back to article Facebook tells Viz to f**k right off

Facebook has "unpublished" the page pertaining to legendary Brit comic Viz, citing a breach of the social network's terms and community standards. Viz revealed the shock news on Twitter earlier today, prompting one fan to suggest: "Couldn't you disguise yourselves by posting child pornography or right wing nut job content?" …

  1. Dave 126

    A sad state of affairs. If only there was some sort of idiomatic reference book in which I could find a phrase that would concisely express my feelings on this matter.

    1. Lester Haines (Written by Reg staff) Gold badge

      Indeed. What would such a reference work be titled, I wonder?

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Fitbin and the art of Facebook management.

      2. Fraggle850

        > Indeed. What would such a reference work be titled, I wonder?

        Perhaps one written by an erudite television personality of renowned vocabulary? Something like a thesaurus?

        1. MyffyW Silver badge

          > Perhaps one written by an erudite television personality of renowned vocabulary?

          Mr Mellie is currently helping the police with their enquiries in relation to some historical allegations.

          1. Fraggle850

            What I wouldn't give...

            ...to be a fly on the wall in that interview room.

          2. John Smith 19 Gold badge

            "Mr Mellie is currently helping the police with their enquiries"

            He is denying any memory of meeting most of them. The rest "Looked much older than that" apparently.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      How about...

      The Facebook Files......

      aka The Definitive Reference for Politically Incorrect and Potentially Offensive Material

      And no breast-feeding moms here.... no siree bob. Just good clean, mindless postings about lolcat behavior and this morning's hangover. Apply antiseptic as needed....

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Office game

      With such a publication one can expand the knowledge of ones colleagues in a "learning at work" way. Simply email them a page, column and entry number, specifying an definition which they then have to read, comprehend and appreciate. They may express voluble surprise at what they have learned. They in turn can respond in a similar manner.

      Thus all can improve their understanding of this rich language.

    4. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      This is what its coming to...

      Asses like Zuckerbag and the whole miserable bunch of corporate foam whippers will dictate what's acceptable with some bullshit small print.

      Hail the new overlards.

      Their cleansing away of your free speech is just as distasteful as their plans to cleanse away Arabs, Muslims, Russians, Mexicans, Migrants (what a fantastic word to stigmatize someone who moved from somewhere to somewhere else) and of course the increasing amounts of newly poor Americans and Europeans who refuse to return to the peasant status of their forefathers.

  2. Chika
    Happy

    If only there was some sort of idiomatic reference book in which I could find a phrase...

    Bollocks.

  3. twilkins

    And therein lies the danger of Facebook, aka, just another walled garden.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      "And therein lies the danger of Facebook, aka, just another walled garden."

      Did anyone seriously believe otherwise? You can perhaps excuse naive teenagers for believing the whole hippie glorious new future without frontiers or rules schtick applied to the web & internet in general, but shame on any adult who was taken in. Companies website - companies rules. Simple.

      1. Chris Parsons
        Headmaster

        Would double-upvote for saying 'simple' instead of 'simples'!!!

    2. Geoffrey W

      If you want wall-less or, indeed, a lack of any restraint whatsoever, there's still lots of fun to be had with Usenet and IRC. Leave your inhibitions at the door.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        alt.barney.dinosaur.die.die.die?

        Sadly all but dead these days.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        "If you want wall-less or, indeed, a lack of any restraint whatsoever, there's still lots of fun to be had with Usenet and IRC. Leave your inhibitions at the door."

        Hmm. I wonder if Cody Ann is still about....

    3. TRT Silver badge

      The best thing about walled gardens...

      Is that it's easier to get your back up against, eh San?!

    4. Danny 14

      I guess Viz just didnt pay the 'ooptional advertising fee' that facebook asked for.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    A once brilliant comic....

    That is now a shadow of it's former self.

    Send in Biffa Bacon to deal with Cedric Zuckerberg.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: A once brilliant comic....

      If you really want it sorted, you'd want to send in Mutha.

      1. x 7

        Re: A once brilliant comic....

        I always preferred SMUT. Funnier, less words and more cartoons

        1. BillG
          Meh

          Re: A once brilliant comic....

          It's rare that I don't like something attempting to be comedic, I like to brag that I got my comedy chops from watching Monty Python. But when I look at Viz, I think he presently characterizes the phrase "That's not Funny, that's Stupid".

        2. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: A once brilliant comic....

          And "Brain Damage" or "ziggy" (Anne Diamond ended that one after a joke about miscarriages).

          Everard Edbutt made the Bacons look like "heemasexes".

          1. TRT Silver badge

            Re: A once brilliant comic....

            My favourite was The Pathetic Sharks.

        3. Chika

          Re: A once brilliant comic....

          SMUT, eh? Yes, I used to read that too. And Elephant Parts.

      2. Roq D. Kasba

        Re: A once brilliant comic....

