A Joke: Madeleine McCann, The Pope And A Paedophile Are…
AT the Edinburgh Fringe young stand-up Nick Doody says that Madeleine McCann’s parents were right to visit the Pope “because if anyone can find a paedophile…”
He explains: “Just because you make a joke about something doesn’t mean you find the subject itself funny. To laugh at a ‘knock knock’ joke, you don’t have to find doors hilarious. But people are looking for offence. Why did the chicken cross the road? I can’t believe you’d say that! My mother was pecked to death by a chicken!”
Funny..?
August 24th, 2007 at 2:00 pm
SICKO !
August 24th, 2007 at 2:43 pm
AMANDA…… I AGREE 100%!!!!
August 24th, 2007 at 3:10 pm
I don’t think the situation is funny, the joke was though,
it’s true, first thing i said when the parents visited the pope was they should just ask him and tony blair tell the mates give her back!!
August 24th, 2007 at 3:11 pm
it’s a hoax, maddie will appear soon
August 24th, 2007 at 3:53 pm
LOOOOOOOOOOL, that is pretty witty
August 24th, 2007 at 4:15 pm
I’m the first one to laugh at a good joke. However, the McCann’s have lost their little girl. There are so many other things to crack jokes about… to throw out a joke that links the pope to pedophiles and the pedophiles to Madeleine is pretty tasteless in my opinion… so not funny. This is a very sad time. For those of you that find the joke humurous… how would you feel if it were your child that was missing and joke was on you??
August 24th, 2007 at 4:25 pm
NICK DOODY IS F…ING SICK IN THE HEAD, I’M AFRAID I DON’T FIND THAT SORT OF HUMOUR FUNNY. WOULD HE MAKE JOKES LIKE THAT ABOUT HIS FAMILY?
August 24th, 2007 at 4:32 pm
Although it’s an awful situation, I’d be interested to know what the McCann’s think. From a personal experience but not to this level, sometimes it’s nice to have a comical edge to a bad predicament.
August 24th, 2007 at 6:09 pm
Ok it was a sick joke but just because it covers two newsworthy topics does that make it NEWS in any way shape or form? All that’s being done is proliferating the joke, possibly bringing it to the attention of people who could righteously say ‘how could you (insert reason)’ and giving the ‘comedian’ free publicity.
It should have been left to lie on the Endinburgh stage where it most probably died, apart from the forced laughter of fringe connoisseu…oh sod it.. fringe posers.
August 24th, 2007 at 6:13 pm
I don’t find it amusing, but to be honest the same thought occurred to me when it was reported that they were meeting with the pope- the vatican has quite a track record for protecting child abusing priests. I suspect alot of people thought the same thing- this comedian turned it into a joke for notoriety and publicity.
August 24th, 2007 at 6:38 pm
LOLOLOLOLOL……the truth IS FUNNY
August 24th, 2007 at 8:13 pm
Actually, the “pope” is the sick one. If he is a true pope, he has been given full command from God over every single one of his wayward charges. Yet he has sent his Secretary of State on a PR campaign to demonize the victims who sued his wayward church. Hoping to avert bankruptcy, Catholics in California are launching a lawsuit against the sexperts, men like Kinsey whose depraved teachings have been adopted by depraved new church officials and tolerated by new pope. All of this is part of what the Vatican calls its wonderful new springtime. The real culprit is holed up in the Vatican and at the end of the day, a true pope, as in a lawful successor of St. Peter, has all the supernatural means necessary to combat evil in his own house. If he can’t do that much, he needs to resign.
August 24th, 2007 at 8:34 pm
Sorry, Anna.
Can you be a bit more specific? Are you suggesting that his holliness is in posession of some supernatural powers?
August 24th, 2007 at 9:42 pm
I don’t know what Anna is talking about, but I do know that Panorama (highly respected UK current affairs programme) specified that the current pope (when a cardinal) was the author of top level documents which protect paedophile priests from answering charges within the catholic community, and therefore by default within the wider community.
The programme also accused the vatican city of harbouring many paedophile priests (within the vatican) who are essentially on the run and are wanted by authorities in several countries, for the abuse of children in their care, to the extent of returning mail from aforesaid authorities unopened, with stamps that vatican city refused- receipt of/ to open, such mail. The vatican city authorities show utter contempt in such dealings and are mired in their own filth!
August 24th, 2007 at 10:06 pm
That’s a really crap joke. These are better:
What’s the difference between Madeleine McCann and Madeleine McCann jokes?
Madeleine McCann jokes will get old.
August 24th, 2007 at 11:27 pm
Jenny - clearly you are not a mother, I have a little girl who turned 4 a few day after Madeleine and find ‘jokes’ like yours very offensive. Maybe you ought to spare a thought for the people who may be reading your ‘jokes’ before you subject anyone to them.
August 25th, 2007 at 12:05 am
Jenny,
that is a really crap post, these are better:
posts 1-14 and post 16.
August 25th, 2007 at 12:56 am
JENNY!!
