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backs to the wall....

Robsweezie

So rugby player cian healy posted a tweet saying he was heading to a gay pride concert with the hashtag #backstothewall, cue accusations of insensitive "dark ages" homophobia and counter arguments of the PC brigade out in force. So what of it, really that big of a deal or a harmless joke? I'd be giving him the benefit of the doubt seeing as he apparently supported the YES vote, and dismiss it as a bit of off colour humour, not to everyones taste. I personally smiled at it.

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ablelocks

Props should only be allowed talk about scrums.

frostyjacks

RayM wrote: »

It's the kind of 'joke' that you might find hilarious if you're around 10 years old. Or a privately educated rugby player.

Brian O'Driscoll was one of the high profile supporters of the yes campaign, and at least one of the women's rugby team is gay, probably more. There's a gay referee, and a film coming out about a gay Welsh player. Rugby is quite gay-friendly compared to other sports.

[Deleted User]

ThinkProgress wrote: »

Satirical jokes are a great way of breaking down barriers and removing stigmas. He's just poking fun at the people who actually say stuff like that and genuinely mean it.

Jesus.

It was a puerile comment.

To condemn him is wrong. But to suggest it was satire and an attempt to parody homophobes is equally ridiculous.

ThinkProgress

Deleted User wrote: »

Jesus.

It was a puerile comment.

To condemn him is wrong. But to suggest it was satire and an attempt to parody homophobes is equally ridiculous.

Why is it so ridiculous?

What, you have to be some comic genius to poke some fun at a stereotypical comment that many casual homophobes might utter?

I actually think it's very possible that was his motive for the joke. I'm not saying it was carefully calculated or he put huge thought into it either though.

catallus

Whatever about "backs to the wall" which can be very funny indeed if timed right and in the right context, there seems to be a growing trend on the internet of people dropping the term "no homo" into conversation.

Now, I'm sure people don't mean to offend (or maybe they do), but I find it to be the only real thing these days that I read that makes me irrationally angry.

It just makes me wince when I see it in the middle of an otherwise perfectly fine sentence and it really makes me think less of people who say it.

GSF

Where the # about? Is it a campaign or is it just too many blows to the head?

[Deleted User]

ThinkProgress wrote: »

What, you have to be some comic genius to poke some fun at a stereotypical comment that many casual homophobes might utter?

I actually think it's very possible that was his motive for the joke. I'm not saying it was carefully calculated or he put huge thought into it either though.

Not at all.

You don't have to be a genius to distinguish what was a silly comment from a satirical analysis of homophobia.

It's neither a hate crime nor is it a parody.

mikom

ThinkProgress wrote: »

Satirical jokes are a great way of breaking down barriers and removing stigmas.

I'd say Charlie Brooker is shitting himself.....

ROAAAR

It's a stupid comment to be fair. I've heard it before and never found it particularly funny. It's pretty dark to be honest. Like an insinuation of being raped. Why he felt the need to write that on twitter is baffling. Maybe he's been drinking or something though who knows.

tipparetops

maybe he meant others should get their backs to the wall.
He was coming out.

ThinkProgress

Deleted User wrote: »

Not at all.

You don't have to be a genius to distinguish what was a silly comment from a satirical analysis of homophobia.

It's neither a hate crime nor is it a parody.

So it has to be black or white?

It's either a dumb brain fart OR an attempt to critically analyse homophobia? lol

You don't think there's any possibility it could lie somewhere in between those two extremes?

Maybe a clever little jibe directed at the NO side? Considering how vocal he was against the NO campaigners and their tactics during the referendum (Calling their tactics:"outright disgrace and highly offensive"), I'd say it's not that crazy to think this joke might be aimed at some of them!

pmasterson95

Jaysus actually suprised theres no one screaming bigot or wanting him to retire immediately and stop disgracing Ireland. Nice to see the bandwagon has been dismounted and normality has returned.

[Deleted User]

ThinkProgress wrote: »

So it has to be black or white?

It's either a dumb brain fart OR an attempt to critically analyse homophobia? lol

You don't think there's any possibility it could lie somewhere in between those two extremes?

Maybe a clever little jibe directed at the NO side? Considering how vocal he was against the NO campaigners and their tactics during the referendum (Calling their tactics:"outright disgrace and highly offensive"), I'd say it's not that crazy to think this joke might be aimed at some of them!

Um.

I think my point (and, amusingly, your own point) sailed completely over your head.

You were the one saying it was at one end of the spectrum, a satirical joke.

Others said it was bigotry.

I was the one pointing out that it doesn't have to be one or the other, it was a silly comment.

Robert McGrath

[Deleted User] wrote: »

True. But it seems harsh to pay for it with his job. A fulsome apology should be enough for what was, again, just a very bad effort at humour.

I think a sincere apology would be better

ThinkProgress

Deleted User wrote: »

Um.

