In these ‘PC‘ times, it seems some individuals are so intolerant, so lacking in humour, that hearing a joke or remark they don’t like, instead of ignoring it, they feel ‘victimised’ and must make a fuss about it.

Recently in San Francisco, Richard Ned Lebow, a 75-year old Professor at Kings College London, attended the A.G.M. of The International Studies Association – The I.S.A.

While Richard was standing at the back of a crowded lift, a man at the front, next to the buttons, called out “What floors do you people want?”
The Professor, jokily replied, “Ladies lingerie!”

He knew it was pretty lame, but several people chuckled and he gave it no more thought.

Four hours later, a woman he didn’t know, a Professor of Women’s And Gender Studies, lodged a formal complaint with the I.S.A., stating that she’d been in the lift and “as a survivor of sexual harassment in the academy I’m quite shaken by this incident”.

She claimed she’dasked what floors people wanted and that Professor Lebow’s reply of “Women’sLingerie” had been aimed directly at her.
Professor Lebow said he’d definitely hearda man’s voice and had replied, “LadiesLingerie”.

As his view was obscured by people standing in front of him, he couldn’t possibly have ‘aimed’ the joke at her.

Nevertheless, he sent her a polite e-mail explaining he hadn’t intended to make her feel uncomfortable – but the lady complained about that, too!
The I.S.A. declared his joke was ’offensive and inappropriate’, his e-mail ‘was an even more serious violation’ and he should make an ‘unequivocal apology’.

Unsurprisingly he’s refused to, stating that “If we allow people to dictate what we can or can’t say and to intimidate us with cries of ‘sexist’ and ‘misogynist’ we will lose our cherished freedom of speech”.

Next time I’m in a lift, my lips will be like the doors – closed!