No Mas!

I'm as guilty as anyone, but for Fuck's sake, this Brand/Ross story has more legs than a millipede on a bierhaus table. The Guardian is becoming a major culprit, having no fewer than 15 stories relating to the matter on its online front page.

As I wrote in July, I took the Shilling and signed up to the Green-Ink Mercenary Group by complaining to the BBC about a perceived offensive piece by Jeremy Clarkson. This produced a reply from the Beeb:

• Please accept our apologies for any offence caused. Throughout the testing Jeremy was in awe of this car and he attributed much of that to its Italian design. As usual he made a few references which seem like typical stereotypes. As you're aware this is typical of Jeremy but he certainly doesn't mean to upset anyone and he wasn't taking a view or making a statement as much as he was a random reference. He certainly didn't mean to use the term (wop) as a derogatory slur as some in the past have.
  

Now, this was not on the scale of the Sachs Satanic Slut Slur, but maybe you need the full force of the vested interests of the media to get things done.

Unfortunately, this topic - having been inflamed by the media - is becoming hard to escape. At the water cooler, in the pub, at the Enema Clinic (well, you have to make your own fun as the nights draw in), Brossgate/Manuelgate (Wait until Graeme Garden becomes embroiled in a similar scandal) is everywhere.

The only person that comes out of this with any credibility is Andrew Sachs himself. Once the names of Max Clifford, Kelvin McKenzie and Schillings Solicitors are in the mash, we know that there's more than trouble brewing.

When Diana died, there was a bikers' pub in Birkenhead that had a Diana-free on the day of the funeral. Anyone mentioning the D word was fined or barred. Sounds good.

So, stop it. Move on. We need to protect the BBC and not allow the Daily Mail's wreckless driving of the issue to continue. But, let's call it a day on the two people involved. And that includes YOU, Eric.

Brand Spanking

The Brand and Ross farce continues to take up space in the newspapers and on the TV as the media find that they have another story other than the credit crunch to concentrate on.

As Anton Vowl has already pointed out when the story broke, the case does provide a bit of a dilemma given the two main protagonists.

I think my view can be summed up in a few points:

1. Russell Brand is an over-rated fool.
   
2. Jonathon Ross is an over-paid (though more talented) fool
3. The prank was offensive and harassment
   
4. The BBC bods were fools to air the pre-recorded item on their programme
5. The BBC has done a great disservice to those that defend it to the hilt and its local presenters
6. The Daily Mail and The Sun show rank hypocrisy in criticising this whilst publishing scanty panty photos of the grand-daughter.
7. ITV shows its second-rate self in carrying the story as a main item, whilst failing to inform its viewers of the DM's vested interest in ITN. Similarly, using liar and scumbag Kelvin McKenzie on News at Ten to criticise moral standards is like asking Ronaldo to complain about players diving.
8. Sky News also neglected to mark up their link with The Sun's coverage
9. The BBC, to its credit, also discussed the issue locally and nationally. ITV and Sky would not be so open
10. These cretins have handed the moral high ground to papers like the Mail and allowed the Licence Fee to be questioned.

There is a time and place for prank calls. Many of us have piled into a phone box to ask a stranger if there were any Walls in his house, or phoned the pub to ask the barmaid to shout out for Mike, Surname Hunt. Bart Simpson, Victor Llewis-Smith and other comedians have made good use over the years. This was not funny, however. If an ordinary citizen had done it, he would be risking a criminal reprimand, not a stiff letter from the DG.

The BBC should make its own decision on this matter and not pander to the politically motivated complaints. Either this was a good idea or it was not.