I see John Torode has also been told by the BBC to resign. This is apparently over a single comment at a social event. There were no complaints at the time but it was brought up, presumably as a defence for Gregg Wallace, during the Wallace investigation. We are in a mad world where a single comment can destroy a career. I've never liked Gregg Wallace. His shouty style, pathetic jokes etc just get on my nerves. That doesn't mean I want his life destroyed. I obviously have no knowledge of the details of the other claims against him.
I completely understand that but in this case it is a programme that isn't made by the bbc as far as I'm aware, simply commissioned, so it should be an easy decision. If they feel his behaviour is so bad that they can't publicise him on the programme then they have to tell the production company to either cut out his scenes and re-edit or cancel the series. That might seem very hard on everyone else who took part and enjoyed the programme but they should blame the production company for allegedly letting him get away with it for so long. I would also like to know how proof of the allegations is determined. It seems GW was a perpetual offender but how w're only some of the allegations proven? Is it simply someone's word against him because in lots of the situations it seems like the people would have been on their own. I'm assuming with JT his remarks were heard by several people.
It seems some people get offended very easily, and these days you only have to offend one person to find yourself knee deep in do gooders all calling for your head. Not really referring to GW, but in general, being in the public eye must be like walking a tightrope these days.
Talking about being offended. Did any one read about Bolton school (Rugby) Cultural Day. Any pupil who turned up wearing a typical British outfit or carrying a national U.K. flag was refused permission to take part. One girl was put in isolation for wearing a Union Jack dress.
So presumably anyone who turns up to a Six Nations match will be barred from entry if they are displaying their national flag or symbol of their culture?
The world is clearly going mad. Anne Widdecombe once said that nobody had the right to live their lives being protected from insult or from hurt feelings. It is an occupational hazard of living in society and if you can't take it, become a hermit. I tend to agree with her but it also means we all have to be careful not to inflict careless or deliberate hurt with flippant remarks, deliberate digs and inappropriate comments and behaviour. Racism, bigotry and sexual or other aggression have no place in civilised society where each individual should expect and give respect to others. As for Gregg W, there were enough complaints over the years for something, finally, to be done. The lack of response to the earlier complaints is entirely the responsibility of the production company that employed him but the Beeb clearly needs to exercise more oversight of their sub-contractors and suppliers be they individuals or companies. That school is completely wrong. British/English/Scottish/Welsh culture is increasingly blurred but still there in many traditions and should be celebrated and shared with newer arrivals to the country.
One of the biggest issues is people become outraged by more and more and things that weren't deemed offensive at the time, are dug up and used to publicly shame a person. I remember when Ollie Robertson got picked to bowl for England in a cricket test and then suddenly someone had gone through his old social media accounts and found something supposedly offensive when he was a teenager. It's surprising how desperate people are for a story that they will go through 10 years of messages to find something to write about, which normally turns out to not be very offensive anyway when the public find out what was said (which they don't normally in the article).
I dont like it when you get these stupid warnings before certain programmes saying that there is offensive language and how it was of its time. Yes of its time when people were not wimps and took a joke as a joke and laughter was allowed. There is a difference between being nasty and just poking fun. Comedians now days have moved away from having a "dig" and just spout offensive language all the time, its just one swear word after another in order to get a laugh, they dont really have a lot left to play with.
Everyone is entitled to celebrate their own culture if they feel strongly enough about it. By the same token, people need to have respect for other cultures too. If you live in the same country or community it's considered integration - we hear this word being bandied about constantly and yet some still don't appear to have grasped its meaning. As for "offending " language/behaviour, think how often the media ( radio and TV mainly ) persist in giving warnings to listeners and viewers - scenes of war may be distressing, language used in programmes from decades ago contain " attitudes of the time". Of course it is/does and just goes to show what a stupid stage we have arrived at if this needs to be explained and apologised for.
I'm not going to comment much about the wee girl at that school. I was beyond furious when I read it. Apparently, they've now apologised, after the PM got involved. Utterly appalling, especially when you see what her little item was going to be about - had she been allowed to read it out. As for Greg Wallace. Words fail me. His friends blaming his autism? Oh - well done. Thanks for that.
Everyone seems to have autism these days, or mental health problems, we seem to be a pretty sad country at times. I think our, get up and go, has gone.
Autism and ADHD are being used as excuses for bad behaviour, much to the detriment of those people who genuinely have the conditions. And mental health would be greatly improved if people stopped thinking and talking about themselves all the time, and did some gardening!
