Any respect I had for Billy Connolly is gone

[joeSoap]

In my book, there are certain things you quite simmply don't pull the p1ss out of....a very serious situation like Ken Bigleys is one of them. It must have been disgusting for Bigleys friends and family to listen to that 'joke'....!
You're way out of line Mr Connolly, the least you could do is be man enough to aplogise to the Bigleys, and say that it was taken out of context, but no...you have to continually rub their noses in it....disgusting behaviour..

[dahamsta]

You're way out of line Mr Connolly, the least you could do is be man enough to aplogise to the Bigleys, and say that it was taken out of context, but no...you have to continually rub their nooses in it....disgusting behaviour..:rolleyes: I'm sure the Big Yin drops in here regularly to read messages from Irish soccer fans.

[blobbyblob]

He raises an interesting point though. Wheres the big media scrum that accompanied the Bigleys case from the begining. Theyve retreated back into their little hole and for all we know - are letting the kidnappers "get on with it."

They are every bit as bad.

[Macy]

The only reason it's still in the papers is because the media have decided to make it a story. I mean far better to cover someone telling a joke than all the other serious stories that are around.

Hope loads of people stay on their high horse and boycott his next tour here, as that'll mean it will be easier for me to get tickets.

[elwood]

well said macy :p

its all nice for the media to back the bigley family, but why was he in the country in the first place, greed.

big money for a dangerous place and it back fired on him. sorry to be cruel but i think peole need to realise that he was there for the money, there are a lot of other places to work on the planet, what are the chances of getting kidnapped in cavan ? they need engineers there as well ya know.

[joeSoap]

well said macy :p

its all nice for the media to back the bigley family, but why was he in the country in the first place, greed.

big money for a dangerous place and it back fired on him. sorry to be cruel but i think peole need to realise that he was there for the money, there are a lot of other places to work on the planet, what are the chances of getting kidnapped in cavan ? they need engineers there as well ya know.
So he deserved to be kidnapped did he...wakner!!

[Macy]

So he deserved to be kidnapped did he...wakner!!
Whilst I wouldn't go as far as saying he deserved it, the reason he went was for the money. The reason the money is so high is because of the personal risk. He took the chance for the big bucks.

I was in Manch when the story of his kidnapping broke, and the story put out immediately from the family on the local news was that going there was his pension fund. This quickly changed to that he was out there to help the people of Iraq re-build the country.

He doesn't deserve what is happening to him now, no, but I also don't think that he deserves to be some martyr like figure either.

[ccfcman]

Okay lets be honest, jokes are made and have been made at the misfortune of others for years, remember "Don't Feed The Gonolas"??? Mother Teresea bashers annonymous there!

I think he was most likely taken slightly outta context and lets be honest about it he hardly wants Bigley to die, that is if he's still alive of course

[drinkfeckarse]

Hope loads of people stay on their high horse and boycott his next tour here, as that'll mean it will be easier for me to get tickets.

At the end of the day Macy, the "joke" was in poor taste. If you think it's fair game to joke about a mans life then it doesn't say a lot about your morals.

[Macy]

At the end of the day Macy, the "joke" was in poor taste. If you think it's fair game to joke about a mans life then it doesn't say a lot about your morals.
tbh I don't really read the papers anymore (just on a Sunday), however I thought it was more about his wife and the age difference between them? Don't think joking about it is good taste, but then I don't think Mary Whitehouse-esque moral outrage is the correct response. If the papers hadn't made such a big deal about it the bigley's would never have known about it, thus it wouldn't have upset them.

I laugh at some jokes that are in bad taste (Jerry Sadowitz for example), I'd say the vast majority of people have done at some point in their life.

[elwood]

w*nker for saying it as it is, he took a personal risk for MONEY as macy said. There are people being kidnapped there now for a number of months so this event did not come out of the blue. every comic tries to push boundries, remember tommy tiernan on the late late with the jesus jokes, if a comic doesn't push themselves they'll end up with the same routine for 25 years like brendan grace.

[Macy]

Interesting quote from Paul Bigley...


"Each to their own - if that's what turns him on. I don't like his humour anyway."

[drinkfeckarse]

I sometimes laugh at jokes that are in poor taste too, I can't help it sometimes, I won't lie and say otherwise. We all have as you say. However, I wouldn't find this funny and think he's overstepped the mark with it.
His words were along the lines of "don't you just wish they'd get on with it".

Fair enough, he could've said worse but still in poor taste IMO, regardless of what anyone thinks about what the guy was doing out there in the first place.

[drinkfeckarse]

According to what I've read Macy, Paul Bigley was being sarcastic and did actually condemn him for his words.

[Peadar]

I sometimes laugh at jokes that are in poor taste too, I can't help it sometimes, I won't lie and say otherwise.


Denis Leary, No Cure For Cancer.
Foul-mouthed Irish-American but he get's a laugh out of me.
After complaints about this specific tour he said something along the lines of, we've all been affected by cancer, we all know someone who has it. We have to laugh about or else we're just sad.

[Macy]

Fair enough, he could've said worse but still in poor taste IMO, regardless of what anyone thinks about what the guy was doing out there in the first place.
Probably was poor taste, but to condemn a man for one joke is just ridiculous. Typical Brit Media hysteria over something that didn't deserve the attention or the reaction. Unfortunately we have the "oirish" versions of these papers, so it appears to be spreading to here too.

[dahamsta]

Probably was poor taste, but to condemn a man for one joke is just ridiculous. Typical Brit Media hysteria over something that didn't deserve the attention or the reaction. Unfortunately we have the "oirish" versions of these papers, so it appears to be spreading to here too.Hear Hear. I'm not a huge fan of Connollys, but the over-reaction to this is pathetic, and the tendency of the public to jump aboard with the media is even worse. One born every minute.

adam

[DolansWaistcoat]

Bad joke I know,but did ya see the way Billy reacted in the airport when confronted by journalists.''Why don't ye fcuk off and annoy Elton''.

