Famous Non-PC

In a piece in the Daily Mirror, Coleen Nolan says: "The kids’ channel CBeebies has changed the last line of Humpty Dumpty from “couldn’t put Humpty together again” to “made Humpty happy again”. The BBC is saying it isn’t political correctness, the lyric change simply suited it’s programme better. But what, for goodness sake, was the wrong with the original? Generations of kids have grown up with the mental image of Humpty Dumpty lying shattered to smithereens and surrounded by bewildered looking kings’ men (whatever they are!) and it hasn’t done them any harm. But maybe I’m wrong. Maybe Humpty getting himself back on his feet with a paracetamol and a plaster might lead to a whole new generation of perfectly well-balanced and high-achieving kids. Yeah, maybe!"

Dame Kelly Holmes has spoken out in favour of competition in schools saying: "Too often, in these politically sensitive times, it seems that competitiveness is seen as a dirty word. I was surprised by how many schools I came across where sports day had been abandoned. It's very important to learn how to lose. What you should do is pick yourself up, dust yourself down and start all over again. If everyone gets a prize, where on earth is the incentive to push yourself to do better next time?"

At the Police Bravery Awards, Philip Glenister, who plays DCI Gene Hunt in the BBC's Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes, said: "I think police today are facing an increasingly difficult job, with the emphasis on paperwork. They need to be allowed to get on with getting the scumbags off the streets. Political correctness has gone too far."

Click here or the photo above to read the whole article in The Sun.

Peter Sissons criticised the BBC for being politically correct to its core saying: 'At today's BBC, a complaint often heard from senior producers was they dared not reprimand their subordinates for basic journalistic mistakes - such as getting ages, dates, titles and even football scores wrong - it being politically incorrect to risk offending them'. He described the newsroom as a 'news-processing plant' and explained that simple things, such as spelling and grammar, were no longer important in his former employer's multimedia world.

He also said: 'I believe I am one of a tiny number of BBC interviewers who have so much as raised the possibility that there is another side to the debate on climate change. The Corporation's most famous interrogators invariably begin by accepting that "the science is settled", when there are countless reputable scientists and climatologists producing work that says it isn't. But it is effectively BBC policy... that those views should not be heard.'

In a newspaper interview discussing the return to presenting for Saint and Greavsie, Jimmy Greaves said: "Over the years we have not been on TV – and you as a Guardian journalist would appreciate this – the world has become far more politically correct and in doing so has lost a massive amount of its humour. It would be more difficult for us to get our messages across, because I'm not sure people would feel comfortable with that humour. The world doesn't laugh anymore, this country doesn't laugh."

In an article in the Daily Mail, Christopher Biggins said: "In the name of challenging 'homophobia', the Government is planning to push legislation through Parliament that will make it a serious crime to use any language which could be construed as offensive to gay men and women. The new law will even override the basic requirements of freedom of speech, one of the pillars of our democracy.

The politically correct censors will be our own British version of the East German Stasi. Under this proposed new orthodoxy, almost any colourful display of theatrical high camp could be presented as stereotyping of gay life and would therefore fall foul of the law.

But the road to hell is paved with good intentions. New laws so often have unintended consequences, especially when they are introduced not to combat a genuine crime but to establish the state's view of orthodox thinking.

If this legal change really came into practice, there is no doubt it would create a new climate of fear, stifling creativity and restricting the scope for humour.

Supporters of this change like to pose as the protectors of the gay community, but they are nothing of the sort. The idea that we are all such enfeebled victims that we cannot take a single joke is actually an insult.

Most gay men and women love self-deprecating humour and camp exaggeration of stereotypes. That is why drag artists are so popular on the gay scene.

The politically correct bigots should not be allowed to have it both ways. They cannot say, on one hand, that gay lifestyles should be accepted as a perfectly normal part of life, and then, on the other, demand special treatment for gay people to shield them from everyday humour. We are more grown up than that.

In an interview with UK Celebrity Magazine Ricky Gervais apparently said: “For years and years people have said that in Britain political correctness has gone mad, and I’ve always said, ‘B****cks, no it hasn’t!’ But in the last six months, I’ve begun to think maybe they’ve got a point. When I hear about the things people are getting in trouble for saying on the radio or on TV, I think, ‘Listen to our podcasts!’ We say outrageous things.”

On the subject of toning down a sketch deemed unsuitable he also said, "I wouldn’t change a word - I’d say, ‘Stand by us, or you don’t work with us on this any more.’ I’d just shake their hand and say goodbye.”

