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Ross & Brand
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7692911.stm
So, did Brand and Ross overstep the mark here? Should their heads roll?
Or should the editorial controllers face discipline for this?
I have always felt, although he can be funny, Ross is hugely overpaid. I don't think he is that 'fantastic'. It's one think to be crude between themselves but to involve an innocent 78 year old man like that, seems really distasteful to me.
Thoughts?
So, did Brand and Ross overstep the mark here? Should their heads roll?
Or should the editorial controllers face discipline for this?
I have always felt, although he can be funny, Ross is hugely overpaid. I don't think he is that 'fantastic'. It's one think to be crude between themselves but to involve an innocent 78 year old man like that, seems really distasteful to me.
Thoughts?
0
Comments
I still dont quite see why Brand is famous, i mean he has charisma but he did not seem to really do much before he ended up as a presenter
That said they are not bad presenters, they just arent that funny anymore.
It was pre-recorded, though, so they didn't have to play it.
Broadcasting it is one thing - but it doesn't detract from the fact that they should not have made the phone calls to the answer machine in the first place. Some fault MUST lay on their shoulders too, in my opnion, because that would have caused distress in itself.
However I'm really angry listening to the actual apology. Firstly because 'I'm sorry but it was really funny and aren't the Daily Mail shits for complaining about it' isn't an apology. Secondly because this half-hearted effort at not really giving a shit is then described across the whole of the BBC as if they'd walked barefoot across glass to apologise.
Really does sound like two incredibly rich people not caring at all about an offense they've caused and then the BBC spinning it into a real apology.
I might offcom a complaint about the apology rather than the show...
/end stargalaxy mode.
On another note - there's no good reason a producer should have provided them the contact number to Sachs if he'd already canceled his appearance on the show. They especially shouldn't have been provided the number again after it was clear what direction the joke was going in. That's excatly what a producer should be doing on any show like this.
I agree - I was just disagreeing with TT's point that the producer couldn't do anything.
They might not have been able to stop the abusive phone call (though I can't see why), but it was there responsibility whether to put it on the radio or not.
BBC in crap apology shocker :shocking:
I hate Brand, but my flatmate subscribed to a few BBC Podcasts so this came on shortly after it was released the other day.
The only funny part of the show was the voicemails. The rest of it was Brand just being too loud like he always is.
Got to remember: This guy isn't a random frail 78-year old. He's had a career with the BBC, not just some bloke. Also, didn't he agree to go on their show to talk about a programme he's on next week? Agreeing to talk to Ross and Brand and not expecting to have the shit ripped out of you on EVERY conceivable level seems a little naive.
I don't think they over-stepped the mark as there aren't any marks as such in comedy. They misunderstood how far he was willing to take it though, yeah.
This has been blown out of all proportion though.
Maybe I'm just heartless.
One final point - having the Daily Mail complaing about people overstepping the mark and being insensitive sits a little sour with me.
If Sachs was offended, then it should be up to Brand to apologise to him personally. But as for putting the thing on the air, as I understand, without the permission of Sachs, that's the producer's responsibility.
I didn't witness the holocaust - but I would stil argue that it was appalling. As a BBC licence payer, I would want a certain standard of broadcasting whether I listen to it or not.
I don't see what ANY of that has to do with it ....
I understand that it is illegal to make such phone calls .. perhaps Sach's ought to call in the police and lay charges. That would shut up the smug, oily f*uck pretty pronto. He is, of course, the twat that dialed 999 during one of his live shows recently.
Then complain all you want. But not about the content, about the whole system.
SG, I never knew you were so sensitive.
WTF? Jesus christ man, please calm the hell down. I'm not moderating a thread here I'm giving my opinion. Given I'm being negative about the BBC I fail to see how the lighthearted comment was insulting.
As to the actual debate - if it was a private phone call I could see your point IWS - but the legal issue isn't the main issue - it's a public broadcast and people have a right to expect some redress for anything they hear in the media. They wouldn't have a right to complain to the police, but they certainly shouldn't be banned from complaining to the BBC and Ofcom.
Laugh My Fucking Arse Off
I haven't heard the podcasts so don't know what the fuss is about. The point about comedy not having that 'line' that shouldn't be crossed is true though (since a lot of comedy is about crossing that line and laughing at the people who are outraged
I can understand why though if they're doing a semi-improvised comedy show how it could go too far. Stupid, yea but I think saying 'THEY SHOULD BE SACKED!!!' is a complete overreaction.
The media reporting is interesting though, they seem to neglect to tell the fact that the granddaughter in question is in a band called "The Satanic Sluts" (have a quick Google for the MySpace page) and has semi-naked pictures of herself plastered all over the internet. Not that it excuses anything, but I'm slightly surprised that she's supposedly more upset than her grandad was.
If the "joke" came as part of a stand up act or similar then it'd be shrugged off, picking up a voicemail like that wouldn't have been nice though and it went OTT.
Won't do Wossy's book sales any harm though :chin:
The concern that I have with the kind of quotes represented above, is that they seem to imply thats Sachs - and his granddaughter - probably 'deserved' it.
Did the Norwich girls murdered a Christmas or two ago, 'ask' for it because they were prostitutes? No.
Whatever the circumstances of Sach and his granddaughter, this behaviour was unacceptable. No 'ifs'. No 'buts'. The attacks were unfair and unsolicited.