The 'Tintin is Gay' row

A columnist on The Times, Matthew Parris has opined on the occasion of Tintin's 'birthday' that the boy reporter is gay. It is a very funny article, which should not really be taken seriously. OK, it might make you think, and let us re-evaluate' our perceptions' of Tintin, but nothing more than that. The online version of the article, or to be more correct, column, has a collection of reader responses. While the article was funny, the reader responses from those disagreeing with Parris are even funnier. What a pity the understanding of mirth was devoid in these particular readers. Of equal mirthfulness are the reactions of the French. Which is quite peculiar, as the boy reporter is actually Belgian, albeit francophone. Most people have probably never even seriously considered the sexuality of a fictional character like Tintin, but it is a little bit of a worry that readers of this column by Matthew Parris felt compelled to 'defend' Tintin against this label of being 'gay'. Gay or straight, there should not be a problem at all.

As we say in Australia, 'It's a joke, Joyce!'