In an article in the Daily Mail Frank Carson said, "You see, political correctness is now so out of control that even telling an Irish joke can get you booted out of a job.

Clint Eastwood has apparently said that he has no time for people who are politically correct. The actor and director was talking at the premiere of his new drama Gran Torino and is quoted as saying, "I enjoy being politically incorrect because I think political correctness is boring. You talk to people who are walking around on egg shells all the time and it is kind of boring."

The Krankies (pictured above with John Midgley of the Campaign Against Political Correctness) are no fans of the increasing PC infecting our country. They were in the panto Peter Pan at the Grand Theatre in Wolverhampton and, after being voted one of the top acts people would like to see more of, this proved very popular indeed (oh no it didn't - oh yes it did!).

In an interview, Trisha Goddard gave answers in which her views on two very controversial issues were revealed.

Question: As a woman, do you think it's unfair that Radio 2 controller Lesley Douglas lost HER job over the Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross calls, even though the controversy was caused by the laddish antics of two male stars?

Trisha Goddard: If you're the boss, you're the boss. Your gender shouldn't alter whether the buck stops with you or not. That's true equality, surely.

Question: Another programme to face accusations of public humiliation is Big Brother, particularly with its race and bullying rows. Does it have a future?

Trisha Goddard: I've never met a person of colour who thought the Jade Goody incident was racist. Stupid, yes. More racist was the chorus of "liberal" voices who told us we should find it racist. Bullying will crop up in any reality format - it's how you deal with it that counts.

Richard Todd, who starred in the original Dam Busters film, criticised the decision to rename the dog in the film for a remake. The dog was called "Nigger" and has been renamed "Nidge". Mr Todd said, "As far as I'm concerned it's rubbish, the dog was called Nigger and if you have the dog in the film it has to be called by his real name. And without the dog you don't have a film because he was the most important character." He went on to say, "It wasn't being rude to black people. Nigger brown used to be a colour, it comes from the French word for black, which is negre. The word may not be used in the same way these days but it was the dog's name back then and that is a fact."

In an interview with the Daily Express, Joan Collins (75) said she had just been taken on by a Sunday broadsheet as a columnist and went on to reveal, “I’m not too careful what I say. I’m old enough to have my opinions and if they’re not politically correct, then so be it”. To read the full article in the Daily Express click here.

In an interview with Closer magazine in advance of Andrew Lloyd Webber's 60th birthday concert he questions whether Jesus Christ Superstar would have been a hit – or even seen the light of day – if were written today, rather than in 1971 and wonders how much political correctness is stifling creativity.

He said, “I look back at when I was younger and ask myself, would I have written an opera with Tim Rice? So many people nowadays are obsessed with things offending people. Today people say you can’t do this because it will offend that community, and then you can’t say this because the Muslims will be offended by it, and we’ll end being talked out of it. Talked out of ideas. Whereas when I was 20, I didn’t think about those things – you could just do it.”

Paul Daniels discussed political correctness on his personal blog following a review of a show in Blackpool in the Guardian where other comedians were criticised saying, "Certainly in the current show I watch the audience every night falling about and even crying with laughter at the antics of the performers. Make no bones about it, the vast majority of every audience leaves the theatre having had a wonderful night of entertainment. So let us consider the Guardian, a newspaper that everyone knows has always been extremely blinkered and only looking to the left and at the 'politically correct'. I stopped reading it years ago because of that. I think that newshounds should offer a wide and unbiased view of what is happening in our world. The editor obviously chose a person to review this show who totally ignored the audience around them. They found racism where it does not exist. Jokes exist in this show and if you leave out jokes about various races then surely you are being racist. I didn't find it racist when the Indian comics sent up the British so well in their show. These are JOKES and the only criterion is whether the jokes are funny or not. Let's face it, the vast majority of racism now is coming from the ethnic minorities and 'New Labour' politicians against the white majority in this country. I prefer jokes. The writer criticises wee Jimmy of the Krankies for going on about her bus pass but we all get old mate and surely it is better to make an older audience feel that it is OK to laugh at that fact, than write depressing columns that scream 'ageism'. Isn't that supposed to be politically incorrect? This ill-informed woman seemed to have no idea that you aim a show at a particular audience and she knew who was on the bill before she went in."

Lorraine Kelly has spoken about being one of the few female reporters when she started out in her career. Lorraine first moved to TV-am - the show she is most famous for - as a Scottish reporter when she was 25, and she was happy to battle against any sexism.

