Scotch = Golf = Racism. WTF?

If the title of the story doesn't make sense to you, that's very likely because you are not an idiot. But apparently Billy Connelly IS an idiot because he very clearly sees the connection.

He thinks that Scotch is snobbish, Scotch Drinkers play golf, and golfers are Racist, Sexist and Anti-semitic.

I'm not making this up. Here is what he said in an interview with an arts magazine/site in Canada called Canoe.ca:

"There's a snobbishness involved in it," says of scotch connoisseurs..."And they all tend to be golfers, and that pisses me off. It's so racist, sexist, it's anti-Semitic; it's everything I dislike."

Listen, I don't particularly like golf - but it's more about the clothing and my lack of patience than anything else.

So, besides being incredibly unfunny, Billy Connelly hates two of the hallmarks of his native land. (I wonder if he says these things in Scotland to the Scottish press?)

Read on for more stupid statements about Scotch drinkers and a link to the full interview.

Connolly touring Canada
By LEE-ANNE GOODMAN

TORONTO (CP) - The Scottish brogue is thick and unmistakable, but comic Billy Connolly is not your stereotypical Scotsman.

He hates golf. He can't abide scotch whisky or the people who drink it. And though he still has a fondness for haggis, he says he's looking forward to whipping up a chicken dish with fresh Mediterranean apricots as he chats on the line from his home in the very un-Scottish isle of Malta.

"There's a snobbishness involved in it," Connolly, on the eve of a nine-city tour of Canada that begins Wednesday night in Ottawa, says of scotch connoisseurs.

"They're like wine snobs. The rarer it is, the more they like it. They say: 'Oh, have you ever had Old Snackitty Bockitty? Oh, you gotta try it!' They all try to get into the rare ones to look very learned."

"And they all tend to be golfers, and that pisses me off. It's so racist, sexist, it's anti-Semitic; it's everything I dislike. The champion of the world wouldn't be allowed in half the clubs of the world because he's a darker shade than they like."

Make no mistake, however. Despite Connolly's brief anti-golf, anti-scotch rant, he's in fact a sweet fellow nursing a bad bout of empty nest syndrome. The 63-year-old father of five and his wife, Pamela, are on their own in their two homes - the Malta villa and a house back in Scotland - after their youngest girl, Scarlett, headed to the United States for her studies...

For more stupidity, read the full article here.

Comments

[Paul Allison]

Hi Kevin, an interesting article and it will provoke much debate.

I noticed the subject came up on the whiskymag forum but Connolly is still very much a Scottish icon and admired all over the world. He is a very funny guy, in my opinion, but his observational style of humour and ability to mock himself and his background and beliefs, culture and nationality often raises an eyebrow.

You need to understand the man first really - he's a reformed alcoholic (see recent press article http://news.scotsman.com/celebrities.cfm?id=686832006) with a troubled and raucas past, therefore probably detests whisky and the connotations that all Scots are heavy drinkers.

On his comments on golf - he is often a tongue-in-cheek comic and isn't frightened to hold back on opinion. Many would say he has a point here but he probably takes it too far on this occasion.

On your final point - no he wouldn't probably be portrayed in the Scottish press with these comments attributed to him.

I work for VisitScotland and we work hard to promote positive images of both whisky and golf all over the world - I sincerely hope that BC has not damaged our reputation in North America with this article.

[Tom G]

"Make no mistake, however. Despite Connolly's brief anti-golf, anti-scotch rant, he's in fact a sweet fellow"

As a golfer and scotch drinker, I would have to disagree.

[Toby]

Whow, I liked Billy but, man, this is f-ed up!

[Ian Buxton]

I'm sorry, but Connolly hasn't been funny for about 20 years. He's still flogging the tired old cliche about being a regular working class guy from Glasgow, when he's a millionaire several times over and lives in Malibu (or wherever) - certainly on another planet from Govan!

[John]

I really like to try different single malts. It's really neat to drink the ones from the distilleries we visited. It brings back the memories of being there in Scotland. I used to play golf, but a good friend of mine told me to quit (I was so bad). Instead I shoot sporting clays which is like golfing with a shotgun. It really doesn't make any difference what one does. Scotch is still the most remarkable beverage there is.