Can anybody believe that Northamptonshire Police are taking even remotely seriously a complaint against Basil Brush for alleged racism towards gipsies and travellers? We are accustomed by now to the lunatic excesses of political correctness, but this really takes the biscuit - or should that be the brush? Will the phrase “Taking the Mickey” now become “Taking the Basil”, I wonder?
Seemingly, some twerp called Joseph Jones, who calls himself vice-chairman of the Southern England Romany Gipsy and Irish Traveller Network - whatever that is - reckons Basil made racist and offensive remarks in a programme on a children’s digital channel. The alleged offence? Basil’s neighbour, Dame Rosie Fortune, tries to sell him pegs and lucky heather and offers to read his palm, whereupon Basil tells a joke about a fortune teller who stole his wallet.
This episode was first shown SIX YEARS ago and has been repeated eight times since. It also appears on a Basil Brush DVD, "Basil Unleashed". So why has the hypersensitive Mr Jones only just noticed it now and waited six years to bring his barmy complaint? Moreover, why don’t the Northamptonshire Plod tell him that unless he backs off he’ll be the one to have his collar felt for wasting police time?
Or will they be issuing a “Wanted For Hate Crimes” poster featuring a Mr B. Brush, described as having a long pointy nose, a reddish-brown furry coat, a bushy tail and with someone’s hand up his backside?
What next in this increasingly mad, mad PC world? Will those other children’s favourites, Pugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble and Grubb be prosecuted under equality laws for having an all-white crew at Trumpton Fire Station and not recruiting from the ethnic minorities? Isn’t there something a bit odd and unhealthy about Andy Pandy sharing a picnic basket with a teddy bear and a girl rag doll called Looby Loo? And will Bill and Ben, The Flowpot Men, finally be forced by the strident homosexual brigade to come out of the closet and admit they’re gay?
As Basil would say: Boom, Boom!
Posted by: The Plinth of Darkneth at 12:51pm on Thu 20 Mar 08
Yep, it's totally laughable isn't it?
They banned Tom and Jerry as it contained scenes of a violent nature.
Now I grew up watching T&J and not once, ever, did I feel that it could've have had a negative impact on me with regards to violent behaviour.
Travellers have been selling items like pegs and posies for centuries, this is a fact.
When one talks of fortune tellers, it immediately provokes the image of a gypsy wearing a headscarf glaring into a crystal ball.
Whilst it may appear to be stereotypical, what you cannot escape is the fact that this is just how it is, in teh same way that, for instance, the Americans probably think of the English as as gentlemen wearing bowler hats.
I just wish that people would focus on the more important things that are going on in this world rather than this pathetic political correctness that, once it has been put in place, can NEVER be reinstated.
One day, Roy, we may have to leave this once great land.
Yep, it's totally laughable isn't it?
They banned Tom and Jerry as it contained scenes of a violent nature.
Now I grew up watching T&J and not once, ever, did I feel that it could've have had a negative impact on me with regards to violent behaviour.
Travellers have been selling items like pegs and posies for centuries, this is a fact.
When one talks of fortune tellers, it immediately provokes the image of a gypsy wearing a headscarf glaring into a crystal ball.
Whilst it may appear to be stereotypical, what you cannot escape is the fact that this is just how it is, in teh same way that, for instance, the Americans probably think of the English as as gentlemen wearing bowler hats.
I just wish that people would focus on the more important things that are going on in this world rather than this pathetic political correctness that, once it has been put in place, can NEVER be reinstated.
One day, Roy, we may have to leave this once great land.
Posted by: John Howard Norfolk at 5:15pm on Thu 20 Mar 08
If this story is true (is it Roy?) then the powers that be should consider labelling Mr Joseph Jones as a "vexatious litigant" I think the legal professional term is. And strike out the action.
It is indeed plain daft to persecute poor Basil.
If this story is true (is it Roy?) then the powers that be should consider labelling Mr Joseph Jones as a "vexatious litigant" I think the legal professional term is. And strike out the action.
It is indeed plain daft to persecute poor Basil.