"If I ever came across any sexist attitudes, I'd just used it to my advantage," Lorraine reveals. "For example I did the sports coverage. And sports guys would answer your killer questions about football because they were so taken aback that you knew anything about it."

She continued: "It was unheard for women to do things like that back then. But to be honest, I was too busy working to worry about it. Because I've always worked in really tiny places, it's always been about sharing the workload."

Esther Rantzen has been very outspoken on the subject of political correctness after being rebuked by a senior executive of a major children's charity for kissing the top of a small boy's head. She was horrified that the person was "applying a jobsworth rule which insists that adults, in her professional world, are not allowed to respond spontaneously to children with genuine affection" which is such a great pity.

Click here to read just one of her articles in the Daily Mail which summarises some of the things she has been doing and why.

DJ Norman Jay was asked in an interview what he would do if he was a politician and he said, "... ban political correctness!"

Simon Cowell gave an interview saying, “There is too much tolerance in Britain. We have to get tough. What we have to do is bring a sense of competition back into schools. When people say competition sports are wrong, that’s crazy – kids have to learn that life is competitive."

"We’re too politically correct, it’s ridiculous. We have to stop all this PC nonsense.”

In an excellent article for The Times, Jeremy Clarkson ponders the reason England is in the mess that it is in! Click here for the article on The Times website.

In an interview with the Daily Mail over proposals to make "homophobic" comments a serious criminal offence", Christopher Biggins said, "The Justice Secretary, Jack Straw, tried to present this as another milestone on the road to equality. Well, I can tell you, Jack, it is nothing of the sort. This proposal is the very opposite of freedom. If enacted, it will amount to a disastrous attack on one of our most basic liberties, the right to free speech. It is a charter for nosy-parkers and bully-boys, for prigs who find offence at every turn and bores who want to impose their narrow, self-righteous opinions on the rest of us. I despair at the mood of edict issuing, word-censoring dreariness that seems to have overtaken the leaders of the gay rights movement. They, more than anyone, should be on the side of flamboyance, eccentricity, laughter and earthiness. Instead, they are acting like old commissars of some Eastern bloc regime or a bunch of Victorian moral puritans, clamping down on politically incorrect words."

He went on to say, "The Government is now attempting to create a new type of thought crime, where people are criminalised for their words and thoughts rather than their actions. That sort of politically correct engineering belongs in the realms of Orwell's 1984, not in the dear old live-and-let-live Britain I have always loved. Yet that is the trend of our times. Over the past few years, I have seen some alarming signs of how the modern, ultrapoliticised state wants to take a hard line with voices of dissent or humour."

"This is a dangerous road to go down. The endless search for offence can only divide us, and promote the very intolerance that the Government hopes to abolish. We should be moving in exactly the opposite direction: celebrating freedom, diversity and humour. If there is one thing I have learned in my career in entertainment, it is that there is no greater unifying force than laughter."

In a recent interview, Simon Weston said, "But now we’ve gone down that road where you couldn’t even restrain a kid in school that could be trying to slash out with a knife and kill some other kid. We’ve gone completely the wrong way but we tend to do that because people get so politically correct that they use it against those who are trying to improve it.

Giving talks to schools, Simon says, "If I’m allowed to do the thing I do best – which is to say it as it is – it tends to be great because you can tell by the question and answers at the end of it. We can’t always improve by being too soft. There’s as much love sometimes in punishment as there is in giving someone a hug and telling them it will be all right and you’ll take care of it. Sometimes you’ve got to do the right thing and the right thing quite often is by setting a stringent boundary, which is where we’ve gone wrong with schools."

When asked how we change the present state of affairs he said, "Slowly. If people don’t like it, well, tough. We have to shelve a lot of the political correctness. If you say something and it’s right, no matter how offensive, why is it always treated as racist or sexist or homophobia?

He credits his Mother for putting him back on track after he escaped alive from the bombing of the Sir Galahad in the Falklands war in June 1982. His Mother didn’t recognise him, so bad were his burns.

Simon said, “She walked into the hospital in London in Woolwich, because we were lucky enough to have military hospitals, and she said, ‘Well Simon where do we go from here, because the world doesn’t owe you a living?’”

