I also agree marriage should always be between a man and a woman. Unfortunately in this day and age you can't say anything that goes against the grain, but as British citizens we have the right to say whatever we want within reason.
You can say it. Just don't expect it not to colour some people's view of you.
I watched this show for the very first time tonight and I really enjoyed it. Some of the observations make you laugh out loud, whilst other observations make you strongly disagree or feel a bit angry.
Thought the gay marriage reactions were interesting - I found it extremely sad that some of them cringed and turned away when two men kissed on the TV. I think love is a beautiful thing that should be celebrated, no matter what gender you are. Extremely sad that some people can't see that. Pleased with Leon and June's reactions though - I like them
I also agree marriage should always be between a man and a woman. Unfortunately in this day and age you can't say anything that goes against the grain, but as British citizens we have the right to say whatever we want within reason.
We are free to say what we want, but we are not free from the consequences. If I went around saying that interracial marriage is not right, hopefully someone would say something.
I found it extremely sad that some of them cringed and turned away when two men kissed on the TV. I think love is a beautiful thing that should be celebrated, no matter what gender you are.
I am very pro-gay (being one myself ), but even I get a little uncomfortable seeing 2 guys kissing. But I think that's more like public displays of affection in general. So I wouldn't jump to conclusions and think that everyone who would look away would be against same-sex relationships.
Back to the programme, I've never seen it before (I saw an episode of 8 Out of 10 Cats that had bits of Gogglebox intertwined in it and thought it looked rubbish), but I wasn't it tonight with a couple of friends and I thought it was OK. I instantly fell in love with Steph and Dom.
I watched this show for the very first time tonight and I really enjoyed it. Some of the observations make you laugh out loud, whilst other observations make you strongly disagree or feel a bit angry.
Thought the gay marriage reactions were interesting - I found it extremely sad that some of them cringed and turned away when two men kissed on the TV. I think love is a beautiful thing that should be celebrated, no matter what gender you are. Extremely sad that some people can't see that. Pleased with Leon and June's reactions though - I like them
Just because some of the people don't like to see two men kissing, they weren't saying it was wrong - just that it's something they would rather not choose to watch. I think one of the women said the same about seeing two women kiss... but again, they weren't saying it was wrong to do it, just that they'd rather not be forced to watch it.
Surely they're entitled to say what they do or don't choose to look at, without being judged as some do?
why does the vicar wear her collar all the time are they required to?
I was wondering that too! Perhaps she doesn't do what most people do when they've come home from work and kick off their clothes before settling in. Or the programme maker's have told her to keep it on.
Yes, she's hideous. Dismissive of nurses and wetting her pants for Nige. She should stick to knitting.
She has been knitting that hideous brown creation for months now . Her dismissing nurses says far more about her than it does about nurses . Silly , ill informed , stupid woman
I can't believe I'm stringing the following words into the same sentence, but in places tonight's episode actually felt slightly...intellectual? I mean sure it had the usual trashy television (and I was loving the Poshes reaction to The Voice) but with the news headline, the gay marriage and the UKIP segments it all felt a little more engaging and was the better for it (I imagine many disagree).
I was compelled to watch that Farage programme in the end. Me thinks it is all very leading. It paints him out to be some kind of heroic figure and a truly friendly guy. He probably is very friendly, and credit where it's due he is probably the most honestly passionate of the party leaders right now, but he represents a party I will never get behind. After a century of two wars Europe is finally getting its act together and everyone is joining forces to prosper the world in future - I'd rather be on side with that rather than the little island that lost its voice. Even countries outside of the EU are bound by many EU laws, or end up bringing them in just so they can trade and travel freely. The UK is a powerful country and one that other countries genuinely do want on side but we're only powerful when we've got allies very close to us - the EU would allow that to prosper and potentially help us to tackle some of the problems we've had with Europe for a very long time - immigration, the legal system, travel permits and so on.
The response to the gay marriage segment was largely as expected - the homophobes showed themselves up and I expected no less. I don't count a homophobe as someone who doesn't like seeing two men kissing, though I think grimacing and deliberately looking the other way is probably a bit too far - cultural and generational differences I guess. As long as you're supportive of the equality then that's all that truly matters - you don't even have to personally support gay marriage yourself, but you have to allow others that freedom in peace and without open judgement.
That Michaels mother is a moron. Hasn't really got a clue about anything much and her views are staggeringly idiotic most of the time. A shame she got so much screen time tonight. But I enjoyed it tonight... didn't feel like it was trying to be overly funny and I think it ended up being funnier because of that
It's a shame this country can't allow same sex love I think it's nobody's business to dictate if people can get married or not people should get with it and move into the 21st century
People who wish to Beleave that same sex couples are going against god should just learn to live and let live This Is The 21st Century
Wow tonight's episode was excellent and quite insightful, especially re the rise of UKIP and the issue of gay marriage.
