A retired construction worker from Dublin has reportedly won an undisclosed, out-of-court payment from Carnival Cruises, having brought a civil action against the shipping company. John Wolfe (74) brought the civil action against the company because he was so offended by the jokes told by comedians on two of the company’s cruise ships.
According to reports on the Northern Blog, part of the Guardian site, Wolfe said the jokes told by comedians on cruise ships stereotyped the Irish. The Dubliner found them deeply offensive and they left him humiliated.
He brought a case again Carnival Plc, “under race relations legislation as well as the European Union's race directive - a ruling which sets out the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of racial or ethnic origin.”
Five years ago, Wolfe complained to P&O, the Carnival subsidiary, after he and his wife, Joan, saw a comedian’s show on the cruise ship Oriana. They brought a claim against Carnival Plc.
The company told the Wolfes that these stereotypical jokes had been banned on their cruise ships and gave the couple $1,578 (£1,000) in vouchers to spend.
The couple was “surprised and upset” to hear similar jokes during their next cruise with P&O in 2008, when they travelled to the Caribbean on board the Artemis.
Read more: Australian bricklayer employment ad says “No Irish” need apply
Wolfe’s case was heard at the Manchester Civil Justice center where he represented himself. The case was reportedly settled out of court, although P&O declined to comment on the settlement. The Guardian believe it was “a five-figure sum”.
The P&O spokesperson said, “We can confirm that this case has been resolved amicably out of court to the satisfaction of both parties.”
They also reported that Wolfe’s “claim that he had been a victim of racial discrimination was struck out by the court.”
District Judge Anthony Harrison said the case centered around the question of whether Carnival was “vicariously liable" for the jokes told by the comedians who they hired. Carnival argued that the entertainers were employed by a subcontractor.
Carnival also claim that as the incidents took place outside the United Kingdom waters, they do not fall under these laws. They believe that the initial vouchers they gave to Wolfe should have precluded from him complaining further.
Currently P&O are also in the press in relation to a sexual harassment case in Australia. USA Today reports that a passenger of the Pacific Jewel cruise ship has filed for sexual harassment. This case also revolves around on board, on stage entertainment.
Kate Strahan says that a member of the crew judging the passenger singing contest told her he could see her underwear through her dress, made comments about her dress, and told her she could “cougar” him anytime. These comments were made in front of 1,200 other passengers.
P&O are reportedly using the same argument in this case, that because the incident took place outside Australian waters the laws do not apply.
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.seanomelb | Aug 26, 2012, 09:06 PM EDT
Hear!Hear! Seanmor well said.
Seanmor | Aug 26, 2012, 01:58 AM EDT
A few of my New York cousins whose parents were Irish natives delight in hearing jokes or anything else that protray the Irish in very negative fashion. These ignorant relatives firmly believe that everyone born and raisd in Ireland has a very limited intellectial capicity. God bless Mr. Wolf for doing the right thing.
seanomelb | Aug 26, 2012, 12:11 AM EDT
Only Popeye is stuffing Olive!! a joke is a joke,but at times comedy is used as a propaganda tool and if you wish to demean yourself fair enough.
merefalow | Aug 25, 2012, 05:21 AM EDT
i hate this sue every one pc mentality crap,i,m Irish,i tell Irish jokes of which we are normally the butt of,when we lose the ability to laugh at ourselves and our irishness,and make other people laugh then i realy think something is wrong,and anyone who believes the irish are stupid because we tell disparaging jokes about ourselves,now they are realy stupid,it takes a lot of intellect to be a comedian,keep laughing people and dont waste time on triviality,theres not enough time in this world to waste it stuffing olives,unless you are popeye that is.
curtisjohnson | Aug 23, 2012, 06:46 PM EDT
WoundedKnee, what you say may be true but its largely due to the influence of the anglosphere. Additionally, many of the immigrants to britain are from areas that have been long victimized by british nation mugging.
curtisjohnson | Aug 23, 2012, 06:43 PM EDT
There are not many diaspora communities in the World more successful than Irish Americans (or Irish in general based upon the fact that they rose to the highest levels of European society in the original diaspora following the nine years war) and the "drinking habits" of the Irish pale in comparison to the british antics abroad (as referenced in Spain). If the british terror state had been the one to perpetrate the atrocities on the Jews instead of their German cousins, you would see plenty of Jewish jokes in print.
seanomelb | Aug 23, 2012, 06:20 PM EDT
To say The Irish are tearing themselves apart is part of the ideology which nurtures Irish jokes and just as damaging.
