A conributor raised this in a recent thread: Folk - how do you relate to it?

Look back to when common currency for comedians were racist and homophobic jolkes.

As humour based on these are now illegal, and unacceptable to all but a rump of racists / homophobes; they are now rare.

But humour trades on riducule is still alive and kicking. They simply change their targets to groups who are not protected by any law. Examples?

Trainspotters, anoraks (more general enthusiasts for an 'uncool' area of interest or study); Real Ale drinkers, Morris Dancers and of course FOLK singers.

Similarly trendy it seems, is having a go at budget supermakets like Lidl and Aldi (UK ref) "Where the poor people go" ie: anyone who is 'right on' would obviously pay higher prices at big name supermarkets - so as not to brush with poor people perhaps?

I buy nearly all of my food at Lidl or the Co-op. What would the trendy comedians make of a trainspotting Real Ale drinking folk singer who does this?

Ask him in the wine bar where he's drinking the ltest Bubblfizz punterlager and listening to the 'Sounds' music industry is telling him are the gretest yet.

Ian Fyvie

The reasons, we can debate