Talk:Donald Findlay

Comments
This seems to be all about his short-comings. Nothing positive at all. With about 14,800 Google hits, this article hould have more content. PrometheusX303 12:49, 19 May 2006 (UTC)
 * Yes, I almost speedied it as an attack page - which, to be honest it probably comes right next to qualifying for... Yet another lame sig I came up with T 12:50, 19 May 2006 (UTC)

Where was he born and when?? Is he really famous for telling Pope and nun jokes? One sided and agenda driven is being nice. Clean the article up or move along, IMHO.--Tom 15:59, 19 May 2006 (UTC)


 * I have no clue who this guy was before I did some clean up on it -- it was in worse shape before I started on it. From my background reading on the guy he does seem to be a prominent lawyer in Scotland who unfortunately has been in some controversies with regards to anti-Catholicism -- which is a frequent issue in British Isles, especially near Ireland.  I think he is notable, although the article does put too much focus on his "notoriety."  --Ben Houston 18:41, 20 May 2006 (UTC)


 * I have attempted to clean the article up, some more--  R o y B i v  (  talk   •  contribs  )  19:34, 27 May 2006 (UTC)

I've tried to clean this up a bit with regard to spelling, details, punctuation etc. I'm trying to stay NPOV on this because I really don't want to get into some kind of edit war.Hippo43 18:47, 13 June 2006 (UTC)

I changed "2 occasions" to "several occasions" as Findlay has also been widely reported to have made jokes about not celebrating his birthday on St Patrick's day, and made jokes which offended catholics when he appeared on the TV game show 'A game of two halves'. Personally, I don't feel his behaviour represents anti-catholicism, but clearly 'many' do, so I changed 'some' back to 'many'. Hippo43 15:06, 15 June 2006 (UTC)

You will need to give references for these incidents then. Only an idiot would be offended by him not celebrating his birthday as it falls on St. Patricks day, I think that suggestion that it is offensive does more disservice to Catholics. --  R o y B i v  (  talk   •  contribs  )  18:50, 15 June 2006 (UTC)

Changed to 'widely viewed as anti-catholic...' because of the widespread press furore about his comments [the same furore that is referred to re. him considering suicide]. The story of his jokes about St Patricks Day appear in the same Scotsman article cited elsewhere. Roy Biv, you appear to claim to speak for all catholics [and all idiots] - clearly some find his jokes offensive, whatever your opinion of their reaction. If his joke about St Patricks Day wasn't (even very mildly) anti-catholic, then what was it about?

The same Scotsman article quotes Findlay admitting to telling the same jokes for years ["I told gags at a Rangers supporters' club dinner. I and others have been telling the same gags for three years or more. "] - sounds to me like numerous instances of behaviour widely perceived as anti-catholic.Hippo43 15:38, 23 June 2006 (UTC)


 * I do not speak for either all catholics or all idiots. Do not insult me. The word "vulgar" is subjective unless we have the joke, don't add it back in. If you have other sources that back up your claim of anti-catholic behaviour on other occasions please reference it. --  R o y B i v  (  talk   •  contribs  )  20:20, 23 June 2006 (UTC)

Reverted this because the source cited clearly states 'a vulgar joke about a nun'. We can only go by the source provided - you can't pick and choose which parts of it you like. The term 'joke' is equally subjective if we don't know the remark in question. 'Several occasions' is back because there are at least three cited, and Findlay's own admission of telling these 'jokes' over a long period.193.130.15.240 15:28, 28 June 2006 (UTC)

I have taken out the word vulgar, the problem with word vulgar is that the source is a newspaper. Newspapers will use words like "vulgar" to shock the reader, without knowing what the joke is we have no way of judging Findlay as to how vulgar or not the joke was. --  R o y B i v  (  talk   •  contribs  )  18:31, 28 June 2006 (UTC)

You are right - newspapers do use words in that way [though the Scotsman is perhaps better than most]. I have changed the wording slightly so that, in the absence of a transcript, the reporting of his words is available but is not presented as fact.

I have also taken out 'reported to have' before Findlay's Pope joke as this isn't being contested [indeed the Herald reported that Findlay admitted this.]Hippo43 18:54, 28 June 2006 (UTC)

- On the subject of birthdays, Findlay jokingly "swapped" his birthday with a Celtic-supporting colleague whose birthday is the 12th of July (Orangemen's Day). On a more serious note, it should also be made clear that St Patrick's Day is not an exclusively Roman Catholic occasion.BBO (talk) 09:38, 17 March 2012 (UTC)

Tobin Trial
Updated Career section with result. Will see if an appeal is announced. Surreptitious Evil 15:48, 7 May 2007 (UTC)

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