Can I just say that Jo Brand's comment about the London bombers last night was shocking. Totally uncalled for - what is it with comedians and coming out with comments at the WRONG time!!
This was more or less the old C4 show, I was tired of that so I don't think I'll watch again.
I also thought the "jokes" about the Birmingham tornado were in bad taste too - the scale of the devestation by Britain's worst tornado in over 50 years has largely been ignored by the Londoncentric national media and Government.
Over 150 people have been made homeless - more than 20 homes will have to be demolished; over 1,000 other properties have been damaged - many with roofs and windows missing; hundreds of businesses have been damaged, lost stock or trade from the dozen or so streets still closed off.
My house is yards from the path of the tornado and I feel very lucky that it missed us. Unfortunately a friend has no windows and half a roof, and because the authorities wouldn't let him back in to secure the place he fears that his belongings will be robbed too - where's the army to help out with security?
This is a big tragedy for many people, if it had happened in London we'd never hear the end of it (I accept the importance of the recent events in London which clearly have a knock-on nationally and have rightly filled the news recently). Just thank God no one was killed here.
Graham also lied, he's been to Birmingham plenty of times, particularly around the gay village area. It wasn't the city centre either, the tornado devestated some of the richest leafy suburbs before its 4mile path took it through one of the most deprived inner-city areas in the country. Ignorance doesn't make good comedy.
This was more or less the old C4 show, I was tired of that so I don't think I'll watch again.
I also thought the "jokes" about the Birmingham tornado were in bad taste too - the scale of the devestation by Britain's worst tornado in over 50 years has largely been ignored by the Londoncentric national media and Government.
Over 150 people have been made homeless - more than 20 homes will have to be demolished; over 1,000 other properties have been damaged - many with roofs and windows missing; hundreds of businesses have been damaged, lost stock or trade from the dozen or so streets still closed off.
My house is yards from the path of the tornado and I feel very lucky that it missed us. Unfortunately a friend has no windows and half a roof, and because the authorities wouldn't let him back in to secure the place he fears that his belongings will be robbed too - where's the army to help out with security?
This is a big tragedy for many people, if it had happened in London we'd never hear the end of it (I accept the importance of the recent events in London which clearly have a knock-on nationally and have rightly filled the news recently). Just thank God no one was killed here.
Graham also lied, he's been to Birmingham plenty of times, particularly around the gay village area. It wasn't the city centre either, the tornado devestated some of the richest leafy suburbs before its 4mile path took it through one of the most deprived inner-city areas in the country. Ignorance doesn't make good comedy.
Comedy is all about laughing at somebody else's misfortune, there is always somebody / thing who is the butt of the joke - this time it happened to be Birmingham.
It's the kind of thing Have I Got News For You and numerous other topical comedy / quiz shows have been doing for years. Clearly it's not as funny when it hits so close to home as for you in this case, but in reality it affected very few people, nobody died and as such would be considered fair game in terms of comedy material.
This was more or less the old C4 show, I was tired of that so I don't think I'll watch again.
I also thought the "jokes" about the Birmingham tornado were in bad taste too - the scale of the devestation by Britain's worst tornado in over 50 years has largely been ignored by the Londoncentric national media and Government.
Over 150 people have been made homeless - more than 20 homes will have to be demolished; over 1,000 other properties have been damaged - many with roofs and windows missing; hundreds of businesses have been damaged, lost stock or trade from the dozen or so streets still closed off.
My house is yards from the path of the tornado and I feel very lucky that it missed us. Unfortunately a friend has no windows and half a roof, and because the authorities wouldn't let him back in to secure the place he fears that his belongings will be robbed too - where's the army to help out with security?
This is a big tragedy for many people, if it had happened in London we'd never hear the end of it (I accept the importance of the recent events in London which clearly have a knock-on nationally and have rightly filled the news recently). Just thank God no one was killed here.
Graham also lied, he's been to Birmingham plenty of times, particularly around the gay village area. It wasn't the city centre either, the tornado devestated some of the richest leafy suburbs before its 4mile path took it through one of the most deprived inner-city areas in the country. Ignorance doesn't make good comedy.
Comedy is all about laughing at somebody else's misfortune, there is always somebody / thing who is the butt of the joke - this time it happened to be Birmingham.
It's the kind of thing Have I Got News For You and numerous other topical comedy / quiz shows have been doing for years. Clearly it's not as funny when it hits so close to home as for you in this case, but in reality it affected very few people, nobody died and as such would be considered fair game in terms of comedy material.
Affected "very few people" eh?
A comparison:
Boscastle - "Early estimates of the damage were that three homes and shops were destroyed, eight remained in a "very dangerous state and 50 vehicles had been written off." (BBC News 18/08/04).
Birmingham: Around 20 homes to be demolished, over 200 properties (homes and businesses) are deemed unsafe for occupation. 150 people are homeless. Over 2,500 people directly affected in over 1,000 damaged properties (those are just those requiring a survey - there's more with superficial damage) - countless cars and lorries turned over; office and factory roofs peeled off, and a school in Moseley facing demolition - all along a 4 mile trail of destruction. (Various sources - local press and Birmingham City Council website).
20 injured - 3 critical (one lady has lost an arm) - a miracle that no more were injured or killed. Does there really have to be a death before it is treated seriously?
No senior politicians, no Royal visit, no emergency funding - just cheap, ill-informed and ill-timed "jokes".
As I said before, there is real ignorance about the real impact of this disaster that's just being turned into a joke, and your post proves that. It certainly is not "fair game" to laugh at people being made homeless in this way, or the shock and bewilderment of those who had their houses torn apart around them (a particularly cruel aspect of the "joke").
I disagree that comedy is "all about laughing at other people's misfortune" - there's much more to it than that, and in a real life situation like this, to have something clever that can be laughed along with not at would have made all the difference.
Yeah, I'd like to see a BBC Apology going up about this, but SO Television and Graham are unlikely to apologise. At the most we'll probably get an apology in two years time.
Also, unless it is based on her personal experiences or her weight, Jo Brand is pretty much useless at satirical comedy.
Thing is, you are too close to this to be objective about it.
Do you watch Have I Got News For You in disgust, shaking your head, or have you ever allowed yourself to laugh at the expense of somebody else's misfortune.
It's the way of the world I'm afraid, comedy can be cruel to those it is immediately directed at, and it was perhaps naive of you not to expect that it would be mentioned by Graham Norton hosting a topical comedy show.
Thing is, you are too close to this to be objective about it.
Do you watch Have I Got News For You in disgust, shaking your head, or have you ever allowed yourself to laugh at the expense of somebody else's misfortune.
It's the way of the world I'm afraid, comedy can be cruel to those it is immediately directed at, and it was perhaps naive of you not to expect that it would be mentioned by Graham Norton hosting a topical comedy show.
I don't laugh at people whose houses have been damaged or are in a state of shock at a traumatic event way beyond human control, no; whether it be just along the street, on the other side of the world, or even Leeds.
I don't laugh at off-the-shelf cheap jibes either, and Graham is full of them.
