Comedians

[ByronBlack]

I think it's clearly a generation thing

No it's not. Publicly humiliating people and broadcasting it as they did is totally unacceptable. You don't need to be of an older generation to see that.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

Perhaps its the way of the younger generation :shock: attitudes are changing

Martin - please refer to my reply above. I wasn't saying that this situation was a generation thing, rather the preference to these types of comedian is, again, I'm not condoning their involvement in that stunt.

 

[motownmartin]

BB i'm not having a go at you, just my opinion is that peoples attidudes are changing especially the younger generation and they don't find this sort of humour offensive, in fact I don't find it offensive just crude and childish.

 

[Paul Chapman]

The issue is that by broadcasing this stuff on national television and radio, there is an assumption that attitutes have changed and publicly humiliating people is now acceptable. Publicly humiliating people never has been acceptable and never will be.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[ByronBlack]

BB i'm not having a go at you, just my opinion is that peoples attidudes are changing especially the younger generation and they don't find this sort of humour offensive, in fact I don't find it offensive just crude and childish.

i know you weren't martin, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't being misread as I really feel what they did was poor taste.

I would disagree with your last point though, it's unfair on the younger generation to assume they don't have a problem with this, granted, some young people who are impressionable or havn't developed much of an awareness of society will not doubt find it hilarious, but if you speak to young people on a regular basis, as I have done over the last 6 months due to a bunch of new young people here at work, you'll be amazed that their attitudes are very similar to ours, it's only IMO a very small percentage that give the younger generation a bad image, which I have to say is somewhat projected by the likes of the Daily Mail etc..

Every week that I work with these youngsters (15, 16 and 17 year olds) I'm surprised at their mature and respectful outlook and attitudes.

 

[motownmartin]

Publicly humiliating people never has been acceptable and never will be.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

totally agree

 

[StevieB]

Well, both have just been suspended by the BBC, and that is probably the end of it. Whoever the exec was that OK'ed the broadcast (it was prerecorded, not live) will eventually take the blame and be sacked, the perpetrators will be back on air (heck, although suspended they are still recording this weeks Friday night show with JR) and nothing much will change except a spike in the JR show's ratings when people tune in to see what he has to say about the entire juvenile episode. If he wasn't being paid by the compulsory BBC licence fee I wouldn't care, the fact I have to contribute to his salary is what I find the most annoying.

Steve.

 

[woodbloke]

From the BBC web site:

"BBC director general Mark Thompson has suspended presenters Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand following the row over their prank phone calls to Fawlty Towers actor Andrew Sachs on Radio 2.

The move was announced in this statement:


I would like to add my own personal and unreserved apology to Andrew Sachs, his family and to licence fee payers for the completely unacceptable broadcast on BBC Radio 2.

BBC audiences accept that, in comedy, performers attempt to push the line of taste. However, this is not a marginal case.

It is clear from the views expressed by the public that this broadcast has caused severe offence and I share that view.

Since Sunday, I have been in regular contact with the senior executives I tasked with handling this issue.

The investigation that I instructed Tim Davie [director of BBC audio and music] to conduct is nearing completion, and I am returning to London to review the findings and, in the coming days, announce what action we will take.

In the meantime, I have decided that it is not appropriate for either Russell Brand or Jonathan Ross to continue broadcasting on the BBC until I have seen the full report of the actions of all concerned.

This gross lapse of taste by the performers and the production team has angered licence payers.

I am determined that we satisfy them that any lessons will be learnt and appropriate action taken.

I have been asked to report to the Trust's Editorial Standards Committee before the end of this week and will discuss with the Trust the findings of the report and the actions I propose." - Rob

 

[motownmartin]

BB i'm not having a go at you, just my opinion is that peoples attidudes are changing especially the younger generation and they don't find this sort of humour offensive, in fact I don't find it offensive just crude and childish.

i know you weren't martin, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't being misread as I really feel what they did was poor taste.

I would disagree with your last point though, it's unfair on the younger generation to assume they don't have a problem with this, granted, some young people who are impressionable or haven't developed much of an awareness of society will not doubt find it hilarious, but if you speak to young people on a regular basis, as I have done over the last 6 months due to a bunch of new young people here at work, you'll be amazed that their attitudes are very similar to ours, it's only IMO a very small percentage that give the younger generation a bad image, which I have to say is somewhat projected by the likes of the Daily Mail etc..

Every week that I work with these youngsters (15, 16 and 17 year olds) I'm surprised at their mature and respectful outlook and attitudes.

My offspring are 25 and 21, they are well behaved and good mannered young people. I was pointing that the (below the belt) type of humour seems to be accepted more by the younger generation. what happens around you in your younger years has a bearing on what you will grow up like, for example if you lived in a church going community you would be very likely to go to church yourself.
Or am I just talking dribble now, probably, but my whole family are like that :lol:

 

[newt]

I used to watch Ross on Friday nights, until it became compulsory for him to utter the F word. Its not the F word that gets me its the fact that it has to be included, almost as if the show is not complete until he has said it. As for the latest, pathetic couple of prats that will probably get a pay rise.

 

[ByronBlack]

BB i'm not having a go at you, just my opinion is that peoples attidudes are changing especially the younger generation and they don't find this sort of humour offensive, in fact I don't find it offensive just crude and childish.

i know you weren't martin, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't being misread as I really feel what they did was poor taste.

