Police investigate joke

Emp_Fab

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-61882056

The slightly worrying line here is "To be fair to them the fuzz were very nice about it all but felt they had a duty to investigate."  Sorry ? - a 'duty to investigate' ? - a duty to investigate a joke ?

Maybe Mr Orwell was forty years premature.

Dominic

To be fair ......it's far more important than investigating a Burglary /Car theft / etc 

Gandalph

They'd be better served investigating the t**t who made the complaint in the first place and fining him/her/both for wasting police time.

imo

 

lustycourtier

Great publicity. Same with Jimmy Carrs old joke that suddenly resurfaced to anger the daily mail and sell out his tour. 

Devil#20

So you haven't heard of the case against Harry Miller then. This is absolutely shocking. Somebody can make up something about you and it gives you a permanent criminal record even if you've done nothing wrong. That can obviously make things difficult when it comes to getting a job etc. It's a long watch but it's worth it. It absolutely shocking. 

https://youtu.be/x0wC7c9Sywk

manicguitarist

Devil#20 said:

So you haven't heard of the case against Harry Miller then. This is absolutely shocking. Somebody can make up something about you and it gives you a permanent criminal record even if you've done nothing wrong. That can obviously make things difficult when it comes to getting a job etc. It's a long watch but it's worth it. It absolutely shocking. 

https://youtu.be/x0wC7c9Sywk

I agree. This case is horrendous. I am a free speech absolutist - and the current pandering towards censorship for "muh feelings" is quite alarming.

FastEddie

Nearly as sad as the mobs boycotting cinemas about a film about Mo. 
Stupidity writ large. 

The Police are so soft these days you can get away with (insert vile crime in Rotherham) but get pinched for offending an ideology!
It's the wrong way around. 

We should be laughing at stupid ideologies, mocking them, making skits to show their ideocracy.

Simonh

As i was told the other day if someone makes a complaint they are duty bound to "investigate" it.

Offset

I wouldn't be at all surprised if the complaint was made by Lycett's agent.

Simonh

How very cynical of you!

(wiz'd)

bloodandtears

Anyone know what the joke was?

AK99

^ Something about What's got 4 legs and a c**t halfway up its back ? .. perhaps

Snap

FastEddie said:

We should be laughing at stupid ideologies, mocking them, making skits to show their ideocracy.

I don't think this is the way to go at all. 

I put all religions in the same bucket of stuff I don't believe in, but I wouldn't mock someone for their own belief. That's disrespectful and arrogant.

However, where I think we tend to go wrong is that we allow perceived, or vocalised insults of beliefs to intrude on other people's liberties.

In the case of this film - IMO, the measured practise would be to acknowledge the fact that certain people feel insulted, but also uphold the right of everyone else (who are not insulted) to be able to watch it, if they so choose. 
 
If something offends you, or your beliefs, then don't get involved in it, but don't expect everyone else to cater for your viewpoint.

I don't eat anything that has had a mother, but I don't go round expecting everyone else to hold the same view or alter their lifestyle because of my views. That would be the standpoint of an arrogant twat. Same here with the film.

The cinema should have got some backbone and held firm. Ridiculous IMO. 

axisus

The police should face a charge of time wasting and wasting public money. They should have thrown it out.

Bowks

bloodandtears said:

Anyone know what the joke was?

Something about a donkey dick, I believe.

I'm sure Joe will be loving the free publicity!

fretmeister

It's very odd indeed. (I mean the fact that a complaint was made, not that plod had a duty to investigate - that's on the statute books)

This was at a comedy show by a comedian. Not a street corner nutter trying to incite anything.

If a person buys a ticket to a comedy show I'd bet they are at least aware of the type of comedy that is going to be performed. As with all comedy there are jokes we find funny, jokes we don't find funny, jokes we find distasteful, and probably the best type, jokes we find distasteful but also funny.

Free speech has and should have consequences, but the consequence of a joke not being liked should be that the people who didn't like it don't buy another ticket. Maybe, at the worst - if the show was misdescribed at the point of sale, getting the ticket money back. But that's it.

It wasn't hate speech, it wasn't inciting anything. It was an environment where all persons there - audience and performer - understand that it's a joke.

I'm not upset that plod has a statutory duty to investigate - the need for that is obvious. I'm upset that an idiot made the complaint in the first place.

monquixote

axisus said:

The police should face a charge of time wasting and wasting public money. They should have thrown it out.

They did 

Someone reported that he had told a joke that was illegal (Presumably it should be considered a hate crime or similar) 
They asked him if he had. He said "No I didn't"
They said: "Cool, off you go" 

I really don't think it could be any simpler than that.

Without investigating he might have been calling for the death of some protected group or something which would be illegal.

Funkfingers

Some people can not tell the difference between describing an activity and inciting others to perform that activity. 

The exact wording of Lycett's joke could be significant. There could be room for misunderstanding. Here, I am thinking of the old "use the camel" joke.

bertie

serious (cos Im too lazy to check) question

so how did it even get into the media ?   (and why !!)

 

VimFuego

as said above, it does seem to be a storm in a tea cup, but I am enjoying the frothing at the mouth self righteous anger. Good work all.

fretmeister

bertie said:

serious (cos Im too lazy to check) question

so how did it even get into the media ?   (and why !!)

 

I believe Mr Lycett was smart enough to mention it to the press after plod had closed the matter.

I would have done as well. Get more tickets sold and really annoy the complainer.