FOF #477 - On the Offensive - 02.08.07
We have some tough skins. We have a pretty good sense of humor when it comes to laughing at ourselves. After all, on this show we throw out quite a bit of sass and shade.
But how do you decide it's not fair to make a joke because it might really hurt someone and what do you do when the joke is directed at you?
A pub in England has put on it's menu a discomforting item "Barrymore Pie - Faggots swimming in gravy."
The name refers to the scandal over the death of Stuart Lubbock who was found in British TV personality Michael Barrymore's pool after a party. An autopsy showed that he suffered damage to his rectum and had many drugs in his system.
From what we've heard, the British tabloids had a field day with this one, but some of the pub's customers are not amused.
Customer Karina Thompson said: "I was appalled. It's a cheap joke, not funny, with offensive language. Faggot is a pejorative term for a gay man. I've written to complain."
Peter Tatchell from the gay rights group OutRage! told the BBC: "While this menu may have been intended as a joke, I think it's a joke in very bad taste. No restaurant would ever dare use a similar racial slur on its menu, so why the double standard?"
Pub owner Peter Towler is not going to change his menu anytime soon just because it displeases some of his patrons. He thinks it's funny. But, he may just be hanging a sign that is akin to saying "No dogs or Irishmen," or even worse.
What else is on this guy's menu? Strange fruit salad? Anne's franks and beans? Tuna Rape Casserole? Check out their menu here.
When we interviewed comedian Kathy Griffin on the show, I asked her if she ever got her feelings hurt when people made fun and crossed the line. Here is a person who makes a good living poking fun at celebrities and her famous aquiatances, and I wanted to know how she felt when it happened to her?
"I am a big baby. I have a total double standard and I admit it. Somedays people say the most awful things and I'll think its hilarious, and other times I burst into tears."
Anything can be funny, until it happens to you.
I think that humor has to be looked at from within the proper context. It's a tool that allows us to heal and to look at things in a new way. It's very subjective and may be interpreted many different ways.
Listen to todays show as we talk about Lesbians getting married in Mexico, mini-pigs getting married in China, fat American Idol contestants, and Craig Rigby the fan who wanted to start a new religion with me as it's god and Marc as it's devil. We also take your questions sent to us live via Instant Messenger (feastoffools4u)
Get on your knees and testify for the Feast of Fools.
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Comments
Fausto, you so preeeetty in that piksha ;)
Said by: meshaped at February 8, 2007 03:38 AM
that's fucked up. but.. since it is just a small pub out of many pubs in England, fuck them... they are nothing major. the guy that owns it is an idiot, and dosen't deserve any attention... if he thinks its funny and won't change the menu, than fuck him, forget about it.. people are wasting their time on him by caring. i'm sure his pub isn't the #1 place to go to..people will forget about it soon.
oh and btw.. FAUSTO YOU LOOK VERY PRETTY IN THAT PICTURE D:
Said by: Chickengirl at February 8, 2007 11:01 AM
Fausto, you look like you just had a bad dream...
Said by: Patricia Fernós at February 8, 2007 11:08 AM
ay! esos ojitos azul de alberca... LOL
By the way, down here in México, there´s only one gay man in politics as you said, but there are like 4 lesbian senators.
Love the show, I'm not going to school right now, so I get to hear the show fresh every morning.
Said by: Juan Jaime at February 8, 2007 12:56 PM
C'mon Marc/Fausto... Do we have to do a little SM 101 with you two?
Not ALL kink has to do with pain ya know.... There's always a little light rope bondage and some tickling for starters: add a blindfold and some noise reducing headphones and I'm sure you'll agree with the fun you can have!
Well, keep warm guys. It's about to rain here in Southern California! Hope to see you two while I'm at IML!!!
Ride on--
Buzz
(www.aidslifecycle.org/1424)
Said by: Buzz at February 8, 2007 01:23 PM
You guys are so cute! I loved your "When Harry Met Sally" moment today --
"That was our first date, and now we've been married fifty-seven years, honey." (in Fausto's old lady voice)
Awwwwww!
Said by: Maia at February 8, 2007 01:54 PM
I liked the intro song by Matthew Duffy. How did you hear about hsi music. Was he on the show a long time ago and I simply forgot? Is he gay? He's certainly pretty cute.
Said by: Milton in NYC at February 8, 2007 02:05 PM
Everyone go see chicken girl's homepage by clicking on her name and see who she has as an icon on the top left and then think about what she is saying. She also has some interesting art.
Said by: Marc Felion at February 8, 2007 02:44 PM
It`s 2 am now in my cluttered appartment, the writing assignments are all finished now and who do you think has accompanied me during this ordeal? Riiiight - you guys. During my smoking breaks I also browsed through Mz Ronnie's flicker account. Guys, you really know how to train a stalker! It's crazy, I know you and your friends better than most of my flesh-and-bone friends, hell, I even meet you (via podcast) more than them. Whose friends would sit next to you and talk just for your pleasure anyway?
And shoutout to you, Pup, you should definetly avoid travelling to Germany if you are not into kidnapping! ;)
Shout out to all of ya!
Said by: Mr_Noyes at February 8, 2007 07:02 PM
hey.. this was by far one of my favourite shows, mainly because you mentioned my name on the air...
i felt so loved :)
and thanks for the advice.
ttyl
-Rowan
Said by: Rowan at February 8, 2007 08:08 PM
About the faggots in gravy, I really don't see the problem with it. I don't think it is meant to be offensive, and it is not like saying gays shouldn't come in to the pub.
I think it was a funny name give a dish based on a horrible event. Getting mad at this is like getting mad at a snickers ad.
