http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/qi-downunder-and-stephen-insults-aborigines Just another bbPress community en-US Mon, 20 May 2013 08:58:13 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/search.php http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/qi-downunder-and-stephen-insults-aborigines#post-291181 Thu, 24 Jan 2013 20:42:30 +0000 WannaBeLinguist 291181@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ <p>After looking at this topic for a little bit, I think I finally have something to say about it.</p> <p>To the original poster, I&#39;m sorry that what Mr. Fry said offended you. Coming from a country and even an area where there are still racial tensions and stereotypes, I understand why you would feel that way. I am certain, though, he meant no harm by it.</p> <p>To be fair to Mr. Fry, I am sure he was just referring to a particular incident and, as aranelthemithra was suggesting, trying to point out that this is a certain racist attitude that may still persist in certain areas of Australia. Or, he found said incident amusing and believed that the viewers would find it amusing too. So, what does one do when they hear a joke they like? They share it with others sometimes without the awareness that it could offend someone in their audience.</p> <p>Now, if he made a blanket statement claiming that all Aboriginals believe that way, then there might be a slight problem because he just alienated a huge demographic of viewers and rubbed salt in what is still a relatively fresh wound for those viewers.</p> <p>Personally, I don&#39;t find it funny just because I don&#39;t completely understand it (then again, I&#39;m American and not especially bright so a lot of foreign humor evades me). That&#39;s all I have to say about that, off to class! </p> http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/qi-downunder-and-stephen-insults-aborigines#post-290737 Fri, 18 Jan 2013 19:36:53 +0000 purplejumper 290737@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ <p>Oh no ! I am absoloutley certain that this show is not in any way meant to offend! It just isn&#39;t! I&#39;m glad I am not working out what can and can&#39;t be said on this quiz. I&#39;d be devestated continuously if i offended somebody. So easy to get thing a bit wrong or upset someone. It&#39;s hard to know absolutely everything all the time and take full responsibility and whack if it isn&#39;t well received. i don&#39;t believe for a minute that the intention would be one of malice. It&#39;s not on the nature of the quiz, or the participants who take part. </p> http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/qi-downunder-and-stephen-insults-aborigines#post-290691 Thu, 17 Jan 2013 03:11:35 +0000 aranelthemithra 290691@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ <p>Humour is often used by those who are fairly well informed to make points and educate. </p> <p>Eddie Izzard is certainly not shy about attempting to open up the eyes of his audience through pretty rough subjects being portrayed through a humourous lens. </p> <p>The aboriginal comment was at worst a tired old standby of an entertainer, and that all races have been the target or the butt of many jokes. I would take such things as they are intended, a way to get a quick chuckle without meaning any harm. </p> <p>If a comedian puts a fairly serious topic in a joke or a humourous anecdote, I would assume they are using their medium to shine light on the topic rather than to belittle. </p> <p>However, you can&#39;t please all the people all of the time, and I am sure that infuriates Stephen to no end. </p> http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/qi-downunder-and-stephen-insults-aborigines#post-290637 Wed, 16 Jan 2013 03:32:20 +0000 Lora 290637@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ <p>Oh, yes, I liked ripping off the Ukrainian culture to name their children Neubiymebatko which means &quot;Don&#39;t kill me father&quot;. That was fun! And no one asked why, is it really in Ukrainian culture to kill their children? This name does NOT exist anymore, it should be noticed, what a fault, but Stephen was right. From 1923 to 1933 during man-made famine in Ukraine called the Holodomor (which apparently is compared to Holocaust) and millions of Ukrainians was dying of starvation, the newborn child in a peasant family would mean a new mouth to feed. And a &quot;batko&quot; (father) most likely would decide to kill a child if it was obvious that the child would probably starve to death anyway. Quite a good reason to mock! Well done, why not to mock people suffered other forms of Genocide next time? They also have probably done some &quot;funny&quot; things to safe their lives and their children. </p> http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/qi-downunder-and-stephen-insults-aborigines#post-290313 Mon, 07 Jan 2013 06:05:09 +0000 bonnie896 290313@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ <p>I think you need to look at this from a comical point of view.<br /> I agree it may offend but on this tv show (which I also love and Australian) they have a fun habit of ripping off all cultures and nationalities.<br /> try to not take it to heart so much. </p> http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/topic/qi-downunder-and-stephen-insults-aborigines#post-290249 Thu, 03 Jan 2013 23:49:33 +0000 Johnharris 290249@http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/ <p>QI screens months late in Australia but I still watch it avidly. I am an Aboriginal person and I was hurt when Stephen said an Australian Aboriginal person had described an eclipse of the sun as &#39;kerosine lamp belong Jesus him buggerup&#39;. Not only is that a cheap and ignorant parody on Pacific Island pidgin languages which no Aborigines speak, it is also part of 200+ years of joking about how dumb and primitive we First Australians are. It was a low jibe and not worthy of you Stephen. </p>