Beeb say sorry for Stephen Fry A-bomb quip
Japan rattles katana over nuke survivor gag
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The BBC and Talkback Thames have apologised for Stephen Fry's description of double A-bomb survivor Tsutomu Yamaguchi as "the unluckiest man in the world".
The QI presenter - himself described by Julie Burchill as "a stupid person's idea of a clever person" - offended delicate Japanese sensiblities during a December outing of the programme.
Yamaguchi, who died last year aged 93, survived the Hiroshima bombing in August 1945, only to find himself in Nagasaki three days later.
Fry's quip prompted the Japanese embassy to protest to the BBC. According to the Telegraph, a Corporation spokesman offered: "QI never sets out to cause offence with any of the people or subjects it covers.
"However on this occasion, given the sensitivity of the subject matter for Japanese viewers, we understand why they did not feel it appropriate for inclusion in the programme." ®
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COMMENTS
Japanese sensitivity?
"However on this occasion, given the sensitivity of the subject matter for Japanese viewers, we understand why they did not feel it appropriate for inclusion in the programme."
Well fuck-a-doodle-do. Japanese sensitivity? Maybe, instead of jokes next episode, they can give a litany of the inhuman crimes committed by the Japanese government, and a significant section of its people, during WWII. Oh, I don't know, the medical experiments, comfort women, forced labour camps, etc. Maybe devote a special to describing exactly what happened then.
We know all about Germany's actions during WWII, but Japan was just as bad; I say "fuck their sensibilities".
Ok, I know I'm not Japanese, but...
I saw this episode of QI, and remember them discussing this. Yes, it was mentioned that he could be the unluckiest person in the world for being in both cities when they were bombed, but they also turned it around and pointed out that the fact that he survived both blasts could also have meant that he was, in fact, the luckiest person in the world. Sounds balanced and the poor man in question certainly wasn't made the butt of any poor taste jokes that I remember.
Perhaps this is just my own naivety, in which case I apologise, and I know that I'm anything but "high-brow", but I don't see anything to be getting offended about - perhaps someone could (politely) explain it to me - I am legitimately confused by the reaction. Granted there may be some ... sensitivity ... over Hiroshima and Nagasaki, understandably so, but surely you can't cause offence by implying someone is unlucky to have been hit by two nuclear devices?
Perhaps I should brace myself for boos and downvotes...
Burchill
Julie Burchill - a hopelessly out of touch champagne-socialist's idea of a clever person.
For many others - an utterly nauseating waste of oxygen and newspaper copy who has somehow managed to get her pious ideas published despite the comprehensive pointlessness of almost all of them.
Fry - yes, not as clever as many think, judging by his misunderstanding on many technical issues he chooses to comment on, but at least he does have some purpose in this life.
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