Amy Tapper made me laugh with her complete disbelief as to how anyone could be anti-gay Just shows how wonderfully accepted the whole thing is among the school-age generation.
June and Leon are so like my parents -educated, liberal and a bit lefty. I totally agreed with Leon and the vicar re. Farage.
The Michaels (especially the parents) came across really badly tonight, cheering at all the Farage escapades. 'Twas quite thinly veiled unpleasantness. Mrs Michael really is as thick as pig shit.
You can say it. Just don't expect it not to colour some people's view of you.
Exactly this. It was quite a tough episode of Gogglebox to watch tonight - I don't like when it gets political because it's a reminder that those on the show are members of the GBP and therefore in possession of frustratingly fallible points of view.
Found the gay reactions interesting. Love, love, love the older couple and their views - just goes to show it isn't a generational thing, if you're a bigot, you're a bigot.
Your last line is so true - they're a lovely couple to watch. Meanwhile some of those much younger than them are flinching at the thought of equal marriage (while salivating over the idea of two women) and the mindless cheering for Farage. Leon and June's progressive views were such a relief to hear after all that. I also really loved the two younger girls saying she couldn't understand why anyone would be anti-gay and the other saying that the new laws meant a lot as she was bi.
Mrs Michael embarrassed herself with her opinion on nurses
EDIT- and she loves Farage. Dreadful woman.
Said it all, didn't it? I used to really like her and, as a crafter, enjoyed watching her knitting progress (:p) but this series she seems to have gone completely off on one. Her opinion on nurses was baffling and her weekly fangirl sessions over Farage, in which no one rebukes her, are maddening. They should do a one-off Gogglebox House Swap and have Leon fight it out with her!
It's been happening gradually over the past few years and the spread of it really is worrying. In this case, I hope the producers of Gogglebox will stop name-dropping him every single week as cheap fodder to create conflict - seriously, is the Exec Producer a UKIP candidate? As Leon said, it's irresponsible to give him so much unchallenged airtime.
Also, has there been a marked rise in crying scenes? It seems like every week they're being made to watch a programme solely to get them to blub for the cameras. I'm getting a bit impatient with how formulaic it's becoming.
Hope there's a surplus of happy and daft conversations next week.
1) Nurses are apparently people who weren't clever enough to become doctors
2) Nigel Farage says what everyone in the country is thinking (all the Daily Mail readers, maybe!)
German dad pissed me off with his disgusted reaction to the gay weddings too.
Couldn't have put it better. Gone right off of German dad. And a bit off of George's mum too, turning away at the gay kiss. George went up in my estimation though, for his words of support.
Also, I was disappointed to hear that Dom shoots pheasants, I thought better of him. But I suppose he really is posh, after all.
The thing I like about these people on Gogglebox is sometimes I absolutely hate them & some times I love them, my opinion changes a lot - just like real people which makes them more human than critics and reviewers.
The reaction to the gay kissing was so pathetic, it says absolutely everything about the individual and nothing what so ever about gay people.
Note how the people who were the most content like Leon, June or the more laid back like George or the teen age girl and her quiet boyfriend have absolutely no problem with it.
I saw Steve tweeted the Tappers boy and said the Tappers let them down tonight and I think he had a fair point. The Tappers parents and the German Dad all came across as extremely uptight peoples. I actually want to use the word miserable to describe all of them.
It's like George pointed out and I love him for doing it, that the couple getting married were so happy with huge smiles on their faces. Perhaps part of homophobia is people can't stand something that want to be 'bad' actually have no negative consequences at all and seeing it make people so happy must wind them up because they then have to look inside themselves and admit that it's their problem & they need to do personal work to respond better to it.
It's a shame this country can't allow same sex love
Is this the same country where it is now legal for two people of the same sex to get married?
If you're referring to bigots then it's mighty unfair to label a whole country based on the bigots. They're everywhere, no matter which country you live in, no matter what you do there are bigots. They are a fact of life. We will never reach the point that everybody is accepting of everything, that's how the world works.
I found the reaction to the gay kiss interesting, and the subsequent discussion on here.
I really hope people don't equate people looking away, or feeling uncomfortable with gay kissing, with homophobia. It's absolutely different.
I'm a gay guy and remember seeing lesbians kiss for the first time. I cringed and looked away... and then immediately felt *furious* with myself at the hypocrisy of what I'd just done. But it's natural. We are (or were) conditioned so early in life to the convention of a man and a woman kissing, that anything else looks 'unnatural'.