I think my point (and, amusingly, your own point) sailed completely over your head.

You were the one saying it was at one end of the spectrum, a satirical joke.

Others said it was bigotry.

I was the one pointing out that it doesn't have to be one or the other, it was a silly comment.

No, you were ridiculing my suggestion of another potential motive for the joke.

You're guilty of thinking in a very black and white way. (bigotry or idiotic joke)

Maybe you are another one of those people who believe anyone who strays from the PC party line - Is somehow less enlightened to you, and hence they're making a "silly" (<--lacking intellect) comment!

I'm just suggesting that a man who was clearly in support of the YES side, angrily and vocally opposed to the NO side's tactics and openly attending a gay pride concert... might not be making quite the "silly" comment you think!

Maybe there was something a touch more to it than than you think. (But not a feck*n analysis of homophobia either btw - lol)

I don't think any of that is a "ridiculous" conclusion to arrive at either.

padd b1975

frostyjacks wrote: »

Brian O'Driscoll was one of the high profile supporters of the yes campaign, and at least one of the women's rugby team is gay, probably more. There's a gay referee, and a film coming out about a gay Welsh player. Rugby is quite gay-friendly compared to other sports.

And rugby players are quite open about lighting their own farts, so comfortable with nudity as well which has to be acknowledged.

suicide_circus

The phrase is "arses to the wall" gawd cian what a fauxpas!

Robsweezie

fair play for sticking to his guns and not deleting the tweet to please the mob.

LadyFenghuang

Who the Hell is he?

LadyFenghuang

Robsweezie wrote: »

fair play for sticking to his guns and not deleting the tweet to please the mob.

I wonder was it to please another mob though that he didn't. Perhaps he bowed to another more closer to home peer pressure. He possibly has a certain audience to entertain and knows them well. He is just pleasing a different mob.

ScumLord

K4t wrote: »

But it's not harmless really though. The oldest argument in the book thrown about by the bigots has always been that the gays can't keep it in their pants

I think that applies more to men in general. This kind of thing is a non issue, I'm sure gay men have thicker skin than this, they probably say much worse to each other, they're still lads at the end of the day.

SpaceTime

I can assure you if it were some unheard of aussi political advisor making reference to the Irish and potatoes there'd be a complaint from the embassy and general outrage.

He should have known better and it is kind of a nice display of the casual homophobia in sports circles though.

You can expect quite a few people to be offended and they'll be perfectly entitled to be too.

A joke is a joke but seriously a bit of sensitivity and cop on is required too, especially if you're a public figure.

LadyFenghuang

He is invoking the terrible stereotype of 'being a knucklehead'.

I am thinking all kinds of ungenerous things about him that debase his intelligence in a really snotty way. I think to think about that and what it means about me. I think I have straight dude phobia. It's unfair he might be a really intelligent sensitive person who am I to prejudge?

topper75

ThinkProgress wrote: »

Political correctness is a load of horse sh*t!!! It's ruining our society! It's ruining all western civilization!

Ireland used to be disparagingly referred to as "priest-ridden".

Some think they have gone away. But, in actual fact, they have simply been replaced by a new set of moralisers - the Holy Joes of the liberal left with their 'politically correct' language expectations.

A plague on both their houses.

LadyFenghuang

I just googled him he looks like a mouth breather. If you LOOK like a knuckle head you can't ACT like a knuckle head!

[Deleted User]

RayM wrote: »

It's the kind of 'joke' that you might find hilarious if you're around 10 years old. Or a privately educated rugby player.

Always good to see somebody giving out about bigotry with their own bigot comment.

gramar

topper75 wrote: »

Ireland used to be disparagingly referred to as "priest-ridden".

Despite the vow of celibacy plenty were priest ridden in Ireland.

DEFTLEFTHAND

LadyFenghuang wrote: »

I just googled him he looks like a mouth breather. If you LOOK like a knuckle head you can't ACT like a knuckle head!

He's actually a well spoken educated young man. Try and have a sense of humour, it's a joke not actual sentiment. He wouldn't have been going to a Gay Pride concert in the first place if he was a raging homophobe.

topper75

LadyFenghuang wrote: »

I just googled him he looks like a mouth breather. If you LOOK like a knuckle head you can't ACT like a knuckle head!

Ah ... the gift of being able to tell what someone is like by the way they look in a google search image. A seer of seers, truly.

ScumLord

LadyFenghuang wrote: »

I am thinking all kinds of ungenerous things about him that debase his intelligence in a really snotty way. I think to think about that and what it means about me. I think I have straight dude phobia. It's unfair he might be a really intelligent sensitive person who am I to prejudge?

I guess you could say that if you're infallible yourself. You've never said the wrong thing or told a tasteless joke.

I guess in this day and age foot in mouth disease has taken a sharp decline and everyone's perfect all the time.

Empathy goes both ways. A roll eyes is enough of a concern to give this issue.