Here at FYI we were amused by the debate raging over whether or not Tintin - that be-quiffed androgenous cartoon hero - was a homosexualist.

According to The Times’ Matthew Parris, Tintin was in fact a gay, because he wore ankle-swingers, a scarf, and lived with his middle-aged male sailor friend.

Marcel Wilmet, spokesman for Tintin creator Studios Herge, is reportedly outraged.

“Just because there is an absence of women does not mean that Tintin was gay,” he told The Sun.

“Tintin is not at all gay.”

Yes, that was “at all”. Not even a little bit gay.

“He was very macho in fact,” continued Mr Wilmet, apparently unaware of 30 years of gay-bodybuilder culture, “He has many friends who are boys but they are not boyfriends.”

FYI asks:

• Was Tintin gay?
• Would anyone watching the programme have noticed said gayness at the time?
• Should we care?
• Why do people say such silly things as soon as a gay rumour emerges?