QI - What Happens to a Hippo that is Pushed into a Swimming Pool?

Well... the title is pretty explanatory, isn't it? :)
(clip taken from the "Hanimals" episode on the H series / Series H)

I do not own the rights to the clip.

BBC© 2010

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• qi
• xl
• bbc
• series
• 2009
• hanimals
• stephen
• fry
• alan
• davies
• sean
• lock
• ross
• noble
• ruby
• wax
• hippo
• hippos
• pushed
• swimming
• pool
• swim
• what
• happens

[smayds]

What happens if you throw Ruby Wax into the deep end of a swimming pool? Is she still so annoying?

[funnyguyagency]

female comedian tells joke, fails, gives up and answers question

[Alizastack]

hippos are actually really cute! even the name 'Hippo' is just adorable

[Bumblybee256]

@HandsomeNamed As I have now said countless times it IS sexism if you reference the sex of one sex but not the other in insults. Sexism is not necessarily an act, as I have also previously said.

I would argue that often it seems that is is. I think you'd find that if Ruby wax's or Brand's words were instead spoken by a man, there would not be a stream of male specific insults from the same posters.

[HandsomeNamed]

@Bumblybee256

And I know a many women who have made it obvious that they respect less the opinions of men, and are quick to desparage us at any given chance. There are many kinds of stupid in the world.

My only point is that the mentioning of a person's sex in an insult is not itself the act of sexual discrimination, nor necessarily indicative of an act of discrimination even having occurred. Her sex might be the reason for the insult being given. But often it seems that it's not.

[Bumblybee256]

@HandsomeNamed Well, that's very nice for you to know- as I've previously pointed out it's not obvious to anyone else. If someone called me a boring bitch I would take note of the fact they were insulting me with a sex-specific insult and therefore commenting on my sex. I know many people who use sex specific insults with women and not men.

[HandsomeNamed]

@Bumblybee256

"and do you then refer to boring men with a sex specific insult"

Not always, not even usually. But then as i've tried to make clear, sex has naught to do with the addition. The addition is supposed to be anything personal; anything to make an otherwise dull insult more effective and hurtful. No matter what hurtful addition you make, it can't alter the reason which already governed your choosing that person to insult. That's where the discrimination was and always is.

[HandsomeNamed]

@Bumblybee256

*in the selection (of a victim), not the execution (of the insult toward that victim)

Pardon my failed English; Youtube comment boxes are limiting and the sun will be rising soon.

[Bumblybee256]

@HandsomeNamed and do you then refer to boring men witha sex specific insult?

It is not wrong to call it sexism when sex specific insults are used for one sex but not the other.

Why does the personalisation refer to sex- that's not particularly unique/personal.

[HandsomeNamed]

@Bumblybee256

The real reason for the insult is pretty obvious in these cases. "She's such a boring bitch" is obviously to do with an aspect of her character, which would imaginably be the same if she were a man or a Wookie. The addition of "bitch" is to make it more personal and thus insulting, because that's usually the intention of an insult; be insulting.

Discrimination (sexism) does and can only occur in the selection, not the execution, of an insult or whatever other action

[HandsomeNamed]

@Bumblybee256

The key here is what is discrimination. It doesn't mean "being mean". It's to do with the criteria of selection. In all the cases you've complained about, the criteria for selecting those women were to do with the content of their characters. Boring/stupid/whatever. Attached to that insult was the addition of some sex-specific insult. Unless you suggest they were CHOSEN to be insulted because of being women, then no sexism has occurred. I hope my explanation is clear