But should that include our Russ and our Jon? Of course it should. Never mind nebulous questions of standards of taste or decency in broadcasting; the abusive messages they left on Andrew Sachs’s answerphone actually broke the law. Also, though Ross saw which way this was all headed at the end of last week so apologised to Sachs in writing and sent him flowers (while Brand did not), it’s noticeable that neither man has said anything contrite about Sachs’s granddaughter, the person who has been most badly treated in all this. She’s just the latest in a string of girls who have somehow been seduced by a diamond-cut jaw, a gallon of hairspray and Frankie Howerd’s vocal mannerisms, and have utterly failed to see the truth that is staring them full in the face: don’t fuck Russell Brand.
I was slightly annoyed to discover that the Telegraph (that’s not more code, just the newspaper) had come up with this connection first, but at least they’ve saved me the bother of writing something along these lines myself:
The behaviour of the Bullingdon Club in George Osborne's day was repulsive: arrogant young men, with more money than sense and no one to tell them what to do. They booked strippers, treated women like dirt, and their idea of a good time was an evening of nasty, bullying humiliation. Osborne was held upside down and banged on his head until he obligingly repeated an obscenity about himself. The stories have all the trappings of toffs enjoying themselves.Now, I don’t think they should be sacked out of any indignation about the licence fee; I’ll leave that to the Telegraph and the Mail. I think they should be sacked because they have acted like unconscionable cowards and bullies to a man who has more dignity and decency than the pair of them. They’ve been a couple of spiteful bastards and have broken the law into the bargain, and they need to know that that’s not OK just because we’ve all heard of them.
Yet look at the BBC radio studio last week: young men together, even more money than sense, lots of people around but not one who dared to stand up to them, whose idea of a radio programme was ringing up a 78-year-old and indulging in sexual boasting and nasty, bullying humiliation. Neither Jonathan Ross nor Russell Brand were members of the Bullingdon, but they do share the same sense of mischievous fun. The only difference is, the blades of the Bullingdon paid for it with their own money; Ross and Brand do it with ours. [Telegraph]
[1] Note for any younger readers: “Ugh” is what the British used to say in the days before “Eww”. Also, everything used to be in black and white.
Comments
Brand's a twat, and clearly doesn't give a shit. Ross is less of a twat, considerably more entertaining (IMHO) and at this point, I would guess, is feeling pretty sheepish. His chat-show on Friday will be pretty interesting to watch. I reckon that he'll be as contrite as it's possible to be.
I still think the blame lies utterly with the producers of the programme, for failing to rein in the worst excesses of presenters who, after all, have a reputation for being a bit dickish. And not only that, then editing and broadcasting the bloody thing.
Edited at 2008-10-29 11:11 am (UTC)
I don't see any significant difference between the Bullingdon escapades and gang behaviour in inner cities (they even have colours), save the setting, and the fact that babyfather would prob'ly come down on one like a ton of bricks if one stabbed a chap at Eton.
If you're surrounded by people telling you how great you are all the time, and you have a pay packet to match, I can imagine it's pretty easy to slip into that mindset. It's like the badly-behaved rockstar thing. It's just no big deal. Sachs accepted the apology, and has said that he's not looking for heads to roll. And that should be that - except his granddaughter is now plastered over the tabloids saying that she thinks heads SHOULD roll, and every anti-BBC crusader is using it as ammunition. Vile. Hate it.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7694989.stm
Complaints reached 18,000 this morning.
*Which was what people used to say in the days before "Right on!" and "You go, girl."
This is the best comment on this story that I've read anywhere.
"She and Sachs listen to an online recording of the show which leaves the actor "offended very much indeed"." from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7694989.stm is odd, wouldn't he have checked his messages by then?
Russia invades Ukraine, cites Brand/Ross prank call as reason
Georgina Baillie said her grandfather was "really upset and says he wants the whole situation to end".
Maybe she should stop dragging it up in the tabloids then.
Not entirely sure that's an accurate assesment of the events that unfolded.