Graeme Swann's Comments

Deeply offensive or a storm in a tea cup?

 

Storm in a Tea Cup.

Yes Rape isn't a nice thing to happen to somebody but I think he misplaced the comments on his brothers facebook page. They are comments made by the majority of people on an almost daily basis.

Once the relevant PC brigade get a hold of it it heolps them to publicise their own fight, which in this case is the CEO of Rape Crisis. Its a shame really because I can pretty much guarentee he wouldnt have set out to offend anybody.

 

What's he said?

 

His brother put on facebook that he had been to watch Shed Seven and Swann replied with, 'I'd rather have been there than here in PErth getting Arse Raped by Australia'

 

I'm with you on this one. Storm in a tea cup for me. Yes he was perhaps a bit naive putting on Facebook but as you say mate it's nothing that doesn't get said as a jokey comment on a regular basis.

 

Probably not the best turn of phrase for someone in the public eye to use, because he really should have known what is happening would happen, but he had no intention to offend. He's not comparing losing at cricket to rape, he knows that it's nothing like as bad, to suggest he is or he does is just idiotic. We use similes and metaphors all the time, it enriches our language, and we tend to use extremes to stress the point.

If he'd gone on a victims support forum and said, "You think rape is bad, try losing at cricket" then he'd deserve everything he gets. He didn't, he sent a message to his brother and used a word to emphasis how bad things have gone. It's a none story as far as I'm concerned.

Actually, the real story is how far people will go out of their way to take offence. It would be interesting to know if any rape victims are offended or if it's people taking offence on their behalf. Which goes back to a post that was made on here earlier in the week.

 

But have you seen Mitchell Johnson's tash?

<img src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/11/19/article-2510057-197B4BFE00000578-569_634x404.jpg">

 

As usual you write what I mean far better than I do.

 

Storm in a tea cup. Like Jay says its very likely that the only people to take any offence are the professionally offended.

 

It's only 'cos I'm a sad fcuker who spends far too much time on it.

Anyway, Wilson's back, any chance of your old man joining him? Danny got all the plaudits last time, but it was a team effort between him and your dad.

 

I've been thinking about this and how it gets in to the public eye. I'd put a fair amount of money on it that stuff like this is found out by hacks in the press who monitor for it. I also reckon it will be them who contact the support groups to tell them about it to get the comment, and then they write an article about it saying the group they've contacted are outraged by the thing they brought to their attention. Followed by an opinion piece about how outrageous it is that the outraged group are outraged at the thing they told them they should be outraged about.

 

That's probably spot on.

 

Sounds about right.

 

TBH I can see both sides of the argument on this one, its a flippant comment that just sails by the vast majority of the population (me included) but equally I can see how anybody who has been raped or who is involved with the counselling of rape victims would be mortified by trivialisation what is obviously a terrible crime.

 

There`s still time Tomf if thas got youth on thi side.

 

Agreed.

There could be a list of stuff you can't use including "we murdered them", "he was robbed in midfield", "our batsmen are being strangled" and "we were ****ed up the arse".

 

It was a daft thing to say and a wrap on the knuckles is probably deserved, but that should be that. He's not a stupid man, but knows he said a stupid thing and has apologised. It is, however, a good chance to highlight that people in the public spotlight need to be careful about what they say, but I don't think Swann should have his reputation tarnished by this, as it really is something and nothing.

I do wish though that the media would stop trying to whip up frenzies with cases like this and the Roy Hodgson joke. It is very desperate journalism and surely there are more important stories out there. Eventually they will find out when sports stars start refusing to speak with them for fear of the lynch mob.