Pat Sharp axed. Have we lost the ability to take a joke?

[Don Barzini]

https://www.ok.co.uk/celebrity-news/pat-sharpe-breaks-silence-hes-29410773

Many other sources on this story, but some of them don't actually reveal what he joke was.

I'm a Celebrity star Pat Sharp has said he is "truly sorry" for his ill-judged remark about a woman's breasts, which saw him being axed from his Greatest Hits radio show slot.

It's reported that Pat, 61, was speaking at the Conference News Agency Awards at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in London when he made a jibe about company boss Lizzy Eaton’s chest in front of around 400 people.

Lizzy was given a T-shirt with Pat's face on it, which saw the radio star tell her: "That’s the only way I’ll get on your t**s today."

The Sun reported that Lizzy threw the top back at the presenter and proceeded to storm out of the event in tears last week.

She later wrote on social media: "Yesterday I was publicly humiliated, in a sexual nature, by the celebrity host of an industry event, on stage in front of 400 of my colleagues and peers.

“Afterwards I was in complete shock and hadn’t really processed what happened. Today I am struggling with it — I feel sad, dirty and, frankly, violated."

She continued: "I have worked incredibly hard to earn my reputation and hopefully be an inspiration to other young women in the events industry.

"Yesterday however, I was belittled, sexualised and objectified in front of hundreds of people I respect.”

Pat Sharp has apologised for the joke. He's been booted out of his radio show. I would expect he'll struggle to get employment in the future as a result of this and be "cancelled".

Have we lost the ability to just laugh things off? To take them for what they are - a joke? Must someone's career be ruined over stuff like this?

 

[Lord Tyrion]

You can probably re-read the Tiger Woods tampon thread for answers to this.

If he thinks that line is okay he really is still stuck in the 90's. There have been enough cases like this that you can't be unaware of the potential consequences. He will turn up again somewhere, he will just have to take his medicine for a while.

In terms of taking a joke. It's a joke intended to humiliate, to embarrass. It's a cheap, sexist gag that will work for part of the room, in the past, most of the room. Gormless.

 

[rudebhoy]

https://www.ok.co.uk/celebrity-news/pat-sharpe-breaks-silence-hes-29410773

Many other sources on this story, but some of them don't actually reveal what he joke was.



Pat Sharp has apologised for the joke. He's been booted out of his radio show. I would expect he'll struggle to get employment in the future as a result of this and be "cancelled".

Have we lost the ability to just laugh things off? To take them for what they are - a joke? Must someone's career be ruined over stuff like this?

You really think she should just have laughed it off? Should black people laugh off racist jokes as well? What about the disabled?

 

[Orikoru]

It was a bad joke but pretty tame really. Her speech about feeling violated and humiliated are way over-the-top. She could have just said she found it offensive, he apologises, everyone gets on with their life. But she wanted to make a mountain out of a molehill and get her name in the papers, so objective achieved.

 

[rudebhoy]

It was a bad joke but pretty tame really. Her speech about feeling violated and humiliated are way over-the-top. She could have just said she found it offensive, he apologises, everyone gets on with their life. But she wanted to make a mountain out of a molehill and get her name in the papers, so objective achieved.

I totally disagree. Her comments on social media (and her decision to post them) are entirely reasonable and appropriate. I doubt she was ringing round the newspapers in the hope of getting her name in them.

 

[Swango1980]

You can probably re-read the Tiger Woods tampon thread for answers to this.

If he thinks that line is okay he really is still stuck in the 90's. There have been enough cases like this that you can't be unaware of the potential consequences. He will turn up again somewhere, he will just have to take his medicine for a while.

In terms of taking a joke. It's a joke intended to humiliate, to embarrass. It's a cheap, sexist gag that will work for part of the room, in the past, most of the room. Gormless.