        I agree that it can be somewhat uneven, but it was always hit and miss. Some of the older strips were very thin and contrived - swearing vicar, swearing postman, not really comically developed :)

        Many of the old favourites live on, and some of the slightly newer stuff like Drunken Bakers is splendid comic pathos. Profanisaurous has gone on too long, but still contains the occasional gem. Read some of the earlier comics (in the issue 30's ish range, maybe) and there wasn't really a golden age

        1. frank ly

          Re: A once brilliant comic....

          My favourite was 'Black Bag', which was a wonderful homage to 'Black Bob', from way back in the Hotspur or maybe Rover (my memory is hazy on that one).

          1. TheDataRecoverer

            Re: A once brilliant comic....

            once went to a Viz party as Faithful Border Bin-liner. Buster Gonad turned up, as did a bunch of others....ahhh, happy days!!

          2. Ali Um Bongo
            Headmaster

            Re: A once brilliant comic....

            *"...a wonderful homage to 'Black Bob', from way back in the Hotspur or maybe Rover (my memory is hazy on that one)..."*

            Black Bob was in The Dandy, when I was a nipper.

          3. Rol

            Re: A once brilliant comic....

            Ha, yes, Black Bag, the faithful border bin liner. I'm going all gooey eyed.

          4. matthehoople

            Re: A once brilliant comic....

            'Black Bob' was Dandy. My 12 year old son loves the old Beano's and Dandy's - realises that new ones are a rip off and crap so we often have fun searchign charity shops for piles of old comics. The great thing is that he will 'understand' viz strips like 'Black Bag' when I eventually introduce Viz to him. I have a huge pile in the loft, ready for his enjoyment!

            1. Fraggle850

              Re: A once brilliant comic....

              > I have a huge pile in the loft, ready for his enjoyment!

              Fnar, fnar

        2. Captain Queeg

          Re: A once brilliant comic....

          Hit and miss, yes very much so, but more or less very issue still contains some real quality.

          This month there's a "Things you will see in the Gym" double page spread. I defy anyone to read down that with a straight face.

          Likewise the day in the life of a fireman

          http://viz.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/012_viz156_fireman.jpg

          or Trainspotter Situations Vacant

          http://viz.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/train-spotter.jpg

          1. Fraggle850

            Re: A once brilliant comic....

            Didn't they once do a strip called something like 'DC Thompson, the miserable Scottish bastard' after being taken to court for ripping off dc Thompson characters from beano and dandy?

            Mr Logic was a favourite of mine, possibly because it struck a little too close to home! El Reg should have him as an icon for excessive pedantry.

            1. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              Re: A once brilliant comic....

              >Didn't they once do a strip called something like 'DC Thompson, the miserable Scottish bastard' after being taken to court for ripping off dc Thompson characters from beano and dandy?

              I think it was DC McThompson, from memory. Ironically, they're now doing data centres and cloud computing, so there's another IT angle. Dennis the Menace, thanks to his lack of interest in paying attention at school, now spends his time putting cardboard boxes and polystyrene into the skips out the back, and occasionally keying Walter's Merc.

          2. Ralph B

            Re: A once brilliant comic....

            Occasional gems such as this and the ever reliable Top Tips keep me subscribing.

            1. Roq D. Kasba

              Re: A once brilliant comic....

              I enjoyed Jack Black (?) And Silver cartoons - living in his 1950's Daily Mail world, solving minor 'crimes'. Beautifully drawn and astute writing with an edge. And another homage to old strips, like Black Bag

    2. Ali Um Bongo
      Thumb Up

      Re: A once brilliant comic....

      At the risk of sounding like a candidate for another magazine's "Pseuds' Corner", I've always thought that; as well as [on occasion still] being good crack, Viz as a whole is also a very good barometer of 'real' contemporary British society

      I only wish I could persuade the Arts Council to fund my learnēd thesis on the subject.

    3. Nuff Said

      Re: A once brilliant comic....

      Possibly I'm just not sophisticated enough to appreciate your irony, but you do realise "It's not as funny as it used to be" was a running joke in the comic itself for some time?

      1. Rol

        Re: A once brilliant comic....

        Whatever you do, don't buy a shed from the small ads.

        It has been ten years since I ordered one and all I get from customer services is "wibble, wibble"

  5. wolfetone Silver badge
    Big Brother

    We really are in 1984 aren't we?

    You can be an individual and do what you like, how you like. But it must be in a way we see fit and it must not offend a single person.

    Conformity from Facebook.

    1. Gene Cash Silver badge

      Not really. You're not forced to be on Faecesbook. Doesn't matter to me, as I block them at the router.

    2. TheProf

      Facebook? It's society in general

      I'd be quite interested in seeing some of the websites that radicalise people and turn them into religious zealots. From what the 'news' tell us they seem to be optical heroin; one look and you're hooked.