Commonsence | Aug 23, 2012, 04:59 PM EDT
It's very clear.....that the Irish are the subject of jokes regarding drinking habits and level of intellect is based on encounters with a majority of the the people commenting here. Tisirish is right on...many Irish-Americans are the models for these jokes and jabs. Many of the Irish shops promote the stereotype with the junk they sell, signs and stickers and the like depicting their own kin as degenerates. I applaud the Jews for defending themselves from most of these issues, try and find any of the anti-jewish stuff in print! The Irish for the most part are too busy tearing each other apart and Ireland down to notice that a lot of honest, hardworking Irish guys and gals have done quite well for themselves and helped a lot of others along the way!!!!!!
mlfoley | Aug 23, 2012, 11:12 AM EDT
Did he spend his winnings on Guinness and corned beef like a proper Irishman?
kaydog1 | Aug 23, 2012, 09:59 AM EDT
"I came to laugh, but the funny man made me SAD!...I deserve money!" Seems like this guy is pretty much just a serial complainer - in Canada at the Human Rights Commission kangeroo courts, they've turned it into a veritable industry for extracting money from businesses - this man needs to emigrate to REALLY get the big bucks. Here in the USA we don't TELL any more offensive racist jokes - instead, we elected one President! Thank you, I'll be here all week! Be sure to try the veal!
pilib04 | Aug 23, 2012, 09:26 AM EDT
Give bunny a chance. She can't even spell Slainte.
seanomelb | Aug 23, 2012, 03:37 AM EDT
On a trip in Spain some years ago the hotel owners were exacerbated by the wanton destruction by English football teams on their end of season binges.
WoundedKnee | Aug 23, 2012, 03:33 AM EDT
Curtisjohnson: "Luckily their own leaders are breeding them out of existence in their own country with the cheap labor/mass immigration policy." All fine and good, but the Irish rulers are doing exactly the same thing.
curtisjohnson | Aug 22, 2012, 11:39 PM EDT
It's amazing how the british claim total apathy about the Irish but brit trolls obsessively comb the web for any opportunity to flaunt their racist degeneracy. The rest of their degenerate makeup is on display everywhere they travel - whether murdering sports fans or polluting holiday spots in Spain (not to mention routine nation mugging crusades to spread "democracy"). Irish jokes are explainable by the need to deride their victims as part of their criminal nature. Notice how they whine incessantly about any perceived slight against them, however. Luckily their own leaders are breeding them out of existence in their own country with the cheap labor/mass immigration policy.
seanomelb | Aug 22, 2012, 09:48 PM EDT
shuvonn don't give the bunny any oxygen she's an idiot.
TisEyerish | Aug 22, 2012, 08:59 PM EDT
I'm glad this man got some money out of them. I, for one, am sick and tired of the Irish drinking jokes. It's one thing to laugh at one's self; it's something else altogether to continue to present an entire nation as a bunch of drunks. I know some Irish-Americans who have just that opinion of the Irish and I find that pitiful. They know nothing of the history of this country, nor have they ever visited...yet they participate in this negative line of thinking.
cillowen | Aug 22, 2012, 07:51 PM EDT
The measure should be - would they push their bile on a Jew \full stop\ squirmy posting noodnicks.
SingleDonald | Aug 22, 2012, 12:29 PM EDT
I can understand this Irishman's bitterness. While in high school, Italian jokes went around, which didn't please me either. We all know about such negative elements as the Mafia, but there is no need to villify a whole nationality, over the doings of a small minority. I am generally against "political correctness", as followers of this board are aware. Yet, we should all be sensitive to the well being of other ethnic groups, whichever they may be.
Sparklet | Aug 22, 2012, 11:46 AM EDT
Every nation gets stereotyped.
Ms.Gail | Aug 22, 2012, 11:42 AM EDT
If these incidents are agains the law where the ship docks and they take place in international waters, let the courts find them undesirable to dock and they can try selling tickest on cruises that depart and return to uninhabited islands.
shuvonn | Aug 22, 2012, 11:35 AM EDT
you are a bigoted racist bogsidebunny..... you are the one who needs to get a life....
fiddlinvet | Aug 22, 2012, 11:25 AM EDT
Jaysus, what a bollix
JimmieM | Aug 22, 2012, 10:42 AM EDT
And I would have settled for a free pint
TayandCake | Aug 22, 2012, 10:34 AM EDT
well bogsidebunny, everyones at it now, PC UP UP AND AWAY.
bogsidebunny | Aug 22, 2012, 08:30 AM EDT
Come on the Mick is a money hungry chancer. he saw the €-signs, the gears in his thick head started to turn and BANG, the Political Correct button was pushed. That's an app on his mobile which connects him directly to his Ballsbidge based Solicitor, who happens to specialize in "defamination of the Irish by employees of rich enterprizes". The register when "cha-ching" before the first joke's punch-line left the comedian's lips. These people oughta get a life.