"Poofter" on Countdown

[Brian Whitworth]

George House Trust worker, Kate Richardson, has been the reigning champ on Channel 4's Countdown since Wednesday, but her journey to the top hasn't been without a touch of controversy.

Kate is an out lesbian who was civil partnered to her girlfriend Sara in 2006, and is thought to be the first out lesbian contestant to appear on the show. When host Jeff Stelling made reference to the shirt Kate was wearing as what she also wore for her Civil Partnership ceremony, the Countdown forum was awash with rumblings that it was possibly the first time that a same sex partner had been mentioned on the show.

But the real controversy came on Friday when Kate chose a mixture of consonants and vowels and ended up with "poofter"! Kate said that she had to think about it before playing the word - due to its derogatory meaning and not wanting to offend anyone. She declared before revealing the seven letter stunner: "This is a controversial word".

Susie Dent and guest John Sargeant who were in Dictionary Corner, came up with "woofter" and agreed that the "p" word was a derogatory term, before quickly moving on. Sadly, this banter about the winning words was edited out of the final broadcast.

Kate won the round and powered into Monday's edition of the show.

Kate commented that the Countdown hosts did mention George House Trust's HIV and AIDS work, but had her down as a jam maker, baker, and train traveller, which was just fine by her, as she thought that it was good that lesbian and gay life was seen as normal, rather than being sensationalised.

One of the highlights for Kate was scoring a rare 9 letter word with "theropods", and meeting the "new Carol Voderman", Rachel Riley who volunteers at HIV charity in the South.

http://www.lgf.org.uk/news/972/590/Poof ... Countdown/

[Michael Wallace]

O hai I didn't realise this was the spoilers section.

[Brian Whitworth]

its not a spoiler is it?

[Michael Wallace]

Your first, fifth and seventh paragraphs are the highlights for me.

I know that a lot of us catch up on the week's shows at the weekend, so things like that are fairly spoilerific (indeed - even though I'd commented on the spoilers thread for Friday, I didn't learn the outcome of the show).

edit: And just so it doesn't look like I'm simply trying to be a meanie. You could rephrase your post so that whatever discussion it is you want to take place can happen but without quite so much spoilering (I'm not entirely sure what that discussion is - are you interested in our views of the word poofter being discussed? on how poofters on countdown are treated?). I mean, I'm not sure people would be too bothered by you giving away that someone declared POOFTER on the show (it's not too unreasonable to presume that by now people might be vaguely up to date with the show, either, it's mostly giving away *yesterday's* result that seems a bit off).

[Brian Whitworth]

ok, get charlie to move it then

[Gavin Chipper]

You could rephrase your post so that whatever discussion it is you want to take place can happen but without quite so much spoilering (I'm not entirely sure what that discussion is - are you interested in our views of the word poofter being discussed? on how poofters on countdown are treated?).

This is just an article he quoted.

[Michael Wallace]

You could rephrase your post so that whatever discussion it is you want to take place can happen but without quite so much spoilering (I'm not entirely sure what that discussion is - are you interested in our views of the word poofter being discussed? on how poofters on countdown are treated?).

This is just an article he quoted.

O rite. I didn't realise it was delicious copy pasta. Still, all it needs is the word 'spoilers' in the topic subject.

[Jason Larsen]

Wow!

[David Roe]

If that's what the Lesbian and Gay Foundation reckon to be controversial, they must have led very sheltered lives.

[Jason Larsen]

Tell me they did edit it out from the show!

[Martin Gardner]

This reminds me of the US National Scrabble Championship, the final of which is televised. Roger "Trey" Wright played LEZ, a word he must play REALLY often because it's so convient to get some cheap points for the Z, and the tournament director ruled he had to take it back because it's offensive. He was quoted by the BBC as saying "words have no meaning when I play". Albeit yeah, if it's televised it's different. I dunno POOFTER was a word that was about when I was at primary school (pre 1992 then) and I don't hear it nearly as often now, possibly because I spend all my time with adults, I suppose. But still, I think it's "medium" in terms of offensiveness. I think there are more offensive words out there, and they've allowed "orgasm" and "vagina" to be broadcast before. Now I think of it, from the letters AEEODLMST in one of my games, I went for DESOLATE having seen MOLESTED earlier in the time, but I didn't really want to say that on national TV! Ken Bruce then said "you might be desolate if you were molested" which is coarse at the least. Also the Mike Wenble SUICIDOLE conundrum, which again if you know someone who's committed suicide, you're going to be a bit pissed off by that. Both of the above games should be on the Database.