      I can't though, because if I look for these websites I'll be investigated to the full extent of the law (and beyond!) and end up in a foul-smelling prison cell.

      You're free to think what you like as long as it's been approved first.

      1. This post has been deleted by its author

      2. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

        Re: Facebook? It's society in general

        >seeing some of the websites that radicalise people

        For me it's any time I need to deal with a bank and have to do all that prove-your-identity / know-your-customer crap to prove that you aren't a terrorist

        1. RogerT

          Re: Facebook? It's society in general

          >For me it's any time I need to deal with a bank and have to do all that prove-your-identity / know-your-customer crap to prove that you aren't a terrorist

          I always enjoy the sport of getting organisations to prove their identity to me when they ring. Their agents always claim to have no access to the information I request. It's a great sport.

        2. Cynic_999

          Re: Facebook? It's society in general

          "

          For me it's any time I need to deal with a bank and have to do all that prove-your-identity / know-your-customer crap to prove that you aren't a terrorist

          "

          Banks could save a lot of time by simply providing the customer with a mirror. That way the customer can quickly check that it's really them and not a case of identity theft.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      "Conformity from Facebook."

      Newflash - Facebook isn't a public service. Its a company that wants to turn a profit and it can set any rules it likes when you use its services. More fool you if you thought otherwise.

      1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

        It's a company beholden to national regulators and is now going to have a hard time saying that it can't block hate speech / dodgy pharmaceuticals / piracy / etc

      2. Dave 126

        >Newflash - Facebook isn't a public service. Its a company that wants to turn a profit and it can set any rules it likes when you use its services. More fool you if you thought otherwise.

        Absolutely. But if Facebook's existence is a de facto barrier to an alternative service (one that that just does what its users want, for a couple of quid a year), is there not grounds for banning it? I mean, can't we just be naive and ask our elected representatives to do what they are supposed to i.e act in our interests?

        (Game theory: In some games, being the first to move gives a player an unassailable advantage. Take eBay as an example - once established, it will be the first choice of any self-interested buyer or seller)

    4. Steve Davies 3 Silver badge

      1984? Not quite

      But to make 'purer than though' people each and every copy of every edition of Viz should be given the Farenheit 451 treatment.

      Sad but the Puritans rule the roost in the Politically Correct USofA.

      1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

        Re: 1984? Not quite

        "Sad but the Puritans rule the roost in the Politically Correct USofA."

        Yeah, it does seem a little odd. Kids seem to be brought up on a regular diet of blood, gore and violence which, on TV, seems to be getting more and more extreme every year, but say "fuck" or flash a nipple and it's all righteous outrage.

        Now, I do admit I formed this opinion by watching US TV shows and Hollywood fillums so I could be mistaken.

        1. TRT Silver badge

          Re: 1984? Not quite

          But that article on the Tandy 102... and running into 80s guy on the tube this morning (douche-bag moustache, red plastic glasses, random straight-edged shapes in day-glo pattern on his baseball cap, woollen trousers flecked with coloured disco threads, bomber jacket, red Coke t-shirt, leather satchel - has anyone else seen him?)

          I'm coming over all wibbly-wobbly...

  6. Efros

    But... but

    Think of the children, maybe not that'll get you in deeper trouble.

  7. Nigel Brown

    These so-called "standards" of Zucks

    seem to depend very much on which side of the bed the particular censor monkey got out of.

    1. Fraggle850

      Re: These so-called "standards" of Zucks

      Perhaps Facebook employs Terry Fuckwit to run its censorship ops?

      1. Rol

        Re: These so-called "standards" of Zucks

        Or fnar fnar Finbarr. He who hears double entendres in everyday speech, yet can't understand the most obvious illusions to sex.

        It must be Finbarr Saunders who moderates the comical, yet sees nothing out of sorts with be-headings.

        I wonder if a dozen or so complainants could get religion banned in favour of a more kindly and agreeable world?

        'cos when someone professes a profound hatred of comedic foreplay, yet offers up no opinion to chainsaw murder videos, you know you're dealing with a nut warped by religious indoctrination.

  8. Tom 7

    I remember a time last century

    where a friend gave me a copy of the first edition of Viz (to read not as a present alas) and I sat and laughed for the ten minutes or so it took me to read so hard that I did a facebook in my underpants.

  9. Unep Eurobats
    Childcatcher

    We never know why these things happen

    Viz have been on Facebook for a while, I assume. They didn't suddenly change their style, did they? I don't suppose anyone will know what the final straw was. Perhaps it was just that people complained?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: We never know why these things happen

      ". Perhaps it was just that people complained?"

      If only that was effective against homeopaths and the chemtrail loons, it might be worth losing Viz for.

      Possibly having as it were gotten away with being a close to the knuckle up to now, they included something that got noticed as being a bit too strong.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: If only that was effective against homeopaths and the chemtrail loons

        Yeah, let's have some good censorship instead of this stupid "censoring things I don't have a problem with".

