The Death of Free Speech? Roy Chubby Brown Gig Cancelled

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Now, I have never seen a full RCB gig, but Sheffield Council's decision to cancel a perfectly legal gig seems a slippery slope to full on thought control.

The reasons given to cancel the concert are given as:

“There is no place for any hate-filled performance in our diverse and welcoming city.”

Councillor Terry Fox, leader of Sheffield City Council, added: “The council wholeheartedly supports Sheffield City Trust’s decision to remove the booking for Roy Chubby Brown’s January show.

“Sheffield is a City of Sanctuary, with diverse communities and the content of this show is unlikely to reflect Sheffield’s inclusive values.”


I still thought that we lived in a country that allowed people to go a watch shows of any sort that did not contain any illegal material. Unfortunately, the council seem to have taken upon themselves to dictate what people are and aren't allowed to go and and watch.

This really seems to be a case of a council determining what they feel is allowable for their citizens to see. I am not someone prone to the hysterical belief that 'woke' culture is taking over, but as a keen historian this most definitely has whiffs of certain fascist and Soviet ways to control what their citizens think.

What is next? Banning Church services because they do not reflect what the council's own beliefs are? Banning certain bands because they don't like their music?

Article below:

https://www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk/news/celebs-tv/protests-planned-after-roy-chubby-5894511
 
Associate
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Sounds like it was venues decision so IDK , what about the venue's right as a business ? Gonna be a slippery slope this.

That being said , i am not for councils making this call unless it is illegal as you mention or crossing some line like inciting violence etc. Sorry not familiar with the bloke at all.
 
Soldato
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He's about as funny as getting punched in the nuts over and over again but that doesn't mean I'd stop all the simpletons from going to see him. :D /jk for the second part before i upset any big fans...
 
Soldato
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Saw him once many years ago. Funny at times. Don't think he's as good these days though.
Too many delicate flowers around now that take offense at everything.
 
Caporegime
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If it was the council's (therfore the government's) decision then I agree, that is not a decision for them to make.

If it was the venue's , as an independent entitiy/business, then I wholeheartedly support their right to Choose who they have performing on their property (as long as the decision is not discriminatory).
 
Caporegime
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There's always been delicate flowers but in the past we as a country supported and fought for freedom and abhorred censorship and tyranny, people today who have been brought up on social media platforms see censorship and corporate/government restrictions on their freedoms as a good thing.

If Chubby Brown is really spreading hate and racism (or whatever they're alluding to with the diverse and welcoming bumph) with his performances then let him perform and call the police, what they really mean is they find him offensive but because he's not breaking any laws they want to cancel him through what is essentially economic bullying. I don't really see how this sort of thing is any better than the Mafia or other gangs going around shutting businesses down because the owner refuses to play ball with their way of thinking and pay protection money to them. Because this behaviour is coming from 'woke' corporations and public services infested with people who have suckled on social media all of their lives many don't seem to see anything wrong with it.
 
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Soldato
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lol didnt realize that guy was still alive or able to make a living with that kind of humour.

p.s We dont have free speech in the UK, if you think we do youre very mistaken, we have the "communications act" not a 1st amendment.
 
Caporegime
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p.s We dont have free speech in the UK, if you think we do youre very mistaken, we have the "communications act" not a 1st amendment.

If you think he's a committing a crime then it's a police matter, who wants to live under a woke Mafia telling them what they cannot do and getting them sacked for breaches of woke ideology? are people really wanting to ignore law/abolish the police and pass policing over to a bunch of pink haired idiots who get offended by the dictionary definitions of man/woman, pull down statues and burn books they don't like? claiming to be victims of oppression when they have most corporations and government institutions supporting them and are the ones dishing it out themselves?
 
Associate
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I think what concerned me about this was that the council took it upon themselves to cancel the gig for the reason that they don't like him, rather than any potential illegality.

I am all for preventing hate speech of any form from having a place in society, but when councils start to prevent perfectly legal events occurring then that surely oversteps the bounds of what a council is for. They are not here to determine what they feel their populace should be able to watch surely?

What prevents them from stopping any event that they don't like occurring? Why do they have the right top stop someone from performing when a private individual is not allowed to prevent something they disagree with occurring? I am thinking about cases where people have not been able to refuse service to individuals that they do not agree with. If someone ios not allowed to refuse sewrvice to a religion/sexual orientation, etc ythen how can the council be allowed to refuse service to a comedian?

I do not agree with people refusing service based on these issues, but am trying to see how the council can ban something because they don't like it when we are not allowed to ban/refuse service to people or organisations we don't like.
 
Caporegime
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Think it’s a ridiculous decision. Don’t like it, don’t watch it.

I used to like Chubby. Yes he’s near the knuckle, but no more really than the likes of Frankie Boyle.

He’s an old man now though, and can’t carry his gig off like he used to be able to, and his material is getting weaker.

As an a older comedian, he can’t hold a candle to Doddy, god rest his soul.
 
Caporegime
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We can either be a nation of laws or mobs lead by billionaire corporate CEO's etc, choose one and remember if you choose the latter then the mob doing the cancelling might not always follow your way of thinking and one day you might be the one being cancelled for being black, homosexual, transsexual or whatever.
 
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