[Kate Richardson]

the lgf are a good old lesbian and gay charity in manchester, worth supporting (like george house trust is worth supporting, the charity hiv charity i work for)

The guy who put this on the web-site delivers condoms to me at work on a regular basis (it's part of my work - how i wish i could of talked about tidying my condom cupboard - alas i didn't jam is so much more important). The article is probably factually accurate but televisually inaccurate before anyone gets too excited.

They're interested, I'm part of a (perhaps hidden) community don'tcha know

And i'm researching the history of the words poofter and queer, all will be revealed soon, give me a bit of time...in a former life before being an accountant i was a history student and my first degree's thesis was on lesbian history (in 1984 before queer studies even hit the agenda darlings) keep...........posting

[David Roe]

the lgf are a good old lesbian and gay charity in manchester, worth supporting (like george house trust is worth supporting, the charity hiv charity i work for)

The guy who put this on the web-site delivers condoms to me at work on a regular basis (it's part of my work - how i wish i could of talked about tidying my condom cupboard - alas i didn't jam is so much more important). The article is probably factually accurate but televisually inaccurate before anyone gets too excited.

They're interested, I'm part of a (perhaps hidden) community don'tcha know

And i'm researching the history of the words poofter and queer, all will be revealed soon, give me a bit of time...in a former life before being an accountant i was a history student and my first degree's thesis was on lesbian history (in 1984 before queer studies even hit the agenda darlings) keep...........posting

You had no chance of making any sort of issue about Lesbianism. Countdown isn't the sort of programme that has ever discussed anything remotely resembling the sexual habits, if any, of its contestants.

[Kate Richardson]

it's about being out love not about sex son

[Hannah O]

Well, it was a 7, and 7s are good... It depends whether words have meaning or not when you play, like Martin quoted.

[Junaid Mubeen]

it's about being out love not about sex son

What language is this?!

[Michael Wallace]

it's about being out love not about sex son

What language is this?!

I think it would benefit from some commas, but it just about makes sense to me (maybe because I'm a poofter).

[George Jenkins]

it's about being out love not about sex son

I keep late nights as well Kate, and I am learning a lot about life as it is in these columns.
Me and and my Wife are cheering for you, and I like chirpy gels whom smile easily and possess a sense of humour.

[Kate Richardson]

it's about being out love not about sex son

i'm quite a fan of pinter and loach read it out loud sweeties stop being so sodding literal

[Michael Wallace]

I reckon there are two situations where it's OK to be 'pedantic' about someone's English. One is when you know they'll appreciate your corrections, the other is when it is so bad it obfuscates their meaning.

Edit: Oh, and I just ran that sentence past my boyfriend, and he was confused until I put the commas in for him, so it's clearly not a poofter thing.

[Kate Richardson]

ok boys try to think of it as a haiku, does that make it any better, just read it in a measured way (that's how i wrote it) ok yeah, and calm yourselves is less than 9 bleeding words

[Martin Gardner]

Both of the above games should be on the Database.

More pendantry, but I think the above is an example of when a capital letter can change the meaning. If I say 'the database' that could be any database, but 'the Database' refers to a proper noun, therefore 'The Countdown Database', you'd have to see that in a pretty weird way to come up with another database that takes a capital letter.

[Jason Larsen]

In regard to words that rhyme with the one Martin mentioned, I was playing Countdown on Apterous once and I declared the word PEZ (as in pez dispenser.) It wasn't allowed.

Does anyone know why?

[Innis Carson]

It's a proper noun I'd guess. Brand names aren't (usually) allowed.

[Jason Larsen]

Oh! Pez candy!

Thank you, Innis!

[Kai Laddiman]

Can't we just end this with FORETOP?

[Phil Reynolds]

Can't we just end this with FORETOP?

Or, as David O'Donnell would probably say, "the Motown selection".

[Lesley Jeavons]

Countdown isn't the sort of programme that has ever discussed anything remotely resembling the sexual habits, if any, of its contestants.

Perhaps not, but it has done about it's presenters - Richard being 'Twice Nightly Whiteley'.
Which Kathryn claimed was about his toilet habits for a joke on occassion, but when it's followed by he's more "once yearly, nearly" now, we know what was being referred to.

@ Phil, David's numbers Motown selection is just the best! *not worthy*