For all lovers of the wider concept of freedom of expression, this should make us warm to Mr Moyles, for a start. It is not the first time he has been singled out and criticised for amongst other things, being allegedly homophobic. In an article in The Guardian on 7th June 2006 he was roundly condemned by a contemporary, Tim Lusher. A cause of Mr Lusher’s angst appears to have arisen not so much by virtue Mr Moyles’ perceived homophobia but rather his use of the word gay to mean rubbish. Apparently, to the under-twenty-eights, this is the current meaning of the word gay. I can understand Mr Lusher’s irritation in this respect. I was more than a little miffed when the meaning of gay transmuted from “full of or disposed to joy and mirth; light-hearted, exuberantly cheerful, sportive, merry”. Mr Lusher’s Guardian article leads me to imagine him to be a rather po-faced, humourless, politically correct individual.
By all accounts, our Mr Moyles behaves occasionally in a coarse, insulting and rude manner to all and sundry during his radio programme and worst of all, he swears. This makes me like him even more. His target audience appear to think he is good and worth tuning into, insulted or no. The ratings certainly prove it. He is very popular. Some people have felt constrained to complain about him, but not that many. Curiously, the BBC has shown remarkably good sense and judgment by avoiding censuring Mr Moyles, but giving a general warning to all of its Radio 1 DJ’s concerning “watching their language”, as reported in The Times today.
There are numerous, vociferous minorities who are all too ready to tell us how to think and how we should behave, so as not to upset their sensitivities. They should be told to grow up and get a life, whoever they are.