A Conversation for The Forum

Brand and Ross - Should they go?

Post 1

WanderingAlbatross - Wing-tipping down the rollers of life's ocean.

I appreciate we need to tread carefully but it might make an interesting conversation to see what Forum members thought of the current controversy.

For our non UK members; Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross have been criticised for leaving questionable messages on Andrew Sachs', aka Manuel from Fawlty Towers, answer machine during their Radio 2 show, two weeks ago. It has blown up into a major issue for the BBC causing Brand to resign and Ross to be suspended.

My views, from the old fart end of the spectrum, is that they both should be sacked and I question if any entertainer should be paid £6m per year out of the license fee.


Brand and Ross - Should they go?

Post 2

Beatrice

More than happy to see the back of Brand - I could never ever understand the attraction of him, either as stand-up or on the airwaves - definitely one to switch off.

Ross can and should do better.

And I'm not a boring old fart.


Brand and Ross - Should they go?

Post 3

Kerr_Avon - hunting stray apostrophes and gutting poorly parsed sentences

While I in no way condone the messages they left, in terms of the broadcast I strongly suspect a SNAFU further up the chain - The show was recorded two weeks prior to broadcast, and according to at least one newspaper Sachs had been contacted by the producers, and had given his permission for a 'toned down', ie edited, version of the calls to be aired.

What went out on the broadcast wasn't the edited version, obviously, so it sounds like a 71 edit of the show rather than the 'version for broadcast' was aired in error. Ross and Brand aren't to blame for that, the production team are.

smiley - ale


Brand and Ross - Should they go?

Post 4

Taff Agent of kaos

if someone had got hold of Russell's or Johnathan's phone numbers and left messages like that on their answer machines they would be subject to all sorts of legal injunctions and the like and be branded stalkers

if you don't want it to happen to you donut do it to others

smiley - bat


Brand and Ross - Should they go?

Post 5

Alfster

A numebr of things for me:

1) they were pretty much in contravention of the Telecommunications act by leaving such messages on the machine if Sachs had wanted to go to the police Brand and Ross would have been in some trouble.
2) Brand has already made a bogus call to the police while on stage saying he thought he had seen a wanted attacker or somethng of that ilk.
3) The Beeb are saying the two are known for pushing the boundaries of humour...no problem with that per se but they moved into potentially illegal areas and were just being plain abusive.
4) Ross is the highest paid BBC presenter earning £16,000/day for that he should be thinking about the effect of what he does on the BBC.
5) Not at all bothered about Brand it's emporers clothes with him. Late night channel 4 is what his humour is ideal for not radio 2.
6)Ross could be a great ambassador for the BBC he can be very erudite, interview well, has a good breadth of knowledge but he would rather just sail along on very easy and repetitive 'material'/comments. So, cut his salary right down and put him on an earlier evening chat show to prove that he can, as Parky said, be a good interviewer.


Brand and Ross - Should they go?

Post 6

Alfster



Sachs claims that this conversation was had via mobile on a noisy street. He thought he had agreed to not broadcast that section at all and for him to come in and do a proper interview which is what was supposed to happen before he had, for reasons, cancel.

Yes, the shows producers need to be taken to task but in the end two very well paid adults made a a very dodgy phone call to someone.

I actually enjoy 'offensive' edgy comedy...having just seen Jimmy Carr live he is an expert at it but this was something slightly different.

Had they said the same things between themselves on the show I would have shrugged and said not good but that's the way it goes. The phone call itself is what my issue is.


Brand and Ross - Should they go?

Post 7

WanderingAlbatross - Wing-tipping down the rollers of life's ocean.

I am not easily offended but, watching the video clips of the two of them and listening to the bad language, Ross shouts at one point "He f****d your granddaughter", made me wonder just how far and fast the BBC has fallen from the Reithian ideals that made it a world class broadcaster.

I think a lot of the blame lies with the Controller of Radio 2, Lealie Douglas. She has pursued the Radio 1 youff audience to the detriment of the Radio 2 baby boomers. She replaced Johnie Walker on the drive time show with a similarly fowl mouthed and controversial Chris Evans and she seems to have Tery Wogan in her sights.

I think this maybe comeuppance time for Ms Douglas.

The other issue has to be the attention that will focus on the license fee due to Ross's obscene £6m a year. As the recession bites into household budgets and the clamour from other broadcasters for both a share of the license fee pot and a limit on the BBC's use of that fee to dominate the online market, one or two questions will be asked in the ivory towers.


Brand and Ross - Should they go?

Post 8

Taff Agent of kaos

how would Wossy react to someone in his audience, an old boy friend shouted "I F*many*D your daughter!!!!!!!

smiley - bat


Brand and Ross - Should they go?

Post 9

Alfster

Yes, it's a shame they have suspended his programme it would have been fun for the audience to get organised and some start shouting:

'I've ducked your wife'
'No, I've ducked your wife'
'I've ducked your wife'
'Even Spartacus has ducked your wife.'

Considering his kids are under-age I would consider that a step too far even to teach him a lesson.

His wife on the other hand smiley - drool.


Brand and Ross - Should they go?