Singer Kate Melua said in an interview on the BBC that in Britain there is a great "emphasis on a Politically Correct society" and that "there is something wrong with that". Speaking as an immigrant from Georgia (aged 8) she said that when she moved to England she felt that there was no strong sense of identity. She said that she believes that Political Correctness stops Brits being proud and showing that they are proud - citing the lack of St George's Day activities as a classic example. She said that immigrants should learn the history of Britain and try to understand people. In her opinion, language is the key and she said that all immigrants should learn English for their own sakes as much as for the sakes of others in the name of good integration.

Nelson Mandela backs councillor accused of racism for blacking up
3 April 2007

After a councillor was accused of racism for blacking up in a bid to look like Nelson Mandela for a fancy dress party, Nelson Mandela officially said, "We don't see any harm in this whatsoever. If it was a fancy dress party and people were expected to arrive as a character or famous person, we are convinced there was no ill intent behind this. We are not oversensitive about matters like these. Whilst we need to be respectful towards the character [of] events of this nature, we should try not to read racism into actions which may be completely innocent."

Winner of the Orange prize for fiction says it is now correct to despair of political correctness
28 November 2006

In her opening address at the Brisbane Writers Festival this year, author Lionel Shriver (winner of the Orange Prize for fiction) made the point that political correctness has become so tired that "it's now correct to despair of political correctness".

Terry Wogan on why Red Dragon sausages are a real sign of the times
26 November 2006

Terry Wogan also criticised the three quarters of firms who don't put up Christmas decorations in their offices for fear of causing offence (05.12.06).

The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, said that "illiberal atheists" were aiding the "systematic erosion" of Christianity in public life.

Dr Sentamu called for a rediscovery of English pride, warning that a zeal for multi-culturalism sometimes "seemed to imply, 'let other cultures be allowed to express themselves but do not let the majority culture at all tell us its glories.'"

Dr John Sentamu also said in an article in September 2009: "I am fed up to the back teeth with the bankrupt political correctness...". Click here for the story in the Mail.

Fern Britton introduced Peter Andre and Katie Price on This Morning as "Mr and Mrs Peter Andre" which is an absolute no-no according to most language guides we have seen - e.g. take the recent example from Glasgow City Council - click here for the link to their website and their guide "Language Matters" - which says:

"Don’t use the nineteenth century custom of addressing a woman by her husband’s name as in Mrs John Chambers. Nor should you refer to Mr and Mrs John Chambers. Women have names too! Ann and John Chambers is quite acceptable."

In a recent interview, asked what he would like to hurl into Room 101, JPR Williams said, "Political correctness. It's no longer possible for a schoolmaster to put his arm around a child to comfort him - how sad is that?"

Claiming to weigh more than 17 stone, Boris Johnson said he wanted to reclaim the word "fatso" from the politically correct brigade. He said, "I think we are in danger of airbrushing the word fat out of the English language...I think we should worry less about using these words. You get in terrible trouble if you say fatso."

Jim Davidson has been told that his politically incorrect act is welcome in Preston after all. Preston's Deputy Mayor Coun Bhikhu Patel said he would not go to one of Davidson's shows himself, but added: "My personal view is that it is up to the public if they want to attend a show. I don't think anyone should dictate who should come and who should not come to the Guild Hall."

In the face of appalling taunts from football "fans", former West Ham boss Glenn Roeder said, "I do feel that in this politically correct world of ours, the majority stay silent and we let ourselves be controlled by the loud minority." Click here or the full story in the Guardian.

Former Eastender Shaun Williamson says that those who promote political correctness should be put in the stocks
22 September 2006

In answer to the question "Who would you send to the tower/put in the stocks" during a Sheffield Star interview, former Eastenders star Shaun Williamson ("Barry") said:

"Anyone who promotes political correctness which lacks common sense. They shouldn't be pandered to. It was in the news recently that they're not going to show a cartoon of Tom and Jerry smoking any more because one person complained – they'd go straight in the stocks."

Speaking to the Times newspaper, 22 year old rapper "Plan B" attacked institutionalised political correctness saying that it has merely conspired to bring out the worst in people. He told the Times, “Our lollipop lady used to wear a Santa hat in the run-up to Christmas. One year, it was decided that it was offensive to people of certain faiths. Now, you start taking those sorts of complaints seriously and you’re practically encouraging people to harbour a grudge. And because of what? Because of a Santa hat? Do me a favour. If we start taking offence at that s*** there’s gonna be a civil war.”

