Is this entertainment?
By p1kef1sh
@p1kef1sh (45681)
October 28, 2008 1:18pm CST
In the UK we have two well known radio and TV "personalities" who between them receive in excess of $31 million of tax payers money for supposedly entertaining us. Last week this pair rang up Andrew Sachs (Manuel in Fawlty Towers) and somewhat graphically told him, on air, that one of them had "...... f*cked your granddaughter..." then like two schoolboys they taunted the actor with where he did the deed. The BBC and one of the "personalities" have apologised and there is to be an enquiry into what occurred. What I find strange though is that if this happened in any workplace that I know of (including the less well paid areas of the BBC) the pair of them would have ben dismissed on the spot. The evidence is there to be heard. Am I alone in thinking that whilst part of the role of broadcasting is to expose us to new experiences, this is a pathetic, bad taste and cruel prank and that the culprits should suffer an appropriate punishment.
10 people like this
22 responses
@donna22 (1116)
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28 Oct 08
While I do not agree with what they did/said I do think that the amount of press coverage and the fact that Gordon Brown has got involved is ridiculous. It was the top story on the ITV news yesterday. Its not that big a deal in terms of news is it. I can understand if they said said something racist but Russel Brand is known for being quite "blue" with his material and he clearly said something that Andrew Sachs found offensive which is fair enough and he asked for it not to be broadcast but the BBC did anyway so they are more to blame than Brand and Jonathan Ross.
3 people like this
@p1kef1sh (45681)
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28 Oct 08
I think that it is a big deal simply because it suggests that this is acceptable behaviour if the BBC does nothing. We taxpayers pay for this. In every workplace that I have ever worked in this type of behaviour would have resulted in as a minimum suspension whilst an enquiry took place. Why should the BBC be any different?
2 people like this
@mtdewgurl74 (18151)
• United States
28 Oct 08
I guess having millions of dollars worth the money doesn't always mean they have brains to go along with it. If a woman did this she would be considered a tart, a floozy and a few unmentionable names.
1 person likes this
@donna22 (1116)
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29 Oct 08
Yes but Im sure there are far more important issues going on the world. Also only two people complained when it was broadcast. The rest came after it was in the newspapers. There were obviously plenty of people who listened and were not offended or not enough to complain anyway. Did those who complain hear and decide to complain after they read that Andrew Sachs had complained or did they not even listen at all?
@Munchkin547 (2778)
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28 Oct 08
Hi p1ke! I'm a fan of both of these comedians - one more than the other, i'm sure you can guess which is my favourite!! hehe I haven't heard all of the phone calls but i have to say that i didn't find it particularly funny, i'm not prudish or easily shocked- in fact quite the opposite, but this seemed to be just puerile harrassment. I do think the BBC should be looking into this and that some sort of action should be taken! (not too much though - like i said, i'm normally a fan!) xxx
2 people like this
@p1kef1sh (45681)
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28 Oct 08
They may be funny Munchiradiofan but not in a comedic way. My view is that they should receive the same treatment as any other member of the BBC. If someone at your hospital did such a thing I wonder what the hospital would do? Blimey I'm steamed up about this. LOL.
2 people like this
@Munchkin547 (2778)
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28 Oct 08
I do agree with you to a certain extent, but then again i do wonder if it really justifies being front page news and on the headlines on the tv two days running - surely there are more serious things going on in the world. And to be fair, although jonathan ross won't be liking this publicity at all, and i daresay it will affect his friday night ratings, the publicity won't be doing russell brand any harm, it just plays into the image he has created for himself. They shouldn't be dealt with any differently to how any other member of bbc staff would be treated under the circumstances! xxx
1 person likes this
@nannacroc (4049)
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28 Oct 08
They should both have been sacked on the spot and prevented from working for the BBC for a long time. I have never liked Jonathan Ross as I've found him foul mouthed and offensive, I would have thought he, as a father of girls, would have thought about how these things would affect a man. I can't say much about Russell Brand as I've only heard him once and switched off quite quickly. Let's hope enough people stop watching and listening to these two so the BBC realise that their behaviour is completely unacceptable.
2 people like this
@nannacroc (4049)
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28 Oct 08
Preferably demoted to sewer cleaning and most of their money taken to keep the banks going.
1 person likes this
@p1kef1sh (45681)
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28 Oct 08
I hope that they do go. The BBC is publicly funded and usually ignores what the public feel about what it does. I just hope that in this case the public make it clear that these two talentless twits need to go elsewhere and that the BBC, for once, listen.
2 people like this
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
28 Oct 08
hi pikey I agree with wholly. that was cruel and in bad taste, and would have left me with a nauseated feeling in my tummy.
that is one new experience I sure would not have wanted to see
and hear about. Sounds almost childish, or like two teen aged boys full of hormones taunting each other.Anyway it is sure
something I would not want to see and listen to on our american tv stations. I know some of ours go very close to the borderline and those I have learned to stay away from. I am no prude, but
bad taste is still bad taste. Those two should have been dismissed at once.
