GMB today (Friday, March 18) saw Kate Garraway and Ben Shephard host a debate over whether the terms “mother” and “father” are “offensive”.
The debate proved to be a controversial one with viewers, with many taking to Twitter to slam it this morning.
What happened on GMB today?
Today’s edition of Good Morning Britain saw Kate and Ben host a controversial debate.
The hosts asked whether the terms “mother” and “father” are offensive.
The debate was sparked following news that the charity, Oxfam, has told staff to stop using the terms as they could be deemed “offensive”.
Instead, they are urging staff to use the word “parents” instead.
“Oxfam have introduced a new guide for their staff about how to go about addressing certain things,” Kate said.
“In this guide, they apologise for printing the guide in English because they recognise the guide has its origin in English, the language of a colonising nation,” she continued.
“Is this a joke? Do we think this is a spoof?” guest Iain Dale asked.
Controversial debate on GMB today
Kate then continued, saying: “It also suggests you shouldn’t use the word people because that often indicates men.
“I mean, what they are trying to do is try to offset horrors of the past and mistakes that have been made not just by Oxfam.”
Ben then waded in, and it sounded like he was skeptical about Oxfam’s changes.
Do we think this is a spoof?
“If people are going to be offended by things like that through a guide, it says it’s a guide not restrictions,” he said.
“But it’s hard not to see this and think ‘what on earth are they thinking?'” he then added.
“Are people really going to be offended by this language?” Jenny Kleeman – another guest – asked.
“Has there been research into whether people are going to be offended?”
She later said Oxfam should “cancel” themselves.
Good Morning Britain viewers fume
It seems as though viewers had similar opinions to Jenny and Iain. ‘
“What is this country coming to when saying mother and father is offensive I wish aliens would beam me up,” one viewer tweeted.
“@GMB mother and father offensive? Someone’s having a laugh!” another wrote.
“Mother and father is offensive now?? My god…#GMB . God knows how things will be in 10 years time…,” a third GMB viewer fumed.
“Mother and father is offensive hahaha [bleeping] taking the [bleep] now,” another said.
Some viewers weren’t as furious though.
“Schools haven’t used mother or father for years, they say ‘guardian/s’ as it’s inclusive of everyone that could be caring for a child, not every guardian is going to be a child’s mum or dad,” one viewer tweeted.
Read more: Martin Lewis issues apology to GMB viewers for behaviour today: ‘It’s too early to do TV’
GMB airs on weekdays from 6am on ITV and ITVX.
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