        I'd take the piss out of your last sentence too if it made sense!

        1. Kubla Cant

          Re: If only that was effective against homeopaths and the chemtrail loons

          I'd take the piss out of your last sentence too if it made sense!

          Makes sense to me. Have you been taking homeopathic brain medicine?

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re:Makes sense to me?

            Really? You think "Possibly having as it were gotten away with being a close to the knuckle up to now" is a good bit of sentence construction? You obviously have gotten away with being a close to the knuckle up to now.

            1. graeme leggett Silver badge

              Re: Re:Makes sense to me?

              I think other people inserted the aside mentally and overlooked the author's slip of the keyboard and parsed it as:

              "Possibly having - as it were - gotten away with being close to the knuckle up to now"

          2. allthecoolshortnamesweretaken

            Re: homeopathic brain medicine?

            Where I'm from, we call it beer.

    2. Mark 85

      Re: We never know why these things happen

      Perhaps it was just that people complained?

      Or just ran around waving their arms and screaming at the top of their lungs: "I'm offended!!!!!!!" From what I gather, FB is filled with the whiny, the PC, the SJW types.

  10. JimmyPage Silver badge
    Happy

    1993 (or thereaouts)

    I find myself leafing through my copy of Viz, on a bus. I got to "Jump Jet Fanny (and her magic minge)" and had to get off and walk for laughing.

    1. MyffyW Silver badge

      Re: 1993 (or thereaouts)

      Oh the laughs - but from memory I believe it was "Jump Jet Fanny and (her Hawker Siddeley Twat)"

      I'm so glad to have provided that clarification.

      1. JimmyPage Silver badge
        Pint

        Re: Hawker Siddeley Twat

        you are of course right, dear sir --->

        1. x 7

          Re: Hawker Siddeley Twat

          of course the engine was actually a Bristol-Siddeley Twat

          makes you wonder where the Bristols went

          1. Fruit and Nutcase Silver badge

            Re: Hawker Siddeley Twat

            Stop sniggering the back!

            Now, let's start this history lesson

            http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/10/24/geeks_guide_sopwith/?page=1

    2. Captain Captured

      Re: 1993 (or thereaouts)

      I believe the correct nomenclature for her is. Jump Jet Fanny and her Hawker-Siddeley Twat.

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    social network's terms and community standards...

    meanwhile, the pages I report for spamming my timeline remain up as they aren't in violation nor are the pages/posts that;

    1. {picture of sad or ill child} - don't scroll without typing Amen

    2. {picture of something} - type WOW to see what happens...

    3. Something random, incorrect fact about migration/homeless soldiers...

    4. Something about not sharing and dying if not sharing a spammy post.

    *sigh*

    1. werdsmith Silver badge

      Re: social network's terms and community standards...

      You know what to do.

      It's not complicated.

      1. KeithR

        Re: social network's terms and community standards...

        "You know what to do.

        It's not complicated."

        Sadly, it seems to be EXACTLY that for some people.

        Gaaahhh... I fecking HATE Facebook and - as far as I can tell - everything it stands for and does.

    2. breakfast Silver badge

      Re: social network's terms and community standards...

      That one person who posts so many pictures of disaster, abused animals and ruination, along with cooing "isn't this awful" comments, that you get the impression they must really like them.

  12. jason 7

    Oh some 19 year old student took offence I bet.

    We have a growing problem at the UEA here in Norwich whereby a small group of students have taken upon themselves to become the thought police and ban anything that may offend (them) or have a differing opinion to theirs (cos at 19 you know oh so much). Anything controversial or thought provoking that could be up for worthy discussion is just banned or told not to turn up.

    Kids really are getting more and more stupid.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Oh some 19 year old student took offence I bet.

      funny enough there was a story on Radio 5 Live this morning about this. How the NUS are taking upon themselves to ban things they don't like from Campus, now who'd of thought that!

      now the thing about the NUS is they claim to represent views of students (here's news for you NUS) you don't! The claim that you always bring out of having so many members so therefore so much support of your narrow minded views is only because students basically have to be a member to get in to the bar, they don't give a shit about the NUS.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Oh some 19 year old student took offence I bet.

        Have they still got a lifetime ban on Germaine Greer for being the wrong type of feminist?

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Oh some 19 year old student took offence I bet.

          yep

          1. Triggerfish

            Re: Oh some 19 year old student took offence I bet.

            Wasn't it for remarks about transgendered people, don't get me wrong I think she should not be banned, debates more productive. But the wrong kind of feminist, not what it was about it seems.

            1. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              Re: Oh some 19 year old student took offence I bet.

              Wasn't it for remarks about transgendered people, don't get me wrong I think she should not be banned, debates more productive. But the wrong kind of feminist, not what it was about it seems.