I'd say the key difference between this and the Tiger incident, was that the Tiger incident was strictly meant for one person, and unintentionally got spotted and shared amongst the world. In this incident, the joke was knowingly made in front of an audience of many other people. So, if you are going to make jokes in front of an audience, you need to understand your audience, and also know that there can be certain consequences if not taken well. The worlds very best comedians can face a lot of criticism in what they say, so a unskilled comedian like Pat Sharp probably ought to be more careful.

I've zero idea what Pat Sharp is like generally. Given I've not heard much controversy around him until now, I'd have thought he'd be a fairly uncontroversial type of guy? So, it does feel harsh that the reaction to this one slip up is to be sacked. I'd understand it more if he had a habit of such things. People like Piers Morgan can offend people on a daily basis, but keep his job for years at GMB because he was skilled enough to not cross that line for such a long time. Pat Sharp can go a career without offending anyone, until now where he carelessly offends a person with a comment, and gets the sack. I'd have thought a sincere apology would have been enough for a first offence?

I guess I'm the sort of guy that likes to give human beings another chance after such misdemeanours , knowing that we are all capable of being morons at times. Especially when we speak too soon. How often have any of us quickly made a joke, and immediately thought "ooooo, that was cringy, why on earth did I say that", as you watched the tumbleweed fly past? Ohh, is it just me.....

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I'd say the key difference between this and the Tiger incident, was that the Tiger incident was strictly meant for one person, and unintentionally got spotted and shared amongst the world. In this incident, the joke was knowingly made in front of an audience of many other people. So, if you are going to make jokes in front of an audience, you need to understand your audience, and also know that there can be certain consequences if not taken well. The worlds very best comedians can face a lot of criticism in what they say, so a unskilled comedian like Pat Sharp probably ought to be more careful.

We are in danger of going over old ground here but when did Tiger do anything on a golf course, in a tournament, that wasn't picked up by a camera? He may have meant it for one person but there was not a chance that was only going to be seen by one person. He has been in the spotlight, out on the golf course, long enough to know this.

 

[Orikoru]

The article I saw last night said he was due to be leaving his show soon anyway, so they've just sped up the process. So mountain out of a molehill on both sides really.

I guess I'm the sort of guy that likes to give human beings another chance after such misdemeanours , knowing that we are all capable of being morons at times. Especially when we speak too soon. How often have any of us quickly made a joke, and immediately thought "ooooo, that was cringy, why on earth did I say that", as you watched the tumbleweed fly past? Ohh, is it just me.....

Yeah, this. Why do so many people forget that celebrities are still humans? It probably sounded better in his head, then once he'd said it out loud he thought "oh dear... I've made a blunder here." But yeah let's make sure his reputation is well and truly in the dust for his one poor joke.

 

[Swango1980]

We are in danger of going over old ground here but when did Tiger do anything on a golf course, in a tournament, that wasn't picked up by a camera? He may have meant it for one person but there was not a chance that was only going to be seen by one person. He has been in the spotlight, out on the golf course, long enough to know this.

Yeah, no need to go over that ground, I understand people's views on it. Just opened with that as the topic was mentioned.

 

[RichA]

I'd say the key difference between this and the Tiger incident, was that the Tiger incident was strictly meant for one person, and unintentionally got spotted and shared amongst the world. In this incident, the joke was knowingly made in front of an audience of many other people. So, if you are going to make jokes in front of an audience, you need to understand your audience, and also know that there can be certain consequences if not taken well. The worlds very best comedians can face a lot of criticism in what they say, so a unskilled comedian like Pat Sharp probably ought to be more careful.

I've zero idea what Pat Sharp is like generally. Given I've not heard much controversy around him until now, I'd have thought he'd be a fairly uncontroversial type of guy? So, it does feel harsh that the reaction to this one slip up is to be sacked. I'd understand it more if he had a habit of such things. People like Piers Morgan can offend people on a daily basis, but keep his job for years at GMB because he was skilled enough to not cross that line for such a long time. Pat Sharp can go a career without offending anyone, until now where he carelessly offends a person with a comment, and gets the sack. I'd have thought a sincere apology would have been enough for a first offence?

