Mr. Bean: We Must Be Allowed To Insult Each Other

from the yes,-that dept

Tue, Oct 23rd 2012 10:30am — Mike Masnick

We've been documenting a rather troubling trend in the UK of criminalizing comments that are insulting or in bad taste. Thankfully, some people are speaking out against such things, including comedian Rowan Atkinson -- best-known internationally as Mr. Bean, but famous in the UK for characters (especially Edmund Blackadder) built on caustic wit and elaborate insults. Atkinson has stepped up and argued for the freedom to insult each other in the UK.

He criticised the "new intolerance" as he called for part of it the Public Order Act to be repealed, saying it was having a "chilling effect on free expression and free protest".

Mr Atkinson said: "The clear problem of the outlawing of insult is that too many things can be interpreted as such. Criticism, ridicule, sarcasm, merely stating an alternative point of view to the orthodoxy, can be interpreted as insult."

These statements came as part of a campaign to roll back laws that have allowed this to happen, with a former government official, David Davis, pointing out the key thing -- you have no right not to be offended:

"The simple truth is that in a free society, there is no right not to be offended. For centuries, freedom of speech has been a vital part of British life, and repealing this law will reinstate that right."

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Filed Under: free speech, insults, rowan atkinson, uk

78 Comments

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Pinstar, 23 Oct 2012 @ 10:39am

Paint
When someone like Mr. Bean, THE Authority on bad ideas, inventor of the 'dynamite in a paint can to paint the room' 'do-it-yourself dentistry' and 'trying to drive your car out the in lane of a parking garage'... is saying your law is a bad idea... I think that says something.
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sehlat (profile), 23 Oct 2012 @ 10:50am

They'd jail Churchill under this law.
Two examples:

Lady Astor: Winston, if you were my husband, I'd poison your tea.

Winston: My dear, if you were my wife, I would drink it.

----

On Aneurin Bevan: "He will be a great curse to this country in peace as he was a squalid nuisance in time of war." and "I can think of no better step to signal the inauguration of the National Health Service than that a person who so obviously needs psychiatric attention should be among the first of its patients."
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Oct 2012 @ 10:52am

Thought police.
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Oct 2012 @ 10:54am

It's illegal to offend someone by making statements about their beliefs? Well, then by all rights it should be illegal for the scientologists to come knocking at my door trying to sell their religion; I find it offensive as hell. There were a few Jehova's Witnesses too a while back. Better get the police to track them down.

Yeah, this counter-movement is sorely needed, not just in the UK, but in every single country on the planet.
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David (profile), 23 Oct 2012 @ 11:01am

You go Mister Bean
You go Mister Bean, even if you are a weird little twit.
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Matt Williams (profile), 23 Oct 2012 @ 11:05am

Full video
Se his full speech at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gciegyiLYtY.
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Mesonoxian Eve (profile), 23 Oct 2012 @ 11:10am

Behind every law is a victim. Those who wrote the law fail to consider the abuse it will receive, creating more victims.

Laws aren't design to protect. They're designed to punish those who carry no respect, common sense, or dignity to others.
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Mike Martinet (profile), 23 Oct 2012 @ 11:11am

Bloody Hell
You would think, what with George Bleedin' Orwell being a British citizen, that this would never have been an issue.

Sods!
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Oct 2012 @ 11:12am

so which knob brain brought this law in? under what pretense did that knob head bring it in? what other equally as big a knob heads agreed with the one that introduced it? when the hell is this self-interested, do-gooder society gonna either come to it's senses or leave everyone else that disagrees with it the hell alone?
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Lord Binky, 23 Oct 2012 @ 11:16am

Re:
These laws were to protect the children. Why do you hate the children?
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PaulT (profile), 23 Oct 2012 @ 11:23am

"Rowan Atkinson -- best-known internationally as Mr. Bean, but famous in the UK for characters (especially Edmund Blackadder)"

Rowan Atkinson should be known worldwide for Blackadder rather than Bean, if you ask me. Oh well, I suppose Bean's just easier to translate to other cultures...
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Paul Brinker, 23 Oct 2012 @ 11:24am

Are the law Retroactive?
This would be the most wonderful array of tossing everyone in jail at the same time as I doubt anyone alive has not been offended at least once in there life.

