Paddy McGuinness and silly comments about clinical depression

[EmiliaBassano]

I caught some of an interview with Paddy McGuinness where he was talking about clinical depression. He said it was like being at a James Blunt concert you couldn't get out of (I'm paraphrasing). I think it's a stupid analogy (he said it was all he could think of) and is minimising clinical depression, even though he says he has it himself. He also said it is "depression on steroids".

Has it made any difference to anything him saying this

He's a comedian - not my favourite by any stretch - and many of them tackle difficult subjects with humour.

I do it myself - it's the way I cope with the toughest times of my life.

Not everybody is going to appreciate the joke but that doesn't make it wrong.

Not fair about James Blunt who has been through the mill himself.
However I get what Paddy means.

He was trying to be witty, and failed.

Lots of people give James Blunt stick, he seems to revel in it, it has become a bit of a passtime on Twitter over the years, he searches for people saying rude things about himself and replies, and he's often very funny. Just one of many dozens of examples is his reply to someone tweeting that Blunt has an "annoying face and a highly irritating voice," he quipped "Yes, and no mortgage."

Blunt even made a video to market one of his songs, which had him interviewing young people who had no idea who he was and had never listened to his music, very self disparaging.

Blunt replied to McGuinness by posting the clip on Twitter with the caption "Suddenly clinical depression sounds quite fun," and included a link to tickets for his Back to Bedlam 20th Anniversary tour.

McGuinness was probably aware of the trope when he made the lame joke. But regardless, I couldn't bring myself to worry about how someone else describes their own mental health issues, it's up to him.

Literally what i was about to write. It’s humour, comedians are well known for having their dark side, ‘tears of a clown’, spike Milligan etc , I have lifelong depression and the analogy makes sense to me, it’s a bit of gallows humour.
James blunt or James Arthur, the feeling would be the same for me.

Maybe no one should say anything as these days all people want to do is control 'oh they can't say that'

I grew up in a family where joking is the default, it’s how you keep going through difficult times. Nothing’s off the cards to be joked about - so don’t assume just because you’re offended that others are too.

Sounds like he is talking about his experience of depression. What exactly did you want him to say or not say?

Whatever OP pre approves.

I find those that insist that humour should never be used around difficult topics are generally embittered, miserable and sanctimonious…

He’s using humour to describe his own depression and you’re offended? It’s not about you.

I get that comedians try to find humour in heavy topics, but comparing a debilitating condition to being stuck at a James Blunt concert completely misses what clinical depression actually is. It just feels dismissive. Attacking me personally doesn't make the joke any less insensitive.

You're being silly.

He's allowed to describe how his own condition affects him in any way he chooses.

So is your experience of depression the only valid one? Maybe for him it is like being at a JB concert because he finds JB extremely miserable. I love JB and all jokes and interactions concerning him.

Far, far too sensitive OP. And to quote Ricky Gervais, just because you are offended, it doesn't mean that you are right.

As an aside, why does everyone pick on James Blunt? He seems like such a great guy with a wicked sense of humour.

Because his songs are so dramatic and whiny. That's why I love them.

Because his songs are so dramatic and whiny. That's why I love them.

I'm suffered extensively from clinical depression. This is exactly the kind of thing I'd say about it, because I've got a dark sense of humour and joking about things is how I process them.

You can't police the way other people deal with their own conditions. People have the right to talk about their own feelings in exactly the way they choose. This isn't about you and you need to grow up.

He was talking about his own experience with clinical depression.

Yeah, that's why I like Adele to be fair 🤣

If he does indeed have it then he is free to use whatever metaphor he wants to explain his own symptoms.

Same. Our duets are amazing

See I always find she gets the words wrong when we duet 🤔

"Paddy McGuinness and silly comments", a phrase that often follows him around.

I mean what even is clinical depression.

Everyone feels things differently one persons sad is another’s depressed. It’s just feelings.

Like jokes are jokes. Not everyone gets them the same.

Id be depressed or would I just be sad. If I couldn’t find humour in jokes 🙃