# UK Dopers, and anyone else following the story - do you think Jimmy Saville "dun it"? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 2, 2012, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-and-anyone-else-following-the-story-do-you-think-jimmy-saville-dun-it/636444 "2012-10-02T01:04:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2012, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-and-anyone-else-following-the-story-do-you-think-jimmy-saville-dun-it/636444/81 "2012-10-07T17:25:48Z")
> [@Bakhesh](#): > > You always hear arguments like this every time there is a high profile paedophile case. There is simply no way you can ensure that no child is abused by a paedophile ever again, short of putting every child in a box, by themselves, until they hit the age of consent. There have always been paedophiles and there will continue to be paedophiles as long as the human race exists. It doesn’t matter what laws you put in place, because paedophiles break them. They might be prosecuted afterwards, but that is not the same thing as prevention. I’m guessing the current laws are a lot tighter than they were 40 odd years ago anyway. > > The reason why he got away with it for so long was because there was no proof. If you are intending on changing the laws so that proof is no longer required, and a rumour is all you need to start libelling people in the press, then you might as well print a paedophile list with the name of every teacher in the country on it. Some kids make this stuff up, and it ruins the lives of teachers who have done absolutely nothing wrong. Any corporation who started sacking members of staff based on unsubstantiated rumours will find themselves on the losing end of an employment tribunal pretty sharpish. I’m a male primary school teacher, I know the risks of a false accusation. I was not arguing that you can legislate away risk to children, but you could ensure that all accusations are documented and passed on to the relevant authorities (which is what happens currently in schools), and make failure to notify an offence. As to the rest of my post it was more towards calling bullshit on the claims that Savile was untouchable that a lot of the press is claiming. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2012, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-and-anyone-else-following-the-story-do-you-think-jimmy-saville-dun-it/636444/82 "2012-10-07T18:19:17Z")
> [@Bam\_Boo\_Gut](#): > > I think the nephews story will sink this ship, we’ll find many more people coming forward now. 100% disagree. All I see from that article is a bitter old man who now has a convenient excuse for his shitty life and journalism on a par with the World Weekly News. Let’s dream up the perfect tabloid scandal [ul] [li]Start with an allegation that a dead celebrity had sex with one or more underage girls[/li][li]Add in a second celebrity (who is also conveniently dead)[/li][li]Add a third celebrity who is an actual, convicted pedophile (never mind that he was into pre pubescents, the public won’t know or care about the difference)[/li][li]Add in a fourth celebrity who is only remembered for a single very famous headline (Freddie Starr ate my hamster)[/li][li]Let’s add in a catholic priest and a sprinkling of ten year old boys (why would a pervy old man who apparently likes teenaged girls be at all interested in grade school boys?)[/li][/ul] All we’re missing at this point is for big name (but also conveniently dead) politician/judge/bishop to be involved. I’m sure the Daily Mail can come with someone who is prepared to make those allegations in pretty short order Again, I am not saying that Jimmy Savile didn’t have sex with fourteen year old girls. What I am saying is that what we are seeing on TV and in the papers is 100% by the desire to make profit and not a search for truth. Incidentally, having sex with with girls with girls as young as 13 was hilarious in the 1970s was hilarious. [Cite](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_House). ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2012, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-and-anyone-else-following-the-story-do-you-think-jimmy-saville-dun-it/636444/83 "2012-10-08T11:22:24Z")
> [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](#): > > And [here](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2213621/Claire-McAlpine-A-15-year-old-killed-leaving-diary-naming-DJs-abusers-Disturbing-questions-John-Peel-So-starts-WERE-involved.html) is the story I was thinking of. And as I read that story, this one appeared in the sidebar: > **[Age appropriate? Disney star Bella Thorne, 15, defies her years in full red...](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2214306/Disney-star-Bella-Thorne-15-defies-years-red-leather-dress-studded-heels.html)** > > There she held court with a range of tween celebrities, including Roshon Fegan, Debby Ryan and Zendaya Screenshot: [![](https://dl.dropbox.com/u/2346328/jimmy.png) ](https://dl.dropbox.com/u/2346328/jimmy.png) ---
