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.

The_Valeyard

And today's rage is brought to you by.................


F*ck it, he didnt mean any offence by it. And im not going to join in the pitchfork bandwagon having a go at him, instead, im going to listen to the piano version of Jurassic Park

ToddyDoody

I think it's prison he's thinking of

GSF

It's always the ugly boys isn't it?

jjC123

I doubt he meant any harm by it but it was very much in bad taste.
I can't abide the relentless PC-brigade either but considering the countries recent efforts to move forward from homophobia and be more accepting of the LGBT community, it was a joke that came with more implications than were probably intended.

Akrasia

I'm pretty sure he was joking.

Last time I checked, jokes are still ok.

I'm much more worried about the humourless bigots out there who pretend that they're in favour of equality but secretly hate everything about gay people and will discriminate against them at any opportunity.

Senna

As usual someone will be offended on behalf of gay people. Gay people themselves probably won't care about it.

kneemos

Tractors.

NachoBusiness

It's no worse than the: 'Better not bend down in the shower' line that's said whenever men's prisons are mentioned.

A little crass but I doubt it's something that Harvey Milk would have been too worried about had he heard someone say it.

But like everything, in the wrong setting it could be inappropriate.

Rough Sleeper

He probably wouldn't be going to a gay pride concert if he were a homophobe, would he? It would be nice if, just once, a notable figure could make an innocuous if mildly ill-judged remark without getting lambasted over it. Just once like.

DeadHand

It was a harmless joke.

Not that this will stop the perpetually outraged cyber shrieking for a few days until they find someone else to bully.

K4t

DeadHand wrote: »

It was a harmless joke.

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 - he's simply perpetuating this nasty generalization with an an idiotic remark - I have as sick as f**k sense of humour as anyone and I'm all for allowing anyone to say whatever the hell they want, but I'll also call stupidity whenever I see it, and what he said is just plain stupid.

GSF wrote: »

It's always the ugly boys isn't it?

Yeah, I think Mr Healy is overestimating himself just a bit..

StewartGriffin

Akrasia wrote: »

I'm pretty sure he was joking.

Last time I checked, jokes are still ok.

Oh, no they're not!

Panti, Release the Hounds!

The Dark Side

Idiotic comment.

He'll be apologising shortly, I've no doubt.

Amirani

Only silly thing he did was tweet it, not the right medium for that sort of joke. I'd give him the benefit of the doubt seeing as he was going to a gay pride concert.

Harry Palmr

Silly billy, why is every passing idiotic thought now tweeted?

The homosexual issue doesn't bother me at all. A harmless comment.

The repeated reference to it as a joke offends my sense of humour though. It lacks everything I like in a joke, it's not witty or original. I'm surprised an adult would use the line, not because of the offence issue, but because it's just so...stupid.

Charlie19

He should've had more sense. A comment like that might be lighthearted fun between friends but it shouldn't be broadcasted to the public.

K4t

StewartGriffin wrote: »

Oh, no they're not!

Panti, Release the Hounds!

His wife said it best-

"He just says silly things now and again".....Collins clutches her head as Hunt talks - “It was an unbelievably stupid thing to say,” she says.

And it's that simple - Say stupid things and be prepared to suffer the consequences nowadays. A man of science should ordinarily know that, but we also live in the age of social media and yes, political correctness. It's simply not acceptable to say those kind of things anymore from professional positions such as he held.

K4t

K4t wrote: »

His wife said it best-

And it's that simple - Say stupid things and be prepared to suffer the consequences nowadays. A man of science should ordinarily know that, but we also live in the age of social media and yes, political correctness. It's simply not acceptable to say those kind of things anymore from professional positions such as he held.

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.

Areyouwell

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Silly billy, why is every passing idiotic thought now tweeted?

Even worse when some cause a ridiculous overreaction.

tipparetops

Deleted User wrote: »

The homosexual issue doesn't bother me at all. A harmless comment.

The repeated reference to it as a joke offends my sense of humour though. It lacks everything I like in a joke, it's not witty or original. I'm surprised an adult would use the line, not because of the offence issue, but because it's just so...stupid.

the old joke is backs to the wall, as if one of them got on your back you would never be able to get them off, their grip is so tight.

K4t

Areyouwell wrote: »

Even worse when some cause a ridiculous overreaction.

I don't see any ridiculous overreaction here, mostly just posters rightly calling the tweet idiotic and at best ill-advised. Tbh, I'd rather people tweet these kinds of thoughts so that they are challenged and called out for what they are - that way they hopefully won't think there is any truth or sense to such thoughts.

Cookie_Monster

twitter causing outrage, well I never :eek:

RayM

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

gramar

Who cares what he said and who was offended.

Cookie_Monster

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

twitter causing outrage, well I never :eek:

Who is 'outraged?' Brian Kennedy merely said it was disappointing, and on here some users are objecting to the choice of phrase used by Healy. No more, no less

Supergurrier

Anything with a # before it that isn't a dialtone can feck right off

Cody montana

Senna wrote: »

As usual someone will be offended on behalf of gay people. Gay people themselves probably won't care about it.

I do, but only by the fact that it's usually a munter saying it.
And I was right.

ThinkProgress

K4t wrote: »

His wife said it best-

And it's that simple - Say stupid things and be prepared to suffer the consequences nowadays. A man of science should ordinarily know that, but we also live in the age of social media and yes, political correctness. It's simply not acceptable to say those kind of things anymore from professional positions such as he held.

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

There's fcuk all wrong with that joke. He's going to a gay pride concert FFS...

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.

frostyjacks

It was a harmless joke. Some people must have little going on in their lives to be upset by it.

Do we really want to live in a society where people are afraid to open their mouth lest they be accused of some form of bigotry?

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.

ThinkProgress

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?

ThinkProgress

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.

ThinkProgress

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.