Those who do not end up in jail will rule the world, sadly it may as well be jail by then.
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Oct 2012 @ 11:24am

Re: Re:
These types of laws are in place to protect people like Jimmy Savile, not the children!

These laws allow for the abuse of children.

http://vigilantcitizen.com/latestnews/jimmy-savile-a-prime-example-of-an-entertainment- industry-abuser-protected-by-the-elite/
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c.meyer (profile), 23 Oct 2012 @ 11:24am

Repeat, but a good repeat
Steve Hughes did a sketch on this a few years ago. If you look him up on youtube, he says almost the exact same thing, that you have no right not to be offended...
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Lord Binky, 23 Oct 2012 @ 11:37am

Re:
Ehhh.. I beg to differ on that.

Laws are there to discourage actions, which is essentially protection.

The repercussion of breaking laws is punishment- weakening behavior because a negative condition is experienced as a consequence of the behavior.

The punishment being twisted to address not correcting the behavior, but to address improving another person�s feelings about an event makes the whole thing a muddled mess that loses sight of the original intent.
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Lord Binky, 23 Oct 2012 @ 11:39am

Re: Re: Re:
Are you trying to say Jimmy Savile was not a child once?
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Atkray (profile), 23 Oct 2012 @ 11:42am

Re: Re: Re:
You might want to get your sarcasm detector looked at.
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Lord Binky, 23 Oct 2012 @ 11:48am

Re: Are the law Retroactive?
There is zero reason for laws to be retroactive. The point of a law is to dissuade/prevent behavior, after the behavior has occurred, is punishing someone later for what was originally legal, going to change the initial behavior? Not with how Time works so far, so any reasons why you would apply punishments retroactively are not in-line with the purpose of laws.
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Baldaur Regis (profile), 23 Oct 2012 @ 11:53am

Re: They'd jail Churchill under this law.
When caustic wit is outlawed, only outlaws will be interesting to talk to...the question is not whether a comment is insulting or in bad taste, but rather what level of blandness a society can tolerate before being bored to death.
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Oct 2012 @ 11:55am

Re: Re:
"These laws were to protect the children. Why do you hate the children?"

I don't hate children. I think children are awesome! Especially with good gravy and side of coleslaw.
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Oct 2012 @ 11:57am

Re: Re: Re: Re:
I got the sarc... just wanted to share the story and not be too far off topic, even though it kind of is.

Cheerio
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VMax, 23 Oct 2012 @ 11:58am

Re: Re: Re:
That's gross. Coleslaw? really! You need a cooked veggie with children.
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Oct 2012 @ 12:04pm

�I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.�

Written by Evelyn Beatrice Hall In her biography of Voltaire, hence its frequent mis-attribution to Voltaire.
This seems a good summary of Free speech.
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technomage (profile), 23 Oct 2012 @ 12:15pm

Re: Re: Re: Re:
Fave beans and a nice Chianti?
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justok (profile), 23 Oct 2012 @ 12:17pm

Re: You go Mister Bean
He's 5 ft 11.25 in (I think that's about 3 stones in English units). Hardly "little".
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Oct 2012 @ 12:17pm

Re: Re: Re: Re:
You should be ashamed of yourselves, talking about children being served as meals. Great men like Jonathan Swift must be turning in their graves.
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Oct 2012 @ 12:25pm

I would Vote for him.
Not The Nine O'Clock News - American Election Candidate

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfuN9HRDVZY
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Leigh Beadon (profile), 23 Oct 2012 @ 12:26pm

Re:
Rowan Atkinson should be known worldwide for Blackadder rather than Bean, if you ask me. Oh well, I suppose Bean's just easier to translate to other cultures...

I concur -- I made Mike add that caveat to the post :)

But yeah, the ease of translation is key, so I guess it makes sense. Germans love him, apparently.
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Oct 2012 @ 12:29pm

Re: Paint
Absolutely. Who is a better authority to voice concerns in this area than someone who has spent his life pushing buttons and boundaries of acceptability? If Britain values him (I think the Olympics would support that assertion), they ought to also value the principles that made him successful.
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justok (profile), 23 Oct 2012 @ 12:30pm

Re:
It's been updated:
I disapprove of what you say, and I will have you put to death for saying it.
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Oct 2012 @ 12:32pm

Re:
Doesn't it also follow that the situation would be recursive?

