STEPHEN FRY

And let me point out that the "victim" in question has released a statement saying she didn't feel abused or threatened at all. The two of them (along with others, I hasten to add, just in case this is used as another excuse to blast Johnny) went for drinks afterwards.

The fact that he had the guts to sue newspapers (The Guardian) over the story and had them to remove the story makes me wonder who he think he is.

I'm not familiar with Johnny Vegas, or his work, but I do know that people need to wake up and stop believing everything that the media is spewing out simply because we dislike that person. Just because the media prints something does not make it true, and if a paper printed something like that about me, and I knew it was a falsehood I'd certainly feel slandered by what is clearly a defamatory allegation. I understand that this is a very sensitive topic, and yes it is horrible if it turns out to be true, but to condemn someone without the facts is wrong. Also, If I see a headline that has incorrect spelling the way that "Huffington Post" link has, I'm not likely to read any further than that headline.

It's very true. The media love to wreck careers. Look at Paul Reubens (Pee Wee Herman) for instance. They blew everything out of proportion and made out he was a kiddy fiddler. The media just love to pick on people. If the girl's put out a statement that nothing abusive happened and doesn't feel there is anything to pursue further than the media should get off his back. I think the victim's perspective should always be taken into consideration. Unfortunatly it's often the case with cases like sexual harrassment and rape that the victim is ignored and dismissed as hysterical but then there have also been witchhunt cases where people put words into the victims mouths or in the case of small children 'interpret' what they say and do to suit their own means.

...and yes Johnny Vegas is a very ott performer. I've got some of his live stuff on video etc and he does like to go far even to the extent where he's getting dragged off the stage by staff.

I guess it depends on how it looks to the audience. It's like whenever I've been to Marilyn Manson shows he always pulls audience members onto the stage and pretends to screw them from behind but it's not real and they volunteer to go up there and play along but to someone looking on like a journalist who doesn't know what his shows usually involve they might think it's genuine and he's taking advantage of people.

i remember his first appearance on QI, his dragons den idea to catch snails which Stephen offered him £1 for... he then quickly came up with the idea of double sided celotape with salt on it. Fairly funny, although not as funny as his Room 101 appearance. As for this feminist crap taking on yet another thread... ugh

Feminism isn't crap.

Would it be ok if some drunk big bird did it to a a little bloke? No, and it's not funny the other way round either.

I found this link via the UN, and it's about sexual harassment: http://www.un.org/womenwatch/osagi/pdf/Imfeeoc.pdf

A quote from the document
"The victim as well as the harasser may be a woman or a man. The victim does not have to be of the opposite sex."

Another link with definitions etc.: http://www.un.org/womenwatch/osagi/pdf/whatissh.pdf

"Sexual harassment includes many things...
· Actual or attempted rape or sexual assault.
· Unwanted pressure for sexual favors.
· Unwanted deliberate touching, leaning over, cornering, or pinching.
· Unwanted sexual looks or gestures.
· Unwanted letters, telephone calls, or materials of a sexual nature.
· Unwanted pressure for dates.
· Unwanted sexual teasing, jokes, remarks, or questions.
· Referring to an adult as a girl, hunk, doll, babe, or honey.
· Whistling at someone.
· Cat calls.
· Sexual comments.
· Turning work discussions to sexual topics.
· Sexual innuendos or stories.
· Asking about sexual fantasies, preferences, or history.
· Personal questions about social or sexual life.
· Sexual comments about a person's clothing, anatomy, or looks.
· Kissing sounds, howling, and smacking lips.
· Telling lies or spreading rumors about a person's personal sex life.
· Neck massage.
· Touching an employee's clothing, hair, or body.
· Giving personal gifts.
· Hanging around a person.
· Hugging, kissing, patting, or stroking.
· Touching or rubbing oneself sexually around another person.
· Standing close or brushing up against a person.
· Looking a person up and down (elevator eyes).
· Staring at someone.
· Sexually suggestive signals.
· Facial expressions, winking, throwing kisses, or licking lips.
· Making sexual gestures with hands or through body movements.

PHYSICAL
· Giving a massage around the neck or shoulders
· Touching the person's clothing, hair, or body
· Hugging, kissing, patting, or stroking
· Touching or rubbing oneself sexually around another person
· Standing close or brushing up against another person"

The very same document has a definition of sexism:
"SEXISM is an attitude. It is an attitude of a person of one sex that he or she is
superior to a person of the other sex.
For example, a man thinks that women are too emotional. Or a woman thinks that men are chauvinists."

Why did I start this thread anyway? Because I can't stand people who are treating other people badly. Esp. not as "entertainment". Because I don't think everything is funny. Because I wonder how people who have experienced similar behavior reacted to what happened at the show. Did they find it funny? And what kind of message is it sending? That it is OK to harass people? That it is not to be taken seriously? Rape jokes isn't funny either (no matter what it is about, i.e. prison rape jokes in the "Bottom" live show from 1995). But maybe it's just me who's picky when it comes to humor and what makes me laugh.

i know nothing about this situation that started this thread...and i'm guessing no one knows much about it but the people involved.


all i wanted to say was to respond to what whygentom said, that if someone was really being sexually harrassed, they would have stopped it or tried to.

that is not true.
i don't know how to explain why...there's something about it that is more threatening than some people understand it to be. if i said, "someone held a gun to me and i didn't try to stop him" you wouldn't blame me for that. if you are the person experiencing some kind of sexual harrassment or any sort of unwanted touching from another person, it can feel just as overwhelming as being punched in the face.

in fact, i would rather the person punch me in the face.

this comment has nothing to do with mr vegas or anything, i know nothing about that.