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I was about to post message to the same end. Given most of the initial (<1000) complaints surrounded Jonathan Ross’ language, it would appear that the moral high ground is coveted to the point of obsession (in this case combined with lemming-like idiocy) these days.
Moehat, while I understand the point you make and also agree (in part) with GC’s earlier post. I think when people hear of a BBC employee (Jonathon Ross) shouting “he fcuked your grand-daughter” while a message is being left on that person’s answer-phone the ‘upset’ (although not I word I would use) is pretty genuine.
In my view I fail to see how the BBC can do anything other than sack Ross. As I don’t believe his actions are acceptable under any circumstances regardless of how many people do complain or indeed their reasons for doing so.
so 30,000 people have complained so far; I’d love to know just how many of them heard the programme, and just how upset they are [on a score of 1 – 10] and just how many are jumping on bandwagons…..
not speaking for all those who may have ‘jumped on the bandwagon’ but 10/10 for me, at that time, having read about it on the internet.
I do think that for many of us initially, we may not have been aware that it wasn’t a live broadcast. I thought it was, and had no idea it was recorded and subject to any vetting.Less so with Brand I think, but the public have been waiting to seize an opportunity to bring Ross down a peg or two, and he certainly gave it to them here. For such an experienced middle-aged broadcaster, you would have thought he’d have known better, wouldn’t you? Mid-life crisis seems to have set in early for Mr Ross.
Also, the name ‘Max Clifford’ had not yet appeared on the scene
I must say that I’ve never liked Ross’s style of interviewing, but assumed that it was because of my age; in fact I haven’t watched his Friday night programme for quite a while, because I feel embarrassed watching it..however, I couldn’t make a complaint about a radio programme that I hadn’t heard; if I was going to complain I feel that I should have written to the BBC after some of the more lewd questions on his show. which often made me squirm. I guess that there are a lot of people who have complained about this because he really had pushed things too far this time, so it’s about more than the radio show..what’s sad is that he really is good at his film review programme and doing awards ceremonies, and seems like a genuinely nice bloke, but perhaps a bit old for behaving like an adolescent. I do think, however that for every person who has made a genuine complaint there is another who is, as I said, jumping on bandwagons.
Also, the name ‘Max Clifford’ had not yet appeared on the scene
Oh he has, he has…
gc
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.
I think Georgina Bailiie is emerging with less and less credit in all this. Front page of the Sun today says it all really. Max Clifford in there like a rat up a drain pipe too. All making a fair buck out of this. Fair enough? No, I don’t think so this time. Andrew Sachs have acted with so much dignity he must be squirming as he sees his grand daughter quoting in the Sun
" He was a disappointment in bed." and more besides. She is getting more publicity than anyone at the moment it seems as far as the papers are concerned.
She is as bad as the other two IMO and following the advice of people who will make money out of this but couldn’t give a toss about anyone else…
How long before she is in FHM, Loaded, Nuts or Zoo?
Pace your bets!!In the meantime how about this to calm us all down.
in fact I haven’t watched his Friday night programme for quite a while
Nor do too many others
I thought this from the ever excellent Rod Liddle summed it up perfectly
Great article Clivex.
Mr. Lidlle writes a great article.
Also, am I a "dinosaur" in finding the overpaid "Ricky Gervais" one of the unfunniest people on the planet?
Regards – Matron
Brilliantly put by Liddle.
Matron, then I also am a Brontosaurus. Or a T Rex – whichever your preference
Hes spot on isnt he ?
Ross and Brand arent likeable at all and i think this is less about what happened and more about the publics dislike of the pair. Its a fair point that liddle makes about Cleese and gervais though…because they have actually acheived something. This is a interesting story in a strange way because it is a sort of public revenge and worm turning against smug overpaid idiots at a time when there many are worried sick about their own situations
The biggest defence of their behaviour and snidest comments about the public came from the loathsome Davinia Mccall. Another one that lives in the smug Groucho club bubble
Gervais funny? The Office was the finest Tv comedy ive seen but its a ensemble piece. The brilliance of some of the [performances in the less prmioinent roles (lee, Chris Finch etc) was a testmaent to wonderful direction. His subsequent stuff has been ok and his strand up is better than most…but Billy Connolly he isnt.
A good article and one with which I wholly concur.
I especially agree with reference to Little Britain – I have always struggled to see the attraction. Out of curiosity I watched one of the Little Britain USA episodes and I could not believe what I was seeing. It was crude, predictable and un-funny. Is this series being broadcast in the US – I seriously cannot believe it is?
Catherine Tate is another prime example – some of her characters are very funny first time round – I absolutely adored the Nan character the first time I saw her. Now every "new" sketch is a rehash of the last and you can more or less predict what will be said and basically it became unfunny.
The same can be said of Lauren – the only "later" Lauren sketch I found funny was the one where she was in French class in school and she launched into her standard routine in French – it was very funny because it was different and unexpected.
Let me make it clear I have no issue with "edgy comedy" but the art of edgy comedy is originality and being funny.
always thought that Little Britain was just a poor copy of League of Gentlemen….the only programe that can make me cry with laughter these days is HIGNFY,….oh for the days of early Harry Enfield especially the aliens..
Hes spot on isnt he ?
Ross and Brand arent likeable at all and i think this is less about what happened and more about the publics dislike of the pair……
I don’t wholly agree with this sentence or Mr Liddell’s article. I think this intense dislike of the two artistes and the ”getting our own back” mentality that goes with it, is more from those who jumped on board later rather than the earlier complainers, although one cannot speak for everybody.
I liked Russell Brand very much, he was my type of entertainer and Ross to a lesser extent. I view neither as malicious and in fact on a personal level I would view them as ‘on side’ so to speak.
This prank as far as I was concerned, was a kind of bulleying of an old man, and I regard 78 as getting on a bit even if Mr Sachs is in the rudest of health, it was an unwise game to play on someone of that age, and I do think this generation gap is understated here, I think it’s played an important part.
As for Little Britain, again I loved the early series of this and even the 1st US show, I thought it cleverly highlighted some of the more unnerving elements about the American psyche that can sometimes frighten us over here, but it’s high time now that Lucas and Walliams, both of whom I quite like, turned their attentions to something else. I think they would both make fine serious actors.
Also, this point he makes in his article:-
"Both programmes rely upon repetition; upon shovelling on to the audience the same characters week after week with very often precisely the same dialogue"...is this any different to the usually revered Dick Emery series from the 70’s?..I don’t think so, and I never heard, or hear now, anyone complain about any of that.
but….are you bovvered?….nah
Walliams was pretty good in the last Stephen Poliakof [the name of which escapes me]…..
Have seen Ricky Gervais live twice and both times have been fantastic but everyone has likes and disliked for example i think Jim Davidson is a talentless T@#T.
I see though that Georgina Baillie has not been complaining to the press association about topless photos of her being published in the papers.
As for Little Britain USA, i love LB but this one is really poor and they should have called it a day after series 3 but moving it to BBC1 was what did it as it was much edgier on BBC3.
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