Post 10

Otto Fisch ("Stop analysing Strava.... and cut your hedge")


I think Brand and Ross should both be placed on the Sachs Offenders' Register....

smiley - run (not my joke, but I felt compelled to share) smiley - run


Brand and Ross - Should they go?

Post 11

Alfster

Genius...front page quote!


Brand and Ross - Should they go?

Post 12

Wand'rin star

I was very recently almost crying with laughter at Rossy's TV show, but I don't think he'll come back from this stupid,schoolboyish behaviour. Far too many people are jealous of his current salary and some of them have the power to stop it. smiley - starsmiley - star


Brand and Ross - Should they go?

Post 13

Mister Matty

*sigh* No, nobody should be sacked over this and anyone joining-in the pitchfork waving should be ashamed of themselves.

What they did was wrong, it shouldn't have been broadcast (Sachs supposedly asked Brand's producer not to broadcast it but he did so anyway), they owe Sachs and his granddaughter a public apology and the BBC should instruct its producers to exercise more discipline in the studio and fine should be levied if this happens again. That's it.

This has been blown-up because the press wanted to attack the BBC, Brand and Ross for unrelated reasons and they're getting their way. It's all pretty disgraceful.


Brand and Ross - Should they go?

Post 14

Mister Matty

"how would Wossy react to someone in his audience, an old boy friend shouted "I F*many*D your daughter!!!!!!!"

He'd probably think it was a step too far and accept an apology from whoever did it. Brand and Ross apologised to Sachs and he accepted, he's been very gracious about the whole thing. The same can't be said for the hacks using him as an excuse for their usual nastiness.


Brand and Ross - Should they go?

Post 15

minichessemouse - Ahoy there me barnacle!

ok, having just lisrened to the offending portion of the show, i think it was an off the cuff remark, neither of them should be fired or resign, An apology really should be enough.

minismiley - mouse


Brand and Ross - Should they go?

Post 16

Taff Agent of kaos

Glad Brand has gone

now maybe we can have a decent show on R2 on a saturday night

and not the ravings of a narcissistic goth wannabe celebrity swordsman

Lets Rock!!!!!!!

smiley - bat


Brand and Ross - Should they go?

Post 17

swl

Kenny Everett was sacked for less. (When we had an Empire, we were ruled by an Empress. When we were a kingdom, we were ruled by a king. Now we're a country, we're ruled by Margaret Thatcher)

Chris Evans had a spot on Virgin radio where he encouraged people to have a daily rant, ending with the tag-line - "You p*ss me off". After he egged an 8 year old girl on, Richard Branson called in (on-air) and firmly rebuked him. He was sacked 2 days later.

In this case, the BBC *approved* the pre-recorded piece before allowing it to air, then spent 2 days describing it as a "prank". Their editorial bloggers are scribbling away trying to defend the pair's actions.

Never mind if the remarks were offensive, edgy or even funny - they were illegal. Most employees bringing their company into disrepute by making malicious phone calls would be sacked.

The media hullabaloo has only arisen because the BBC did not act swiftly and decisively.


Brand and Ross - Should they go?

Post 18

WanderingAlbatross - Wing-tipping down the rollers of life's ocean.

The BBC is in a priviledged position both domestically and globally. The face of the UK worldwide, funded by a license tax. They host this playground for us. But along with that priviledge goes responsibility.

Also along with a £6m contract goes responsiblity. It may well be the antithesis of spontaneous wit or pushing the boundaries of humour but like it or not standards have to be kept high. Heads have got to roll.

Do you really want the image of the UK, broadcast to the world and played ad nauseam on YouTube and sanctioned by their employer to be two middle class bullies inviting somebody to commit sucide because one of them slept with his granddaughter.


Brand and Ross - Should they go?

Post 19

badger party tony party green party

Well there are several things at play here and I cant agree more with Zagreb's summation of the situation, but Brand Ross and the BBC put themselves out on alimb and as such I have very little sympathy for the trial by media they are being subject to.

Even Brown has put the boot in, obviously a politician has to play to the masses and he may well have not wanted to look out of step with the moral majority but I sense an edgy of reprisal in his comments. How many times have the BBC or comedians had a pop at him?

The BBC should have known better and dealt with the aftermath more speedily, scandals albbeit forthy mediaones are best dealt with immediately or the taint spreads.

I think that they couls for the good of the BBc sack Ross. Decades back the best thing they did was get rid of big hitters like Edmonds and Travis. Edmonds got back on to the BBC and was more successful than before while someof the other neiches left open by the cull were filled by new blood that refocused the BBCs output and reinvigorated it.

I dont mind a dirty joke but Ross' inanae vulgarity has no point, IM not aware of any boundaries he was pushing. He had the opportunity to push one by NOT apologising.

Here's the kicker for me the grandaughter in question is a member of a group called "The Demonic Sluts", this is the shrinking violetspast they exposed to Sachs.

If Ross had pushed a boundary and exposed or challenged the double standards and hypocrisy of the media then Id have some sympathy for him but he chose to play the good little boy who knows which side his bread is buttered on.


Brand and Ross - Should they go?

Post 20

swl

<>

Ah, she was "asking for it" was she?


Key: Complain about this post