Like you, I’m a bit reluctant about the whole cancelling / doxxing people just because their declared views identify them as an obnoxious fool - I’m quite sure those facets of them will be revealed to those around them soon enough without that: but in these cases, if that foolishness extends to harassment, intimidatory abuse, acts of vandalism and material criminal damage, then anyone who doesn’t side with these eejits should have absolutely no compunction at all in reporting them to the relevant authorities. Let them stand up and be big and brave and proud of what they are doing, like they pretend to be, by actually giving their name to their behaviour. Pensioners who allow themselves to be arrested in the name of a cause have principles. Anonymous young boys and men being thugs and vandals merely have impulses and poor self-control.
Starmer should have done that speech Monday morning. He should have been there at the lectern with his blood boiling and moral outrage coming from every word. He should still give the speech but the fact he missed the moment, that he didn't feel an unstoppable urge to tell the racists to fuck off makes me pessimistic that he will be able to deal with this adequately.
Remember the doom & gloom speech about how deep the hole the UK is in (It was a speech from No.10 garden, last autumn I think)
That speech was poorly timed, completely unnecessary, widely criticised. Yet Starmer had the urge to do that speech.
Maybe people are right and he's not got good judgement
Wow on that Michael Barrymore clip, mainly because of the number of children in it and the dance routine they had to be taught. Our children perform in dance shows and routines like that take weeks or months to learn — so this isn't just evidence of what was acceptable on telly in the early 90s (a comedian ad libs a comment, or even writes a sketch for themselves which is quickly recorded without much scrutiny) but much more widely.
Recruiting that many children to appear on TV will have involved far more production staff than a skit with some adult performers, as well as choreographers, dance teachers, and the parents of all those children who all apparently thought that this was OK?
And even if some other parents or dance teachers declined to be involved on grounds that it was racist, that wasn't enough for the production company to twig that this was all a terrible idea. Incredible!
Strongly recommend the work of Stuart Millard on YouTube, who creates brilliant videos digging through old TV like this. Makes it clear things like blackface were considered acceptable right up into the late 80s in some cases.
Bravo, well said. I think I like angry James!
Normally I read the piece and then hit the like button. This one I hit the like button just off the strength of the title.
Like you, I’m a bit reluctant about the whole cancelling / doxxing people just because their declared views identify them as an obnoxious fool - I’m quite sure those facets of them will be revealed to those around them soon enough without that: but in these cases, if that foolishness extends to harassment, intimidatory abuse, acts of vandalism and material criminal damage, then anyone who doesn’t side with these eejits should have absolutely no compunction at all in reporting them to the relevant authorities. Let them stand up and be big and brave and proud of what they are doing, like they pretend to be, by actually giving their name to their behaviour. Pensioners who allow themselves to be arrested in the name of a cause have principles. Anonymous young boys and men being thugs and vandals merely have impulses and poor self-control.
Well said James.
Starmer should have done that speech Monday morning. He should have been there at the lectern with his blood boiling and moral outrage coming from every word. He should still give the speech but the fact he missed the moment, that he didn't feel an unstoppable urge to tell the racists to fuck off makes me pessimistic that he will be able to deal with this adequately.
Remember the doom & gloom speech about how deep the hole the UK is in (It was a speech from No.10 garden, last autumn I think)
That speech was poorly timed, completely unnecessary, widely criticised. Yet Starmer had the urge to do that speech.
Maybe people are right and he's not got good judgement
Wow on that Michael Barrymore clip, mainly because of the number of children in it and the dance routine they had to be taught. Our children perform in dance shows and routines like that take weeks or months to learn — so this isn't just evidence of what was acceptable on telly in the early 90s (a comedian ad libs a comment, or even writes a sketch for themselves which is quickly recorded without much scrutiny) but much more widely.
Recruiting that many children to appear on TV will have involved far more production staff than a skit with some adult performers, as well as choreographers, dance teachers, and the parents of all those children who all apparently thought that this was OK?
And even if some other parents or dance teachers declined to be involved on grounds that it was racist, that wasn't enough for the production company to twig that this was all a terrible idea. Incredible!
Strongly recommend the work of Stuart Millard on YouTube, who creates brilliant videos digging through old TV like this. Makes it clear things like blackface were considered acceptable right up into the late 80s in some cases.
Little Britain were still doing blackface as late as 2006!