Are we being offended too easily?
 

This isn't about a particular new item, but a lot of news items do seem to be about people being offended by something..

Frankie Boyle (often in the news himself for offending one group or another) has written an interesting essay, at http://www.frankieboyle.com/frankie/free-speech.html, the central point of which is that he believes we, as a people , are becoming too easily offended. Often by things we have not directly experienced, and have no knowledge of apart from what we are told.

There have been several instances where the public has apparently been offended by something that 99% of them only know about through the newspapers. The example he gives was that Tennis player's girlfriend who apparently swore while watching him play. The newspapers actually went to the effort of getting a lip reader in to see what she had said so they could find something for us to be offended by.

Ok, that sort of language is not considered polite or ladylike, but she was not hurting anyone, and since when has being polite or ladylike been a requirement to be the girlfriend of someone famous?

My concern is not individual people, however. As Frankie rightly points out later on, this increasing ability to be offended at the most minor of things is causing us to question what we do. It's making the media less likely to criticise someone (even in satire) in case they cause offence. This is, IMO, damaging society. If the media is unable or unwilling to question what people do, what are they getting away with? If you don't believe that the media can get authorities to actually take action, I'll just remind you about HSBC Switzerland, who were happily helping people evade all sorts of taxes until Panorama got involved.

Re: Are we being offended too easily?
 

How dare you end your post in such an abrupt manner. I'm offended that you have fainted on the job or something....:D

Re: Are we being offended too easily?
 

It's a method of oppression. Only certain groups are allowed to be offended and taken notice of. They are "protected species" in that that are not allowed to be criticised for their behaviour.

Re: Are we being offended too easily?
 

Personally speaking, I don't like Frankie's remarks about Madeleine McCann. There are plenty of jokes to be made without making those at the expense of a little girl's plight.

Re: Are we being offended too easily?
 

Agree completely, we do seem to get offended at the slightest thing and to suffer from complete over reaction.

A lot of this seems to be driven by the media, along the lines of click-bait articles and social media as well where the main purpose seems to be attracting as many comments as possible.

Now it's a chain reaction where anybody with the slightest link and a lot with no link whatsoever have to be seen agreeing, or there just as bad if not worse than the original 'offender'.

My first reaction to these 'articles' is more and more of 'get a life' and 'get over yourself'.

J

Re: Are we being offended too easily?
 

Quite true IMHO. For instance, in ASDA today I stopped to look at the halal meat counter, and a female shopper of a certain religious cult told me (very loudly) that "This meat is not for the infidel, buy haram (dirty) meat from your own area!"

"How do you know that I am not a member of your cult?" I replied.

She then obviously took offence at being talked-to by a man. Very loud offence! I was asked to move along by a member of staff, and was told I should be "ashamed of myself" for insulting the "poor lady". :confused:

Re: Are we being offended too easily?
 

No, we a free to be offended as much as we want.

What the real issue is, is that people then expect some kind of restorative action because the offence that has been taken. When none is due.

Being offensive is not a crime ( unless it breaches any laws such as public decency, racism etc etc)

Re: Are we being offended too easily?
 

What offends me are those who are offended on behalf of others because they think they need to be offended on there behalf ;) :D

Re: Are we being offended too easily?
 

I find the notion that you're offended by the thought that other people are offended on behalf of those they feel ought to be offended but aren't, highly offensive... :D

But it does seem to be a bit of a growth 'industry' in words which highly emotive words are often employed with little foundation, just like 'traumatised', 'hate crime' and any number of '...isms'.

Re: Are we being offended too easily?
 

I think this assumes that only the target of something can be offended by it. It's not being offended on someone's behalf, It's simply being offended. I.E You don't have to be Jewish to find anti-Semitic remarks offensive.

Re: Are we being offended too easily?
 

Can anyone think of anything you can do that's "offensive" that wouldn't be seen as offensive. and better still. wouldn't offend someone who's being offended on someone elses behalf?

If I have offended anyone for trying to find out what can be offensive. with the intention of not being offensive. then maybe you're too fat or your nose is massive.

Re: Are we being offended too easily?
 

Yes well you know you're not allowed to be offended don't you.

Re: Are we being offended too easily?
 

Any other man would have took her outside and threw stones at her :)

Re: Are we being offended too easily?
 

Or got his whip out and layed on with a will.;)

Re: Are we being offended too easily?
 