As for what you guys like to do in the bedroom, that's hot.
Said by: Jonathan at February 9, 2007 12:00 AM
Don't worry Mr. No Yes, I spend much more time watching the Simpsons than I do eating, having sex, or talking to anyone I know (except Marc.)
Rowan, you are such a cutie pie- so easy to love.
Jonathan, all I can say is this guy would never DARE serve a dish like "Tuna Rape Carsserole" or "Mamma Cass Ham Sandwich," no matter how funny it may be.
The fact he can get away with something towards gays says a lot about gay rights, or the fact we don't really care too much about defending ourselves.
Said by: Fausto at February 9, 2007 02:17 AM
Right on, Fausto!
Said by: Patricia Fernós at February 9, 2007 09:15 AM
Michael Barrymore is out in England. People never had an issue with him being gay. I mean, at one point, he had about three shows on telly during prime time on a Saturday (the most popular time in English telly). People loved him, and it seemed as if he could do no wrong. I mean, he divorced his wife and came out, and people still loved him and thought he was great. Personally, I thought he was boring and had the personality of a wet fish, but hey, I'm not British-born.
Anyway, the whole scandal came about not because the boy (Stuart Lubbock) died, but because instead of facing the police and saying exactly what happened at his house that night, Barrymore fled to New Zealand for like two years. The boy's parents had loads of questions about his death and kept insisting he wasn't gay (as many parents would do, right?) and that he had to have been drugged and raped and killed. Well, no one except Michael Barrymore and Stuart Lubbock know what happened there, and one can't talk and the other won't.
Many people have speculated that if he'd just said what went on and apologised, all would be forgiven. But he's been hiding, only surfacing when Celebrity Big Brother paid him to come be on the show, and even then he moaned the whole time. People just got bored of his "Poor me!" attitude. I mean, his ex-wife died of cancer, and somehow he made it all about him. So now they're taking the piss, hence the pie name.
I don't think it's a slur against gay people, but against the incident. It's not an infringement of gay rights or anything. That's just the British sense of humour. They've taken a well-known food and put a cheeky spin on it. People with brains can see the joke.
Esita
P.S. I've been spreading the news about the Feast of Fools. My oldest friend in the world is a lesbian, and I've turned her on to you (pardon the pun)! Feast of Fools in the Caribbean man!!!!
Said by: Esita at February 10, 2007 11:53 AM
Hi guys,
Not sure if this will turn out to be offensive to some people, but I got bored and created a blog-entry today (my first - *sob*) about making online profiles. Curious to see if people agree with my opinions. Feel free to comment and criticise!
Said by: Steven (Amsterdam) at February 11, 2007 04:44 PM
Esita, what you say makes sense...but, even if they were making fun of Michael Barrymore, the fact is, it wasn't him floating dead in that pool, it was Stuart Lubbock.
So they are, in fact, making fun of a dead person. As despicable and craven as Michael Barrymore may seem, he's still alive.
I wonder if Peter Pubman would have enough balls to create a dish made of old leathery fish, like kippers, and name it after the Queen Mum. I somehow doubt it. Because some things just cross the line.
Said by: Aaron at February 11, 2007 05:43 PM
Loved the show. You guys are so sweet together...I think it would have been cuter if you had role played the Disney version of Robinhood...and Fausto could've been the girl-fox and Marc coulda been the boy-fox...or something.
I really like this pic of you Fausto ;)
Said by: SpokanePrince at February 12, 2007 12:14 AM
Now that Esita's got you up to date with the whole Barrymore farrago my job is done! Even though Barrymore's a wanker who has little or no following amongst the British ting-a-ling community, I do think the whole Barrymore Pie is offensive. I don't think he's saying 'No dirty gays in here thank you very much' but just 'don't I think I'm a funny Sun/News of the World reading arse'. I wouldn't have thought he'd have had much of a gay clientele anyway.
On the subject of faggots though, I make dee-licious onee with pork, sage and leeks!
Said by: Mark (London) at February 12, 2007 04:22 AM
PS. There is no pastry crust on faggots usually, they're just cooked in their own yummity gravy!
Jeez! No wonder I'm the size I am!
Said by: Mark (London) at February 12, 2007 04:28 AM
i didn't think this was very offensive even after hearing the circumstances it was based off of. it may be in questionable taste but sheeit, all the cooter showing whores we have in the news here are in bad taste too.
as far as gay people not wanting to defend themselves, fausto.....well, that has merit. however, since we're usually cast out of str8 society and exist in our own space with our own rules, i think mostly people don't care what hetero's have to say. which, admittedly, is dangerous since hetero's outnumber us.
btw, that is a very nice picture of you :) are your eyes really that blue?
as far as the IM questions... i was a little surprised how blatantly some people would ask about your bedroom goings-on. good for you for not revealing the cooch like britney! ;)
and mr. mark (london), i believe i would definitely eat your faggots! crust or no crust.
Said by: james at February 12, 2007 07:00 AM
Why thank you James! yes, those are my real eyes.
Said by: Fausto at February 12, 2007 04:08 PM
Buzz, the relationship that Marc and I is ALL S/M (torture.) Just kidding.
Said by: Fausto at February 12, 2007 04:11 PM
Hey guys love the show!, i found it on itunes about 3 weeks ago now iv heard every 1 i can get my hands on (yes im an addict) anyway. As an english person myself i can honetly say from 1st hand expirience us english have a fairly wierd sense of humour, that most people who arnt used to it can easily be offended by, i dont think he means it in a derogitory way, but if he does then fuck him.
much love to you all
xxx
Said by: Emilia at February 13, 2007 08:06 AM
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