Comedian refuses to sign "behaviour agreement" before performing at university

[Dermymc]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-46541002

"Universities used to be all about that, but now it seems they're places where students are being taught to be woke. I think it reflects a broader issue, where increasingly there are people who value safety, or what they perceive to be safety."

The real fear isn’t that comedians will say something harmful but that they’ll say something funny and the student will be caught laughing at something they shouldn’t.

Frankie Boyle. I say give him (and then) a good triple whisky and let him lose.

Kill or cure I guess. Students used to be up for a laugh. Is this as a result of tuition fees that they are so full of anghst they are actually scupperning their job prospects.... ohhh I get it! 💡 💡 💡 So they won’t every earn enough to pay back their student loan.

He's written a piece about it here. Interestingly his grandmother was born in a gulag.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6493921/Comedian-signed-behaviour-agreement-reveals-family-fled-censorship-Soviet-Russia.html

I knew it would be SOAS or Goldsmiths before I even read past the headline!

Happy to say that it's still possible to be a uni student and not be completely swayed by this crap. DD is at Southampton and it seems pretty normal 😬

Interestingly his grandmother was born in a gulag.

Cradle to grave service for the gender critical. With added three generation rule a la n Korea?

What a time to be alive...

I used to be in that culture, too much time in woke Twitter etc. It definitely made me more sensitive, I was almost looking to be offended, I saw myself as a perma-victim of sorts. I’m so glad I’m out of it. I’m happier and more resilient, my mental health is miles better. ‘Woke’ twitter life was basically a shitstorm of petty personal feuds, bullying (mostly of women) and general bullshit, fuelled by anxiety and depression.

I’m reading ‘the coddling of the American mind’ right now, based on the Atlantic article. I’d recommend it to anyone concerned about this. I see so many of those attitudes, what they term ‘safteyism’ hampered my own recovery from depression.

I think there’s a lot of pent up aggression as well. The safety culture stops people from expressing it legitimately - I mean on here you can have a good polite but robust argument and still be civil about it. It leads to people expressing that aggression via ‘taking offence.’

Because that’s what it is. It’s not genuine offence, it’s aggression against another subgroup.

I think there’s a lot of pent up aggression as well.

That's true of everyone who believes themselves to have the moral high ground and therefore that everyone who disagrees with them is either stupid, malevolent, or acting in bad faith. Look how quickly a discussion with vegetarians degenerates into accusations of murder.

Oi I’m veggie and never argue the toss with anyone. Why should I - my gob/belly my choice. If anything it’s the non veggies who get all arsey and irritating

oh go on just a bacon sandwich, a lovely lovely bacon sandwich!

So you liked that soup - it had bacon in it - only joking!

You’re so skinny/fat/pale/tired looking - that’s because you are vegetarian!

Or my favourite in a restaurant (before we ordered) ‘You can always tell the vegetarians - they are all so miserable’

Look how quickly a discussion with vegetarians degenerates into accusations of murder.

Why would you have a discussion with vegetarians? AFAICS the aggression is all the other way - anyone who asks for a meatless option is piled onto with jokes and people making yummy noises and smacking their lips over meat, it's all hilarious.

If be interested to see the text of the ‘contract.’

Was any sanction implied if he broke any of the rules, or was it just ‘I promise to be nice.’ ?

If be interested to see the text of the ‘contract.’

I think it was linked near the start of the thread. It was basically, as you said, 'I promise to be nice'.

Found it, linked on from the BBC news item

pbs.twimg.com/media/DuFArAbXcAMeBDi.jpg

Joy, love and acceptance...

Sweet. Maybe they’d be better off dropping a few Es in a warehouse than attending a comedy club...

What happened to the days of the warm-up at home, where you drank cider and black out of Arielator washing balls because you had no glasses? Then spent the rest of the night with a Joker style Ribena moustache and didn't actually care.
Comedy clubs are one of the best bits of living in a city.
I've even been known to have a hearty laugh at myself, although that seems like it might have gone out of style in student circles. They'll be missing out on some valuable life lessons if they keep up the platforming, safe spacing, contracts and trigger warnings.