              Her views on transgendered people are not as uncommon among feminists as you or I might like. More right-minded feminists use the acronym TERF to describe it. Transgender excluding radical feminist.

              1. Triggerfish

                Re: Oh some 19 year old student took offence I bet.

                There's an acronym for it FFS, thats more irritating.

                I must be behind the times the label I use is people.

        2. x 7

          Re: Oh some 19 year old student took offence I bet.

          wasn't she lesbian enough to be a feminist?

        3. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Oh some 19 year old student took offence I bet.

          Trigger warning...

          I think they're about to ban Peter Tatchell for being the wrong kind of queer.

          Because all the colours of the rainbow means all the approved colours of their particular branch of the Dulux colour chart.

          Jazz hands....

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Oh some 19 year old student took offence I bet.

        "views of students (here's news for you NUS) you don't!"

        Parse error: Misplaced ')' or missing ',' at line 6

    2. Triggerfish

      Re: Oh some 19 year old student took offence I bet.

      Kids are not getting more stupid, we are getting older and grumpier and choosing something to be pissed off about from a report in the news or because of a small amount of outspoken people. Bet you most students don't give a shit either way.

      Anyway being young is the time you get to act like a fuckwit, growing up is for later.

      1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge
        Happy

        Re: Oh some 19 year old student took offence I bet.

        "Anyway being young is the time you get to act like a fuckwit, growing up is for later."

        Growing older is compulsory. Growing up is optional.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Oh some 19 year old student took offence I bet.

      Blame I hate men Woman's Hour on R4.

      1. Roq D. Kasba

        Re: Oh some 19 year old student took offence I bet.

        >>> Blame I hate men Woman's Hour on R4. <<<

        I don't. I've listened to it, and its far from man-hate Millie Tant propaganda.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Oh some 19 year old student took offence I bet.

          I listen to it regularly, there are one or two occasions where I've been at a loss if I should laugh or cry at some of the idiocy spouted by the radical feminists they occasionally host but in general it's a pretty balanced and interesting program.

          It's always crashingly middle class though, so perfect for the ultra socialist offpsring of middle class couples to rebel against.

          1. KeithR

            Re: Oh some 19 year old student took offence I bet.

            "It's always crashingly middle class though, so perfect for the ultra socialist offpsring of middle class couples to rebel against."

            Actually, recent research (based on MRIs of test subjects shown "offensive" imagery) has identified a link (which is c. 94% accurate in predicting voting decision/political bias) between how easily offended you are and your likelihood to vote Conservative/Republican/Right of Centre.

        2. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Oh some 19 year old student took offence I bet.

          >>>I don't. I've listened to it, and its far from man-hate Millie Tant propaganda.

          I have and it is. Not as brutal or obvious as Millie Tant but instead served up with lentil soup, herbal tea, yoga and a rolled up copy of the Grauniad.

          More Cressida Wright-Pratt from Modern Parents than Millie Tant.

    4. x 7

      Re: Oh some 19 year old student took offence I bet.

      "We have a growing problem at the UEA here in Norwich whereby a small group of students have taken upon themselves to become the thought police"

      At Lancaster in the 1970's we had an effective answer to people like that. We kicked shit out of them

    5. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Oh some 19 year old student took offence I bet.

      "Kids really are getting more and more stupid"

      No they aren't, I remember my generation at U when I was 19 and they we were just as bad. The difference was that in 1969 you could be a raging sexist and not get into trouble.

    6. Ken Hagan Gold badge

      Re: Oh some 19 year old student took offence I bet.

      "Kids really are getting more and more stupid."

      Crap. You're just getting forgetful. Some of my fellows from 30 years ago were just as bad, just as loud and (ultimately) just as successful in remoulding the world in their own image.

    7. TRT Silver badge

      Re: Oh some 19 year old student took offence I bet.

      I'm offended by the Thought Police. They can go ban themselves.

    8. fred flintsone

      Re: Oh some 19 year old student took offence I bet.

      i was at Poly in the late 80's in the North East.

      The NUS were a bunch of fish mittens back then as well.

      Nothing new

      1. Triggerfish

        Re: Oh some 19 year old student took offence I bet.

        Worth noting a lot of Student Unions have voted against the NUS especially on this No Platform thing. When I was a student the only reason we joined the NUS was for discounts, your local students union runs the bar so you do not even need it for that.

        1. graeme leggett Silver badge

          Re: Oh some 19 year old student took offence I bet.

          Back in the 80s at my university there was a push from some within the Student Association to join the NUS. Many students were sceptical (that the university leant heavily towards engineering and sciences may have meant that the students were mostly judgemental introverts on the Myers Brigg scale. That they were also 90% male may also have had something to do with it) that there were benefits to be had over the discounted beer we already had.

          An attempt to "ban" News International's titles from the student-run shop because of whatever stupidity The Sun had done most recently didn't get far but I don't think the free copies of a redtop handed out by attractive young women actually swung it - the voters were just exhibiting the reactionary tendency of the young.

