Is it acceptable for big TV personalities to be making jokes about hair loss?
Football broadcaster Gary Lineker has told fans the BBC received a complaint about a bald joke he made on Match Of The Day. Lineker opened the episode with a dig aimed at fellow pundits and former footballers Alan Shearer and Danny Murphy.
“It’s a strong start to the premier league season. Real hair-raising stuff at times unless you’re Alan Shearer and Danny Murphy,” he said. Both Shearer and Murphy, who are both bald, did not seem to take offence by the joke, and the show continued as normal.
Lineker had this to say about it on Twitter: "The BBC has received a complaint about bald jokes on @BBCMOTD (genuinely). Very unfair I feel to call @alanshearer @IanWright0 & Danny Murphy jokes."
The 58-year-old former England international has also made jokes about hair loss on other occasions in the past. Recently, on the late-night show, replying to a photograph of himself next to Shearer, Lineker said: “Jeez, my bald spot is nearly as large as yours.”
“I can take a joke, but the whole bald thing is getting really tiring now. Us bald people seem to be the butt of all jokes” tweeted one person. “I just wonder how Gary would feel if he was unfortunate enough to lose his hair.” Another agreed: “I understand you can make a joke about pretty much anything, but there aren’t many parts of a person’s body that people would openly ridicule, particularly something you haven't chosen.”
Over half of men will suffer from some form or stage of hair loss by the age of 45, and according to research, it’s the most common concern among men when it comes to their appearance. The hair loss treatment sector is worth an estimated £2.5 billion.
Do you think Gary Lineker's joke went too far, or was it just an innocent bit of fun? Let us know in the comments below...
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