The Court Jester doesn't want to associate himself with sectarianism at street level but he's happy enough to associate with the Royal family despite sectarian laws against Catholics ascending to the throne.

At least the Old Firm sectraianism isn't legalised and fawned over. I'm not defending Old Firm sectarianism BTW, it's just that Billy is something of a hypocrite in this department.

If he wanted to do something good then he should have denounced his royal patrons and campaigned for reform of the Act of Settlement which contributes to Scotland's not-so-secret shame. Of course it's much easier to look down ones nose at one's own people.

Doesn't Billy Connolly live in the USA these days ?
I'm going to boycott this year's superbowl in protest at US occupation of Iraq. Would have I have gone ? No, but it's the tohought that counts.

Tangental link of the day celtic/rangers secatrianism and the act of settlement in one easy jump

Was thinking that myself FD. I doubt Billy was ever going to become King anyway, entertaining though that may have been.

Well, by saying what he says now, he's just added fuel to the fire.

Barney:

Classic piece of whataboutery. Nothing wrong with that per se, but it's also an example, not so much of thread drift, as of thread leap - from sectarianism to the British constitution.

Now there may well be a connection. But it makes for more interesting reading if you are prepared to argue through the nature of that connection rather than just assert it.

Mick

Mick,

The Act of Settlement is sectarian as it bans catholics from taking the throne and Billy Connolly's a well known royal sycophant. That's why I think his boycott stunt is a joke. If the man is serious about taking a stand on sectarianism then he should do it at the top of the social order, where the problem starts and where he spends so much of his time, instead of grabbing a bit of cheap publicity at the expense of society's lowest strata; football fans.

You say that's whataboutery but I disagree. If he expects to be taken seriously on the subject then he'll have to be a bit more consistent. Billy lost touch with his roots a long time ago.

It's no big deal for him to slag off old firm fans but it's too much of a stretch to have a word with the people whose ...... I noticed that he produced no evidence for his sectarian observations, hard to believe he could hear the terrace unwashed in his double glazed executive box.

Anyway, just on principle, people who link their name to causes deserve to have their record scrutinised. The only reason you linked this story in the first place is that Billy's a celebrity, so the article is as much about him as anything else.

Barney,

"Feel free to add man tackling to whataboutery".

I will. And that's a yellow card!

My first yellow. I've arrived.

Barney,

Congratulations. Just try not to follow it up with red. Posting without using obsenities to make your point would help!

Billy's gas all the same. One of my favourite comedians.

The Act of Settlement is sectarian as it bans catholics from taking the throne

Sectarian it is indeed, but not quite in the way you think. The Act is an unconscionable restriction on the religious liberty of a handful of German-descended protestants. If you are a Roman Catholic, it has no effect on you whatsoever, unless of course you are a descendant of the Electress Sophie of Hanover who would otherwise have better claim to the throne than the present incumbent.

The Act might have made political sense back in the day. Long past sell-by in our times, though, and were I British I suppose I'd be a bit embarrassed by it. Still, I can't see that it's the most pressing problem afflicting the British polity, even if it would be a nice gesture to dump the thing if, say, young Charles expressed a desire to 'pope'. Bit of a stretch, though, to see the Act as the source of Old Firm bigotry; or, for that matter, to drag Connolly over the coals for hanging around with the family whose freedom is limited by it. Heaven knows there is enough to despise Connolly for; no need to reach for the Act of Settlement as a cudgel.

Lest Mick be tempted to reach into his pocket at my Connolly-bashing, BTW, let me make clear that this is solely an aesthetic judgement and thus a perfectly legitimate case of playing Connolly's particular ball. Doubtless he is, in private life, a sweet, generous and noble soul.

"If he wanted to do something good then he should have denounced his royal patrons and campaigned for reform of the Act of Settlement which contributes to Scotland's not-so-secret shame."

PMSL, funniest thing I've read on slugger, do you honestly believe this barney?

Care to expand on how the act of settlement contributes to scotlands not-so-secret shame?

Im sure the queen is the first thing on a bam's mind when they stab someone.

As Mrs Tilton states it's past it's sell by date and a bit of an embarresment but not much more. A bit like the law that states an Englishmen can kill any Scotsmen he meets in York after dark. (or something to that affect).

Feel free to carry on MOPE-ing though.

Dear Mrs Tilton,

Thank you for bringing a civilised tone to the coarse discourse that posses for debate in this place. I could learn a lot from you.
The truth is, I was not having a go at the Act itself, I was having a pop at Connolly's sychopancy, inconsistency and hypocricy. No doubt he may well have some positive traits in private, as you suggest.