JW: You're going to hell! (goes to jail)
You: That's stupid and offensive! (goes to jail)
JW: I'm offended at your offense, you blasphemer! (goes to more jail)
... and so on.
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technomage (profile), 23 Oct 2012 @ 12:37pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
Yes, yes, I am ashamed, but the alternative is the older ones, and well, that might be the most excitement they had in a long time ;)

Besides, could you imagine the trolls and politicians being turned into Soylent Green? I might have to start a starvation diet on that thought.
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Oct 2012 @ 12:44pm

Re: Bloody Hell
Given the world record in public cameras in UK, it seems 1984 is seen more as a roadmap than something negative.

Thought police is also active in Germany (nazi-sympathy is outlawed.)

And France has several ridiculous laws about making it illegal to deny the armenian genocide or holocaust.

European leaders have a horrible way of bending free speech to mean less, just to "protect" a minoritys feelings. Great Britain is actually one of the place I did not think the free speech denying was common.
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Beta (profile), 23 Oct 2012 @ 1:16pm

Re: Re:
British comedians have already covered it.

And wasn't there something in The Thirteen Clocks about forbidden speech? Something like:

That man was one of the Duke's spies. The Duke has imposed a death penalty for saying the word "mittens", so you will die tomorrow for having using it your song. But the spy will die tonight, for he must say the word "mittens" in order to report your crime... And I had better flee the city today, for I have said the word "mittens" three times!
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Beta (profile), 23 Oct 2012 @ 1:19pm

they've gone back to metric without tellin' us
A Stone is a measure of electrical current, you're thinking of an Imperial Weber-furlong.
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Dirkmaster (profile), 23 Oct 2012 @ 1:31pm

Re: Re:
No, because the JW's don't believe in hell.
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Oct 2012 @ 1:46pm

Re:
I think he should be well known for both. I never understood how his fans are split into two camps. What I find so especially intriguing about him is that he practices two different fields of comedy (imho) perfectly: Mostly silent slapstick AND wordy, depp thoughtful satire. And THAT FACT should be what he should be known for.
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Oct 2012 @ 1:47pm

Re: Re:
And yes, I'm German.
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Oct 2012 @ 1:48pm

Re: Re:
Sorry, DEPP thoughtful satire should of course read 'deep' and so on.
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Oct 2012 @ 1:53pm

Re: Re:
As George Carlin said "Fuck the children"
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Oct 2012 @ 1:55pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
how do we make this happen?
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Oct 2012 @ 1:56pm

Re: they've gone back to metric without tellin' us
Gods, the ignorance here is amazing.
A stone has numerous definitions
it is for example one member of a rock band
it is also a method of getting high
it is also a sibilant measure of weight with the non sibilant version equal to 907 kilograms and the sibilant being equal to 907 skilograms
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Oct 2012 @ 2:06pm

Re: Re:
I never understood how his fans are split into two camps.
But you've just explained it. Envision a Venn diagram with fans of silent slapstick in one circle and fans of wordy, deep, thoughtful satire (not to mention laced with topical references for history nerds) in the other. Do you not expect the region of intersection to be rather slight? (Personally I love Black Adder but don't care for Bean)
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The eejit (profile), 23 Oct 2012 @ 2:28pm

Re:
I'd vote for Michael Palin of the Very Silly Party.
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Oct 2012 @ 2:30pm

Re: Re: You go Mister Bean
I didn't know he was anorexic.
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Oct 2012 @ 3:01pm

Re: Re: Re:
Actually, I said that I can see THAT they are split, but that I can't understand WHY. I don't see how loving slapstick automatically means rejecting satire.

I'm not talking about fans of slapstick and fans of satire who, because of their respective preferences, merely happen to like what R.A. does.

I'm talking of fans of Rowan Atkinson.

Camp A: 'He was so great as Blackadder, but this Bean crap is just shtoopid.'

