"It's a hamster!"

Oct 29, 2008 10:41

I've been watching this story unfold, as I've been wanting heads to roll...
BBC pressured to sack presenters [BBC News ( Read more... )

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Comments 10

rainfx October 29 2008, 14:18:40 UTC
I think what annoys me more are the people who are getting "incensed" by this, despite not even having heard the programme - there's a real torch-and-pitchfork mentality. I think people ought to listen to the show\podcast before passing judgement, rather than on what they've been told about it.

Which doesn't excuse them - I've heard the whole thing, and I think they deserve to be punished for it in some way or another. Johnathan Ross really ought to know better - listening to it, he seems to have been the main protagonist.

But on the other hand, there were just two complaints immediately after the show - the bulk of the complaints have come now, over a week since the show was broadcast. A similar thing happened over the Celebrity Big Brother Racism incident.

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albatros October 29 2008, 16:12:44 UTC
I hope I'm not guilty of surrogate armchair activism! :o) I read a transcript.

I suspect that most of the complainants don't like Ross' or Brand's material (like me), so see this as a way of removing them from the schedules. Me, I'm just calling "foul!" - I do think TV and radio would be better without them, but in fairness, they should be treated appropriately to the incident.

If they are dismissed (unlikely), they'll be back in less than six months; take Angus Daeyton as an example.

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rainfx October 29 2008, 16:48:14 UTC
People are bored with news of the economy, I suppose, and this gives them an opportunity to vent about something else. That Andrew Sachs interview was quite revealing, partly for how sensibly he's taken the whole thing, but mostly at the lack of knowledge and general provocativeness of the media.

There's a clear generational divide to people's opinions of this - most of us "young'uns" think it's a fuss over nothing, whereas the older generation (who are more likely to not have heard the broadcast) are outraged.

Personally - I'm buying shares in garden tool companies, I think sales of pitchforks are going to go through the roof.. ;)

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ruthytoothy October 29 2008, 17:48:34 UTC
Your first link (to the BBC article) doesn't seem to want to work for me :-( And please could you give me a link to the transcript that you read, too?

Fank oo!!!

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albatros October 29 2008, 18:55:09 UTC
(edited)

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ruthytoothy October 29 2008, 19:20:44 UTC
Thanks :-) I found this statement from the granddaughter in question, which makes it very clear that both the granddaughter and Sachs himself said they didn't want the messages to be broadcast, and yet the pre-recorded show was still aired - I think that reflects really badly not just on Brand & Ross, but on the producers etc at the Beeb :-(

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phil99 October 29 2008, 19:43:33 UTC
I find it most hilarious that in the week following the broadcast, there were all of 2 complaints. Not until this story hit the headlines did the complaints roll in. So looks like the target audience weren't all that bothered. Mr Sachs was bothered and was taking the matter up privately.

What are all these other people wading in for? Being offended on his behalf? Seems like an old-fashioned witch-hunt to me!

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albatros October 29 2008, 21:12:09 UTC
Sounds like the audience was very small. Publicise it, and yes, people will wade in!

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randalf October 30 2008, 16:43:43 UTC

They deserve sanctions, but it's absolutely a witch-hunt. People are patently trying to get two entertainers they don't like removed from the air.

It doesn't help in that the grand-daughter is milking her windfall publicity for everything it's worth. (cf. Paid-for story in The Sun)

Andrew Sachs, although unimpressed with the 'humour', has dealt with the issue with good grace; less so the 'outraged-by-proxy' mob.

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albatros October 31 2008, 23:04:32 UTC
You said "patently"... I wonder, if I owned the patent on witch-hunting, exactly how I could benefit? Shall we set up a licensing business?

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