8 replies to this topic

[nomis]

Isn't this it an over-reaction? In the context of the comedian generally rubbishing all sport, his comments re paralympics is almost flattering. It's time these super sensative members of the disabled community got over their desperation for normality and their insane hunger for constant ego inflation.

http://www.stuff.co....lympic-athletes
Comic angers paralympic athletes

Controversial comedian Russell Brand is used to raising eyebrows - but now he's raised the ire of paralympic athletes after he said they had "novelty value".

The Daily Mail reports that Brand made the comments at a stand-up gig in London, where he said the Olympics is a "waste of taxpayers' money".

He then said: "At least the Paralympics have some kind of novelty value or something."
The comments were ill-timed, coming 48 hours before International Paralympic Day was held in Trafalgar Square.

Top paralympic athletes have called his comments "offensive" and "careless".

Dressage star Natasha Baker, 21, said: "We've worked harder than anyone to get here. We've suffered life-threatening illnesses. It's both patronising and upsetting for Russell Brand to describe us as a novelty."

Wheelchair athlete David Weir, who won two gold medals, a silver and a bronze at the 2008 Beijing games, said: "Calling the sport a novelty is offensive."

Edited by nomis, 12 September 2011 - 10:13 PM.

[greybeard]

Agreed. Silly over-reaction. It just gives Brand more publicity that he does not deserve and makes the disabled appear petty..

Brand is just an uncouth lout who seems to go out of his way to cause offence. I hate to say it, but I totally agree with him about the Olympics in general. But taken in context I don't see anything remotely offensive in this statement

[tsh3406]

Me neither, I laughed. Anything outside the "norm" is a novelty, most folks use it to their advantage and get a leg up on the ordinary folk. Just my opinion, when you take yourself that seriously, you are asking for it....

Tim

[Tetracyclone]

Well it IS a novelty. Just seeing wheelies on the street by themselves is still a novelty. Lots of humans take themselves too seriously, and huffing and posturing are good fun for the young.

[MTB John]

Any athlete who sits on ball bearings to gain an edge, well, let's just say I can come up with more choice words then novel..

[dom]

It's so obvious he is out to get a reaction [which was to him successful] that is the type of 'comic' he is
no need for offence just 'chill out' as they say

[HiltonP]

I raised a similar concern in this thread.....

http://www.apparelyz...__1#entry249980

Are the London Paralympics destined to be so boring that the media is seeing fit to stir up controversy in order to gain public attention?

[Edinburgh Colin]

Too many people who feel too self important.

They should be concentrating on training and nothing else! It's just a distraction. If they want to be considered athletes whether blind, legless, deaf, able bodied, good or bad then they should behave like athletes and leave the punditry and comedy to those who do that for a living!

Unless that is of course they are not really taking themselves seriously as athletes.

Shoot me down if you care to I don't mind being called anything (been called most things over the years and I'm still here, albeit revision 3 or 4 or whatever....)

EC

[HiltonP]

Edinburgh Colin, on 13 September 2011 - 09:43 AM, said:

Too many people who feel too self important.

They should be concentrating on training and nothing else! It's just a distraction. If they want to be considered athletes whether blind, legless, deaf, able bodied, good or bad then they should behave like athletes and leave the punditry and comedy to those who do that for a living!

Unless that is of course they are not really taking themselves seriously as athletes.

Agree 100%