In her column in the Daily Mail today, Amanda Platell says that the decision to award compensation of £800,000 to a woman for workplace harassment "shows that we have plumbed new depths in the descent towards a victim-centred nation". Her article explores the whole matter of huge payouts to female workers and sums the situation up perfectly. She says, "Whatever sex you are, you still have to earn your place through resilience and endeavour" and "we also have to take responsibility, to stand up for ourselves and to deal with infantile confrontations in a mature way".

To read the whole article in the Daily Mail click here (pdf format)

Bruce Forsyth said he wanted to get down to the "nitty gritty" on the live programme "Dancing In The Street" whilst talking to Jonzi D (pictured above). Brucey was being a bit politically incorrect here and not bowing to pressure to avoid using this phrase as its origins are said to have come from the slave trade. The police are one of the groups of people who are not allowed to use this phrase.

Fern Britton and Phillip Schofield attack non-competitive sports days
14 July 2006

Whilst hosting an end of series "sports day", Fern Britton and Phillip Schofield both attacked non-competitive sports days in schools saying it was ridiculous not to have competition - especially when it often gives children who are not academically gifted the chance to shine.

In advance of publishing his book "Home from Home" about immigration to the UK, BBC News Presenter George Alagiah said, "I'll be comparing my experience, the integrationalist approach, with the experience of immigrants who come here and grow up in a community that is somewhat removed from the mainstream of British society." He goes on to say, "Parts of the book are going to be controversial because it questions multi-culturalism. Given what happened in London last July, a lot of people are beginning to question where immigration has got us," he said.

To read his interview in the Sunday Telegraph yesterday click below or here for a pdf version of the article.

The former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Carey, has said that he thinks that "political correctness could stifle religious expression".

Sir Cliff Richard attacked political correctness today in an interview for Sky News saying, "This whole PC thing bugs me like mad". Don't think that too many of us reading this disagree!

To see the story on Sky's website or watch the clip of the interview click here.

Richard Madeley, co-presenter of the Richard and Judy show based locally in Kennington, has said in a statement: "I'm absolutely delighted and extremely flattered to have been asked to switch on Kennington's Christmas lights as well as being relieved that we don't have to call them Kennington's Winter Lights. I hope the display will help boost trade in the area and along with Judy wish all our neighbours in this part of London a happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year."

On a reunion programme for the Australian show "Neighbours", presenter Andi Peters (pictured below) said that he wanted to get to the "nitty gritty" of the matter. We have had many reports of people using this phrase and being told, for example, in council meetings that they "can't say that". The reason given is that it could cause offence to people who do not have white skin. We cannot thank Andi Peters enough for wittingly, or even unwittingly, using this everyday phrase today as surely the same people who told the councillor not to use the phrase would not call Andi Peters racist? Those who try to act as "language police" by interfering and creating language codes are actually the ones creating tensions amongst people with different skin colours!

Prince Charles is the latest high profile figure to attack political correctness in a memo read at a tribunal hearing yesterday. He said:

"This is all to do with the learning culture in schools - the child-centred learning emphasis which admits of no failure and tells people that they can all be pop stars or High Court judges, or brilliant TV presenters - heads of state! - without ever putting in the necessary work or effort, or having the natural abilities.

"What on earth am I to say to Elaine (the woman at the centre of the enquiry) in reply? She is so PC it frightens me rigid."

The Campaign Against Political Correctness is delighted to welcome Jane McDonald's comments on ITV's Loose Women today. Jane said, "We're losing Britain" and then went on to say that anyone who tries to speak out about the loss of our British culture is classed as "racist" in the name of "political correctness." She was called "racist" by another Loose Women panellist for simply stating this view proving the difficulty of speaking your mind in these politically correct times.

Trevor McDonald says "If you don’t want to integrate, why come to Britain?”
25 July 2004

Trevor McDonald has added his voice to those attacking anti-British migrants and political correctness. The Sunday Times interviewed Trevor McDonald and a small extract is set out below:

"I would say something even stronger: if you don’t want to integrate, why come to Britain?” It is a deadly simple point but one white politicos are too politically correct to utter. “I am an unashamed integrationist.”

Trevor McDonald is only saying what the majority of people think and the Sunday Times have very helpfully given his views a public airing. If you missed the article and would like to read it you will find the full version here.

Phillip Schofield and Lorraine Kelly opened This Morning today by attacking those who call the flying of the St George's Flag "racist". They dismissed this as nonsense and the Campaign Against Political Correctness is delighted to hear this open display of common sense. The Campaign Against Political Correctness would like to take this opportunity to wish the many people up and down the country who are celebrating St George's Day today a great time. Reports on all events would be very welcome.