I’m with Nathaniel - frankly I couldn’t muster up much enthusiasm to care for how many seats Labour lost or the Tories won or whether the Libdems had a great night. But what the hell was the BBC coverage about?
I realise that people are increasingly becoming apathetic to politics. But that’s most likely because our politicians are not very interesting and our democratic institutions aren’t all that democratic.
Surely its NOT because we’re dumb idiots who have trouble paying attention or understanding how percentages move up or down. Jesus, I felt deeply patronised last night, especially by the idiot who dreamed up those pathetic graphics that Jeremy Vine had to refer to every five minutes.
The BBC executive who thought of the Wild West theme and forced Vine to accompany it with an American accent should be shot on spot.
They literally repeated it constantly just in case we’d forgotten it from 15 minutes ago like Goldfish.
What annoyed me even more was the continually repeated graphic of Gordon Brown going from Stalin to Mr Bean. Now, I get the jibe…. it was funny when Vince Cable made it for a little while even though Guido Fawkes dragged it out like an immature drunk-driver. But to repeat it every 15 minutes like a gleeful little kid? Is that what the BBC now calls political commentary? It really was a pathetic spectacle. At one point when they asked Vince Cable about what he thought of their graphic he looked distinctly uncomfortable. Even he could tell they went over the top.
Maybe, being pro-establishment as they are, BBC executives have decided they must now suck up to the Conservative Party now that the wind is blowing in that direction. Either way, if Iain Dale complains from now that the BBC is biased against the Tories I will start calling him a conspiracy loon.
It was so bad if this was the United States I would have happily sat through Fox News. Sky’s coverage was way more respectable and professional. The BBC just took us for dumb idiots with Attention Deficiency Disorder.
/end of rant.
I’m now off to bed.
Either way, if Iain Dale complains from now that the BBC is biased against the Tories I will start calling him a conspiracy loon.
But you always did…
The coverage was dreadful as you say - the BBC lost it a very long time ago.
I’m glad you’re no longer in denial anyway!
To be fair to Iain Dale, he is saying much the same about the Vine stuff as you, Sunny.
Not only that, but Luke Akehurst will confirm that during the Election Night Rehearsal at the BBC on Wednesday afternoon I told the editor of the programme and David Dimbleby that I thought the Stalin sequence bordered on editorialising and if I were a Labour press officer I’d be spitting blood about it.
Sunny, does this mean you will be removing that pro-BBC sticker from PP?
It was shockingly bad. The various guest politicians were obviously too polite to mention it, though they all looked fairly dumbfounded at various points throughout the evening. The only people capable of pointing out how dreadful the graphics were were the bloggers (if memory serves, Alix said quite straightforwardly that the reaction from the blogosphere was negative, which caused Emily Maitlis to move swiftly on to something else).
Yes, Alix did mention that the blogosphere was reacting negatively to Vine, and Maitliss did swiftly move along.
I actually didn’t mind the Jeremy Vine silliness first time around, but when he started doing his Stalin Mr Bean thing the third time around then I was getting fed up.
My bigger complaint is David Dimbleby. He seemed totally clueless as to what was going on, he frequently interrupted politicians after they had just started asking questions, several times he introduced the wrong thing, his commentary on the changes to councillors didn’t keep up with the graphics. I think the BBC need to move him on and find someone else. Huw Edwards would probably be able to keep up with the pace, for instance.
But you always did…
No I don’t…
if I were a Labour press officer I’d be spitting blood about it.
Yeah, true…
Sunny, does this mean you will be removing that pro-BBC sticker from PP?
I’m thinking about it…
Yes, Alix did mention that the blogosphere was reacting negatively to Vine, and Maitliss did swiftly move along.
She practically cut her off in trying to move on! BBC can’t bloody take criticism these days.. its shocking.
[…] you just know when the Beeb has got it badly wrong when Iain Dale complained during rehearsals that the Beeb’s ‘Stalin to Bean’ shtick was perilously close to […]
Quote Sunny: “Maybe, being pro-establishment as they are, BBC executives have…”
But I don’t see BBC executives as being pro-establishment. By the method of appointment, BBC execs (board and management) are inevitably drawn from the boss class. That does not mean that every appointee agrees with a party line or a boss class consensus.
What is “the establishment” and how does it work?
What is “the establishment” and how does it work?
At a time like this, ‘the establishment’ is whoever looks most likely to win the next general election and end up as the Beeb’s ‘boss’.
And another thing….shouldn’t we steer clear of gratutious references to Paul Staines and drink-driving? Otherwise we are no better than those right-wing bloggers who continually refer to John Hirst as an “axe murderer.”
shouldn’t we steer clear of gratutious references to Paul Staines and drink-driving?
Mmmm…. let me see… no.
John served his time, paid his debt to society and all that justice done stuff, Guido has yet to do likewise - until then he’s fair game.
Is Portillo ill? He looks terribly gaunt these days. Austin Mitchell delivered the best line of the night, John McDonnell’s face whilst Andy Burnham droned on was priceless, Ed Milliband makes me feel sick and Eric Pickles went an alarming shade of purple when Sarah Teather got on his nerves. The least said about Jeremy Vine, the better.
“I realise that people are increasingly becoming apathetic to politics.”
Er, is that why turnout in 2008 was up?
“Surely its NOT because we’re dumb idiots who have trouble paying attention or understanding how percentages move up or down.”
Apparently so in Sunny’s case, at least regarding turnout.
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