This Brand/Ross malarkey

[EDOldie]

Sean get real, this is self serving publicity of the worst sort, it's contrived and typical of the BBC and their celebrity centred culture. Seems to have backfired on some of the over promoted bosses, but Grant & Ross will go on to greater glory and even bigger bucks. What happened to PSB?

[david_carnell]

EDOldie - I'm sorry but that is complete cock. If it was an attempt at self publicity you would have thought they would have tried to get more than two complaints. And leaving prank call messages doesn't shriek controversy to me. Singing songs about Joseph Fritzl; making jokes about rape - see, that's aiming high on the shock chart. If this was an attempt at controversy it was even worse than their sense of humour.

If by PSB you mean public service broadcast(er) then it still exists.

Only now, you aren't the only representative of the "public". So am I. And I want them to stay. Along with the controller of Radio 2. The editor of Mail on Sunday can fuck right off though.

[EDOldie]

OK, it's generated no publicity at all for the BBC, Ross or Brand.

It may not have been intentional (as I think I already said), they're milking it. Moral indignation opportunty for the politcos and the old guard and free publicity for everyone involved.

No PSB on the BBC. Dirty word (phrase?) since Birt.

[bon3yard]

The public isnt a single entity. Its a many faceted beast, hence the multifaceted output. Quite how Brand(notice how people in trouble are nearly always called by their surname-"Brand, the headmaster wants to see you")and his erstwhile radio programme are supposed to benefit is beyond me. The Beeb does get things wrong but it does so many things really well given its incredibly daunting remit(you will be all things to all men)and for it to be held to account for a grave error in judgement by those vested interests that look on with envy. A world without Auntie would be a terrible thing to behold, BBC4 is the only reason I watch telly at all these days(oh alright, I quite like the comedy re-runs on Dave), and I couldnt imagine weekdays without The Candyman and the ever miserable Alan Green on footie nights. People really need to get a grip and imagine life with nothing but ITV clones on the box for ever and ever and ever. The horror...the horror...

[glau]

I'm also a licence fee payer and heartily dislike The Vicar of Dibley. I actually find Dawn French's comic stlye offensive. Should we get her sacked/suspended? Also don't care for the Antiques Roadshow or whatever it is called and I do not enjoy Songs of Praise either. I am launching my petition now.

[SeanMacGabhann]

EdOldie

You've taken a healthy cynicism and run with it into a cul-de-sac. Brand and Ross will probably be fine. The BBC is not getting any good publicity out of this. this whole incident will be a stick with which the next Tory government will beat it with to an inch of it's life

(I've mangled that syntax but can't quite figure out where to fix it - forgive me)

But if it's cynical publicity seeking that bothers you, check out the grandaughter. Methinks you have a beef with the BBC generally anyway. But if it's PSB which you lament, can we have examples you approve of?

[glau]

Also - my 16 year old actually listened to BBC radio. She forgave the Archers because she enjoyed Brand. She doesn't think too highly of what has just happened which is a shame as I put a lot of effort into showing her that the BBC is not only quality talk radio but also relevant and fun.

[EDOldie]

Sean, don't think I have, it's not a cul de sac, more a one way street which leads to only one conclusion! Why is the BBC not getting any good publicity from this? Because they are the ones who have driven into the cal de sac of phoney celebrity and mediocrity. Don't the BBC realise that when you give them an inch they'll take a mile. The BBC have given their opponents the stick by moving way from what they should be doing. (does that mix enough metaphors?). Leave commercial broadcasting to commercial broadcasters. I am a massive supporter of stations supported by the licence payer in the way the BBC is, but the route they have chosen, across all their media arms is basically a commercial one which is wrong and not what I want to pay for as a licence payer. I can't think of any PSB examples. Does any such broadcasting exist these days?

Anyway thats the point (the granddaughter) all the celebs do well from this at our expense.

[Tony.London Suburbs]

Complaints are up to 41,000 now to The BBC.