Posted by: Roy Stockdill at 12:05pm on Sun 23 Mar 08
According to today's Mail on Sunday, the BBC have now promised not to show the episode again and Northants Police are not taking any further action. So it appears the absurdly hypersensitive gipsy who complained - it wasn't Joseph Jones, apparently, but an anonymous complainant - has won the day! Beyond belief!
It seems now that we are not permitted to make jokes about ethnic minorities, Muslims, gays, gipsies and mothers-in-law. What's left, I wonder? Presumably jokes about Englishmen, Welshman Scotsmen and Irishmen are also banned or will be the subject of some interfering busybody sticking their nose in. The manner in which political correctness is destroying our freedom of speech and right to ridicule things we find absurd becomes more sinister every day.
Personally, I enjoyed the comments of Richard Littlejohn in his Mail column. He said that if the sketch were done today Dame Rosie Fortune would be moving her caravan illegally onto land that doesn't belong to her, living off benefits and supplementing her income by stealing lawn mowers and tarmac-ing driveways. Oops! I expect the Old Bill will be feeling his collar (and mine) 'ere long!
According to today's Mail on Sunday, the BBC have now promised not to show the episode again and Northants Police are not taking any further action. So it appears the absurdly hypersensitive gipsy who complained - it wasn't Joseph Jones, apparently, but an anonymous complainant - has won the day! Beyond belief!
It seems now that we are not permitted to make jokes about ethnic minorities, Muslims, gays, gipsies and mothers-in-law. What's left, I wonder? Presumably jokes about Englishmen, Welshman Scotsmen and Irishmen are also banned or will be the subject of some interfering busybody sticking their nose in. The manner in which political correctness is destroying our freedom of speech and right to ridicule things we find absurd becomes more sinister every day.
Personally, I enjoyed the comments of Richard Littlejohn in his Mail column. He said that if the sketch were done today Dame Rosie Fortune would be moving her caravan illegally onto land that doesn't belong to her, living off benefits and supplementing her income by stealing lawn mowers and tarmac-ing driveways. Oops! I expect the Old Bill will be feeling his collar (and mine) 'ere long!
Posted by: John Howard Norfolk at 10:30pm on Sun 23 Mar 08
Today's Sunday Times also carried a commentary on this farce by Liddle which is quite amusing.
He focussed on the stereotype of clothes peg and lucky white heather sellers being inappropriate. He felt it should have been an image of spoiled countryside with acres of stolen scrap metal! Do look at it. He also had it in for Basil himself (which I do think is a shame).
Today's Sunday Times also carried a commentary on this farce by Liddle which is quite amusing.
He focussed on the stereotype of clothes peg and lucky white heather sellers being inappropriate. He felt it should have been an image of spoiled countryside with acres of stolen scrap metal! Do look at it. He also had it in for Basil himself (which I do think is a shame).
I used to watch Romany beggars in London touching people for money along the Euston Road. They would amble up to passing tourists with their child in toe, and hold out their hands for money, implying that they were minutes away from collapse due to starvation.
The hapless tourists would then reach into their pockets (largely in the hope that prompt payment would encourage the beggars to go away). After a few hours of this sort of thing, the gypsies would then head off to the nearest tobacconists, empty their pockets and stock up with fags!
I used to watch Romany beggars in London touching people for money along the Euston Road. They would amble up to passing tourists with their child in toe, and hold out their hands for money, implying that they were minutes away from collapse due to starvation.
The hapless tourists would then reach into their pockets (largely in the hope that prompt payment would encourage the beggars to go away). After a few hours of this sort of thing, the gypsies would then head off to the nearest tobacconists, empty their pockets and stock up with fags!
Posted by: Roy Stockdill at 12:40am on Fri 28 Mar 08
Well put, Rob.