Later in life I got to know a wider range of people, including lesbians, and now I just rejoice when I see anyone of any gender showing affection.
George's mum in Clacton *isn't* homophobic. It was plain she had enormous goodwill towards the new marriage laws, and she also said that it wouldn't matter to her at all had George turned out to be gay. She probably felt bad about having to look away this time (just like I did many years ago) but she was raised in a time when being gay was viewed as morally wrong, unfamiliar and dirty, and even though her brain has moved on, it takes a while for our instincts to catch up sometimes.
People need to be very careful when bandying the 'homophobic' aspersion about.
I am very pro-gay (being one myself ), but even I get a little uncomfortable seeing 2 guys kissing. But I think that's more like public displays of affection in general. So I wouldn't jump to conclusions and think that everyone who would look away would be against same-sex relationships.
It wasn't a massive display of public affection though really? I don't see what's so disgusting about a kiss. It's not like they both had their hands down each other's trousers making out with tongues.. they just had a nice, sweet kiss. I don't see why that's a big deal.
I'm not a big fan of public displays of affection - like I'd find it unnecessary seeing two people making out with tongues on a bus on the seat in front of me (no matter gay or straight) but I think at a wedding, seeing two people kiss to celebrate their vows isn't really too much of a big deal and is right in the context.
I'm not saying they are homophobic looking away either, as they didn't have anything against gay people and their rights. I just found it immature that they had to look away at something that really wasn't that disgusting at all.
Loved Leon and June, I have a lot of respect for them. Especially, since seeing how foward thinking and open minded they are towards Gay marriage. Plus, I totally agreed with Leon about Farage -about giving him so much unchallenged airtime etc..
I was rather disgusted with the Michaels though, especially Mrs Michael and her views towards nurses, what planet did she fall from? She hasn't a clue!
She comes across very ignorant at times! I noticed Mrs Michael has since apologised for what she said on Twitter.
I found the reaction to the gay kiss interesting, and the subsequent discussion on here.
I really hope people don't equate people looking away, or feeling uncomfortable with gay kissing, with homophobia. It's absolutely different.
I'm a gay guy and remember seeing lesbians kiss for the first time. I cringed and looked away... and then immediately felt *furious* with myself at the hypocrisy of what I'd just done. But it's natural. We are (or were) conditioned so early in life to the convention of a man and a woman kissing, that anything else looks 'unnatural'.
Later in life I got to know a wider range of people, including lesbians, and now I just rejoice when I see anyone of any gender showing affection.
George's mum in Clacton *isn't* homophobic. It was plain she had enormous goodwill towards the new marriage laws, and she also said that it wouldn't matter to her at all had George turned out to be gay. She probably felt bad about having to look away this time (just like I did many years ago) but she was raised in a time when being gay was viewed as morally wrong, unfamiliar and dirty, and even though her brain has moved on, it takes a while for our instincts to catch up sometimes.
People need to be very careful when bandying the 'homophobic' aspersion about.
Hear hear, Welsh Lad, great post.
I've been a bit perturbed by some on here equating looking away with being 'homophobic'.
I rejoice at these new laws, and can't understand why some people tie themselves up in such knots over homosexuality. However, when faced unexpectedly with 2 men kissing a teeny tiny part of me will occasionally feel a bit strange about it. I think because in relative terms we're so much more used to seeing heterosexual displays of affection that it doesn't ping our psyches (can't think of a way to describe it ) as much.
But then, I'm not good witnessing some displays of affection when happening in front of my eyes (e.g. a young couple snogging away a few feet away from me at a bus stop or whatever)
I found the reaction to the gay kiss interesting, and the subsequent discussion on here.
I really hope people don't equate people looking away, or feeling uncomfortable with gay kissing, with homophobia. It's absolutely different.
I'm a gay guy and remember seeing lesbians kiss for the first time. I cringed and looked away... and then immediately felt *furious* with myself at the hypocrisy of what I'd just done. But it's natural. We are (or were) conditioned so early in life to the convention of a man and a woman kissing, that anything else looks 'unnatural'.
Later in life I got to know a wider range of people, including lesbians, and now I just rejoice when I see anyone of any gender showing affection.
George's mum in Clacton *isn't* homophobic. It was plain she had enormous goodwill towards the new marriage laws, and she also said that it wouldn't matter to her at all had George turned out to be gay. She probably felt bad about having to look away this time (just like I did many years ago) but she was raised in a time when being gay was viewed as morally wrong, unfamiliar and dirty, and even though her brain has moved on, it takes a while for our instincts to catch up sometimes.
