"There are limits to my comedy. There are things that I’ll never laugh at. The handicapped. Because there’s nothing funny about them. Or any deformity. It’s like when you see someone look at a little handicapped and go
"Ooh, look at him, he’s not able-bodied. I am, I’m prejudiced."
Yeah, well, at least the little handicapped fella is able-minded. Unless he’s not, it’s difficult to tell with the wheelchair ones."
This story has really made me laugh. What an idiot! All of Blue seem to be as thick as shit.
When I first read it I thought he sounded like a complete tool. Thinking it through a bit, I'm inclined to agree with those who suggest it's probably something he put across very badly, and didn't intend as patronising. He did over-egg the pud a bit, though. If he treats people with disabilities as 'normal', then why does he even need to mention it at all. In short, he could have put it better.
Tell you what does my head in, when people ask me if my son goes to a normal school or a special school. I always say that a special school met his needs more fully than a MAINSTREAM school. When all is said and done, what actually is normal?
He treats disabled people as normal people. If someone in a wheelchair needs to get down steps and asks for help, he says, 'Don't be so lazy! Honestly-expecting people to carry you about!'
Hmm this reminds me of the time I was training to be a lifeguard and my lifeguard said it very honestly.
You can't treat disabled people like normal people, they have different needs and requirements so in reality you have to treat them different. To not treat them like the plague and be absolutely comfortable around them is not treating them "like normal people" it's treating them in the way they should be in the first place.
I think this blue guy had his heart in the right place but said it extremely poorly and moronic.
What can you expect with an aging vocal pop group?
I'm sure he meant well, but I'm at a total loss for words at how horribly he's phrased it. Even people with a limited vocabulary are surely capable of phrasing something better than that, especially at his age. It's not like he's some silly teenager who hasn't even finished school yet.
As for the manager, what a vile witch. Maybe it's not so much his fault after all saying stupid things if he's being led about by people like her.
Blue do come across as absolute tossers, though. I'm embarrassed they're representing us in Eurovision. At least Jedward, for all the bashing they get, seem like lovely, well-mannered lads.
There is definately a twist of words somewhere here.
I'd usually try to give someone the benefit of the doubt as we know what the press can be like, but don't the Blue "boys" have a history of being total twits and saying really daft things?
Normally i wouldn't dream of defending a member of Blue but i dont think he meant it to sound as crass and insensitive as it came across. I've no doubt when he saw his words in print he was mortified by them.
Having said that, he should really try and be more articulate before commenting further on the subject.
Who's the most popular? "We all have different fans," Duncan says. "I get a lot of the mums and the disabled children. A lot of my fans have got cerebral palsy, but you know what? I love children like that, and I love people who have got disabilities because I spent a lot of time in hospital with my grandparents when they were ill, and Mum was a nurse. It's just in my nature. I'm like a magnet to them, and I treat them like normal people so they latch on. I once had a launch party and there was a queue of disabled kids all in wheelchairs come to see me, and Sara [the band's manager] walked in and goes: 'What is it with you and disabled people?'"
I think everyone is overreacting here. This knee-jerk reaction is why people are afraid to talk about sensitive subjects such as this.
The tone is a little patronizing but there is no malice, nothing to justify this response. :rolleyes:
Sorry, but his wording was AWFUL and I don't blame people for knee-jerking in this specific case. I'm not even usually the type to leap on people and tell them how they "should" say something, but it was a horrible way of phrasing it and even if he isn't great with words, he's a grown man and it's rather pathetic.
The guys in Blue come across as extremely immature.
Sorry, but his wording was AWFUL and I don't blame people for knee-jerking in this specific case. I'm not even usually the type to leap on people and tell them how they "should" say something, but it was a horrible way of phrasing it and even if he isn't great with words, he's a grown man and it's rather pathetic.
The guys in Blue come across as extremely immature.
An extremely unfortunate set of comments. I think he possibly forgot that The Guardian isn't one of these fluffy newspaper supplements which will rephrase things if they are likely to cause offence.
However, on a purely shallow note, Duncan and Lee are still on my 'would' list, despite being planks of the highest order
Comments
"There are limits to my comedy. There are things that I’ll never laugh at. The handicapped. Because there’s nothing funny about them. Or any deformity. It’s like when you see someone look at a little handicapped and go
"Ooh, look at him, he’s not able-bodied. I am, I’m prejudiced."
Yeah, well, at least the little handicapped fella is able-minded. Unless he’s not, it’s difficult to tell with the wheelchair ones."
Hmm this reminds me of the time I was training to be a lifeguard and my lifeguard said it very honestly.
You can't treat disabled people like normal people, they have different needs and requirements so in reality you have to treat them different. To not treat them like the plague and be absolutely comfortable around them is not treating them "like normal people" it's treating them in the way they should be in the first place.
I think this blue guy had his heart in the right place but said it extremely poorly and moronic.
What can you expect with an aging vocal pop group?
As for the manager, what a vile witch. Maybe it's not so much his fault after all saying stupid things if he's being led about by people like her.
Blue do come across as absolute tossers, though. I'm embarrassed they're representing us in Eurovision. At least Jedward, for all the bashing they get, seem like lovely, well-mannered lads.
I'd usually try to give someone the benefit of the doubt as we know what the press can be like, but don't the Blue "boys" have a history of being total twits and saying really daft things?
Kindly put, but still awful.
Having said that, he should really try and be more articulate before commenting further on the subject.
No I don't think he did either. At least he has an open mind though, I'd be more worried about those that don't.:rolleyes:
:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:
And your problem with that comment is?
The tone is a little patronizing but there is no malice, nothing to justify this response. :rolleyes:
What would you want them say? That they treat them differently? I'm sure they'd have got completely slated for saying that.
Sorry, but his wording was AWFUL and I don't blame people for knee-jerking in this specific case. I'm not even usually the type to leap on people and tell them how they "should" say something, but it was a horrible way of phrasing it and even if he isn't great with words, he's a grown man and it's rather pathetic.
The guys in Blue come across as extremely immature.
Unbelievable! Enough said.
quite - as usual,others are "desperate to be offended" sigh
Guttersnipes........:rolleyes::mad:
However, on a purely shallow note, Duncan and Lee are still on my 'would' list, despite being planks of the highest order
Too flaming right!