          It was after my time when, the university having absorbed an arts college, that there was sufficient student mass with an inclination to pass a vote to join the NUS.

  13. Steve Kerr

    Twats

    So....

    Extremely violent videos and other abusive stuff = OK

    A bit of boob, or slightly risque pictures and excerpts from a smutty comic = not OK.

    Ah! The joys of American morality being foisted on the world.

    Sorry to the silent majority of Americans who are as exasperated with this state of affairs.

    1. werdsmith Silver badge

      Re: Twats

      Viz is something like an extreme version of Family Guy, many years before Family Guy.

      https://youtu.be/wyhiRh_7z9E

      1. Alan Bourke

        Re: Twats

        No, it's nothing like Family Guy whatsoever.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Twats

      I've seen reports of how many profiles are actually underage prostitution ones. Of course that's OK, probably they bring a lot of more traffic than a comic strip...

  14. ravenviz Silver badge
    Facepalm

    BIG FAT ELEPHANT'S FANNY

    1. werdsmith Silver badge

      FANNY BATTER!

      1. AbelSoul
    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      BIG FAT ELEPHANT'S FANNY

      My standard response to anyone that says "don't swear"

      1. BlartVersenwaldIII
        Mushroom

        Re: BIG FAT ELEPHANT'S FANNY

        You'll have to go some way to beat Malcolm Tucker:

        Portly American: Hey buddy, enough of the curse words, all right?

        Malcolm Tucker: Kiss my sweaty balls, you fat FUCK!

  15. FuzzyWuzzys
    Thumb Up

    Viz comic artists are geniuses

    I sat there once for 15 mins laughing my arse off after reading a Fruity Bun the Baker strip to the point where I had to lie down for 30 mins 'cos I had a headache and my middle hurt so much from laughing! Pure genius!

    I have every single Viz annual right from the very first Summer annual they released back when I was at school in the late '80s. It's now a standard Xmas present, that I get the Viz annual every year. They're all in pristine condition on a shelf.

    1. kmac499

      Re: Viz comic artists are geniuses

      I look forward to the day when at auction, a complete set of Viz annuals fetches more than a complete set of Wisden cricketing almanacs.

      BTW don't bother with Wisden not a laugh in it..

  16. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    a few years ago CH4 did some cartoon's of dear old Roger Mellie very funny!

    Bolloxs

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      I have a copy of the Viz Profanisaurus on my shelf at home. Still funny after all these years.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        I have one on the shelf too...

        ... and my wife's uncle, a baptist lay preacher, once idly picked it off the shelf to browse, believing it to be Roget's.

        Lunch that day was rather awkward....

        Anon - just because.

  17. KeithR

    This seems remarkably prescient:

    http://viz.co.uk/calls-everyone-sacked/

  18. Alan Bourke

    Na-aaa-aaa-aaa-aaa-aaaa

    aaa.

  19. zebthecat

    SOAPY TIT WANK!

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      MD's laptop...

      At one particularly unpleasant company I had the misfortune of working at.

      Asset tag: 504PYT1

      Serial Number: TW4NK5

  20. Spoobistle

    Modern Parents

    I thought Facebook *was* something out of Viz...

  21. TitterYeNot
    Coat

    Pedal away those Tag-Nut Blues...

    ...with ZUCK-GONE!

    If only Facebork was as easy to get rid of of as unwanted clags, winnits and dangleberries.

    Oh, and Mr Zuckerberg, Rude Kid has a message for you, he says "Big Dogs Cock"...

  22. NotWorkAdmin

    Permanently deleted you say?

    I seem to remember when I "closed" my FB account they helpfully told me they'd hang onto all the data in the account just in case I changed my mind. Well I haven't and won't.

    If I'd known posting something humorous could get it wiped properly I'd have done that.

    1. Roq D. Kasba

      Re: Permanently deleted you say?

      Precisely this! +1

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Permanently deleted you say?

      Yeah, no.

      You deactivated your account, you need the difficult to find 'delete my account' page.

      Helpful link:

      https://en-gb.facebook.com/help/125338004213029

      Aftyer 90 days they only retain log data and things that are held external to your account, all your personal pics, etc. are deleted.

    3. IsJustabloke

      Re: Permanently deleted you say?

      They will delete it completely.... you can either "deactivate" or "delete" you are in current state of "deactivated" its invisible to all but FB computers; were you to decide to reactivate it you would find it exactly as you left it, if you see what I mean. If you delete it , its gone. Well that's what they say anyway.

  23. Salts

    Hmmmm...

    Didn't the Gypsy council take Viz to court, long before there was a facebook?

    Now Facebook taking this action, can only mean this is the long term revenge of the Gypsies, Zuckerburg is a Gypsy, now that answers a few questions!

    1. x 7

      Re: Hmmmm...