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
28 Oct 08
hi pikey just wanted to say the sherriff gaveus our eviction notice last night and we have til the first at five oclock to move, which is just great for us as we c an get into our new apartment on the 1st of Nov saturday.its going to be so different as its 600 miles up the coast in Northern california almost to San francisco.all new to me, but my son says our apt has two baths which I think is heavenly, as i get to have my own and can put all my womanly cosmetics out and wont get in my sons way. lollol. I will be off line this coming weekend until we can get our computers back up and running. so will miss all mylot friends for a short while.
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
29 Oct 08
Tasteless, over the line, unbelievably awful. Yeah they should have been fired. But apparently it's all about the money...
@Humbug25 (12540)
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28 Oct 08
Hi there p1kef1sh
I think that this was disgusting and extrememly childish behavior one that you would expect from 10 year olds! I used to like both of these personalities (one to a certain degree) but after this has happened I think I will have to change veiwing choices of a Friday night. Yes I do think they should be punished appropriately as would any other employee of the BBC.
@mtdewgurl74 (18151)
• United States
28 Oct 08
You are correct it was done in bad taste and a stupid cruel prank. I wander is the granddaughter will now sue the person for what they done? If she does it will be well deserved.
@mtdewgurl74 (18151)
• United States
28 Oct 08
You are right about that. Still people should have the decency not to shout out to the world all whom they have slept with famous or not. It is just not acceptable behavior for anyone whether it be a famous person,broadcaster,television personnel or a regular ordinary person. If we don't give respect to others about that sort of thing who will?
@p1kef1sh (45681)
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28 Oct 08
The granddaughter is a musician I think. I doubt that she will sue, but that's not the point. My point is that this cannot possibly be the sort of behaviour that a publicly funded broadcaster could contemplate. If they do, they send a message saying that this sort of activity is entirely acceptable.
@KrauseHome (36448)
• United States
29 Oct 08
They announced this on National TV? Or in the News, or what? This to me sounds a little too much to be talking about if it was on TV. That is becoming part of the problem anymore almost anywhere you go... People doing things anymore that would have never been dreamed of 10-20 yrs. ago. I almost hate to think of what next? To me, this is pretty Low and there should be some definate punishment for it as well.
@p1kef1sh (45681)
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29 Oct 08
The two broadcasters have a radio show and it was in that they made the remarks. The BBC have now suspended them. My complaint is that they are employed by a public broadcaster and that it is taxpayers money that pays their considerable salaries. Their comments were outrageous and unacceptable in my opinion.
@Darkwing (21583)
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29 Oct 08
I think the pair of them are a downright disgrace! I don't like Jonathan Ross... never have, and Russell Brand is not somebody that I ever watch. I can say though that the other is completely and utterly up his own orifice and it's about time they clamped down on, if not sacked him. He's rude and offensive a lot of the time, and we would be far better off without him. As far as Russell Brand goes, I don't have much knowledge of him but it sounds as though he's a pea out of the Ross pod! I think it's diabolical what they did to Andrew Sachs, a very quiet, amusing and likeable guy. I think if I were him, I'd be suing their butts off!
Brightest Blessings.
@Darkwing (21583)
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29 Oct 08
Well perhaps Ross's influence on Brand had something to do with all this. I've heard this morning that they're both SACKED, so there's an end to the whole sorry story. Now perhaps Andrew Sachs can restore some sort of self-respect into his and his family's life. Poor man!
@jahrock (111)
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29 Oct 08
There are two aspects of this story that both beggar belief. In the first place,
for two individuals to think it was FUNNY to make comments like that on anybodys
answer phone is a sign of very poor taste indeed, not to mention the lack of
morals on the part of the man who wanted to let the elderly gentleman know that
he had slept with his grand-daughter. This was being recorded for a public
broadcast, so there was no mitigation on the grounds that it was a 'private'
conversation, which brings us to the second point.
Pre-recordings are used, particularly for radio programs, to ensure the full
editorial control of the production team, especially when participants are
prone to lapses of taste or speech, because those lapses can be removed during
the editing process. The other side of that coin is that people who are being
pre-recorded tend to feel that they can be as free as they want, because they
are PROTECTED by the fact that the production team can and will edit any
misdemeanors they happen to commit.
At the end of the day, that is the very crux of the matter, because regardless
of how crude and immoral we consider their comments, we are left with the ugly
fact that BBC production personnel took the decisions to broadcast the material
without cutting out the offensive remarks. The fail safe in the process was
that avenue of control of the production staff, and now that investigations
are being done by BBC senior staff, and also by the broadcasting overlords at
OFCOM, one or more people in that production chain are far more likely to
find themselves out of a job.
The two presenters should, at the very least, have been suspended when the
story first came to light, even if only because of the responsibility they
have in a wider sense, doing the jobs they do. It is a very sad state of
affairs when two people in their position can treat the rest of us with such
apparent lack of respect, because that is exactly what they have done. We are
all belittled by their lack of common decency.
@CanadaGal (4304)
• Canada
29 Oct 08
I have no respect for "entertainment" like that. It's cruel and unusual punishment, and makes little sense.
