This Brand/Ross malarkey

[MadWorld74]

Ross is a funny guy if a little annoying at times.

Brand should not be allowed to anywhere near the public. He is utterly disgusting.

[david_carnell]

I think "vile" is perhaps a little strong. Purile perhaps. Rather stupid, definitely. And certainly not funny, which is probably the gravest insult. I'm intrigued that there appears to be a connection between Ross's wife (Jane) and the granddaughter due to the gothic modelling and clothing link but a PR conspiracy seems a little far-fetched. I think the fact that she has hired or accepted help from Max Clifford shows that few feelings have been hurt there though.

I feel sympathy towards Andrew Sachs and he seems to have dealt with the whole thing rather well and with little fuss. Good show.

The grandstanding by the press is nothing new. Anything controversial from a publicly funded media source is jumped upon as evidence of "liberal bias" or "the liberal elite" smashing morality into the ground and reeks of jealousy at ability of the BBC to produce without editorial guidelines and dictats from media oligarchs like Murdoch, Desmond et al. One has to only look at the Brass Eye debacle to see what happens when the tabloid attack dogs get hold of a shitty stick. They publish fact-free, offensive and worryingly influential toss on daily basis and yet remain beyond the pale for the most part. Stones and glass houses spring to mind.

Finally, the Prime Minister shouldn't really be stooping to this level. The government could comment, given the tax-funded nature of the BBC, but even then it should be a junior minister from the DCMS, not the great clunking fist sticking his oar in where it's not needed or wanted.

[paragon]

I can't believe the Daily Politics show today predicted it coming up in PMQ's - surely there are better things to talk about. Storm in a tea-cup yadda yadda yadda.

They are suspended which is just lip service until the BBC come back and say it was unexceptable again. If anyone gets sacked it will be a producer or editor who approved it (which i think is ridiculous) . Classic over-reaction media fuelled frenzy over nothing but a quest to shift papers.

Anyone watch fonejacker? (if you haven't get on 4OD an listen NOW) much more controversial things on there but to anonoymous members of the public.

[ChavWivaLawDegree]

It's a massive fart in a teacup if you ask me.

[????]

mmmm....I'm not sure that leaving a string of messages including "He f*cked your granddaughter" on anyones answer phone, let a lone a 70 year olds is just puerile I think it's pretty revolting and verges on Harrassment. I think a serious of messages like that randomly on my answerphone would upset me considerably and I don't read the Daily Mail.

Plus Ross is getting his comeback for saying he's worth "10,000" hacks.

Personally I wouldn't cry for 'em if they were sacked.

[ChavWivaLawDegree]

Brand has resigned!

[bon3yard]

The 'Awful', 'disgusting' and 'unfunny' Brand has just resigned...can we move on now?

[ChavWivaLawDegree]

Are you listening to Radio 4 as well Bon3yard?

[*Bob*]

I can only assume that the bulk of the feeble-minded 18000+ drones who had nothing better to do than complain (on somebody else's behalf who seems only mildly irritated) are also the reason why 'My Family' is going to a ninth series.

Sure, it was in poor taste and maybe it wasn't particularly funny, but if you remove all the people who potentially 'might' cause offence, all you're left with are the ten-bob Banana Cabaret jobbing comedians re-telling the same old men-and-women yawn-fests, week after week up and down the land.

And no doubt 'Manuel' is delighted that the whole country knows his grand-daughter fronts-up the 'Satanic Sluts' instead of the handful of people who knew before (cringe).

[jctg]

Moos Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> The story was broadcast on Saturday and there were

> 1,500 complaints by Monday. So although there had

> been some coverage by then, it's not just a result

> of the coverage.

>

CORRECTION. The programme was broadcast on Saturday 18 October. By the following Sunday (26 October), when the Mail on Sunday ran their piece, the broadcast had generated the grand total of 2 complaints from approx 400,000 listeners. And that was because Jonathan Ross said the word 'f---ed'. It was because of this MoS piece that this all took off. (An interesting thing I noticed was that it appears that Andrew Sachs may not check his voicemail as apparently the first time he heard the messages was when he and his agent listened to the programme on the BBC iPlayer on the Wednesday after the broadcast).

In my opinion most of the country has gone f---ing mad this week. F--- the Daily Mail and all who sail in her.

[????]

?7 million a year to insult pensioners on their answer machines strikes me as great value for Licence payers

[*Bob*]

Hmmm...

Do the radio and television shows with a combined weekly audience in excess of twenty-five million feature in your somewhat one-sided value-for-money equation?

[bon3yard]

...looks like I'm gonna have to get my podcast jollies listening to womens hour from now on. Bah!

[????]

Hmmmm...but the BBC has, i believe, a remit above pure commercial values and I'm not sure if insulting pensioners and what legally actually is harrassment is part of that...if he'd done it to my grandad I'd liked to have stoved the twats head in to be honest

[????]

Insulting pensioners maybe considered all very post modern and ok with the urban elite of SE22 but I think they're a pair of cunts

[SeanMacGabhann]

All this talk of pensioners. If is a big boy. . Lined up for an interview. . That he didnt bother with.

Hes not your dad. Hes not some random pensioner. He knew his daughter had a relationship with brand. And he has handled himself with more dignity than his daughter. Or any of the rabble complaining. Or. . . Well you get the drift.

[Ted Max]

Shush with your post-modernist urban elitism, Sean. These two blokes are dodgy sorts who were due what they're getting.

[*Bob*]

???? Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Insulting pensioners maybe considered all very

> post modern and ok with the urban elite of SE22

> but I think they're a pair of @#$%&

Patronisning pensionsers who are more than capable of handling themselves and making their own decisions about how they feel isn't great either.

[????]

Ok,i don't like a world where 78 year olds have random, offensive messages left on their answer machine - or infact anyone. Doesn't show much 'respect' to anyone in the old sense of the world...however, 'respect' to Russ and Ross in the 'well cool dissing the crumblies and woman' sense of the world...yeah.....nice one.

Sorry - this is disgraceful behaviour

[SeanMacGabhann]

Ted. You are so right. .

Fuck it. . Nail em up i say. . Nail em up

[????]

OK - PM me your phone number and I'll leave you some random insulting messages, you're a big boy after all

[*Bob*]

I'm only 35 - so that would be fine.

But a poor or crumbly pensioner? No - you're right! Send me the link from The Mail so I know how to complain.

[????]

He cancelled the interview for what it's worth...

yup, saying what they did is wrong makes you Daily Mail...yup...nice one......you wacky fellas

[SeanMacGabhann]

Quids. . Relax. You and yours have won this one ok?

Although if you really want to "prove a point" ill happily pm you my number. What a point you will prove as well. .

[????]

Ok - how about "I fucked your mum" on your answer machine and other puerile offensive rambling.