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Ricky Gervais Goes Off After Man Found Guilty For Teaching Dog To 'Nazi Salute'

Ricky Gervais Goes Off After Man Found Guilty For Teaching Dog To 'Nazi Salute'

A man has been convicted of teaching his girlfriend's pug Buddha to do a 'Nazi salute' when he said 'Gas the Jews' and 'Seil Heil'

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

Everyone seems to be complaining about this era being defined by people being offended by everything. Children's nursery rhymes have been changed and teachers avoid using red marking pens to ensure no one gets annoyed.

It seems as though that 'line you don't cross' has been shifting to the point where you can't say anything.

Well, it appears one bloke's 'joke' has crossed that line so much that he's being sent to prison - and that's angered one of the Kings of Insult Ricky Gervais.

The comedian is furious that Mark Meechan has been convicted in a Scottish court after he taught his girlfriend's dog to perform a Nazi salute to different phrases like 'Gas the Jews' and 'Seig Heil'.

The 28-year-old, who also goes by the moniker Count Dankula, staunchly denies he taught the dog to do the odd move for any other reason than to annoy his partner.

In court, prosecutors argued that the video was 'anti-Semitic and racist in nature' and Sheriff Derek O'Carroll called it 'grossly offensive'. He'll be sentenced in April.

Outside court, Count Dankula maintained his innocence, telling reporters: "There has been a huge miscarriage of justice.

"I think it's a very, very dark day in regards to freedom of speech and freedom of expression.

"The thing that was most worrying is that one of the primary things in any action that is to be considered is things like context and intent, and today context and intent were completely disregarded.

SWNS

"For any comedians in Britain, I would be very worried about making jokes in future because your context and intent behind them apparently don't matter anymore.

"It was a joke. A joke made to annoy my girlfriend and I stand by that."

That message is what's seemingly annoyed Ricky Gervais, who everyone knows doesn't shy away from the odd offensive joke. He copped a battering last year when reportedly making a dead baby joke at a gig in Belfast - causing an upset couple to walk out.

In the wake of the criticism, he wrote on Twitter: "Is there any subject you shouldn't joke about?' is no less ridiculous a question than 'Is there any subject you shouldn't talk about?'

SWNS

"Offence often occurs when people mistake the subject of a joke with the actual target. They're not always the same."

Meechan's conviction will set an interesting precedent for not just comedians but for people anywhere in the UK who make a joke that hurts just a bit too much.

It's worth noting that while those against political correctness cry that it's only recently that their jokes are now offensive, they've probably always been hurtful, it's just those at the butt of the joke are now standing up for themselves.

Food for thought.

Featured Image Credit: PA/SWNS

Topics: joke, Entertainment, Celebrity, News, Comedy, crime, UK, Scotland, Ricky Gervais, court