Unpopular Opinions (Association Football version)

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Sep 5, 2014
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Or, (and this might be a wild idea to you) fans could have chants that don't target vulnerable groups/people? Comedy isn't about making fun of working class people, LGBT people or people of colour for those aspects of their identity. Good comedy doesn't punch down, it punches up. It's not about being 'woke', it's about having some respect for other people.
Someone will always be offended.
 

WealstoneRaider

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Ahh yes this old chestnut. George Carlin summarily rebutted this nonsense 20 years ago.


20 years ago though. The advent of PC culture was still in somewhat of its infancy, and the whole woke culture and penchant for being permanently offended by everything barely existed. You start off protecting vulnerable targets to hate speech etc but eventually no lines can be drawn and literally everything and anything becomes offensive. That’s where we are at now
 
The line between what's considered acceptable and what isn't has definitely changed in the last decade.

In some cases that's a good thing, in others it's a real shame.

I'm glad I grew up when I did. I suspect some iconic comedy TV from my era wouldn't see the light of day nowadays for fear of someone being offended (often on behalf of someone else).
 

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ADL9798

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20 years ago though. The advent of PC culture was still in somewhat of its infancy, and the whole woke culture and penchant for being permanently offended by everything barely existed. You start off protecting vulnerable targets to hate speech etc but eventually no lines can be drawn and literally everything and anything becomes offensive. That’s where we are at now

Both sides of politics are guilty of this. I frequently encounter right wingers/conservatives who will happily call lefties snowflakes but are oblivious to the fact that they get more upset than anyone when their opinions are even mildly challenged.

Western politics is a complete mess at the moment with what seems like an arms race to shift to the extreme ends of the spectrum of opinion, driving a wedge through society where we are becoming increasingly more focused on what divides us than what unifies us, and looking for marginal groups on the other side to blame for society’s problems. Most concerning are the politicians who are seizing on this and adding fuel to the fire for their own political capital. It’s difficult to see where it will stop.
 
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WealstoneRaider

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Both sides of politics are guilty of this. I frequently encounter right wingers/conservatives who will happily call lefties snowflakes but are oblivious to the fact that they get more upset than anyone when their opinions are even mildly challenged.

Western politics is a complete mess at the moment with what seems like an arms race to shift to the extreme ends of the spectrum of opinion, driving a wedge through society where we are becoming increasingly more focused on what divides us than what unifies us, and looking for marginal groups on the other side to blame for society’s problems. Most concerning are the politicians who are seizing on this and adding fuel to the fire for their own political capital. It’s difficult to see where it will stop.
I’m not sure if that’s true in all honesty. The lefties I’ve known in recent years (almost exclusively through work) become very agitated over most things, in fact to the point of showing underlying aggression. Something like just saying you voted for Brexit can trigger them. Of course there are people on the right or centre who get triggered too, but generally not to the same extent.

I do agree with you that western politics are in a right mess though. Probably though for vastly different reasons to that of your own!
 
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Aug 21, 2016
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Or, (and this might be a wild idea to you) fans could have chants that don't target vulnerable groups/people? Comedy isn't about making fun of working class people, LGBT people or people of colour for those aspects of their identity. Good comedy doesn't punch down, it punches up. It's not about being 'woke', it's about having some respect for other people.

Chants by fans are an expression of the working class. It's not the prawn sandwich brigade that are creating the atmosphere inside stadiums. A big part of that is the banter between the two sets of fans.

But thanks for telling us all the rules of comedy. Can you provide us with a checklist for next time we see a comedian or hear a football crowd chant to decide whether something is funny.

Which of the following would you ban?

Liverpool fans to Man U fans - Who's that dieing on the runway?
Liverpool fans to Everton fans - Going down, going down.
Liverpool fans to Marco Silva - Sacked in the morning.
Liverpool fans to Norwich fans - Your mother is your sister.
Liverpool fans to Chelsea fans - Chelsea rent boys.
Liverpool fans to Unai Emery - Sacked in the 'ebening'.
Liverpool fans to Arsenal fans - You dirty cockney bastards.
 

DaRick

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Both sides of politics are guilty of this. I frequently encounter right wingers/conservatives who will happily call lefties snowflakes but are oblivious to the fact that they get more upset than anyone when their opinions are even mildly challenged.

Western politics is a complete mess at the moment with what seems like an arms race to shift to the extreme ends of the spectrum of opinion, driving a wedge through society where we are becoming increasingly more focused on what divides us than what unifies us, and looking for marginal groups on the other side to blame for society’s problems. Most concerning are the politicians who are seizing on this and adding fuel to the fire for their own political capital. It’s difficult to see where it will stop.

