Nobody actually wants gender-neutral sausage rolls, argues James O’Brien

16 December 2019, 13:08 | Updated: 16 December 2019, 13:10

James O’Brien hits at out at the media for whipping up outrage over ‘PC’ demands nobody seems to want.

Off the back of a call about the outrage some voters feel, James O'Brien spoke about the media creating a narrative that whips up outrage over things liberals seem to want - but actually don't.

He used the examples of 'gender-neutral sausage rolls', banning the word 'blackboard' and putting school boys in skirts.

James O'Brien said: "When those stories appear about something being outrageous, I don't think I can ever find anyone who's outraged about it.

All I can find is people describing how awful it is."

‘Nobody actually wants gender-neutral sausage rolls, argues James O’Brien
‘Nobody actually wants gender-neutral sausage rolls, argues James O’Brien. Picture: PA

He continued: "If I'm a consumer of media, I think the last 20 years have turned me into someone who who thinks that they're always, they whoever they are, are always getting on their high horse about about minorities and blackboards and gender neutral toilets."

He summed it up: "It's as if the reaction is bigger than the action."

James O'Brien explained: " So here is a story about, I don't know, a kid in a skirt or here is a story about a gender-neutral sausage roll or here is a story... and you very rarely find huge numbers of people queuing up to go 'what do we want gender neutral sausage rolls, when do we want them? Teatime please?'

"But you can find millions of people, especially in this business, generally the sort of older big right-wing men who are constantly outraged by a kid in a skirt or a gender neutral sausage roll or what else?"

He added: "The country has been seduced by the idea that there are secretly burrowing away millions of people trying to force gender neutral sausage roll and boys in skirts on them."

Based on his experience as a journalist, he said: "If you're in a newsroom, if you're in a media organisation where debates are still the way, confected debates, are still the way of putting programming together, you hear the desperation with which people ring around trying to find someone to argue one corner.

He concluded: "A large part of the problem is people are persuaded that there's this invisible army of do-gooding liberals dedicated to trying to ruin their lives and yet when you ask them how their lives are potentially being ruined, what they come up with... gender neutral sausage rolls and boys in skirts."

More James O'Brien

See more More James O'Brien

Sacked borders watchdog David Neal said the Home Office is 'dysfunctional' and needs reform.

'It goes to the very top': Sacked border watchdog slams Home Office and calls for reform after Cleverly row

Exclusive
Shahd Waleed is trying to leave Rafah with her parents and enter Egypt

'They want us to experience pain': Young woman trapped in Rafah with her parents tells of terror as Israel invasion looms

Sir Keir Starmer has defended comments he made about Margaret Thatcher earlier this month.

Starmer defends Thatcher comments as he says he ‘completely disagrees’ with former prime minister’s politics

A caller to James O’Brien’s programme has shared footage of the extraordinary destruction done to his newly purchased property just outside of Durham.

Property investor's shock at 'unexplainable level of damage' he discovered after buying new home

Exclusive
James Cleverly replaced Suella Braverman as home secretary on Monday

'I've spent more time with James Cleverly this week than with Suella Braverman in the last year', Sadiq Khan tells LBC

James O'Brien discusses Suella Braverman's 'destructionist' leadership style with a caller

'She's a destructionist': James O'Brien caller claims Suella Braverman governs like 'a five-year-old'

James O'Brien

'She definitely has something on him': Caller and James O'Brien debate why the PM hasn't sacked Suella Braverman yet

'A complete reset of the top' is needed says caller.

'We're being let down': There is a 'complete disconnection' between parliamentary and local Conservatives says caller

James O'Brien

'It's essential that people are able to protest peacefully against war', says James O'Brien

James O'Brien

Rishi Sunak 'almost physically moves away' from Suella Braverman in House of Commons debate, says James O'Brien

James O'Brien

'Suella Braverman succeeded - she's caused hate', claims caller after Home Secretary criticises pro-Palestine marches

'A fish rots from the head': James O'Brien caller reacts to claims of misogyny in Downing Street during Covid Inquiry

'A fish rots from the head': James O'Brien caller reacts to claims of misogyny in Downing Street during Covid Inquiry

'Ludicrous, bogus, nonsense': James O'Brien is astounded by Boris Johnson 'laughing at Italy' during the pandemic

'Ludicrous, bogus, nonsense': James O'Brien is astounded by Boris Johnson 'laughing at Italy' during the pandemic

James O'Brien on Dagestan

'It's a hatred as old as religion itself': James O'Brien analyses escalating anti-Semitism after Muslim crowd storms Dagestan airport

Carol Vorderman shocked about UK Poverty

'One million children are living in destitution': Carol Vorderman struggles to comprehend stark wealth inequality in the UK

Wes Streeting on dentistry

Wes Streeting invites the government to steal Labour's policy to solve 'dickensian' NHS dentist crisis

James O'Brien

'I think they're the loneliest voters in Britain', James O'Brien claims after Tories' double by-election defeat

JOB and caller Andy

Biden's visit to Israel is to show that the US stands 'unequivocally' with Israel says James O'Brien caller

JOB and Usman

Israel's current response will only 'strengthen' Hamas by rearing Gazans who seek revenge warns this James O'Brien caller

JOB on deaths in conflict

James O'Brien unpacks the 'controversial' feeling of being 'equally devastated' by Palestinian and Israeli deaths

JOB on starmer speech

Keir Starmer is using 'working class as the opposite of having a sense of entitlement', notes James O'Brien

JOB on HS2 promises

James O'Brien criticises Rishi Sunak's watering down of 'illustrative' Network North projects funded by HS2 cut

Sadiq Khan and James O'Brien

Sadiq Khan declares there is 'no place for anti-Semitism' in London as kosher restaurant in Golders Green attacked

James O'Brien on the challenge HS2 scrappage poses to Labour.

‘How much can Rishi Sunak knock down before Keir Starmer becomes Prime Minister?, asks James O’Brien

James O'Brien

Rishi Sunak is like an 'incontinent cat': James O'Brien slams Tories ahead of PM's Party Conference speech

JoB and Jeremy Hunt

Navy veteran deeply hurt by Jeremy Hunt's plans to clamp down on benefit claimants

James O'Brien on Tory tactics in the upcoming election.

Tories desperately seeking wedge issues is the 'only way' they will retain power in 2024, says James O'Brien

James and caller Mervin on knife crime

'I'd prefer you to go to jail than die': James O'Brien is left aghast by this caller's father's stance on knife possession

James O'Brien

James O'Brien ridicules those prioritising Labour's private school VAT plans over the cost of living crisis

James O'Brien

'I mean this is a novel': James O'Brien hears why this caller blames Labour for HS2 problems

James O'Brien

James O'Brien takes aim at uninformed 'idiots' criticising Keir Starmer for not wanting to diverge from EU rules

JOB on Rishi Sunak Bins

Rishi 'seven-bin' Sunak is lifting bans that 'don't exist', asserts James O'Brien