Should The Offensiveness Police, Gag The Press?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/the-world-has-gone-mad-if-julie-burchill-cant-stir-things-up-and-cause-offence-8451374.html

Oh dear an almighty row has erupted over this all so trivial matter, ending with a Lib/Deml Government minister crying out for two writers and the Editor of the Observer to be sacked.

[emmie]

don't think so, the internet is awash with much that is offensive, how can anyone police that?

[emmie]

and anyone who can come up with transphobia, should be taken out the back and given a good talking to, i was going to say hit with a shovel, but perhaps that is a step too far.

[woofgang]

anybody who wants to hit J Burchill with a shovel is alright by me.

[sp1814]

I'm sort of with em10 on this.

I hate the words 'homophobia' and 'transphobia'.

They take away responsibility from those who genuinely just hate gay people and transexual people.

It's like the term 'homophobic attack. When a gay man is being beaten up by a group of straight people, they're not 'phobic', they're full of hate.

I myself have a huge phobia of rats. Therefore I choose not to be in a situation where I could encounter rats - I am scared of them...I don't hate them. And people who hate gay people aren't scared - just cowards and bullies.

[emmie]

i don't like her much either but i can't stand Lynne Featherstone,
Julie Burchill didn't coin the phrase transphobia, not sure who did but they get my blown raspberry award.

Reading through the piece is like watching a bunch of five year old having a ruck in the playground, nah i want it, no you can't have it, it's mine, geroff. funny in part.

[emmie]

some of the riper language is quite amusing..

[jno]

never read Burchill, can't stand her rants, but presumably that was why they hired her. But if other people want to express their distaste in equally vigorous terms, and for free (unlike her), why not?

[emmie]

i do think that some can go way too far, what causes amusement to one person may be highly offensive to another.

[LazyGun]

No idea quite why Lynne Featherstone got involved. Based upon my admittedly scant knowledge of the Moores original post, and then Burchills attempt to defend her mate, it all looks like a storm in a teacup, with Moore seemingly prone to a bit of theatrical flouncing, cancelling her twitter account at one point.