IMO, it is unlikely that the Royal family are particularly discomoded by the Act. And of course, it could be argued that it is a blessing for catholics as it can only help to save their gene pool from infection. Just look at how Diana's second born turned out, the dilution of Spencer material is unmistakeable. The problem with the act is the message it sends out. Why should catholics be singled out for this rather odd 'blessing'?

joky

"A bit like the law that states an Englishmen can kill any Scotsmen he meets in York after dark. (or something to that affect)."

Feel free to compare urban myths with instututionalised state sectarianism. No doubt it's par for the course with all bams.

If he had stated that he was boycotting Old Firm clashes because the quality of the football was crap then few people could have complained.
It just means that a few more of our feathered and furry friends will meet a premature end while he passes the odd weekend on some estate or other.

He's about as credible as a Sean Connery SNP ad.

I love this surreal notion that monarchy should adopt an equal opportunities policy. Not to mention the soi-disant republicans who bemoan the fact that they can never be queen.

"Billy's gas all the same. One of my favourite comedians."
He's alright Maca, but if he was one tenth as funny as he THINKS he is, he'd be hilarious.

everyone forgets its only a game of footie, i find footie fans scary in their passion for who wins kicking a ball around, esp added to thier apparent disinterest in the rest of society, altho as a chelsea fan seeing stamford bridge full of corporate hospitality is just as bad, idiot fans vs the prawn sandwich brigade. It would be nice to see celtic and rangers club flags flying at these games not tricolours and union flags, I think thats the sadest thing. 50,000 idiots largered up shouting abuse and killing each (literary) and been proud of it. Nope thats the sadest bit. The fact its a topic of debate here fairly sad too. A collective banging together of heads would cure the lot of them, or of course a scottish international were they're all suddenly just scottish for the day. Speaking of scottish internationals how many actually play for either club these days.

Och Barney -- Slugger comments as 'coarse discourse'? Everything is relative; I suppose. For years I lurked on soc.culture.irish; the worst instant red card, ten seasons' suspension and hard labour at HM Pleasure commenters here would have been hounded down as the contemptible voice of reason on sci.

You're right, it's unlikely the Act of Succession causes the Windsor family much heartbreak. Thing is, though, it could. And, if it did, this very academic debate would suddenly take on real human meaning. You and I might think: it's ludicrous to make eligibility to serve as essentially ceremonial head of state hinge on (i) being descended from a specific German princess from several centuries ago and (ii) refraining from snapping at mackerels. And yes, it is pretty ludicrous. But we can, on a theoretical level, get over our objections to (i). It's hardly rational, but not intrinsically evil. One could as easily decree that the ability to serve as well-remunerated but symbolic and powerless HoS hinges on being seven feet tall, left-handed and named Nigel. It's (ii) that is the problem. Most likely your average sinistral gigantic Nigel, no less than your average Mountbatten-Windsor, is unlikely to wish to enter into full communion with the See of Peter. Unlikely as that might be, though, it is not a good thing to limit their freedom to do so. I am not Roman Catholic and all else being equal (and not that it's really my business) would not be pleased to see the British royal house turn catholic. But more important than my own prejudices is that I hate the notion of a religious test, even as applied to the Windsors (or the Nigels).

But in the grand scheme of things the Act is a small issue and one unlikely to survive the first Windsor who seriously wishes to become a catholic. (It would be a much bigger issue for the Church of England, I think, but -- though again as a dissenter it is not my affair -- disestablishment could well be the best thing to happen to that denomination.) Far more important is the ugly and undeniable fact that Billy Connolly, who began as a supremely talented and funny man, has evolved into a Caledonian Robin Williams.

Oh, and by the bye, Barney, I do not mean to hack at you, really I don't, but this is feckin priceless:

the dilution of Spencer material is unmistakeable

'Beggin yer pardon sor [tugs forelock], but God be wit de days of your stolid Saxon ancestors, back before them Germans got into the germ-line.'

Lookit, if we find ourselves in the unhappy position of needing to assess the performance of somebody, whether sound old Althorp or that regretable Greco-Germano-Anglo-American boy, surely it should be on the basis of individual merit and not of the ancestors one is willy-nilly saddled with?

Ok so a Catholic can't be a king/queen, well with them being the head of the curch of england is that not the came as a protestant wanting to become the pope?!!? Think before you start stupid arguments.

I rather like the idea of the papacy being run along assertively Free Presbyterian lines, we could really bring this, like, Christian silliness to a head once and for all and cut out all of the 'more-tay-vicar' fey crapness and show the muslims that the bible-suckin' dowgz is ivvry bit as fcuked up and foolish as the koran nibblin' homiez.

Bring it awn, sheethidds.