The sad thing is that the REAL, original Romany gypsies are actually long gone, no more, ceased to exist. What we have now are Irish tinkers and itinerant travelling toe-rags, not to mention assorted hippie drop-outs from the 1960s and 70s who seem to think that the rest of us somehow owe them a living. Parasites who have dropped out of society and yet want to be part of it, so long as the rest of us keep them on benefits. They move their caravans onto land that doesn't belong to them, then play the "human rights" game for years, conning everybody into feeling sorry for them. These people are the scum of the earth and should be dispensed with, preferably by being broken up as a collective gang and being made to join civilised society, i.e. get a normal life, home, a job and a mortgage. What do they have against this except a desire to continue to sponge off the rest of us?
Well put, Rob.
The sad thing is that the REAL, original Romany gypsies are actually long gone, no more, ceased to exist. What we have now are Irish tinkers and itinerant travelling toe-rags, not to mention assorted hippie drop-outs from the 1960s and 70s who seem to think that the rest of us somehow owe them a living. Parasites who have dropped out of society and yet want to be part of it, so long as the rest of us keep them on benefits. They move their caravans onto land that doesn't belong to them, then play the "human rights" game for years, conning everybody into feeling sorry for them. These people are the scum of the earth and should be dispensed with, preferably by being broken up as a collective gang and being made to join civilised society, i.e. get a normal life, home, a job and a mortgage. What do they have against this except a desire to continue to sponge off the rest of us?
[quote][bold]Rob[/bold] wrote:
I used to watch Romany beggars in London touching people for money along the Euston Road. They would amble up to passing tourists with their child in toe, and hold out their hands for money, implying that they were minutes away from collapse due to starvation.
The hapless tourists would then reach into their pockets (largely in the hope that prompt payment would encourage the beggars to go away). After a few hours of this sort of thing, the gypsies would then head off to the nearest tobacconists, empty their pockets and stock up with fags![/quote] It's 'in tow', not 'in toe'...
Rob wrote:
I used to watch Romany beggars in London touching people for money along the Euston Road. They would amble up to passing tourists with their child in toe, and hold out their hands for money, implying that they were minutes away from collapse due to starvation.
The hapless tourists would then reach into their pockets (largely in the hope that prompt payment would encourage the beggars to go away). After a few hours of this sort of thing, the gypsies would then head off to the nearest tobacconists, empty their pockets and stock up with fags!
[quote][bold]JohnBoy[/bold] wrote:
Looks like Roy has finally given up.[/quote] He's certainly been having a long rest since posting his 'romany rant' but maybe that is due to his meeting the local bible bashers.
It will be interesting to get a report back from him in due course on his impressions of the community church and all its works.
Meantime I wonder what kind of existence he imagines would constitute the 'normal life' he suggest should be forced on travellers and their ilk? Perhaps he thinks something akin to his own would be appropriate. That is watching popular tv shows and complaining about them, reading the Daily Mail and believing it and complaining about what he's read, hanging around railway station retail outlets and complaining about them....
But maybe he god-squad will capture him... heaven forfend!
JohnBoy wrote:
Looks like Roy has finally given up.
He's certainly been having a long rest since posting his 'romany rant' but maybe that is due to his meeting the local bible bashers.
It will be interesting to get a report back from him in due course on his impressions of the community church and all its works.
Meantime I wonder what kind of existence he imagines would constitute the 'normal life' he suggest should be forced on travellers and their ilk? Perhaps he thinks something akin to his own would be appropriate. That is watching popular tv shows and complaining about them, reading the Daily Mail and believing it and complaining about what he's read, hanging around railway station retail outlets and complaining about them....
But maybe he god-squad will capture him... heaven forfend!
Posted by: Roy Stockdill at 2:49pm on Sun 13 Apr 08
>He's certainly been having a long rest since posting his 'romany rant' but maybe that is due to his meeting the local bible bashers.<
Actually, it's due to my wife having been rushed into hospital a couple of weeks ago and having to undergo a major operation. I have had far more to worry about than the sneers and sniping of a few sad little malcontents.
>He's certainly been having a long rest since posting his 'romany rant' but maybe that is due to his meeting the local bible bashers.<
Actually, it's due to my wife having been rushed into hospital a couple of weeks ago and having to undergo a major operation. I have had far more to worry about than the sneers and sniping of a few sad little malcontents.
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