Have you not got a heart!!! you are an offensive, downright heartless, rude, person that should not even be allowed on this site!
You are rubbishing a defenceless little girl who had no choice in this ,
why don’t you just get off sites like this , and get a life that has meaning,
August 25th, 2007 at 12:59 am
people that make sick jokes about Madeleine need to be locked up and are just as bad as the person who took her
August 25th, 2007 at 1:07 am
Jenny
How absolutely disgraceful and offensive could you be!!!!! Have you got children? I would hope not. Go away!!!!
August 25th, 2007 at 1:16 am
Pam, Mel, Kath & Denise…
Jenny is obviously just trying to get a rise out of everyone… she’s pathetic!! Don’t even give her the time of day. She’s ignorant… and how sad to be her!! To say things like that are cruel and heartless… if she’s really that way, then she doesn’t deserve our attention… and if she’s doing it just for kicks, then getting all of us all worked up is exactly what she wants. SCREW HER!!
Have a blessed weekend you guys…
August 25th, 2007 at 9:44 am
Thankyou Iananme,
Its people like Jenny that we try and keep our children away from
Poor little Madeleine,
August 25th, 2007 at 10:40 am
I thought the joke was hilarious. Maybe it’s still a bit too soon, but people do like to laugh in the face of tragedy sometimes - it’s a form of self defence mechanism. Laughter is a good thing.
The joke wasn’t even about Maddie anyway. It was about the fact that, as Kath says, the pope used to be responsible for the protection and relocation of paedophile catholic priests.
I think some people just enjoy being outraged/offended by the slightest thing. They subscribe to the notion that by joining in with public hand wringing and wailing that is so much encouraged these days, they can show everyone how much of a ‘Good Person’ they are.
Here’s an idea: If you don’t find a joke funny then don’t laugh at it and move on. Surely you must have other things to worry about?
August 25th, 2007 at 4:54 pm
Dear Flailing banshees - firstly - there is no proof at all that Madeleine was kidnapped. Secondly - your assertion that someone making a joke is along the lines of killing a child is hilarious. Please step away from your keyboards until your hysteria has faded and your minds are clear (probably never). Oh and thirdly, I’ve got two lovely kids thanks very much. Fortunately for my kids I was never in the habit of abandoning them to the fates while I nipped off to the boozer.
Is this one any better?
Gerry and Kate McCann went to see the Pope to ask if he could help find their daughter.
The Pope said he’d love to help but the Catholic Clergy was more used to hunting down small boys.
August 25th, 2007 at 8:19 pm
^^^ nah, that one’s crap too- don’t give up the day job Jenny, you’ll never make it to the fringe.
August 25th, 2007 at 9:02 pm
I can see your Halo!! you wil be assured a place in heaven being a perfect parent won’t you!
August 25th, 2007 at 9:06 pm
that was meant for JENNY!!!
August 25th, 2007 at 9:25 pm
OK people.
Actually, I’m rather with Jenny. It IS pretty funny, as was the original joke that begat this particular forum. There is NOTHING funny about the predicament of Madeleine McCann, and when you sanctimonious, pious, deluded individuals finish feigning shock horror outrage, settle down for a second or so and examine the reality of the FACTS, then no-one is SAYING that Madeleines predicament IS funny. NOTHING but NOTHING is immune from being either satirised or humourised. Both the McCanns AND the Papal machinary set themselves up for a little headline stealing publicity in this particular escapade, throwing ambiguity into their motives for the meeting in the first place, and irrespective of what one’s religeon is, or whether one ‘has children’ or not, (which I certainly do), does NOT exclude the situation from having fun poked at it. Rather like has already been stated, ‘Why did the Chicken cross the road’ would in no way be funny to someone who had, say swerved around such a chicken in such a road, killing themselves or others in the process.
August 25th, 2007 at 9:41 pm
Em, Spudgun, actually whether a joke is funny or not is a matter of opinion.
In your opinion the above joke IS pretty funny, that doesn’t mean that others who don’t find it funny are wrong- it is simply a matter of taste in humour. To state equivocally that “it IS pretty funny” (as you say above) shows a distinct lack of understanding of the nature of humour.
I personally don’t find the humour here to be in any way refined or sophisticated- it is a bit too slapstick and obvious for my taste, but if your taste is more provincial, fill your boots…
August 25th, 2007 at 9:54 pm
Kath -I’m not making them up, they’re doing the rounds (so to speak). The other ones I’ve received won’t be repeated here, because thy’re a lot more offensive. My usual comedy taste is much different, I prefer dark satire. Ironically one of my favourites is On the Hour, which, given the case we’re discussing, is wildly appropriate.
Susan - hush now. Did I say I was a perfect parent? I don’t believe I did. I merely stated that my children are loved and cared for. If that is what you consider to be a boast of ‘perfect parenting’ then I pity you. Kids don’t need much, just to be kept safe and to know they’re loved, not left alone and in distress because looking after them properly would be an inconvenience.