TV, Radio and Prank Calls

It's been quite some time since I've watched television (other than Hollyoaks). It's even been a long time since I've listened to the radio, even though I work in radio. There is a reason for this, things get blown way out of proportion.

Take the recent mumbo jumbo with Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross. After a series of phone calls made to Andrew Sachs (think Faulty Towers' Manuel) mostly about his granddaughter, the county has been up in arms about it all.

In my opinion it has all been blown out of proportion. It was s couple of calls made to a man, that said some not particularly nice things about his granddaughter. However, his granddaughter is not exactly a little angel, and isn't a model citizen. In fact, her career has been highlighted in the whole episode, and is perhaps of greated embarrasment to the family than the calls were in the first place.

So all week all I've heard about is Brand and Ross. Apparently the show has 400,000 listeners, and at the end of yesterday there were 27,000 complaints. Little over an eighth of the normal listeners. I expect the majority of complaints have no come from the shows listeners, but from people who have read papers, such as The Sun and The Mail and all the rest. It's all done to provoke a reaction. And yes, I am falling into that trap, as here I am moaning about it all.

Really, it's a show with a certain callibre of listeners. If it's the type of show that you may be offended by, then you don't listen. Same as FNWJR, if you don't like it, you don't watch it, simple as. And you get on with your life.

In my opinion, there was no need for them to be suspended, and no need for Russell Brand to resign from his Radio 2 show. They both issued an apology, and Andrew Sachs was happy with this, and doesn't wish to pursue it any further. In fact, he's probably just wanting to get back to his normal quiet life. Instead both he and his granddaughter are subject to all this media attention....

What really angers me, is the fact that all this got mention in parliament. What it has to do with them I don't know. Is there nothing these days that politicians don't ruin? Can nothing be done without them being involved. Many people say the words "I don't do politics". However, if you are alive, you do politics. Because the whole thing is politics. Politicians should stick to doing what they do best, spending tax payers money on rescuing banks from bankruptcy (how ironic). Not commenting on television or radio programmes and people.

Something is always going to offend someone. Whatever is said, and however it is meant. If something offends you, don't listen/watch/read it. It's got nothing to do with today's youth, or today's oldies, or today's society. Because of politics, this land has been invanded by double standards. Everyone supposedly has the freedom of speech. And if that offends someone, so be it. But apparently this doesn't work if you are on TV or the Radio.

The worst part about the whole thing is all the time, effort and money spend on reporting what's been going on. Or the time and effort it has taken for people to write complaints......when we should be either sorting out what's happening on our own doorstep, or putting effort into making people aware of other more pressing issues going on in the world.