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AIBU?

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Original poster

Lenny Henry on BBC Breakfast

72 replies

Itsokay2020 · 02/03/2023 22:18

Did anyone else watch the interview with Lenny Henry on BBC Breakfast this morning? It was meant to be about WBD, but I am appalled at his suggestion that children should join the library, borrow six books and never return them:

www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/1741329/Charlie-Stayt-Lenny-Henry-warning-BBC/amp

So tired of this country and its low standards, poor morals and people like this being given a platform to make ridiculous statements like this one from Lenny. AIBU?

OP posts:
GoodNamesAreGone · 03/03/2023 08:26

Thedogscollar · 02/03/2023 22:42

Jesus you seriously have had a sense of humour bypass OP.

Exactly!

Wonnle · 03/03/2023 08:37

Thepurplelantern · 02/03/2023 22:26

Lenny Henry the comedian made an ironic joke

That's a very loose definition of "comedian"

drpet49 · 03/03/2023 08:39

Thedogscollar · 02/03/2023 22:42

Jesus you seriously have had a sense of humour bypass OP.

This. Get a life OP

donquixotedelamancha · 03/03/2023 08:46

Lenny Henry is a judge for the 500 words competition, should he not be a little more considered in the messages he is giving people?

The overwhelming majority of people would understand that this is an obvious joke.

If comedians needed to be careful to avoid even this incredibly mild sort of humour we might as well just ban all jokes.

OP if you genuinely don't understand this is a joke then you need to be really careful in the way you interact with people because you will be misunderstanding comments every day.

GotABeatForYouMama · 03/03/2023 08:58

Itsokay2020 · 02/03/2023 22:35

Those that say it was a joke, can you explain?

Lenny Henry is a judge for the 500 words competition, should he not be a little more considered in the messages he is giving people? Low standards of reading and literacy in the UK aren’t a joke, making libraries accessible to all is very important… depleting them of books because Lenny Henry thinks its okay for children not to return books is not funny

I wouldn't worry about the lack of books in libraries.....the way things are going there won't be any libraries anyway. You should be more angry about the fact that 800 libraries have been lost since 2010 than being outraged by a very obvious joke.

CaptainMyCaptain · 03/03/2023 09:07

DominoBlue · 03/03/2023 08:20

@KievsOutTheOven They are awful books, horrible characters and poor writing. Sentences that just don't make sense. Without his name on them I doubt they would have got published.

I don't think my Grandson was aware of David Walliams' name when he started reading and enjoying his books. They might not be to your taste but reading is reading.

Runningonempty01 · 03/03/2023 09:15

There seems to something about Lenny Henry ( who seems a pleasant affable sort of person, not especially funny these days in my opinion, but neither are many of the comedians that seem to do the chat show circuits) which seems to create a completely disproportionate level of comments and vitriol for some fairly benign jokes or conversations .
What could it be?

MrsSiriusBlack1 · 03/03/2023 09:26

You need to unclench
i saw this interview it was clearly a joke, jeezo.

Norma27 · 03/03/2023 09:29

I used to work in a theatre where LH did a show once. He was the only person I every heard about there that every member of staff hated. He was really vile.

Conkersinautumn · 03/03/2023 09:32

Got some publicity didn't it? cunning bustard;-)

Kois · 03/03/2023 09:34

Lenny ' gimme your money ' Henry is about as funny as stepping barefoot on Lego.

KievsOutTheOven · 03/03/2023 09:42

DominoBlue · 03/03/2023 08:20

@KievsOutTheOven They are awful books, horrible characters and poor writing. Sentences that just don't make sense. Without his name on them I doubt they would have got published.

They make perfect sense - they are very easy to read for beginner readers, they are easy to read for parents with low literacy themselves, and they are appealing to reluctant readers. Any book that encourages kids to read is a good book.

My daughter struggles with reading, she’s 7. She’s too old for most picture books, but not ready to cope with most chapter books yet. They plug a huge gap in the market for older children who are still needing support with reading.

I bet you also don’t consider comics books. Book snobbery is gross.

dworky · 03/03/2023 09:43

Oh fgs, it was obviously a joke & children are fully aware that books must be returned.

Deanandthellhounds · 03/03/2023 09:57

UdoU · 02/03/2023 22:33

It was a joke. The article even says he was teasing.

He grew up in a household without books.

me too and I always borrowed books from the library and returned some, didn't others.

There is no fine fir under 18s for not returning books. who cares? Let a child keep the books.

it's a funny joke, I come from a similar background and loads of kids did it. who cares? they get to read.

it's funny because we all did it.
and most of the books I buy from thw charity shop have library stamps in them.

donate some books to schools and libraries. problem solved.

MeganTheeScallion · 03/03/2023 10:13

Yeah, Putin could learn a thing or two from Lenny "Dangerous" Henry about bringing the west to its knees!

Trixiefirecracker · 03/03/2023 10:27

Only on Mumsnet.

LadyKenya · 03/03/2023 10:30

Op Yabu, and ridiculous.

WaityWTF · 03/03/2023 10:58

Only an issue if you actually have a library in your area.

Ours have all gone.

We now have informal libraries in bus shelters, phone boxes and porches, where anyone can take or leave anything.

Better than nothing, but not in any way as good as having an actual library.

DominoBlue · 03/03/2023 11:02

@KievsOutTheOven if you have a quick look at AIBU you will find a huge thread about Walliams and his books. It would appear I am not alone in my views. I am not a snob, literary or otherwise. I think comic are a fabulous art form. I am allowed an opinion, just as you are. I stand by my opinion that his books are poorly written and I should be able to make that statement without a personal attack. Enjoy your day.

KievsOutTheOven · 03/03/2023 11:16

DominoBlue · 03/03/2023 11:02

@KievsOutTheOven if you have a quick look at AIBU you will find a huge thread about Walliams and his books. It would appear I am not alone in my views. I am not a snob, literary or otherwise. I think comic are a fabulous art form. I am allowed an opinion, just as you are. I stand by my opinion that his books are poorly written and I should be able to make that statement without a personal attack. Enjoy your day.

What exactly about my post is a personal attack?😂😂

Motnight · 03/03/2023 11:18

Runningonempty01 · 03/03/2023 09:15

There seems to something about Lenny Henry ( who seems a pleasant affable sort of person, not especially funny these days in my opinion, but neither are many of the comedians that seem to do the chat show circuits) which seems to create a completely disproportionate level of comments and vitriol for some fairly benign jokes or conversations .
What could it be?

It certainly is a mystery.

MissTrip82 · 03/03/2023 11:21

You thought Lenny Henry was genuinely, seriously advising children to steal books?

Are you much of a reader yourself OP, I wonder?

Mochudubh · 03/03/2023 11:23

1/10 OP.
👏......👏........👏

UdoU · 03/03/2023 11:31

Itsokay2020 · 02/03/2023 22:35

Those that say it was a joke, can you explain?

Lenny Henry is a judge for the 500 words competition, should he not be a little more considered in the messages he is giving people? Low standards of reading and literacy in the UK aren’t a joke, making libraries accessible to all is very important… depleting them of books because Lenny Henry thinks its okay for children not to return books is not funny

Use your common sense, what parent is going to deny their child library access by allowing them to keep 6 books and therefore not being allowed to borrow anymore? Is it worth it?

LakeTiticaca · 03/03/2023 11:38

Mediocre comedian encourages children to steal
What's not to like?