This depressingly predictable story simply goes to show what happens when middle-aged men, working in an ultra-supportive 'we are always right' culture (i.e. the BBC), try to be 'edgy' and thereby attract the attention of 'the kids'. It's not even surprising that the offending material seems to have been cleared editorially as OK to broadcast - entirely wrong, yes, but not surprising. Ross, who is old enough and professional enough to know better, has long been a loose cannon, and Brand is an under-talented, over-promoted twerp who was bound to cause serious trouble sooner or later. One thing we can be sure of it that neither of these merry pranksters will be sacked - they are both highly prized 'talent' - and the likelihood is that there will be, at most, one low-level firing and nobody higher up will fall on their sword. Nothing so far has ever penetrated the adamantine smugness of the BBC, and there's no reason to believe a little spot of bother like this will change things.
I wonder if, as recession grips and reality bites over the coming years, public behaviour will revert to something more like decency. It would be nice to think so - though of course it could go the other way...
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Nige, your description of Brand is the essence of diplomacy. The BBC reminds of British Rails red star parcel service in the 1970s, there for the benefit of the employees.
ReplyDeleteExcept Bill of course famed for his "bonking deer watch"
Tell me more about Bill and his watch...
ReplyDeleteIt's been a long time since the top bods at the Beeb fell on anything, other than meals of five-course money. My suggestion is that the felons be locked in a room for 24 hours with Stephen Fry. Slow suffocation by treacle or stark insanity by enforced listening to the 100 most pretentious jokes of all time - your channel, your choice.
ReplyDeleteNot sure that Auntie should be particularly surprised by such behaviour. In the downward trawl for increased ratings, the only measure of success these days, you can open the schedules at any page of the week for evidence of falling standards in a once-great organization, the most recent seen by this writer a knees-up, leg-over called The Tudors, a subject that, not so many years ago would have brought out the best in the Beeb.
ReplyDeleteIf you must hire a bipolar sex-addicted alcoholic and ex-heroin addict, and team him up with another 'loose canon', of admittedly a more mature vintage, but also capable of appalling lapses of judgement, should you be surprised if the programme descends into schoolboy attempts at humour?
This is a trend - and it is getting worse by the day.
Well Nige, it all started out fairly innocuously, Bill did a bit of rutting and as usual interrupted Kate, who pouted a bit. Then came the antlerian porn (I understand the DVD will sell like hotcakes in the New Forest) followed by some seriously hacked off Geordie seals who were heard to mutter "here's those bloody BBC pests again"
ReplyDeleteAt some point I think matters of the avian variety were discussed but not for long.
As usual the chap in the baseball cap was excellent, Bill was, well, Oddie.
Can't understand what you guys have against Spring/Autumn watch. It's one of my favourite programmes. Kate is sex on steroids. The chap in the baseball hat gives bravura performances covering up for the fact that absolutely nothing has happened in the last 24 hours apart from a seagull shifting from left leg to right leg. And without Bill Oddie half the UK's bloggers would have nothing to grouse about.
ReplyDeleteMark, brought up as I was on a diet of Armand and Michaela Denis, the doyens of the 50s wildlife snappers, how can I possibly be expected to enjoy the output of these latter day ne'er do wells like Oddie and Attenbourgh.
ReplyDeleteOh, and did I mention Tarzan.
Mind you, she is a bit of alright, isn't she.
ReplyDeleteAh of course - the irrepressible Oddie. For a moment I thought you might have meant Bill Cotton (who in retrospect now seems like a towering giant of British broadcasting). I haven't caught Autumnwatch yet...
ReplyDeleteAnd here I thought you were talking about Bill NIGHY and I was all ready to tune in. Bill Oddie, forget it, I'd rather watch birds from my own binocs, thanks.
ReplyDeleteThey should be cut up and buried in the fucking ground.
ReplyDeleteSomething tells me that's not Melanie Phillips...
ReplyDeleteWhy bury them, Melanie?
ReplyDeleteAll is well now Nige, Gordons on the job, retribution is at hand, I sense a double flogging on the horizon.
ReplyDelete