Comedian Martin ‘Beanz’ Warde has said he is “knackered” by “reactionary stuff around minor misunderstandings”.
His comments came after calls were made for Dublin born singer Dermot Kennedy to ‘apologise for the use of a racial slur’ after he tried to explain the use of the words ‘knackered’ and ‘knacker’ as part of Irish slang during a Canadian interview.
Warde, himself a traveller, said “I kept out of the whole Dermot Kennedy thing because I knew without question he meant no harm.”
He continued, “I was asked on to radio today to speak about it and I refused.”
https://twitter.com/martinbeanz/status/1671277190191759360
“This reactionary stuff around minor misunderstandings does zero to help bring society together,” he said adding, “It has me knackered.”
Senator Eileen Flynn on the other hand has demanded that Kennedy apologise even after saying that she believes the singer ‘meant no harm’ by his comments.
Readers will likely remember an incident from a few weeks ago where Flynn called a taxi driver a ‘racist’ and a ‘criminal’ after he allegedly refused to drive her onto a halting site at night.
Flynn said Kennedy is, “an ordinary working-class man who made something of himself and a good representative of the country,” but called his comments ‘foolish’.
Why would she demand an apology for something she says she feels was done with no ill intent, even going so far as to reportedly send an email and offer to engage Kennedy in a discussion on why the word is ‘harmful’?
It should be obvious enough that the word ‘knackered’ used to express a great feeling or tiredness does not in fact refer to travellers.
The etymology of the word basically refers to a horse being so worn down by hard labour that the poor beast is only fit for the knacker’s yard.
I don’t personally use the word ‘knackered’ myself but I’ve started to think that my use of the word ‘wrecked’ might draw the ire of some descendant of one of the poor souls lost on the Titanic.
The times are strange indeed.
UPDATE – Dermot Kennedy has since issued an apology on his instagram saying, “I was not referring to anyone specific, and I never mean to cause harm with the words I say, so I am sorry for any distress I’ve caused.”