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It would be even better if a chav got a hold of one of those guns, filled the darts with poison, and fired it right up Mr Powers restricted account.
It would be even better if a chav got a hold of one of those guns, filled the darts with poison, and fired it right up Mr Powers restricted account.
Agreed. Perhaps the UK Government should threaten Paddy Power with banning from trading in the UK, either in shops or online until they learn that not everybody welcomes their very dubious brand of so called humour.
In my experience (living in the UK) Paddy Power shops are often to be found in poor, working class areas (or as they might call them "chav" areas). They don’t mind living off the income such people provide them with, but at the sametime they want to demonise them in this way.
They might think they are being comical, and its just a joke and everyone who complains needs to "lighten up", however Stewart Lee has done a brilliant piece on the type of "comedy" which attacks certain groups in society and then passes it off as "just a joke".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgABbHPdwH4
Not too long ago the Irish community in this country were the victim of racially motivated "jokes" and they were not one bit amused – I know this because my father is Irish and had to endure it on a daily basis in the workplace. As the only Irish bookmaking business with a high street presence in the UK maybe Paddy Power need to think long and hard about this before they pursue this extremely distasteful media campaign.
I think Paddy power have a good sense of humour and I liked that ad. Very boring to play it safe all the time and be politically correct *meh.*
I thought things were moving on from all that left-wing sensitivity
Is this funny? ….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pnHS7PbRts
I think so…the trainer just says what he thinks! (of course, they can’t do that all the time…)
Zip
I wouldn’t call that piece by Stewart Lee (who?) brilliant, but if others find it entertaining then I’m certainly not going to ‘hate’ or despise’ (verbs courtesy of Stewart Lee) them for having a different comedic preference than myself.
I am a
Airplane! / Naked Gun / Hot Shots / Family Guy
-type guy, myself. I have no doubt that some find these offensive – anyone who has ever watched an episode of
Family Guy
will certainly agree with me!
I often find that thosee with a similar approach to humour have little trouble laughing at themselves, which is a quality I, for one, like in a person.
Seth MacFarlane, the creator of Family Guy, is a passionate supporter of gay rights, yet the show has made countless jokes at the expense of gay people. His Mother lost a long battle against cancer, yet the show has also made countless jokes regarding terminal illness. Seth was also scheduled to be on-board American Airlines Flight 11 on 9/11. Due to an incorrect departure time, he missed the plane that would eventually crash into the North Tower by a mere ten minutes, but that hasn’t stopped him from including jokes relating to that tragic accident in his show.
Laughter has so often been described as the best medicine – how you take it is up to you.
I can understand why some would find this particular Paddy Power ad offensive, but I thought it was funny. I was literally laughing aloud when I first saw it. In fact, it has inspired me.
At this very moment I have just opened Microsoft Works Word Processor (I ain’t paying for Word!) with the intention of writing a letter to Cheltenham suggesting such action be taken against the ‘thuggish minority’ who threaten to ruin their wonderful Festival.
Now then, where’s my Lee Harvey Oswald training booklet?
*The following are a small sample of potentially offensive humour. Anyone of a nervous, easily offended disposition should not view this material. If visually ingested by accident, please contact the relevant authorities by calling 0800 69 OHFORFUCKSSAKE*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrCcYcTp … re=related
Its just schadenfreude television, rather like the Jeremy Kyle Show.
Would you find it funny if they showed a punter leaving the betting shop having lost X amount and getting hit by a lorry with the punchline "At least he doesn’t have to tell the wife how much he lost!"?
While I do not find the content particularly offensive, PP’s perception of the average punter’s psyche as that of a narrow-minded bigot is disturbing.While I do not find the content particularly offensive, PP’s perception of the average punter’s psyche as that of a narrow-minded bigot is disturbing.
I would have thought that is a better description of the average "man on the street"? The sort that has voted the present Government into power, rather than anyone who likes a bet.
I've stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains
I've walked and I crawled on six crooked highwaysWould you find it funny if they showed a punter leaving the betting shop having lost X amount and getting hit by a lorry with the punchline "At least he doesn’t have to tell the wife how much he lost!"?
Sorry, but yes.
Thank-You for putting a smile on my face, Eclipse First. I had just taken a mouthful of Shredded Wheat when I read that – unfortunately it has now plastered my laptop!
This could end in tragedy. I’m off to the gym shortly and if that thought passes through my mind when I’m pushing out a final rep or two on decline bench press, I’m f*****!
Each to their own, mate. Freedom is a wonderful thing.
I like Family Guy.
