Today I saw a very annoying article (I am not going to provide a link because it is just a piece of celebrity gossip that is purest nonsense) about the backlash against Barbara Streisand for something she posted about Melissa McCarthy's recent dramatic weight loss, in which she asked "Did you take Ozempic?".

It seems that many people took offence to this simple comment.

One of the best quotes that I have heard about the issue of offence is from Ricky Gervais, who said that you shouldn't say that something is offensive, but rather that you are offended. This case, however, goes beyond that obvious truth. People have no reason and no right to be offended about something that is not about them. Nevertheless, we see this phenomenon all the time in social media. It is perfectly in order to believe that some things are wrong, and even in some cases to campaign for change, but I, for one, do not want people trying to tell me that I am offended, especially when I am not.

Melissa McCarthy is friends with Barbara Streisand, and has a significant social media present, so is perfectly capable of addressing any issue that she has with what Barbara Streisand posted, herself, but many people are busy being offended on her behalf. Why?

The obvious reason is that the people complaining about the offence are virtue signalling. They are shouting "Look at me! Look at how politically correct I am!"

Obviously, there are people who are not able to respond for themselves: people who are too young, too old, mute, too stupid or too illiterate to voice when they are offended. In those cases, other people perhaps have a right to complain about offence on their behalf, but generally it is inappropriate.

Can we please put a stop to this offence by proxy?