So much has been said about Ross and Brand’s so called ‘sick’ prank calls to ‘British Icon’ Andrew Sachs – who as we know is most famous for playing a Spanish Waiter in a spurious and perhaps slightly racist manner.
It’s my take that while the calls were inappropriate, it certainly isn’t something which should result in the sacking of two of TV and Radio’s biggest names, apologies have been made – Ofcom will investigate and that make a judgement and that should be that. No one died.
For me there are some issues relating to all this brouhaha (yes, I did just say brouhaha);
I find it amazing that only 2 people made complaints after the show went out and now over 10,000 people have complained since reading about it in their favourite right wing shit rag. That means that all but 2 people listening to the show were not offended by the broadcast, if that is the case then the matter is entirely between Andrew Sachs and BBC radio 2.
Sach’s granddaughter is a Burlesque dancer who appears in the a dance troupe, she (according to her myspace) calls herself a ‘swinger’ and a ‘groupie’ and has appeared with very little clothing in more than one newspaper – yet she is somehow embarrassed enough about the revelation that she shagged one of the most sexually active ‘celebs’ in the country to quit the ‘Satanic Sluts’ European tour?
BBC News channel are showing their impartiality by covering this story to death, apparently there is nothing else going on in the world. Honest.
Shit newspapers who love a good bit of BBC bashing are baying for blood in this and will use this as any excuse to whip up a frenzy of anti-licence fee idiots to do their best ‘Angry of Tunbridge Wells‘ impression even though I’m willing to take a punt that a great deal of those 10,000 complainants haven’t even heard the broadcast.
As someone with experience in radio (albeit not the heady heights of Radio 2) – it was a shit piece of radio, really really bad, but not sackable shit. Christ, if only this baying mob had heard some of the shit my co-presenter and I used to come out with (Lockerbie the Musical anyone?) we’d have had our head on spikes before you could blurt out “He fucked your Granddaughter“.
As I write this I see on the BBC News channel have announced that Brand and Ross have been suspended pending investigation, perhaps this is the correct thing to do and should have happened (and those involved in the decision making process for it to go out) as soon as this looked as it was going to blow out of all proportion.
The best thing the Beeb can do now is let this settle and wait for the Springfield Mob to move onto the next subject, then re-instate two of their most popular broadcasters (even Sachs has himself said he didn’t want to put any more pressure on Ross after a personal apology) on the understanding that when the OFCOM ruling comes in, Ross and Brand pay the fine (which is likely to be a big one now).
Merk, I shagged your granddaughter. Tee hee!
It’s nothing short of a fucking disgrace and even Brown weighed in with comments…WTF?
People are dying, starving, fighting, killing, living in poverty and all we can go on about is two no-mark DJs with bad hair.
Fuck the lot of them.
And another thing, this isn’t news, this is a human resources announcement.
hahaha a sort of televised memo if you will.
What made me laugh is that it was pre-recorded so surly its all the fault of the bbc for airing it.
I’m sure all the news will be back to the rescission soon enough.
rescission, brand, rescission, ross, rescission
translated
blah blah blah blah blah
You’re right, it is a farce and a total waste of time.
But,
Russel Brand and Wossy are both tossers of epic proportions, so seeing them get a bashing is great
Well no it’s not – because it’s doing massive damage to the BBC, which people like the Daily Mail are loving.
Someone pinch me please and hopefully Ill wake up. If its not press the pillow over my face and don’t stop till I stop till you hear the sweet sound of my death rattle.
If we bow down to this middle England brigade we will end up with endless repeats of last of the summer wine and strictly come dancing.
Personally speaking I love Brand And Ross and the things they produce. If Ross’s show on Radio 2 gets replaced by Dick and Dom or Jamie Theakston I may invest in a shotgun and to irreversible damage to my cranium.
It was a silly thing that got out of control. An apology would have been enough. This was a Pre- recorded show, lets not forget that should not really have been allowed to be broadcast if it were deemed that people would have been offended. How then was it was available as a podcast on the Tuesday!
If you dance with the Devil you going to get your fingers burned Georgina.
Unfortunately on this occasion Russell chose to ‘dance’ with a slut of Satan himself. That can only backfire. To be fair it was probably time for him to move on to bigger things. I respect him for resigning, not giving the halfwits at the BBC chance to sack him.
I despair though! What will we be left with??
And yeah, who gives a fuck what Gordon Brown Thinks??!!
Go back to trying to sort out the shit storm that’s the British economy!! When we want your opinion we will ask for it. Or just ask the Daily Mail to make it up.
Love it Fulla!
I totally agree.
Perhaps i should be more cool and hate anyone who’s popular!
If i hear any more about it i’m gonna fucking burst.
Ke?
My nan told me all about this, but as I had no idea who russell brand was, all this was a bit lost on me. I thought it might have been Jo Brand’s son. They both have the same hair anyway.
Wow, what a nothing story. These people should listen to Howard Stern. The put their foot through their radio, and send him the bill!
Morti’s got a point – it would be BETTER with Jo Brand, at least she’s funny. As for Howard Stern, he’s brilliant – offensive, but brilliant. At least his offence is for a point, not just giggling schoolboy, pathetic name-calling type offence. To get on the Beeb, you should have SOMETHING between the ears. Wossy has but not Wussel Bwand!
I should also point out that whilst employed (Volunteered) as a radio DJ for Huddersfield University’s Melt Fm, I once chatted with my co host, Pete Mella about the David Bowie Song, Changes.
I argued that during the chorus of said song Bowie sings 4 rounds of Ch’s (ch-Ch-Ch-Ch Changes) before changes. Pete argued that it was only 2 rounds of Ch’s (Ch-Ch Changes) before the word changes. We discussed the issue for probably 20 minutes before someone called in and said that we were both right. The first line of the chorus is indeed
Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch Changes
and the second line is
Ch-Ch Changes
Which crime is the greater? The one where some famous people stepped over the line a little, or the one where two volunteers on a tax payer funded radio station whittered on about nothing in particular for a good 20 minutes? Where is my punishment for the crime of wasted air space? Where is my call from David Bowie saying how dare you mess up the line to such an iconic song?
Once again Britain is showing its true colours. It’s one rule for paid celebrities on the nations largest radio network making ill advised comments about a semi famous actors granddaughter, it’s another for two probably drunk students, struggling to fill time on a community based radio station that probably no one listened to.
I should put my foot through the screen of my computer, and send myself the bill!