Ross and Brand vs. Civilisation

[paulvonscott]

It is only the right decision because the media have inflated the issue beyond all imagining and so the mob have to be appeased with a human sacrifice.

While it is perhaps a justifiable reason for people to get on their high horses, the main reasons underlying this are:

People don't like Ross and/or Brand.

Jonathon Ross gets paid a lot of money.

Much of the Media, including the Daily Mail and the Murdoch owned papers, actively despise the BBC and any stick to beat them with is a good one.  As Russell Brand sells papers, it really is a win-win situation.

You can't defend what Brand and Ross said, but the reaction to it deserves a lot of criticism.

As always, there's no room for a reasoned debate, just media madness.  We live in an age of hysteria.

[Mardroid]

It is only the right decision because the media have inflated the issue beyond all imagining and so the mob have to be appeased with a human sacrifice.

I agree in the sense that this action was probably only made because of the uproar, which is a shame. In short I think the right decision was made, albeit for the wrong reasons.

[Proudhuff]

Meanwhile back in the real world:

//http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7696197.stm

[Pete Wells]

Aw fuck it, Brand has resigned from the BBC now. Very annoying.

//http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7698417.stm

[Gavin_Leahy_Block]

Right, looking in from across the water I find this a bit ridicules. Yes they played a childish prank on someone who was suppose to be appearing on the show, but look who were dealing with, Jonathan Ross, who when he is at his best can be very entertaining and Russell Brand, who I never rated until I saw his show on Jack Kerouac's On the Road.
This is the reason shows have editors and producers and thus should never have appeared on the air. The whole situation has been blown out of all proportion, how many of those who complained actually heard the show or would regularly listen to them and what right has Gordon Brown have to get involved?

[Daveycandlish]

18000 complaints!!! That's probably more listeners than the show gets on broadcast! You know what you are getting from Brand and Ross, so if you don't like their sense of humour just turn off. It's getting bloody ridiculous.

[dyl]

d'oh was looking forward to seeing frank Skinner on the show this week . Not that bothered about Brand don't find him that funny. It really has turned into a bit of a mess though hasn't it , lol. I've noticed that Sach's daughter has Max Clifford as her publicist which has probably helped make the story go quite so big.

[Dandontdare]

MANUELGATE -  DAY 2 according to the front page today's mirror. What a load of ridiculous hysteria about nothing. Has Gordon Brown not got an economic crisis to deal with without bothering about a JOKE? A joke that has given the young Lady in question (Voluptua of the Satanic Sluts) loads of nice publicity - I GUARANTEE she'll be on celebrity something or other in the next 12 months.

I mean, what can he actually do?

Hmm let's see...he's a very popular comedian....umm...could it be...make people laugh perhaps???   Sorry if that sounds sarcastic, and I get it that you don't like his act or his show, but this is possibly the daftest comment on this entire thread.

[satchmo]

I don't bother with either of them really, it sounds like the sort of shite Brand or Ricky Gervais or someone would do for laffs, but nothing that serious. However these anti-BBC stories are Murdoch's delight. The granddaughter seems to have moved into The Sun's offices, giving comments on their website every ten minutes. It reminds me of Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction a bit, which made an entire country seem retarded.

[Richmond Clements]

Hmm let's see...he's a very popular comedian....umm...could it be...make people laugh perhaps???   Sorry if that sounds sarcastic, and I get it that you don't like his act or his show, but this is possibly the daftest comment on this entire thread.

He has an act?

He's an utterly talentless twat. If you think that's daft then I'm sorry, but he is.

[Dandontdare]

He has an act?

yes he has a multi-million pound stand up career, with sold-out tours, DVDs and everything. Wish I was that talentless. He may be a bit of an annoying twonk, and I don't like him enough to listen to his (over-indulgent) show, but I'm not 18-30 years old anymore, so that's just the way it goes. I don't know you, but I'm guessing you're not either.

That comment instantly brought to mind my dad's favourite: "that's not singing, that's just shouting" (applied to pretty much everybody after around 1965, bar Shirley Bassey & Johnny Cash!). We try to kid ourselves when we're young that we'll always be "cool" and we won't turn into reactionary poo-pooers like our parents. The fact is though, people get old, tastes change and we get left behind. The best option is to curb the urge to spout such crapola, 'cos you'll just get the same reaction we gave when David Bowie, Johnny Rotten or Morrisey was being slagged off - if the latest overpaid celeb leaves you cold, just ignore 'em. The 'kids' (man) are the ones paying to see him, so why not wind one's neck in and just let 'em get on with it?  (Cue dozens of posts from middle-aged fanboys namechecking bleeding-edge bands and programmes to prove that they're DEFINITELY still young at heart   )

[Pete Wells]

Yes he has a multi-million pound stand up career, with sold-out tours, DVDs and everything. Wish I was that talentless.

Well said Dandontdare. I've enjoyed his radio show for a fair few years now and have often been in a belly laugh while listening to it. Yes, he can be a self indugent fool but he also shows flashes of brilliance and individuality that no other British commedians today can touch. I recently saw him live and he was excellent and thoroughly charming.

I believe the number of complaints is up to 27,000 now. It makes me so angry my favourite radio show of the week has been killed off by the misguided hysteria of people who have probably never even heard the man or the incident.

[Dandontdare]

I believe the number of complaints is up to 27,000 now.

It's not really a complaints dept anymore, it's turned into some kind of bizarre phone-poll

[Gavin_Leahy_Block]

I hate unkindness & rudeness but how can one ever be on the same side as the Daily Mail?

[Roger Godpleton]

I dread to think what will happen if Dacre doesn't get his way and he resorts to leading Mel, the rubbish Hitchens brother and the rest of the gang on a suicide attack on Television Centre armed with a shitload of crappy free DVDs and Genesis best ofs.