Stripper and sex jokes... from student ‘outraged’ by Paxman
SHE was outraged by the ‘sexism’ m’ of University Challenge presenterr Jeremy Paxman when he made a passing remark about the knitted d mascot her team had brought to the e TV quiz.
But while Samantha Buzzard was s upset by the supposed lewd innuendo in a comment that Mr Paxman insists was innocuous, she is perfectly happy to engage in extremely racy banter on social media.
The Reading University meteorology PhD student complained after Mr Paxman remarked that the knitted doll looked like him and, she claims, said ‘please tell me’ that she took it to bed with her.
Mr Paxman insists it was innocent banter directed to all four members of the Reading team.
Yet Ms Buzzard apparently relishes far racier exchanges on Twitter and has even posted an image of Ed Miliband altered to make him look like a male stripper – a picture which might have attracted outraged comments were it of a woman politician.
Many of the bawdy jokes concern double-entendres about Ms Buzzard’s specialist subject.
Earlier this year, the science student wrote on Twitter in a discussion about icebergs: ‘I’ve written “penetration” far too many times for a Monday morning.’ She joked to fellow PhD student James Mollard: ‘Thanks for ruining my ability to talk about ice crevassing.’
Mr Mollard replied: ‘To quote yourself, it’s a slippery situation you’re in.’
A second friend, Martin O’Leary, added to the sniggering innuendo, tweeting: ‘Have you talked about how wet cracks penetrate much deeper than dry cracks?’ Instead of expressing shock, Ms Buzzard joked: ‘I hope you two are never in the same place at the same time.’
During the 2015 Election, Ms Buzzard shared a photograph of then Labour leader Mr Miliband morphed on to a male model wearing only pants. She tweeted: ‘How many of these can I hide around my house before my Tory/Ukip-loving housemates kick me out?’
The Reading University Student Union last week voted to boycott the BBC show after accusing Mr Paxman of misogyny and sexism.
Last night, sociologist Professor Frank Furedi criticised the ‘language policing’ in British universities and the constant assumptions of prejudice. He said: ‘A lot of students a are just looking to be outra raged by virtually anyth thing. It’s what I call a “per “performance of outrage”, where you try to make a statement – an and almost set yourself up to take the moral high ground.
‘I’m more concerned about the influence of this language policing which is being taken outside of the university. Joking is part of human interaction. If you have to censor yourself every time you joke, you prevent people from being spontaneous and normal. That’s unhealthy.’
On Ms Buzzard’s comments and tweets, Prof Furedi said students frequently had ‘double standards’.
He added: ‘You can make jokes about straight, white men – and that’s very funny. But if you make fun of anyone else it is automatically morally offensive.’
Mr Paxman said he was ‘baffled’ by Ms Buzzard’s claims, adding: ‘I asked the whole team whether they took [the doll] to bed with them. Though no complaint was made at the time, this, apparently, is what has upset them.’ Ms Buzzard last night declined to comment.