Public backlash over the top
The public backlash against a prank by The Edge radio hosts Jay-jay Feeney and Dominic Harvey on fellow radio DJ Simon Barnett shows that in the age of social media people are often content to champion perception over intent, even when it comes to comedy.
The joke in question was cringeworthy and, arguably, in bad taste, but the level of online punishment the perpetrators have since been subjected to is way out of scope with their initial infraction.
Barnett could hardly contain his glee when presented with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to interview his favourite actor, Tom Cruise. But his exuberance was swiftly dashed when a smug Feeney revealed that his interviewee was, in fact, a Cruise impersonator.
The melancholic aftermath, reduced the show’s producer to tears and saw Barnett and co-host Gary Mccormick admonish the pranksters.
But while some people took it as a joke, albeit a poor one, the majority of online commenters rained a firestorm of abuse upon The Edge hosts, with some branding their actions workplace bullying and others demanding their suspension or sacking.
With the furore still raging, it’s important to note that one of the key roles of a commercial radio host is to entertain. Often, this is achieved through comedy.
The Edge hosts are known for pushing the boundaries and, in this case, have recognised they have gone too far. But those in the entertainment industry need to be given some leeway to ply their trade and should be free to make mistakes if they are done in the pursuit of comedy.
An ill-advised joke, especially one that was not intentionally racist, sexist or bigoted towards any belief systems, should not be a career-ending error, especially when its intention was clearly to make people laugh. DJS have been peddling out this sort of schadenfreude for years, but people seem to have taken exception in this case because the target was the lovable Barnett.
An experienced campaigner, Barnett is unlikely to suffer any long-term psychological harm, and does not need a cadre of online white knights protecting his honour by launching a tirade of abuse.
We should always be free to express our thoughts on any matter, but to suggest that bullying and abuse is a reasonable response towards those accused of such actions is a galling act of hypocrisy.