No joking at airport security

And joking is also dangerous in the foyer of the House of Commons. Today, Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff was asked about airport-security measures. He answered. Reporters laughed.

Now, bless their hearts,  some  earnest commentators are trying to parse what parts of Ignatieff's answer constituted a joke. Because if it was all a joke, then that means he's making light of airport security. And if he wasn't joking, perhaps he really was saying that his private parts are touched all day in his job. Which is rude.And probably some form of sexual harassment, though a weird form in which the employees are harassing the boss. Come to think of it, that sounds a lot like the Liberal caucus.

Some days, this job makes me dizzy. Here's the full exchange in the foyer. Cue the humour analysts and their forensic joke-finding skills. 

Question:  Have you been through one of the airport scanners, those body scanners? Have you received one of the pat-downs that have become so controversial?

 

Michael Ignatieff:                If you’re in my business, you live in an airport.  And so I have people touching my private parts all day long.  And I just – all I have to say is if that’s what we have to do to keep us safe – no, the serious point I make is that we’ve got some very hardworking people.  I’m sorry, that really did it to you, didn’t it?  You know I didn’t like it much either but it just came out there.  I’ve long ceased – I’m serious.  I’ve long ceased worrying about these issues.  We have to keep this country safe and the people I feel strongly in support of are the hardworking security scanners. It’s not a great job.  It’s tough. You’re wearing rubber gloves all day long. You don’t want to be doing it. You’re trying to keep the country safe. I’ve got a lot of sympathy for them.  I’ve been through the full ones where you raise your hands.  I don’t know what they can see.  I don’t think it’s a pretty sight.  I don’t want to know. 

Comments

[William J. Godfrey]

Thank You! I have been somewhat shocked by some in the media. Do you know why many in the Press delight in attacking him?

[DW18]

I think it is pretty easy to parse when he is being serious in this remark. He says, "I'm serious". Everything before that was a joke and everything after, including how he doesn't worry about these issues, is not a joke but rather his earnest opinion. If people are picking on him for his joke, they are indeed being unfair. Those who are worried that a so-called liberal thinks that giving up his personal security is not something to worry about have a perfectly valid point.

[Anne Peterson]

A sense of humour is not allowed around here. We only allow nasty smeary insults in Canada.

[Debbie]

Oh the irony of the press galleries reaction,at least the Star's, to leaders statements when they are joking.

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/714708--if-the-news-is-canadian-harper-s-not-watching

The question is Susan what would your reaction be if Harper had made the same comments that Ignatieff did? Would you still consider it joking? Persoanlly Mr Ignatieff is a hard man to read and I see no sparkle of humour in his eyes when he is says he is joking.

[Justice for All]

You criticize him for being an elitist academic and when he acts just like the rest of us down to earth Canadians you criticize him. We're tired of the negative spin from the media and the Harper Conservatives. Give the guy a break his intelligence, common sense and integrity would save Canada from the embarrassing global position it is now, thanks to the Harper gang.