      Salts

      yes, the Gypsy Council got miffed over a strip named "The Thieving Gypsy Bastards"

      see http://pigeonsnest.co.uk/stuff/thieving-gypsy-bastards.html

      Its so notorious that the local police here actually have an internal code of "TGBs" when describing suspects

      1. TRT Silver badge

        Re: Hmmmm...

        I remember the lovable kindly honest thieving gypsy bastard strip that they posted in response.

  24. Charlie Clark Silver badge

    Officia: Facebook is no longer cool*

    I wonder if there is any network smart enough to pick this up and promote it. While Facebook mutates into a multi-billion dollar version of the Mothers Union, complete with Mary Whitehouse's seal of approval.

    * if it ever was.

  25. Potemkine Silver badge

    More precisely

    Facebook tells Viz to f**k right off, bitch!

  26. Rol

    How it should be done.

    "The page belonging to Viz is absolutely disgusting and should be taken down"

    "Thank you for highlighting this. We'll take the appropriate action immediately"

    "And what might that be?"

    "Well, in this instance, we believe the best course of action is to block you from viewing the Viz page ever again."

    "I'm sorry, you're not going to block them, but instead block me?"

    "Well yes. Viz has had one hundred million hits, and only twelve people have made a complaint, so, we have come to the conclusion that it is best to censure the viewing options for the few, rather than spoil things for one hundred million people."

    "That is totally outrageous. Your organisation is helping to peddle filth and should be shut down"

    "Ahem, Yes, Thank you for highlighting this. We'll take the appropriate action immediately"

    "Hello? ......Hello!........"

    1. Steven Roper

      Re: How it should be done.

      A brilliant concept. I would, however expand on it a little.

      Some sites, most notably Reddit, have a practice called "shadowbanning." When a user is shadowbanned, they can still post, see all their own posts, and read and reply to others' posts - but nobody else can see their posts. So they continue posting away, blissfully unaware that they've been moderated out of existence and the rest of the community can no longer see their drivel.

      My proposed expansion to your concept is a kind of "inverse shadowban." When some moralising SJW complains about a Facebook page, Facebook responds by replacing that page, only for that user, with a "This page has been unpublished due to offensive content" message - conveying the impression that the page has been censored for everyone else as well, when in fact it hasn't been. Thereafter, whenever said sanctimonious SJW hand-wringer returns to check that their word has been carried out, they see the "page unpublished" message and can brush their hands in self-righteous smugness, secure in the knowledge that their orthodox morality has prevailed over the world. Meanwhile you and I and everyone else get to see the page unimpeded.

      In anticipation of the problem that their SJW friends who have not yet complained might see the uncensored page and spill the beans, this is where Facebook's profiling analytics comes in. SJWs operate in gangs; when one complains about something offensive, all their friends climb on the bandwagon to add their rants as well. This makes their behaviour easily predictable by even a base-level AI. So when an SJW complains about a page, the AI maps all of their friends who have posted in support of them before, and inverse-shadowbans the page for all of them - giving them the false impression that their social-justice vigilanteism has had the desired effect!

      1. Michael Thibault

        Re: How it should be done.

        @Steven Roper

        What you describe is likely to act as a virulent viral cancer, as various features and mechanisms in place within Fb will operate so as to encourage others intent on blotting out reality to 'give it a try'. It could easily put every Fb user, or clusters of Fb users, in their own virtual, walled-unreality. And there would be no one the wiser. Good thinking, but the devil's in the details. How to get the ball rolling? Do you think you're up to being the Anti-Zuck? If not, ... anyone you can recommend?

  27. AndrueC Silver badge
    Happy

    A terrible decision. Viz is very informative. I remember one letter they printed sometime in the 1980s where a reader had determined that 'a watched kettle boils in exactly the same amount of time as one that isn't watched'. I note that more recently another researcher was able to extend the research further.

    It's that kind of research and dedication to the truth that has made Britain what it is today :)

    1. Rol

      Oh, how true, AndrueC. I remember informing my First Aid class only a couple of years ago on how to deal with a stab/gun shot wound to the chest. Basically place the patient on the side with the wound. This way only one lung fills up with blood.

      The teacher and the rest of my co-learners were very impressed, but I think I lost all kudos when I mentioned it was gleaned from the letters page of Viz, some ten years earlier.

      I'm thinking of moving to New York to increase the chances of the headline:- Viz saved my life.

  28. 8Ace

    Anyone got £1.49 .....

    Eh?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Anyone got £1.49 .....

      One forteh-nine

      Must... not... spend... on... Ace.....

      8 ace please.

  29. ken jay

    new char ideas dead then

    How am i going to get my new character in VIZ now, Poulton le flid would of been a great addition, ie a frenchman with learning difficulties living in Poulton Le Fylde who works at the local kebab shop illegally

    1. x 7

      Re: new char ideas dead then

      dim frenchman in a kebab shop in Poulton le Fylde?