**Author:** ![Bakhesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Bakhesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bakhesh)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2012, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-and-anyone-else-following-the-story-do-you-think-jimmy-saville-dun-it/636444/84 "2012-10-08T11:44:33Z")
> [@amanset](#): > > And as I read that story, this one appeared in the sidebar: > > [Disney star Bella Thorne, 15, defies her years in full red leather dress and studded heels | Daily Mail Online](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2214306/Disney-star-Bella-Thorne-15-defies-years-red-leather-dress-studded-heels.html) > > Screenshot: > [https://dl.dropbox.com/u/2346328/jimmy.png](https://dl.dropbox.com/u/2346328/jimmy.png) That’s hilarious. Almost as good as the Daily Star/Brass Eye Paedophile special one from years ago… ([http://screenagers.me/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/chestswell.jpg](http://screenagers.me/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/chestswell.jpg)) ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2012, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-and-anyone-else-following-the-story-do-you-think-jimmy-saville-dun-it/636444/85 "2012-10-08T12:12:11Z")
> [@Bakhesh](#): > > That’s hilarious. Almost as good as the Daily Star/Brass Eye Paedophile special one from years ago… > > ([http://screenagers.me/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/chestswell.jpg](http://screenagers.me/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/chestswell.jpg)) Yep, that one is an all-time classic. ---
**Author:** ![Simple\_Linctus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Simple\_Linctus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simple_Linctus)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2012, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-and-anyone-else-following-the-story-do-you-think-jimmy-saville-dun-it/636444/86 "2012-10-08T23:22:48Z")
> [@Simple\_Linctus](#): > > I am not convinced that Freddie Starr did anything though, doesn’t seem like him. [Looks like I was wrong](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2214785/Freddie-Starr-forced-admit-mistaken-TV-footage-unearthed-1974.html) > [@Simple\_Linctus](#): > > Anyway I may be crucified for saying this, but it’s beginning to look to me as though in the 70s it was if not quite socially acceptable to mollest young girls, at least something that people weren’t that bothered about, somewhat less serious than say littering. I don’t see any other explanation for the way everyone has reacted. Looking more and more lime I was right ---
**Author:** ![Cinnamon\_Imp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@Cinnamon\_Imp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinnamon_Imp)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-and-anyone-else-following-the-story-do-you-think-jimmy-saville-dun-it/636444/87 "2012-10-09T08:53:31Z")
> [@Dublin11](#): > > Really? Christ alive. > If there is a spate of old celebrity codgers off the telly topping themselves in coming months, I won’t be one bit surprised. Is it just me, or has there always been something sleazy about Bruce Forsyth? NB - I am NOT insinuating he’s a paedophile, but if his basement turns out to be full of buried blondes, I wouldn’t be surprised. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-and-anyone-else-following-the-story-do-you-think-jimmy-saville-dun-it/636444/88 "2012-10-09T12:07:31Z")
> [@Cinnamon\_Imp](#): > > Is it just me, or has there always been something sleazy about Bruce Forsyth? > > NB - I am NOT insinuating he’s a paedophile, but if his basement turns out to be full of buried blondes, I wouldn’t be surprised. One suspects he knows where “the bodies are buried” if not literally, seeing that is the only plausible explanation for him still being on TV. His jokes are like an oil tanker. Functional, ugly and cumbersome. plus you can see them coming from miles away, you can’t change their course, you know it is going to seem like forever until they arrive and it’ll be bad news when they eventually do. Tortured analogy over. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-and-anyone-else-following-the-story-do-you-think-jimmy-saville-dun-it/636444/89 "2012-10-09T12:15:35Z")
> [@Szlater](#): > > We don’t know what information the journalists shared with them, or how they were talked to/prepped before the cameras started rolling. We don’t know all of the background, true, but I think it’s a bit lazy to assume that journalists misrepresent or pollute the facts by default, just because they’re journalists. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-and-anyone-else-following-the-story-do-you-think-jimmy-saville-dun-it/636444/90 "2012-10-09T12:26:32Z")
> [@Simple\_Linctus](#): > > Anyway I may be crucified for saying this, but it’s beginning to look to me as though in the 70s it was if not quite socially acceptable to mollest young girls, at least something that people weren’t that bothered about, somewhat less serious than say littering. I don’t see any other explanation for the way everyone has reacted. It _sort of_ _was_ accept_ **ed** _, if not accept_ **able** _ - that might seem like a pointless distinction, but what I mean is: it’s not, and has never been, socially acceptable to throw a TV out of a hotel window, but if you’re Keith Richards, nobody is very surprised when it happens, and you seem to just get away with it, because you’re Keith Richards. Drugs, violence, obnoxious rudeness, selfishness, general lawlessness and yes, relaxed sexual boundaries are all things for which ‘showbiz’ people seem to have been granted a greater allowance. Maybe not so much nowadays, but in the 70s, definitely. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-and-anyone-else-following-the-story-do-you-think-jimmy-saville-dun-it/636444/91 "2012-10-09T12:30:00Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > We don’t know all of the background, true, but I think it’s a bit lazy to assume that journalists misrepresent or pollute the facts by default, just because they’re journalists. Why not? Politicians do it all the time. And journalists these days so often have an agenda of their own or their master’s. I mean, look at how Dopers go on and on about Fox News and Murdoch. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-and-anyone-else-following-the-story-do-you-think-jimmy-saville-dun-it/636444/92 "2012-10-09T12:42:52Z")