People need to be very careful when bandying the 'homophobic' aspersion about.
What an excellent and well balanced post! Thank you
Comments
You can say it. Just don't expect it not to colour some people's view of you.
Thought the gay marriage reactions were interesting - I found it extremely sad that some of them cringed and turned away when two men kissed on the TV. I think love is a beautiful thing that should be celebrated, no matter what gender you are. Extremely sad that some people can't see that. Pleased with Leon and June's reactions though - I like them
The saying is actually "Softly Softly Catchie Monkey", not Slowly Slowly.
We are free to say what we want, but we are not free from the consequences. If I went around saying that interracial marriage is not right, hopefully someone would say something.
I am very pro-gay (being one myself
Back to the programme, I've never seen it before (I saw an episode of 8 Out of 10 Cats that had bits of Gogglebox intertwined in it and thought it looked rubbish), but I wasn't it tonight with a couple of friends and I thought it was OK. I instantly fell in love with Steph and Dom.
Just because some of the people don't like to see two men kissing, they weren't saying it was wrong - just that it's something they would rather not choose to watch. I think one of the women said the same about seeing two women kiss... but again, they weren't saying it was wrong to do it, just that they'd rather not be forced to watch it.
Surely they're entitled to say what they do or don't choose to look at, without being judged as some do?
It wasn't, up to that point, the episode started on Michael M's chat show debut too.
He was on Have I Got News For You showed 9pm tonight and surprisingly he was quite funny, more than I expected.
He's an ex-jockey?
She has been knitting that hideous brown creation for months now . Her dismissing nurses says far more about her than it does about nurses . Silly , ill informed , stupid woman
I was compelled to watch that Farage programme in the end. Me thinks it is all very leading. It paints him out to be some kind of heroic figure and a truly friendly guy. He probably is very friendly, and credit where it's due he is probably the most honestly passionate of the party leaders right now, but he represents a party I will never get behind. After a century of two wars Europe is finally getting its act together and everyone is joining forces to prosper the world in future - I'd rather be on side with that rather than the little island that lost its voice. Even countries outside of the EU are bound by many EU laws, or end up bringing them in just so they can trade and travel freely. The UK is a powerful country and one that other countries genuinely do want on side but we're only powerful when we've got allies very close to us - the EU would allow that to prosper and potentially help us to tackle some of the problems we've had with Europe for a very long time - immigration, the legal system, travel permits and so on.
The response to the gay marriage segment was largely as expected - the homophobes showed themselves up and I expected no less. I don't count a homophobe as someone who doesn't like seeing two men kissing, though I think grimacing and deliberately looking the other way is probably a bit too far - cultural and generational differences I guess. As long as you're supportive of the equality then that's all that truly matters - you don't even have to personally support gay marriage yourself, but you have to allow others that freedom in peace and without open judgement.
That Michaels mother is a moron. Hasn't really got a clue about anything much and her views are staggeringly idiotic most of the time. A shame she got so much screen time tonight. But I enjoyed it tonight... didn't feel like it was trying to be overly funny and I think it ended up being funnier because of that
People who wish to Beleave that same sex couples are going against god should just learn to live and let live This Is The 21st Century
Everyone should be able to be happy
Well life isn't all sunshine and Lollipops you aren't going to like everything you hear.
Amy Tapper made me laugh with her complete disbelief as to how anyone could be anti-gay
June and Leon are so like my parents -educated, liberal and a bit lefty. I totally agreed with Leon and the vicar re. Farage.
The Michaels (especially the parents) came across really badly tonight, cheering at all the Farage escapades. 'Twas quite thinly veiled unpleasantness. Mrs Michael really is as thick as pig shit.
Exactly this. It was quite a tough episode of Gogglebox to watch tonight - I don't like when it gets political because it's a reminder that those on the show are members of the GBP and therefore in possession of frustratingly fallible points of view.
Your last line is so true - they're a lovely couple to watch. Meanwhile some of those much younger than them are flinching at the thought of equal marriage (while salivating over the idea of two women) and the mindless cheering for Farage. Leon and June's progressive views were such a relief to hear after all that. I also really loved the two younger girls saying she couldn't understand why anyone would be anti-gay and the other saying that the new laws meant a lot as she was bi.
Said it all, didn't it? I used to really like her and, as a crafter, enjoyed watching her knitting progress (:p) but this series she seems to have gone completely off on one. Her opinion on nurses was baffling and her weekly fangirl sessions over Farage, in which no one rebukes her, are maddening. They should do a one-off Gogglebox House Swap and have Leon fight it out with her!
