Interesting brief essay on the Jo Brand business by Jonathan Pie creator Tom Walker:-"Jo Brand has been criticised for joking about throwing battery acid on politicians, rather than milkshakes. The police say they are assessing a complaint about it. She has said the role of freedom of speech is "extremely important". Comedian Tom Walker, known for his satirical news reporter character Jonathan Pie explains why Brand's comments cannot be taken too seriously. I find it extraordinary that in this day and age we are still debating this. There are two things you need to look at: context and intent.Listening to the clip of Jo Brand's joke, the context is there - clear as day. You can hear people laughing at it. It is a comedian telling a joke on a comedy programme. It is clearly a joke within that context.Now, intent. Do we honestly think that Jo Brand wants us to throw acid on politicians' faces? If you actually believe that then you are wilfully, in my opinion, misunderstanding what a joke is. The intent there was to have a laugh.Comedian George Carlin once said it is the comedian's job to find where the line where you shouldn't cross is - and then gently step over it.We are heading into a puritanical age where most comedians feel they have to stay a couple of metres behind that line. Comedy is about hyperbole, irony, even shock sometimes.It's a dangerous precedent when the prime minister is getting involved, having a pop at the BBC for telling jokes on a comedy programme. I find it absolutely bizarre.It clearly wasn't an incitement of hatred.I wonder whether Nigel Farage, who called on the police to act following her comments, is trolling us a little bit and having a go at the snowflake left.It's quite often the left going 'we need to watch ourselves with our language', more than the right.If the police want to investigate it, all they have to do is listen to the joke in its original context. That should tell them all they need to know. Being offended doesn't mean a crime has been committed, Wilfully misinterpreting a joke also does not mean a crime has been committed.To be clear: It would not be funny if someone threw battery acid because that causes physical harm. It is not the same as telling a joke.If a person throws battery acid on someone's face after hearing that joke, that person has clear mental health problems and is unable to understand the context and intent of a joke.Jo Brand would not be culpable at all. That person would be the criminal and they would be responsible.I'm a big believer in free speech generally, and certainly in this context. It was clearly a joke. If you didn't like it, switch off and don't watch Jo Brand again.It's as simple as that."https://news.sky.com/story/jo-brand-outrage-shows-were-heading-into-a-puritanical-age-says-jonathan-pie-creator-tom-walker-11741234From The Telegraph":-"On the programme, Brand referred to recent milkshake attacks on political candidates, including Nigel Farage.She said: “Certain unpleasant characters are being thrown to the fore and they’re very, very easy to hate and I’m kind of thinking, why bother with a milkshake when you could get some battery acid?“That’s just me. I’m not going to do it. It’s purely a fantasy. But I think milkshakes are pathetic, I honestly do, sorry.”"
David Ainsworth ● 2708d