I guess I'm the sort of guy that likes to give human beings another chance after such misdemeanours , knowing that we are all capable of being morons at times. Especially when we speak too soon. How often have any of us quickly made a joke, and immediately thought "ooooo, that was cringy, why on earth did I say that", as you watched the tumbleweed fly past? Ohh, is it just me.....

I like a second chance for an out of character, off the cuff remark but this guy was giving a rehearsed speech and even went to the trouble of getting a t-shirt printed.

 

[Swango1980]

I like a second chance for an out of character, off the cuff remark but this guy was giving a rehearsed speech and even went to the trouble of getting a t-shirt printed.

Well, he certainly doesn't have the defence of speaking before he thinks then. I guess he needs to fall on the fact he is a really terrible writer of comedy. Bit more like the Best Mans Speech that goes terribly wrong.

As Orikoru said, if he was due to leave his show soon anyway, perhaps more is being made of the situation than there needs to be, in terms of him having to step down.

 

[Orikoru]

Well, he certainly doesn't have the defence of speaking before he thinks then. I guess he needs to fall on the fact he is a really terrible writer of comedy. Bit more like the Best Mans Speech that goes terribly wrong.

As Orikoru said, if he was due to leave his show soon anyway, perhaps more is being made of the situation than there needs to be, in terms of him having to step down.

My biggest fear is that any chance of a revamp of Fun House is out the window now.

 

[Swango1980]

My biggest fear is that any chance of a revamp of Fun House is out the window now.

Well, if it does return, he will certainly have to clean up his comedy routine

 

[PJ87]

My biggest fear is that any chance of a revamp of Fun House is out the window now.

To be fair that went out the window when he went in the jungle (Jezz just checked in was 2011!!!) He was very unpopular

 

[Don Barzini]

It was a bad joke but pretty tame really. Her speech about feeling violated and humiliated are way over-the-top. She could have just said she found it offensive, he apologises, everyone gets on with their life. But she wanted to make a mountain out of a molehill and get her name in the papers, so objective achieved.

These are pretty much my feelings on the matter too.

You really think she should just have laughed it off? Should black people laugh off racist jokes as well? What about the disabled?

To be honest, yes I do think she should have just laughed it off. Or alternatively, responded with some sort of cutting remark back at him to make him feel silly.

I really do not equate this joke to being as bad as if he’d made a racist or disabled joke under the same circumstances.

 

[Orikoru]

To be honest, yes I do think she should have just laughed it off. Or alternatively, responded with some sort of cutting remark back at him to make him feel silly.

I really do not equate this joke to being as bad as if he’d made a racist or disabled joke under the same circumstances.

In some ways it was self-deprecating as he basically implied she wouldn't him let anywhere near her - seemingly just the use of the word 'tits' has deemed it over-the-line and suddenly sexist.

 

[PJ87]

In some ways it was self-deprecating as he basically implied she wouldn't him let anywhere near her - seemingly just the use of the word 'tits' has deemed it over-the-line and suddenly sexist.

Oh I'm not sure. The way I read it is he saying only way he would get on her would be that t shirt.. Ie deeming himself too good for her

 

[Orikoru]

Oh I'm not sure. The way I read it is he saying only way he would get on her would be that t shirt.. Ie deeming himself too good for her

I suppose you could read it that way. Context is everything and you'd have to have been there to know which way it was meant.

Either way she comes across as a hyper-sensitive person, and it shows you, never make risqué jokes with people you don't know, since you've no idea how they'll react.

 

[chellie]

It was a bad joke but pretty tame really. Her speech about feeling violated and humiliated are way over-the-top. She could have just said she found it offensive, he apologises, everyone gets on with their life. But she wanted to make a mountain out of a molehill and get her name in the papers, so objective achieved.

You are not a woman who has been subjected to comments like this. You have no idea what it is like.

 

[Orikoru]

You are not a woman who has been subjected to comments like this. You have no idea what it is like.

But in agreement with that, if this is the worst comment/sexist joke she's ever heard then she must have been quite sheltered.