Camp B: 'Blockheader was nothing but hot air and big words, but Bean is ART!'

If you look at his early live shows, he has ALWAYS mixed both styles. Some skits like this, some like that. Also, why do people have to limit themselves in such a terribly narrow fashion? Comedy is an at least 20 sided die and every side has something going for it. You don't have to LOVE them all, but I don't see how you can't love several of them (like slapstick, satire and plain sillyness) for their respective virtues.

So to answer your question about my expecting the intersection to be rather slight: No, I absolutely wouldn't expect that people willingly limit themselves so severely.
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Not an Electronic Rodent (profile), 23 Oct 2012 @ 3:06pm

Re: They'd jail Churchill under this law.
Oh you don't need to go nearly as far back as Churchill...

"Like being savaged by a dead sheep." - Denis Healy ,Chancellor in the late 70's, describing an attack by Geoffrey Howe of the shadow cabinet.

"A semi-trained polecat." - Michael Foot on Norman Tebbit in the 80's

"The honourable member for two tube stations." - Nicholas Fairbairn on Frank Dobson, MP for Holborn and St Pancras

"Atilla the Hen." Clement Freud on Margaret Thatcher

"The Self-appointed king of the gutter" - Michael Heseltine on Neil Kinnock after an attack on Margaret Thatcher

"If I was in the gutter, and i ain't, he'd still be looking up at me from the sewer." - Kinnock on Heseltine

Rowan Atkinson is right... it would be a little hyperbolic to suggest that the erosion of free speech by nannying, dare-not-offend-anybody political correctness is destroying the UK "democracy", but I'd say it could have a good shot at making the top 20 list.
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Oct 2012 @ 3:09pm

It's when Mr. Bean really makes me think....
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Not an Electronic Rodent (profile), 23 Oct 2012 @ 3:20pm

Re:
Personally I remember him fondly from "Not The Nine O'Clock News".... but I guess I'm just showing my age.
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Oct 2012 @ 3:39pm

Re: Re:
I, for one, have only ever seen one or two episodes (probably the two 'best of' episodes) on the french/german channel 'arte'.

If the BBC released the series on DVD or as downloads, I'm sure many of his fans (and fans of the other cast members, of course) would eagerly buy it. And I'd greatly prefer watching complete episodes instead of bits'n pieces on YouTube.

Didn't it also take a whole lot of 'lobbying' by fans to get the BBC to finally release 'A Bit of Fry & Laurie' DVDs?
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Oct 2012 @ 3:42pm

Re: Re:
I'd vote for Neddy Muldoon as PM, because I'm for freedom.
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Oct 2012 @ 3:48pm

Re: Re: Re:
Well cited!
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Oct 2012 @ 3:54pm

Re: Re:
Sadly one can't vote for Jim Hacker anymore...
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Oct 2012 @ 4:10pm

Re: Re: Re:
regarding the 'news' on arte, I am suddenly not so sure anymore whether it was arte or not. Even if it was, it was over 10 years ago, so it's really a bit hazy.
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Oct 2012 @ 4:12pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
Most politicians are only fit to be composted and used as fertilizer. They are full of fertilizer.
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Oct 2012 @ 4:21pm

Re: Paint
I get your enthusiasm but Mr. Bean isn't doing anything.

Rowan Atkinson is a very intelligent man and a fantastic actor. To downplay his opinion as coming from a bumbling character seems counter-productive.

Also Blackadder is much better than Bean, does you
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Leigh Beadon (profile), 23 Oct 2012 @ 4:23pm

Re: Re: Re: Re:
Good point - some of the live stuff where he blends it is fantastic (A Day In The Life Of The Invisible Man comes to mind)

I respect his work as Bean, and recognize its talent, and I liked it a lot as a kid. I'm glad I've seen all the Bean episodes here and there (and even got something of a kick out of the movie) -- but as far as something with re-watch value, and something that I will actively evangelize in an attempt to get others to enjoy it, it's Blackadder all the way.
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Oct 2012 @ 5:51pm

Re: Re: Re: You go Mister Bean
steak tartar, nuff said.
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Oct 2012 @ 5:53pm

Re: Re: they've gone back to metric without tellin' us
All named after the immeasurable St. One.
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Oct 2012 @ 6:09pm

Re: Re: Re:
Ok,

JW: You're not going to enter into heaven!
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Moss, 23 Oct 2012 @ 7:06pm

Re: Re: Re: Re:
That is also incorrect.