I think it all depends if humour targets are made too personal. I didn’t see this ad as a personal attack on any particular "chav". More like taking the mick out of a certain culture. Hard drinking, loud-mouthed, over-sexual types. Seems to me that "chavs" are often very "loud" people, who often enjoy themselves at the expense of others anyway. Hardly need defending. What can we laugh at anymore.
Of course Paddy Power knew they were being a little controversial, it gets them noticed. It’s strange, some took offence to the ad with a woman and cane. When analysing what she actually did, it is just in people’s imaginations.
I’m a ginger, I know what it is like to be the butt of more personal jokes. But you’ve got to laugh at yourself sometimes.
Value Is EverythingI think there are two issues. I take the point about Family Guy, and maybe one of the main problems with Paddy Power’s marketing team is that they are not comedy writers but clearly think they are.
Maybe there are good comics who can and do get away with it (I have to confess I like Frankie Boyle). The problem we have at present is that stand up comedy is once again being flogged as "the new rock n roll" just like it was when Baddiel was selling out Wembley.
With this comes the problem of too many bad comics on the circuit, and then you get the problem of them using cheap swipes at often disadvantaged members of society to mask their own lack of comedic talent. Funnily enough Stewart Lee also did a routine about people who always start a sentence with "polictical correctness gone too far" before making a very offensive remark.
The second issue is the term chavs. It does depend what we define as a "chav" however with programmes like Jeremy Kyle it is clear there is an attempt being made to demonise people in the UK from poor backgrounds which reminds me of the follow up to "House of Cards" (To Play The King) when the right wing megalomaniac PM went to war against the lower classes when Prince Charles was defending them.
Owen Jones’ book "Chavs, The Demonisation of the Working Class" deals with this subject very articulately and is a welcome defence of a section of our society that rarely get a fair hearing and given the current economic climate are in for a pretty torrid time in the next few years.
They might think they are being comical, and its just a joke and everyone who complains needs to "lighten up", however Stewart Lee has done a brilliant piece on the type of "comedy" which attacks certain groups in society and then passes it off as "just a joke".
Goodness me I love Stewart Lee’s
Top Gear
rant. And Stewart Lee generally.
Here’s the link to the full 15-minute version of that rant on (to borrow another Lee-ism) that Youtube that they have nowadays; that Youtube that you might have heard of, yeah?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0i0RXMvzMs
gc
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
I’m a ginger
beer ?
ooh er matron
they don’t like it up ’em
Disclaimer
: The author of the above cannot be held responsible for any offence it may cause to the living, dead or living dead. If you do feel offended please seek medical advice immediately
it’s the way I tell ’em
The second issue is the term chavs. It does depend what we define as a "chav" however with programmes like Jeremy Kyle it is clear there is an attempt being made to demonise people in the UK from poor backgrounds which reminds me of the follow up to "House of Cards" (To Play The King) when the right wing megalomaniac PM went to war against the lower classes when Prince Charles was defending them.
Owen Jones’ book "Chavs, The Demonisation of the Working Class" deals with this subject very articulately and is a welcome defence of a section of our society that rarely get a fair hearing and given the current economic climate are in for a pretty torrid time in the next few years.
Oh,
give me strength!Anything said against any section of the "working Class" brings out the reds.
Well…
RUSSIANS IN THE DHSS
It first was a rumour dismissed as a lie
but then came the evidence none could deny:
a double page spread in the Sunday Express –
The Russians are running the DHSS!The scroungers and misfits have done it at last
The die of destruction is finally cast
The glue-sniffing Trotskyists’ final excess:
The Russians are running the DHSS!It must be the truth ‘cos it’s there in the news
A plot by the Kremlin, financed by the Jews
and set up by Red Len, has met with success –
The Russians are running the DHSS!So go down to your Jobcentre – I bet you’ll see
Somalian students get handouts for free
and drug-crazed chavs cavort and caress
In the interview booths in the DHSS…They go to Ibiza on taxpayers’ money
Hey, you there, stop laughing –I don’t think it’s funny
And scroungers and tramps eat smoked salmon and cress
Now the Russians are running the DHSS!We’ll catch that rat McCluskey with our red rat catcher
We’ll send him to dinner with Margaret Thatcher
And we’ll make him STAY THERE!
‘Til he’ll confess
That he put the Reds in the DHSS!Then we’ll hang ‘em and flog ‘em and hang ‘em again
And hang ‘em and flog ‘em and more of the same
We’ll GAS all the dole queues and clear up the mess:
Get rid of the Reds – AND the DHSS!Attila The Stockbroker (with a few changes)
One for any Brighton FC fansThere’s more "demonisation" of the upper / so called "ruling" or buisness classes than "working class". But because they’re a small minority and "well off", they’ve got to keep quiet.
Value Is Everything
I like it. If only …
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