[????]

Soooo to find their behaviour repugnant means that you're a Daily Mail reading, hang'em anf flog em, 'fascist'....yup that's a tolerant and well thought out viewpoint....but some what predictable

[????]

I was bored, there's no decent arguments anywhere else

[Mark]

So am I right in thinking that the entire BBC is to blame for this incident? Blimey.

[SeanMacGabhann]

;-)

well, I get what you mean

To find their behaviour repugnant isn't to make anyone a "Daily Mail reading, hang'em anf flog em, 'fascist"

I would argue with the strength of the phrase "repugnant" but on this point we are merely toying with semantics

But what would make someone a "Daily Mail reading, hang'em anf flog em, 'fascist" is to be a fascist, believe in hanging and flogging and to read The Da.... oh I see

But regardless - what is happening viz: reprisals and headline news items etc is surely by any standard way over the top no?

As Tony points out, complaints are up to 41000 - just who are these people who registered their complaint today? Having read the news over the last 2 days, is this not enough for them? They think that adding their voice will... do what exactly?

Anyone can make a judgment on how wrong they think Ross and Brand were - but it's not about that. It's about a country and media collectively going over the top

[????]

I think I agree...but maybe it is possible that it's a genuine public view that cheap, laddish, and actually bullying behaviour, by highly paid 'celebs' (and I agree Moyles et al are equally culpable) perhaps contributes to creating a culture where yobbish behaviour, 'happy slapping', and a genuine lack of respect (in the traditional sense of the world) for others is more commonplace than in the past.......

[????]

As an aside, I've just seen Mark Thompson on Newsnight...he is deeply unimpressive

[????]

but finally, my favourite website gets it right

"Brand is a juvenile arse, who is also totally unfunny.

Woss is an irritating, ego fixated, total arse.

And I wouldn't touch the Daily Mong with your bargepole.

Hope that helps."

Goodnight

[SimonM]

All these sneery references to Russell Brand by his surname only make me quite sorry for poor Jo...

[SeanMacGabhann]

Spot on about Mark Thompson as well quids

Although if the public is against bullying yobbish public behaviour I might support that - I'm just not convinced of a causal link between this incident and happy-slapping et al (didn't Manuel actually get physically slapped a lot on FT?? Ban this sick filth!!)

I would argue that the only bullying on display here is by the papers in question and bandwagon jumping complainants

[bon3yard]

Depressing.

[ChavWivaLawDegree]

They are trying to dismantle the BBC by scrapping the licence fee - now that is depressing!

[SeanMacGabhann]

oh and Bon3yard - did you crowbar a Monket Dust reference into an earlier post (the horror the horror)?

Now there was a show that if the Mail wanted to could have run riot with

[mockney piers]

"the horror the horror" I'd hazard that's a Joseph Conrad reference, but maybe I'm being all elitist and holier than thou....Monkey dust it is ;-)

ps love Monkey Dust

pps couldn't give a flying monkey's arse about this so called controversy, but I too am curious as to who these people are who are so mysteriously offended by the youtube clips of the incident they eagerly hunted down. I bet they felt deep and personal grief when their best friend Lady Di errr died.

[glau]

I'm "glau"s younger daughter. I am going to say that I liked Russell Brands radio 2 podcasts and i don't think any of the listeners (apart from the first two people that) complained would have a problem with it. I do agree however that it may have offensive to the guy and his granddaughter but no one else had a right to complain. I highly doubt that the phone call offended the entire population of daily mail readers. How many of them listen to Russell Brand anyway?

[*Bob*]

"English comedian Russell Brand is said to have yelled 'Que' while he was in bed with Andrew Sachs' granddaughter Georgina Baillie. Baillie, 23, said that though he has a ladies' man reputation, he was a 'disappointment' in bed, the Sun reported"

[SteveT]

A 'disappointment' on screen also, some of the more cynical might say.