Beached Whale
By Kate Smurthwaite | 6 May 2008, 13:10

Talksport DJ James Whale has been sacked from his job for telling his listeners to vote for Boris Johnson. Apparently this constitutes a breach of the impartiality laws, who knew!?
Now I had the joy of working with Mr Whale a couple of years ago on a rather low budget panel show called Where In The World? which is still occasionally shown on SkyTV’s Overseas Property channel. Two things I remember:
1) He asked a male comic who had been a panelist to come and be a guest on his radio show. He also invited me to do so - but only if I sat in the studio naked. I declined the offer.
2) During a break in filming someone brought out a tray of pastries and I grabbed donut and promptly spilled half the jam on the floor. When everyone realised what I’d done, I looked round and jokingly said to the other guests “sorry, does anyone have a tampon?” whereupon Whale launched in to a dramatic and extended rant about why-o-why do female comics always have to go on-and-on about their periods. This was the only remark I had made all day on the subject and - if he’s bothered to come see it he’d know - my normal stage routine doesn’t mention periods, period(!). And so what if it did - there are enough male acts out there talking about their dicks, about masturbating and defecating and urinating and all kinds of bodily functions - including for instance the rather poor masturbation joke that TalkSport use as an advertising slogan on the London taxis they sponsor (pictured). And what’s so disgusting and unbearable about the totally natural process of menstruation? Unless of course you’re a big misogynist.
I just hope that this move turns out to be a genuine death knell for his career, that he’s not hired next week by an even bigger radio station.
Photo by James Cridland, shared under a creative commons license.
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Jorma said:
Ha ha. Karma is working its magic.
Posted on 06 May 2008 at 1:50 PM
SSS said:
I seem to remember Whale as the host of a late night show in the 80s. It couldn't happen to a more deserving person.
Posted on 06 May 2008 at 2:36 PM
Anne Onne said:
Heh, I have no idea who that guy is, but just your doughnut story is enough to make me really glad.
I always stare in disbelief when someone makes a reference to women comics consrtantly talking about their periods, and how it alienates all the men because it's GIRL STUFF and how it's really gross and everything. I mean, male comics can't stop talking about how their sex life sucks, or their visit to the proctologist, or various dick-related jokes. Nobody ever wonders if women feel alienated by all the dick-jokes, because of course women just ahve to accept that men exist, that their bodies exist, and that they get to talk about them. But if women talk about something not directly relevant to men, or from a male-centric perspective, then OMG! It's turning the world pink! If men have a right to joke about or talk about their bodily functions and have them considered normal, so do women.
So, yeah. I'm pleased.
Posted on 06 May 2008 at 7:00 PM
Cate said:
Wow, he sounds like a great guy. Such a shame he was sacked, the poor dear.
Karma, indeed. :)
Posted on 07 May 2008 at 9:42 AM