Looks like the BBC thinks there is something to the story. [http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/at-a-glance/main-section/bbc-chief-issues-an-apology-to-jimmy-savile-s-abuse-victims-1-5004580](http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/at-a-glance/main-section/bbc-chief-issues-an-apology-to-jimmy-savile-s-abuse-victims-1-5004580) ---
**Author:** ![Teacake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Teacake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teacake)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-and-anyone-else-following-the-story-do-you-think-jimmy-saville-dun-it/636444/93 "2012-10-09T21:10:59Z")
It’s just been on the news that Scotland Yard say he was definitely “a predatory sex offender”. [Here](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19887653) you go. Can’t say I’m surprised. ---
**Author:** ![Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8c91f0/32.png) [@Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bam_Boo_Gut)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-and-anyone-else-following-the-story-do-you-think-jimmy-saville-dun-it/636444/94 "2012-10-09T22:25:43Z")
> [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](#): > > What I am saying is that what we are seeing on TV and in the papers is 100% by the desire to make profit and not a search for truth. Who’s profiting? ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-and-anyone-else-following-the-story-do-you-think-jimmy-saville-dun-it/636444/95 "2012-10-09T22:30:21Z")
> [@Bam\_Boo\_Gut](#): > > Who’s profiting? The newspaper publishers selling newspapers and advertising space, the TV companies selling advertising time, both have a financial incentive to keep the story running and running, and releasing prurient details is a time honoured method of keeping people watching/reading. That’s not to say anything so far has been false, just answering your question. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-and-anyone-else-following-the-story-do-you-think-jimmy-saville-dun-it/636444/96 "2012-10-10T07:17:44Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Why not? Politicians do it all the time. So what? > [@](#): > > And journalists these days so often have an agenda of their own or their master’s. I mean, look at how Dopers go on and on about Fox News and Murdoch. Not all news is Fox news. I see no value in these hasty generalisations. ---
**Author:** ![Bakhesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Bakhesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bakhesh)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-and-anyone-else-following-the-story-do-you-think-jimmy-saville-dun-it/636444/97 "2012-10-10T08:21:05Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > So what? > > Not all news is Fox news. I see no value in these hasty generalisations. The Daily Mail pretty much is though. Their anti-BBC agenda and misrepresentation of the facts is pretty blatant ---
**Author:** ![Cinnamon\_Imp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@Cinnamon\_Imp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinnamon_Imp)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-and-anyone-else-following-the-story-do-you-think-jimmy-saville-dun-it/636444/98 "2012-10-10T08:23:24Z")
> [@Szlater](#): > > The newspaper publishers selling newspapers and advertising space, the TV companies selling advertising time, both have a financial incentive to keep the story running and running, and releasing prurient details is a time honoured method of keeping people watching/reading. The BBC don’t sell advertising time or newspapers, and they’re still running the story (their [latest](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-19893373)- his headstone has been removed from his grave). ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-and-anyone-else-following-the-story-do-you-think-jimmy-saville-dun-it/636444/99 "2012-10-10T09:45:36Z")
> [@Cinnamon\_Imp](#): > > The BBC don’t sell advertising time or newspapers, and they’re still running the story (their [latest](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-19893373)- his headstone has been removed from his grave). Not entirely true. The BBC website has ads if you browse to it from outside the UK. IN the grand scheme of things it probably isn’t relevant to this discussion, but I thought I’d say. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2012, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-and-anyone-else-following-the-story-do-you-think-jimmy-saville-dun-it/636444/100 "2012-10-10T11:58:08Z")
> [@Bakhesh](#): > > The Daily Mail pretty much is though. Their anti-BBC agenda and misrepresentation of the facts is pretty blatant Sure, however, as far as I know, I’ve not relied on the Daily Fail as a primary source in this (or indeed, any) discussion. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-and-anyone-else-following-the-story-do-you-think-jimmy-saville-dun-it/636444.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-dopers-and-anyone-else-following-the-story-do-you-think-jimmy-saville-dun-it/636444.md?page=6)