
What a drip: But why is Nigel so glum? The only person harmed by this milkshake attack was his tailor.
Nigel Farage’s complaint about Jo Brand is to be welcomed – he has admitted that he considers himself to be an “unpleasant” character.
The Brexit Party leader spoke up after the comedian jokingly suggested an acid attack would be more appropriate for “unpleasant characters” who had been hit with milkshakes during recent political campaigns.
She immediately followed the line by saying, “That’s just me, sorry, I’m not gonna do it, it’s purely a fantasy, but I think milkshakes are pathetic, I honestly do. Sorry.”
So clearly she didn’t mean it and wasn’t trying to incite anybody into throwing acid over some of our favourity politicians like Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (Tommy Robinson), Mark Meechan (Count Dankula), Carl Benjamin (Sargon of Akkad), or indeed Mr Farage.
But Nigel was clearly incensed and leapt into full-hypocrisy mode with this tweet:
This is incitement of violence and the police need to act. https://t.co/j3F0jsKGBZ
— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) June 12, 2019
It was hypocritical because this is a man who spoke of taking up deadly weapons if he didn’t get the Brexit he wanted:
Nigel SNOWFLAKE Farage,
Wasn’t “picking up rifles” an incitement from YOU to violence?https://t.co/3qrHKZ651Y— John Clarke (@JohnClarke1960) June 13, 2019
The clip from BBC Essex is well worth a listen, to put this matter into its proper context.
Heresy host Victoria Coren Mitchell defended Ms Brand:
Nigel! I’m genuinely disappointed; we don’t agree on everything, but I would totally have had you down as a free speech man. Especially when it comes to jokes. https://t.co/9Ya7THiAmU
— Victoria Coren Mitchell (@VictoriaCoren) June 12, 2019
To be honest, I’m relieved at least a couple of people are angry, even if it’s only a couple. It’s supposed to be a heretical programme; I was worried we’d gone a bit timid and benign.
— Victoria Coren Mitchell (@VictoriaCoren) June 11, 2019
She made a topical point about another comment in the show:
But the very same show contained a joke about the Holocaust (and my relatives), and *nobody* has complained about this. Do you think the Holocaust is funny?! I'm sure not! I trust that means you have distinguished between something terrible and a *joke* about something terrible.
— Victoria Coren Mitchell (@VictoriaCoren) June 12, 2019
And she pointed out that certain right-wing websites had stripped Ms Brand’s comment of its context:
Beware the clip going round that deliberately cuts off the part where Jo openly spells out that she's joking and doesn't mean it.
Here is the whole programme:https://t.co/1fzIN2yEmL
(with the jokes, the context, and our moral which is all about being kind to each other.)
— Victoria Coren Mitchell (@VictoriaCoren) June 12, 2019
So the best that can be said about this storm-in-a-milkshake is that Heresy is back on the radio after a three-year absence and is as thought-provoking as ever. Click on the link above to listen to the first episode and then follow it every Tuesday at 6.30pm on Radio 4.
Source: Farage furious over Jo Brand’s ‘throw battery acid not milkshake’ joke | Culture | The Guardian