I would disagree with your last point though, it's unfair on the younger generation to assume they don't have a problem with this, granted, some young people who are impressionable or haven't developed much of an awareness of society will not doubt find it hilarious, but if you speak to young people on a regular basis, as I have done over the last 6 months due to a bunch of new young people here at work, you'll be amazed that their attitudes are very similar to ours, it's only IMO a very small percentage that give the younger generation a bad image, which I have to say is somewhat projected by the likes of the Daily Mail etc..

Every week that I work with these youngsters (15, 16 and 17 year olds) I'm surprised at their mature and respectful outlook and attitudes.

My offspring are 25 and 21, they are well behaved and good mannered young people. I was pointing that the (below the belt) type of humour seems to be accepted more by the younger generation. what happens around you in your younger years has a bearing on what you will grow up like, for example if you lived in a church going community you would be very likely to go to church yourself.
Or am I just talking dribble now, probably, but my whole family are like that :lol:

You make a valid point, t however, there are always exceptions, but I do feel that this humour will always appeal to the younger generation just because it's part of growing up; rebelling, the sense of being edgy etc.. I'm sure we were all like that when we were younger, it just happens that back in our childhoods, what was considered edgy and conteversial seems tame compared today, It's all got to be looked at in perspective I feel.

 

[motownmartin]

OK BB, i'll agree with your last statement.

 

[woodbloke]

I see Brand has now gone ( :-k did he go or was he pushed?)...how long for Wossy? - Rob

 

[Rich]

I get the impression that Brand is the sacrificial goat here and that the BBC will hope that this "sop" will draw a line under the situation, I would imagine that Brand was given a VERY nice handshake to go in order to protect Ross and the editor of the broadcast, I don't think we have seen the end of this farcical situation yet, it would'nt happen in the private sector, heads would have rolled, but, as usual in a publicly financed institution, anything goes and sod the taxpayer.

Rich.

 

[Cowboy _Builder]

Kenny Everett was sacked for just cracking a funny joke i wonder if any of you can remember the gag ?.... he was a very clever and ground breaking comedian ,unlike this pair of tossers...Russell Brand should take a look at his sister Jo she laughs at herself and if he took the same line he'd have endless material to work with , as for "Wossie" i think his Saturday morning show is entertaining but his tv work is poor and the format is very tired now ,.....neither of them can justify their fees......

And...."4 Puffs and a Piano" ..whats all that about ???

 

[Jenx]

There's nothing the British press likes better than to 'go for the jugular' whenever the opportunity arises.

I agree that the two characters over-stepped the line in this instance - but also, bear in mind that at least one pair of 'senior eyes' at the BBC are supposed to have 'vetted' the pre-recorded broadcast before it aired.
So far, I've not personally seen anyone baying for the head(s) of those who allowed it to get through the net.
Those 'eyes' are equally, if not more responsible for any errors of judgement.

The 'young lady' in question performs in a 'show-group' called the "Satanic Sluts", and is not exactly the archetypal 'ministers daughter'... and for her to be 'shouting the odds' does slightly smack of 'maximising an opportunity' to a certain degree.
Having said that - making the offending calls to Grandfather Andrew Sachs was somewhat 'inappropriate'.

Strange that, for the few hours during and immediately following the airing of the Broadcast, the number of complaints to the Beeb was TWO, yes TWO. - in excess of 24 hours later, it had reached 1500 - which in the grand scheme of things isn't exactly earth-shattering,
and now, some several days later its 18000 ?
I'm not sure I'm totally swallowing that ! Were people so offended
that its taken them several days to recover sufficiently to get round to complaining ? hmmmmm.

The cynic in me does make me wonder, in light of Wossy having a new book out... would it be beyond possibility that a bit of publicity, this close to Christmas be particularly damaging to the sales of this book ? ... again.. hmmmmm

And be in no doubt, whatever happens to either Brand or Ross... give it a short while and they will be back in the limelight, back earning megabucks and back as popular as ever with their fan-base... if you are in any doubt about this, I'll leave you with two words... JULIAN CLEARY.

 

[motownmartin]

Kenny Everett was sacked for just cracking a funny joke i wonder if any of you can remember the gag ?.... he was a very clever and ground breaking comedian ,unlike this pair of tossers...Russell Brand should take a look at his sister Jo she laughs at herself and if he took the same line he'd have endless material to work with , as for "Wossie" i think his Saturday morning show is entertaining but his tv work is poor and the format is very tired now ,.....neither of them can justify their fees......

And...."4 Puffs and a Piano" ..whats all that about ???

I remember Kenny Everett being sacked from BBC Radio 1 in 1970 (I think) I was only 12, for making a joke about the transport ministers wife slipping the driving examiner a Fiver to pass her test.

and in the 80s was sacked again by BBC Radio 2 for making a wisecrack about the Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, I can't remember what the joke was though.

 

[motownmartin]

I remember now but dare not repeat it.
To jog you memories the words Kingdom, Empire and Country were included in some rhyming slang.

 

[RogerS]

Just had a look at the BBC news site and the complaints are now 18000+. I expect an announcement will be made shortly from the Head Honcho on the pair's future - Rob

I just wonder how many of the 18000+ actually heard the broadcast as opposed to being yet another 'Little Englander' and jumping on the bandwagon.

Signed 'Enraged of the Shires'

EDIT: 7.25am Now 27,000. Ah...there's nothing like a bandwagon

 

[Argee]

Russell Brand should take a look at his sister Jo

For the sake of accuracy, they're not related in any way.

Ray.

 

[wizer]

This whole episode reminds me very much of being in the playground.

I'll be watching Channel 4 tonight

22:35 Russell Brand's Ponderland
[subtitles]
Pets
Russell delves into the world of pets and uncovers a human obsession fraught with confusion.