It's been happening gradually over the past few years and the spread of it really is worrying. In this case, I hope the producers of Gogglebox will stop name-dropping him every single week as cheap fodder to create conflict - seriously, is the Exec Producer a UKIP candidate? As Leon said, it's irresponsible to give him so much unchallenged airtime.
Also, has there been a marked rise in crying scenes? It seems like every week they're being made to watch a programme solely to get them to blub for the cameras. I'm getting a bit impatient with how formulaic it's becoming.
Hope there's a surplus of happy and daft conversations next week.
Pretty sure he was once Heat's weird crush of the year or something, so you can't be alone! Just maybe in this thread?
Couldn't have put it better. Gone right off of German dad. And a bit off of George's mum too, turning away at the gay kiss. George went up in my estimation though, for his words of support.
Also, I was disappointed to hear that Dom shoots pheasants, I thought better of him. But I suppose he really is posh, after all.
The reaction to the gay kissing was so pathetic, it says absolutely everything about the individual and nothing what so ever about gay people.
Note how the people who were the most content like Leon, June or the more laid back like George or the teen age girl and her quiet boyfriend have absolutely no problem with it.
I saw Steve tweeted the Tappers boy and said the Tappers let them down tonight and I think he had a fair point. The Tappers parents and the German Dad all came across as extremely uptight peoples. I actually want to use the word miserable to describe all of them.
It's like George pointed out and I love him for doing it, that the couple getting married were so happy with huge smiles on their faces. Perhaps part of homophobia is people can't stand something that want to be 'bad' actually have no negative consequences at all and seeing it make people so happy must wind them up because they then have to look inside themselves and admit that it's their problem & they need to do personal work to respond better to it.
If you're referring to bigots then it's mighty unfair to label a whole country based on the bigots. They're everywhere, no matter which country you live in, no matter what you do there are bigots. They are a fact of life. We will never reach the point that everybody is accepting of everything, that's how the world works.
I really hope people don't equate people looking away, or feeling uncomfortable with gay kissing, with homophobia. It's absolutely different.
I'm a gay guy and remember seeing lesbians kiss for the first time. I cringed and looked away... and then immediately felt *furious* with myself at the hypocrisy of what I'd just done. But it's natural. We are (or were) conditioned so early in life to the convention of a man and a woman kissing, that anything else looks 'unnatural'.
Later in life I got to know a wider range of people, including lesbians, and now I just rejoice when I see anyone of any gender showing affection.
George's mum in Clacton *isn't* homophobic. It was plain she had enormous goodwill towards the new marriage laws, and she also said that it wouldn't matter to her at all had George turned out to be gay. She probably felt bad about having to look away this time (just like I did many years ago) but she was raised in a time when being gay was viewed as morally wrong, unfamiliar and dirty, and even though her brain has moved on, it takes a while for our instincts to catch up sometimes.
People need to be very careful when bandying the 'homophobic' aspersion about.
It wasn't a massive display of public affection though really? I don't see what's so disgusting about a kiss. It's not like they both had their hands down each other's trousers making out with tongues.. they just had a nice, sweet kiss. I don't see why that's a big deal.
I'm not a big fan of public displays of affection - like I'd find it unnecessary seeing two people making out with tongues on a bus on the seat in front of me (no matter gay or straight) but I think at a wedding, seeing two people kiss to celebrate their vows isn't really too much of a big deal and is right in the context.
I'm not saying they are homophobic looking away either, as they didn't have anything against gay people and their rights. I just found it immature that they had to look away at something that really wasn't that disgusting at all.
Loved Leon and June, I have a lot of respect for them. Especially, since seeing how foward thinking and open minded they are towards Gay marriage.
I was rather disgusted with the Michaels though, especially Mrs Michael and her views towards nurses, what planet did she fall from? She hasn't a clue!
She comes across very ignorant at times! I noticed Mrs Michael has since apologised for what she said on Twitter.
He IS rather nice looking isn't he! ;-)
Hear hear, Welsh Lad, great post.
I've been a bit perturbed by some on here equating looking away with being 'homophobic'.
I rejoice at these new laws, and can't understand why some people tie themselves up in such knots over homosexuality. However, when faced unexpectedly with 2 men kissing a teeny tiny part of me will occasionally feel a bit strange about it. I think because in relative terms we're so much more used to seeing heterosexual displays of affection that it doesn't ping our psyches (can't think of a way to describe it
But then, I'm not good witnessing some displays of affection when happening in front of my eyes (e.g. a young couple snogging away a few feet away from me at a bus stop or whatever)
The more I see of the posh bloke, the more attractive he becomes
He looks like he'd be a lot of fun.
You say that like it's a bad thing lol.
What an excellent and well balanced post! Thank you