I’m not sure if that’s true in all honesty. The lefties I’ve known in recent years (almost exclusively through work) become very agitated over most things, in fact to the point of showing underlying aggression. Something like just saying you voted for Brexit can trigger them. Of course there are people on the right or centre who get triggered too, but generally not to the same extent.

I do agree with you that western politics are in a right mess though. Probably though for vastly different reasons to that of your own!

TLDR: Both sides of politics are prone to getting triggered. The further away from the centre you are, the more likely it is that you will be 'triggered'.
 

WealstoneRaider

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Seems to be more a dig at male prostitution. Apparently some Chelsea ”headhunter” was found in bed with a rent boy back in the day, so rival fans changed their Chelsea “Aggro” chant to “Chelsea Rentboys”. Very tenuous to call that homophobic but it’s just part of the outrage culture we now live in
 
Oct 5, 2007
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I assume it was another Chelsea rent boys chant. Everyone getting on their high horse but no explanation of how it is homophobic.
I guess the LGBT groups and kick it out think singing Chelsea fans are gay for pay and using it as an insult/slur is homophobic. I guess is akin to calling some one a NTTAWWT or f** and using that as a put down.

We all know where it started it the early 80s but geez 30 years has now past.
 

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WealstoneRaider

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I guess the LGBT groups and kick it out think singing Chelsea fans are gay for pay and using it as an insult/slur is homophobic. I guess is akin to calling some one a NTTAWWT or f** and using that as a put down.

We all know where it started it the early 80s but geez 30 years has now past.
Those groups now exist to suppress the majority though. They have become political tools
 
Aug 21, 2016
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I guess the LGBT groups and kick it out think singing Chelsea fans are gay for pay and using it as an insult/slur is homophobic. I guess is akin to calling some one a NTTAWWT or f** and using that as a put down.

We all know where it started it the early 80s but geez 30 years has now past.

It's a great piss take because it's the same tune as the old Chelsea Aggro song and one of the main Chelsea hooligans was caught in bed with a rent boy. But I don't think anyone really thinks Chelsea fans are all rent boys. Same as no one really believes that Scousers are all on the dole or Norwich fans are inbred. It's just banter between fans.
 

WealstoneRaider

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Also I gotta say WealstoneRaider, it seems like you've totally bought into Woke culcha but

******* Obama says it a month or two ago and now it's the new pop culcha term/thing, like Planking and Lit from years gone by...
The term woke has been about for years. Maybe more mainstream now but it’s been about for a while
 

Minidisc MD

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You can get away with a huge amount more at English football games than at the AFL.

You should be allowed to call opposition players or the ref a prick and you should be able to call them dirty northern bastards, incestuous Welshmen, or Southern nonces. it is football, both codes are, and it has long been the domain of the angry man to let some steam off. because most of the time, paying your £25 or $17 doesnt really feel like value.

Don't abuse the c-word every five minutes, don't bring race into it, don't abuse a player if it's known or rumoured he's gay, and keep it mostly harmless. but you should be allowed to swear.

It's a joke how sensitive the crowds are at an AFL game. if the Giants are in town and Toby Greene's been dirty behind play all day, and he gets pinged holding the ball and gives away 50 and youre suddenly three points up, you should be allowed to stand up and give out an "heeeeeeey *head!!!" with two prongs of fingers.

You go to some clubs in England it's almost customary to call your own players s**t and if you do, most people shut up and don't cause a scene. because they understnad you're underperforming and youre a paying customer. call a list clogging 24 year old who's managed 65 games in eight seasons and still doesnt have a position s**t, and you'll prob be escorted out of Docklands. and not the stadium. the suburb!
 
Oct 5, 2007
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It's a great piss take because it's the same tune as the old Chelsea Aggro song and one of the main Chelsea hooligans was caught in bed with a rent boy. But I don't think anyone really thinks Chelsea fans are all rent boys. Same as no one really believes that Scousers are all on the dole or Norwich fans are inbred. It's just banter between fans.
We all know what it was originally, but now its seen as a gay slur, a mild one but still enough to offend a minority group. I guess people can still keep using it but they are going to come across as a bit homophobic and theres always going to be complaints to clubs and police about.

Sometimes what was kosher 40 years ago isnt nowadays.

Surely there's better ways of banter rather than saying Chelsea are rentboys over and over and over and over again. But then simple things i guess haha.
 

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