The Power Now Wielded By The Single-Issue Loons…

The furore began when Richman posted an Instagram photo with the caption: "Had ordered this suit from a Saville Row tailor over a year ago. Think I'm gonna need to take it in a little …" He added the hashtag #thinspiration.

A fairly harmless Tweet? Whoa, not so fast! There’s always some loon with an agenda and time on his or her hands to make a drama out of the least little thing…

One Instagram user criticised him for using the tag, saying it "glorifies negative media self-imagery that being thin is better as opposed to any other body style" (the term can be used on social networks and blogs to celebrate unnecessary and unhealthy weight loss).

To say Richman responded ‘robustly’ to this is…well. See for yourself:

Richman responded by writing "DILLIGAF", which means "Does it look like I give a fuck?" To other critics he wrote, "Oh eat a bag of shit, dummy. No apology is coming. If it inspires someone to attain a healthy thinner body then that was what it was meant to do. Only fuckup it seems was your dad's choice to go without a condom," and "grab a razor blade and draw a bath. I doubt anyone will miss you."

I for one applaud you (despite the fact your show often makes me feel nauseaous).

But of course, such defiance of the single-issue whackjob’s pet cause cannot go unpunished, and the now-infamous Twitterstorm descended, as the original aggrieved party roped in all their fellow loons to punish the unbeliever.

And inevitably, Richman backed down.

The comments have since been deleted, as have Richman's subsequent apologies, where he wrote: "I've responded to internet hate recently with vile words directed at those hating me. I am sorry, I should know better & will do better."

It didn’t help.

Now the Travel Channel, which was due to air his new show, has postponed the airing of his new show. The network has not commented on its reasons for the decision, instead stating simply: "Travel Channel is postponing the July 2 series premiere of Man Finds Food."

Richman has made another public apology, issuing a statement to ABC News: "I've long struggled with my body image and have worked very hard to achieve a healthy weight. I'm incredibly sorry to everyone I've hurt."

You haven’t ‘hurt’ anyone (except maybe yourself). These people are not ‘hurt’, they are simply ideological opportunists who know that if they make enough of a fuss, they can – and will - really hurt certain others where it counts. In the pocket.

All for expressing an opinion they don’t agree with.

Free speech now seems to belong only to those without something to lose by expressing it.