      Does he have a wife called Debbie who runs a "massage" parlour? I think I know him

  30. IT Hack

    Revived

    Looks like is back to normal...

  31. RISC OS

    meanwhile....

    ... you can still post videos of people getting their heads cut off with chainsaws

    1. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge

      Re: meanwhile....

      What Chainsaw magazine provide vital consumer advice. Leave them alone!

  32. kilgore trout

    I don't get it

    Facebook did as Facebook does. We always knew what it would do, and yet everyone acts surprised and outraged...

    1. Charlie Clark Silver badge

      Re: I don't get it

      No, we're all have a laugh about it.

      Good PR for Viz. Might take out subscription myself.

  33. Adrian 4

    The comments here are weird. They're responding to this news as though Viz is closing down. But surely Viz stands for everything Facebook isn't, and arguably didn't need to be there in the first place.

    This is more of 'Viz sends up facebook by making it block them'. It's on a par with 'rough weather in the channel - europe cut off'.

  34. cd / && rm -rf *
    Pint

    Thanks, Barbra!

    It's the Streisand effect - by blocking Viz, Faecesbook have given them more free publicity than they ever could have dreamed of. It's all over the papers and the online news sites.

    Viz must be creaming in their pants right now. Either that, or they're in the pub celebrating. Or both.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streisand_effect

  35. Bota
    FAIL

    They're not "fat slags"

    They're "plus sized socially extrovert independent women"

    <sarcasm>

    See how much more beautiful life is with political correctness?

    </sarcasm>

  36. TRT Silver badge

    The day Viz can't get itself banned

    Is the day Viz isn't worth reading.

  37. Lord_Beavis
    Pirate

    Facebook

    Can go fuck themselves stupid with Instagram...

  38. Breen Whitman

    Just be thankful that the viz staff aren't on a rendition flight to the US to answer obscenity laws.

    That should include El Reg writers as well.

    1. TRT Silver badge

      That's a point...

      Have they done a Julian Assange strip yet?

  39. GrumpyOldBloke

    Je suis Viz

  40. AlexS
    Megaphone

    It's back

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Bollocks be praised!

      May His hairy nut sack tea bag us all!

  41. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    No great loss

    Using Facebook I mean, not the lack of focus for Viz.

    Not everyone subscribes to the mid-western/bible-belt crazy morals of the US.

  42. I Like Heckling Silver badge

    Nostalgia Trip

    I've not read Viz in a very, very long time... but from the late 80's through the 90's I or friends would often pick up a copy.

    We even contributed slang words to them on more than one occasion... with many of them referring to a ladies front bum*. :)

    *I used the term 'front bum' because I wasn't sure if El Reg would let me use the word 'cunt'

    1. This post has been deleted by its author

    2. ZippedyDooDah

      Re: Nostalgia Trip

      Talking of front bum, I learnt the meaning of "Beef Curtains" from Viz. I think I might have wet myself on reading that gem.

  43. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Political correctness gone mad

    Perhaps since Zucky is now a baby daddy, he has a desire to make Facebook more PG.

  44. Roj Blake Silver badge

    Enough to Make Me Leave

    This would be enough to make me leave Facebook, if I'd ever signed up for it in the first place.

    1. TRT Silver badge

      Re: Enough to Make Me Leave

      Consider yourself liberated.

  45. Andy The Hat Silver badge

    Down votes?

    It says something about Viz when there are 3 pages of comments, masses of up votes and only half a dozen or so have down votes ...

    New strip based on the Keystone Cops perhaps? Ze Farce Book Polizi and zer Uncontrollable Truncheons? Commandant Zucker the Sucker? If not, I'm sure there will be a plethera of facist knob gags to be had over the next few episodes ...

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Down votes?

      Privatively everyone is very fed up with a new liberal and liberated society in which you cant say what you think.

      1. TRT Silver badge

        Re: Down votes?

        Excuse me. You're not allowed to say that you're not allowed to say what you think. If you were allowed to say that you're not allowed to say what you think then people would know that you were thinking something that you aren't allowed to say, and we don't want people thinking that, do we?

  46. PaulAb

    Who next ?

    When old Suctionburger feels a need to ban something, he could try banning all those sad, sad puppies who believe they have several hundred friends, from his site. Clearly delusional they should seek serious help, but I suspect Suctionpumpburger gets revenue from those SP's ( SP's means Sad puppies, I'm throwing it into the arena as the next 'On fire' abbrevo to get thrown around Twatter and Suckface - it is an open source abbrevo so please feel free to modify it but please make sure the source code is available for those who may want to re-code or modify it)

  47. The Vociferous Time Waster
    Pirate

    Bring back duelling

    Bring back duelling and then see how many people are "offended".

  48. EJ

    https://www.facebook.com/papa.bungard

    This page is immune to complaints made to Facebook...

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