JW: You weren't paying attention last time we were here, were you?
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Oct 2012 @ 8:13pm

Re: Re: Re:
and I think both are brilliant
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Oct 2012 @ 8:32pm

Re: Re: Re:
"...there is no right not to be offended".
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Oct 2012 @ 8:35pm

Re: Re:
Any relation to Sarah?
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G Thompson (profile), 23 Oct 2012 @ 8:38pm

Re: they've gone back to metric without tellin' us
Watt?
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G Thompson (profile), 23 Oct 2012 @ 8:50pm

Re: Re:
Well the yanks only just 'discovered' Doctor Who, so stating that he has other characters is at least a good start. Though you might confuse em by showing that Blackadder was actually 4 different people set over 4 different periods in time/history played by the same person (Rowan) ;) who constantly and absolutely offended everyone, and there dog.

Hmmm, maybe this UK law was made to protect Baldrick.. poor Baldrick ;)
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G Thompson (profile), 23 Oct 2012 @ 8:56pm

Re: Re: Re:
The only relation that Michael has to Sarah is probably that he did lots of skits about stupid people with brains of fishy fishy fishes doing silly walks.

Oh and that Sarah is probably a Witch..
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Anonymous Coward, 24 Oct 2012 @ 3:23am

Re: Bloody Hell
Faked photo but ...
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Anonymous Coward, 24 Oct 2012 @ 3:28am

Re: Re: Bloody Hell
ooops Coffe hasn't taken effect yet so try again.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Pagehttp://
Faked photo but it suites the thread.
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Niall (profile), 24 Oct 2012 @ 5:01am

Re: Re: They'd jail Churchill under this law.
Sweet!

Although also depressing that I remember so many of these... and the people they refer to.
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Niall (profile), 24 Oct 2012 @ 5:05am

Re: Re: they've gone back to metric without tellin' us
The ignorance here is beyond amazing :)

A 'stone' in British use is a measure of weight equal to 14 pounds, or 6.35 kg. Most people give their weight in stone (sing & pl.) in colloquial speech.

But it's certainly nothing to do with height.
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Niall (profile), 24 Oct 2012 @ 5:09am

Doctor Don't
Don't forget that Rowan Atkinson has also (sort of unofficially) played Doctor Who for Comic Relief!
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Niall (profile), 24 Oct 2012 @ 5:10am

Re: Re: Re:
I take it you've never heard of Monty Python, Life of Brian, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, A Fish Called Wanda, etc?
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The Real Michael, 24 Oct 2012 @ 5:59am

What else is new?
Another day brings another excuse by a government body to control and punish its own citizens.
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art guerrilla (profile), 24 Oct 2012 @ 6:43am

Re: Re: Re:
ja, vee zought zyou meant zee johann deppian school of zee thoughtful satire...

(calm down, inertnest, its okay: i have german ancestry, i have special dispensation to mock them...)
hee hee hee

art guerrilla
aka ann archy
eof
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Not an Electronic Rodent (profile), 24 Oct 2012 @ 10:19am

Re: Re: Re: Bloody Hell
Would certainly be somewhat ironic if it weren't faked, though doubtless it would be lost on the british (and american) politicians doing their best to make 1984 seem tame by comparison.

Oh, and it looks like you need... ahem... an E with your coffe(e) to wake you up properly :-)
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Anonymous Coward, 24 Oct 2012 @ 3:40pm

Re: Re: Re: Re:
I've seen a few episodes of the Monty Python TV show, but nothing else they've done (as a group). I wasn't all that impressed.
I used to watch a lot of Benny Hill back in the day. Now HE was funny!
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mrbeangames, 2 May 2014 @ 9:47am

I love him
I m a very big fun of mr bean, he is very funny, you can see my website about Mr bean games www.mrbeangames.co
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