/party.

If a writer publicly laughs at someone's untimely passing, literally on literally on day of their passing, I'd expect them not to be given a slot in a national newspaper that claims to abide by IPSO's on privacy, harassment and intrusion into grief.

At some point he'll insult the wrong person. At some Times Christmas drinks do he'll get sozzled and start ranting at some powerful suit, accusing them of being a paedophile and whatnot, and it'll be the wrong person and suddenly he'll feel some consequences.

Perhaps.

Or maybe not and he'll keep going for another 20 years writing his columns and hosting the odd show on BBC2. Never reaching the heights he hoped. Always aware that he's in his father's shadow and his sister's shadow. GC's insecurities could not be more obvious if he went around with a neon sign above his head. Fragile and brittle little chap.

He trolled himself with antisemitism to garner sympathy. What a cunt! Antisemitism is real and terrifying. How self obsessed/drunk/high do you have to be to do this shit?

Giles mate, get help.

@Bryonyshcmyony

The Steve Martin stand up about him having sex with his cat is very funny though.

The cat might have objected though

@Buccanarab

The drum kit tweet is in poor taste, but no one thought GC was really planning to assault a child.

I just can't get my head around this viewpoint. If someone posted that their husband/son/father/brother had made a child rape "joke" there would be universal condemnation of them here.

When does it become acceptable? If you're a writer? If you have a famous dad? If you're privileged? What is the criteria that takes making child rape jokes from completely unacceptable to just a bit of a laugh?

You're wilfully missing my point, which wasn't that the drum kit tweet was acceptable, but that the Dawn Foster tweet was several orders of magnitude worse.

@Iwonder08

Giles is mildly amusing. His restaurant reviewes are often funny and informative and I really liked his hotel program with Monica. I had no idea idea about his tweets until this post appeared, it looks poor, however why the poster reads them if she doesn't like the guy anyway? Personally not interested in his views on any other matters apart from hospitality industry and his employment as a restaurant critic shouldn't be terminated because of some tweets

Totally agree.

Well, a woke left winger he is not and never will be so no surprise as the vitriol and hatred on here.

I have never been a member of or even looked at any social media sites (except MN) and have zero interest in them.

I enjoy Giles Coren's restaurant reviews and the only other thing I've seen of him was in the series Amazing Hotels with Monica Galetti, which I also enjoyed.