Losing with Humour.

Over the past few weeks I’ve offended lots of people on YouTube. They were mostly men, mostly British or American, and mostly fundamentalist Christians or xenophobes. That’s OK; that’s natural; they’re fair game.

But now I’ve offended a French woman and a German woman, neither of whom – as far as I know – is either Christian or xenophobic. I’ve apologised to both because I don’t want to offend French or German people. I mean, one doesn’t mock the afflicted, does one?

That was a joke, and by an odd coincidence it was my sophisticated sense of humour that upset the French and German women.

I offended a woman from Liverpool once.

‘Like your hair, Les,’ I said.

‘Go on.’

‘Go on what?’

‘Tell me it’ll be nice when it’s finished.’

‘That isn’t what I mean. I mean I like your hair.’

‘You’re not insulting me?’

‘No.’

She walked away visibly nonplussed. The game of life is sometimes hard to win.