I don't, on the whole, have a problem of people being genuinely offended whether it is about something that relates directly to them or on behalf of others. If only those concerned had the right to be offended then many issues would never be discussed in the open nor would many victims be brave enough to feel they had the public backing to voice their feelings.

That said I find it astounding how many people seem to enjoy a good rant without bothering to question the validity of the subject they are offended by. I even wonder quite frequently if some people only read the headline, never bothering to read, or watch, whatever it is they have been prompted to find offensive.

Re: Are we being offended too easily?
 

I think people love to make a fuss at being offended, and PC has gone mad.

I believe in school its not a black board any more but a chalk board.

Classic case the new Dambusters film, the dogs name has to be changed as it name may offend.

---------- Post added at 18:15 ---------- Previous post was at 18:13 ----------

I agree FB can take the mick out of any celebrity but not their children, he was out of order for what he said of Katie Price's son.

Re: Are we being offended too easily?
 

Actually, they're all whiteboards now, as it's easier to read/write on a lighter background, and easier to clean (and chalkboard is an American term, whilst blackboard* is a UK term)....

Re the dog's name, it reflected the mores and habits of the film's time (the 1950's) - you know, marital rape being legal, back-street abortions, homosexuality being an imprisonable offence, average annual holiday allowance was 16 days, food rationing still happening, it being legal to say "No blacks, no dogs, no Irish", average life expectancy for a man being 65, polio, tuberculosis, rickets, etc.

Ah, the good old days....

Re: Are we being offended too easily?
 

I hate to see you unhappy.

I'm gonna build you a time machine!

Re: Are we being offended too easily?
 

Course you are.....

Bless......:)

Re: Are we being offended too easily?
 

Re: Are we being offended too easily?
 

When l was being brought up in the 50/60's you could hear anything in the streets of London or where you lived - and nothing was said.

Some 60 years later, yes l am 63. The entire country has gone totally mad. You cannot say this, cannot say that without being nicked.
You go into a shop and bingo. You cannot say certain words, without someone taking offence to it.

I can always remember days of Till Death us do part with Alf Garnett. Or Love Thy Neighbour. It made us laugh.

If these shows were on today, there would be total warfare.

Even, l am scared to say certain words. Due to the stupid life of todays world.

I always remember standing behind a lady in a long dress and head cover, she sneezed in front of me - l would normally say something. But you have to be careful of what you say.

Part of todays life, sad to say

Re: Are we being offended too easily?
 

Yes people are getting offended too easily these days and often purely for the sake of it due to perceiving certain groups getting attention for 'frivolous' matters. For example if a minority is offended at something and allowances are made thereof, others will feel 'left out' and demand things get changed when they themselves claim to be offended about something.

Re: Are we being offended too easily?
 

Tissue.
that's what everybody says.

except for religious people.
they say bless you.

---------- Post added at 22:47 ---------- Previous post was at 22:34 ----------

He's good. just watched the one about gays.
I've got to watch all of them now.

Re: Are we being offended too easily?
 

it seems to me there's always one prat out of the bunch that gets offended -get over it ;)

Re: Are we being offended too easily?
 

His delivery makes me think of Dave Allen.

Re: Are we being offended too easily?
 

He seems to have modelled himself on the genius of Billy Connolly. This is how it's really done.

Re: Are we being offended too easily?
 

Don't get me wrong. When I say about people getting offended, I am not talking about a return to the days when we could go around using certain P and N words willy nilly.

However, it's also worth pointing out that (as Johnny Speight once said) that the only person that ever lost out as a result of Alf Garnetts moaning and scheming was Alf himself.

Re: Are we being offended too easily?
 

It was the same with Love Thy Neighbour, Eddie always made himself look at least silly or at worst a racist bigot. I showed one episode to my partners kids who are black, and they made me get the whole series because they found them funny.

The children are not in the least bit racist, I don't think they even consider people being black or white. They wouldn't jump to the conclusion that someone who didn't like them was a racist, and certainly wouldn't dream of pretending to be offended to use the race card as a weapon. The only racism they have suffered that I am aware of is the youngest had some severe racist comments and bullying from a couple of East European (Czech/Roma) kids in school. Her mother had to threaten the school with sorting it out herself, it appeared that the school knew it was going on but were reluctant to act. I dare say they wouldn't have been so reluctant if the racist bullies had not been immigrants.