In general, the British entertainment industry tends to push the limits, and this is another example of that. Because of that history, I cannot see much of a punishment coming their way other than a more formal apology. I don't agree with that... I would prefer to see court action involved, but I'm not sure that will happen.
@CanadaGal (4304)
• Canada
29 Oct 08
I'm with you on that. I'm all for public humiliation when there's no doubt a wrong was done. It certainly makes people think twice about pulling such stunts again.
@p1kef1sh (45681)
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29 Oct 08
Thanks for that Donna. My issue is that these two are effectively public servants - they are paid by taxpayers and we deserve better than this from these people. Andrew Sachs appeared not entirely happy with the situation, but I note that he did say that he had no interest in taking it further. That leaves the BBC to decide if this is behaviour that it finds acceptable from its employees. I've just heard that Brand has resigned.
@gemini_rose (16264)
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29 Oct 08
It is disgraceful what they have done, I could not believe that they actually did that and thought it was funny. I have read this morning that they have now been suspended and the thoughts are that they will be sacked which really they should have had instant dismissal for their behaviour because lets face it like you said if it was a regular job they would have been sacked on the spot.
@guybrush (4658)
• Australia
28 Oct 08
I don't think it's entertainment at all, P1key ... it's crass, below-the-belt nastiness at the expense of someone innocent. Bearing in mind that mud sticks, it's ghastly to think the poor girl maligned in this so-called joke will have to put up with smirks and snide remarks - she and her family deserve a very loud public apology from these creeps - and they should be taken off the air immediately!
@guybrush (4658)
• Australia
29 Oct 08
I'm sure the allegation isn't true, P1key ... I read somewhere that these creeps had used the stunt before (can't remember who they targeted that time, but it was also untrue). It's not a very funny joke, and is defamation. We have similar idiots on radio in Aus - a few years ago they got a kick out of phoning people to tell them they'd won huge lottery prizes. Pretty cruel. And I remember a local station phoning a horse trainer to tell her a favourite horse had run onto a road and been hit by a truck. The poor woman was hysterical on the phone, having no idea she was being broadcast all over the region and these morons were taking the p*ss. These people need to be put out of their misery!
@owlwings (43910)
• Cambridge, England
29 Oct 08
Yes, I think both of them should be sacked AND the producer. The show was, apparently not live and some things had already been edited out. I find it remarkable that someone chose to leave this incident in.
I shall make a special point of NOT watching anything by either of these 'personalities' ever again (I wasn't particularly fond of them in the first place). The 'enquiry' just needs to be an instant carpeting, if you ask me.
@p1kef1sh (45681)
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29 Oct 08
I agree. I see that they have now been suspended. I am probably too cynical, but, despite this being what I wished for, I suspect that this is just a way for them to keep their heads low for a week or two before they bounce back. Teflon coated, just like a recent Prime Minister.
@underdogtoo (9579)
• Philippines
29 Oct 08
I think it's disgusting and pathetic. If the BBC authorities are worth their salt, they will mete the appropriate punishment. The British public should punish them as well.
@p1kef1sh (45681)
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29 Oct 08
I suspect that the BBC are entirely happy with this pair's conduct. They are a pitiful organisation with an inflated sense of their own importance. We pay for them which just makes it even more annoying! They make some fantastic programmes, but they have little in the way of morals. They even have a show that turn viewers letters of complaint into entertainment. By getting a big name to read them in a half serious/jokey way out so that the rest of us can laugh! Time they competed in the real world then they can do what they like.
@paid2write (5201)
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29 Oct 08
One of the reasons I don't own or watch television is that I don't wish to buy a TV licence fee so the BBC can pay celebrities obscene amounts of money.
I know people who work in commercial radio, and I think a commercial station would never have allowed this to be broadcast. I know it was live, but the producer of the show should take some responsibity for letting it go on.
I quite like both Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand. I didn't hear the broadcast but I read some of the transcript and I was surprised at Ross, who is a very experienced broadcaster, and he should certainly know better. Brand is very 'off the wall' and is less experienced.
I don't doubt both performers regret what they did, but I think it is right they have been suspended. Knowing the BBC, they will soon be back at work!
@p1kef1sh (45681)
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29 Oct 08
I agree with you in the respect that a commercial station would be much more concerned about it's revenues. Personally I can't stand either of these characters either. But that's by the by. I am simply annoyed that our taxes are being used to pay these twerps to be revolting and think that it's OK for them to be so.
@mercuryman3a (2477)
• India
29 Oct 08
Media has to be as neutral as possible but their exposes should be taken seriously and shoudl be investigated.
@lou_66 (909)
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29 Oct 08
i didnt realsie that they actually rang up this man. i thought it was all pretend. this is why i was wondering why people were complaining so much. now i understand that i was a real phone call i can see why people are so upset. i think it is disgusting and the pair should be banned from appearing on bbc radio in future. its nothing less than bullying
@livvy252003 (178)
• United States
29 Oct 08
Oh my, you are appropriate in your thinking...sounds awfully Howard Sternish to me!!! The dregs of society and bottom feeders listen to that drivel, never mind the youth of our nation with minds like sponges soaking up all that is inappropriate or improper!
