Saturday, March 03, 2007

Fizz goes flat

In a bizarre story David Van Day, he of Bucks Fizz, and now a Tory Council candidate has upset some ofBrighton's finest.
At some charity event The Brighton and Hove Actually Gay Men’s Chorus when "Mr Van Day started his speech by saying that the members of the choir "bend over backwards for anybody."

He went on that he didn’t want to "be behind them at the time."

Given the comments being made by people like Jonathon Ross and Graham Norton, actually almost the entire BBC light entertainment section. But of course he reckoned without those who, for political effect will choose to be offended at almost anything.

Step forward Mr Josh Mills, who is the lead trustee of Brighton Pride, who did what any fellow would do and phoned the Pink Times to say, "I was disgusted by the comments and it was offensive".
Get over yourself Mr Mills, if those two pretty lame jokes cause you that much upset you really better stay at home and never talk to anybody apart from your own four walls.
The fact that Mr Mills is also a Tory and even demanded that the former fizzer stand down as a candidate is sadly no longer surprising. What he doesn't seem to understand is that equality, great though it is does not, and nor should it guarantee that we will never be offended by another's words.

The irony is I suspect that Mr Van Day was probably selected in the first place in Brighton because the Tories thought that the brand of high amp that was Bucks Fizz would appeal to the cities large gay population.

6 comments:

extravirgin said...

What i fail to understand is why when someone is 'offended' by such an event, he or she doesn't stand up and denounce such comments there and there... in front of everybody.

It would generate a bigger impact... and possibly give a chance to the offending party to explain himself/herself.

I'm a very proud gay man, but independently from the fact that i would or wouldn't be offended by Mr Van Day comments, i found a bit 'convenient' that Mr Josh Mills decided to complain after the event occurred and to do so via the Argus with a political angle.

Of course he is entitled to his opinion especially if he feels offended, but i hope next time he will decide to speak up and confront the villain straight away.

Better still... let's hope there will be no more upsetting comments....yeah, ok... I'm an eternal optimist!

Gawain Towler said...

Extra Virgin,

I agree with every word you say, but I do suspect that your optimism will be unfounded.

Tippler said...

Sounds like a bum rap to me.

Ok, I'll get me coat...

The Aunt said...

Odd. I had always had suspicions about Mr van Day which would have precluded such comments. Suspicions which were possibly also a factor in his selection.

Unless... *machinatory double blind occurrs to me*...

Anonymous said...

moderator, could you please remove the above comment?

Gawain Towler said...

Anon

Thanks for the heads up

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