Fcukin brilliant. :D

[Lionel Ritchie]

Okay lets be honest, jokes are made and have been made at the misfortune of others for years, remember "Don't Feed The Gonolas"??? Mother Teresea bashers annonymous there!

I think he was most likely taken slightly outta context and lets be honest about it he hardly wants Bigley to die, that is if he's still alive of course

i think it's always important to remember the great lesson, example and message Mother Teresa left for us all ....Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize.

[joeSoap]

but the over-reaction to this is pathetic, and the tendency of the public to jump aboard with the media is even worse. One born every minute.

adam
If there wasn't one born every minute with regards this sort of thing, then 'Off-Topic' forums like this would be very dull places :D
Here's to celebrity stupidity!! :D

[green goblin]

Any respect I had for Billy Connolly went when he started larging it with the Windsors.

[Macy]

Hear Hear. I'm not a huge fan of Connollys, but the over-reaction to this is pathetic, and the tendency of the public to jump aboard with the media is even worse. One born every minute.
I was looking at the BBC website earlier, and they had one of their public comment thingy's. All those were actually at the gig said he never got booed at all, and that it was taken out of context. Still wouldn't expect the media to accurately report the story. :rolleyes:

[drinkfeckarse]

Hear Hear. I'm not a huge fan of Connollys, but the over-reaction to this is pathetic, and the tendency of the public to jump aboard with the media is even worse. One born every minute.
adam

So the public are wrong to condemn a remark like that? And your "one born every minute" remark suggests that you think we are all dumb for agreeing with the media? That's a fairly ignorant viewpoint if that's what you mean. We are allowed to form our own opinions and agree or disagree if we choose.


The media published the story, the vast majority would agree that it was an ill-advised comment at the very least,the fact he won't apologise for it is the reason that's it's still in the news.

[BaZmO*]

The media published the story, the vast majority would agree that it was an ill-advised comment at the very least,the fact he won't apologise for it is the reason that's it's still in the news.

The media publish an awful lot of stories, which are unfortunately more often than not, taken out of context, and quite often they aren't even true.

I wasn't at the Billy Connolly show so I can't really say exactly what he said and indeed in what context he said it, but I would imagine that his comments were just reflecting his annoyance of the incessant reporting that we are faced with when sad cases like this occur.

This whole Sky News culture really gets my goat. The Iraq coverage with its “10 Days and Counting” icons was really distasteful imo, and they’ve been doing the same with the Bigley case also.

As has been said already, Ken Bigley knew what he was getting into when he signed his contract for what I would imagine was worth vast amounts of money to work in a war torn country so he was well aware of the risks. Now by saying that, it by no means justifies the way he has been treated, but he knew the risks.

And finally on the jibe about his Thai bride. I don’t know if any of you have been Thailand, but I have, and when I was there, I couldn’t help but notice the amount of middle aged westerners walking around with young Thai women which tbh is a bit sleazy, for want of a better word. And in all fairness it’s something that most people would find sleazy, and I think Billy Connolly was just reflecting this.

B.

[Lionel Ritchie]

I don't even know what the guys supposed to have said as I don't read tit'n'arse rags ...well not non-monthly ones anyway ...but I wouldn't appologise if i was him either. The tabs love this sort of thing -their chance to be morally outraged and mobilise the rest of us to buy their ****e.

Christ -offended by an observational comedian making an observation. isn't it lucky for us we don't have worries like poor Ken Bingley

[dahamsta]

So the public are wrong to condemn a remark like that? And your "one born every minute" remark suggests that you think we are all dumb for agreeing with the media? That's a fairly ignorant viewpoint if that's what you mean. We are allowed to form our own opinions and agree or disagree if we choose.I never said you weren't. By the same token, I'm allowed to opine that I think you're all getting your panties in a twist and playing follow the leader with the media. Such is the wonderousness of free speech.

adam

[drinkfeckarse]

Unconfirmed reports on the radio over here that Ken Bigley has been killed.

[Macy]

Unconfirmed reports on the radio over here that Ken Bigley has been killed.
I blame Billy Connolly....

[drinkfeckarse]

Very good :rolleyes:

[joeSoap]

He's dead alright....nice one Billy!! :mad:
http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-13228464,00.html

[joeSoap]

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=14728058&method=full&siteid=89488&headline=billy-s-just-gone-too-far-this-time-says-bernard-manning-name_page.html

[drinkfeckarse]

Yeah, not looking good.

Surprised at Billy Connolly. But kinda echoes his career, started off funny, then just relied on swearing a lot, now reduced to shock tactics. Yesterday's comedian, now a grumpy old man trying to defend the indefensible.

Yeah I would agree with that Conor74, kinda sums him up.

[Macy]

Yesterday's comedian, now a grumpy old man trying to defend the indefensible.
Has he actually defended it though? I thought he hasn't made any comment except tell reporters to fook off (which is fair enough in my book).

[joeSoap]

he amde references to it again in last nights show, which apparently s two nights on the trot....I don't think he meant it liked it came out, but now he's not going to back down. Theres no such thing as bad publicity after all...

[jofyisgod]

The guy never has been, is not now, and never will be, in any shape or form, amusing in the slightest. A total d1ckhead witha poor sense of humour. I'm not particularly fussed that the joke was about Bigley (I refuse to be swept up into this bowl of shíte also known as the British media) i just think it's amazing that people pay money to see this guy! His wife runs his life, that's the only reason that he is partially successful, a lá Ozzy Osbourne.

[sligoman]

????????????????????????????????

[Maz]

along the lines that Bigleys Kidnappers (murders) should just get on with it!