Right Wing BBC

Driving back from visiting my mother yesterday I switched on Radio 4. On Pick Of The Week, presenter Gerry Anderson's first selection was made in order to illustrate his low opinion of sociology, his second to show how worthless he thought the Sixties counterculture. Catch his drift? A little later, I re-tuned to Five Live and heard Jeff Randall on Weekend Business ask one of his guests, a (female) magazine company boss, why images of voluptuous women so often appear on the covers of her products in what he called "these politically correct times." Later, when I'd got home, I caught a little of The Westminster Hour which included a report on immigration, featuring contributions from a succession of speakers claiming there was far too much of it.

None of these examples of a right-wing mindset colouring BBC programmes particularly bothered me. I found it incongruous that Anderson was so opinionated, Randall's question illogical - if those magazine covers represent the antithesis of "political correctness" then their very ubiquity suggests that these times are not, in fact "politically correct" - and The Westminster Hour report, a little one-dimensional. But other BBC output leans a little to the left and so I think, all things considered, that an overall political neutrality is maintained. Of course, some on the right are obsessed by the idea that the BBC is loaded against them and bang on about it relentlessly. Perhaps that's the trouble with we lefty liberals: when, as happens quite often, the Corporation leans to the right, we are far too well balanced to fly into a rage.

Comments

[Chip Dale]

I always wonder about the same thing. Not for the first time in recent days, I wonder if it's not just a certain very small and insular segment of society that believes they form opinion but only because they fail to see the broader picture in which their views are relatively insignificant.

I bumped into Bernie Clifton the other day, walking around my local shopping centre dressed as an ostrich. That was Clifton, not me (I’ve blogged on this surreal incident). But my point is that he was very old style funny. There was nothing politically correct about his act and people clearly found him funny. Which set me to thinking that most people don’t give a damn about being politically correct unless they're in a certain context. The phrase probably doesn’t even mean much to them, except when used pejoratively as a means of saying ‘I suppose I shouldn’t think or feel that’. Yet, of course, they will continue to think and feel whatever they do think or feel. It’s the problem with political correctness: it contains the contradiction that by existing it posits the opposites it hopes to eradicate.

A friend who teaches has recently been banned from using stepladders until she's had the right on-the-job training. Of course, in her everyday life she will carry on using stepladders, running with scissors, crossing when the green man is flashing, etc. In fact, she’s probably more determined to do so. In terms of humour and opinion, the majority of people are probably the same. It’s just in certain contexts that people maintain a certain pretence and acknowledge what they should feel, say, or do. It’s quite different to making them believe in it.

In other words, you can stop men liking looking large breasts about as easily as you can stop people laughing at a knock-kneed man in an ostrich suit.

There. That’s my best stab at making a sensible comment for a change, and I just hope it makes up for my drunkenness of the other night and for which I was very ashamed. I hope you don’t ban me from your blog. I’d have nowhere else to go.

[DaveHill]

Oh, Chip. A man who takes his clothes off in front of others will always have a place to go - even if it's only prison.

[Jane Henry]

Dave very interesting post as usual. I actually think the Beeb gets it about right most considering Thatcher and Blair have both accused it of bias. My right wing friends always think it is too socialist and my left wing friends the opposite. As a wishy washy sit on the fence kind of gal (I can simultaneously hold two opposing trains of thought without apparent contradiction), I don't find it particularly pro or anti either. I think they do their job right when they highlight things like the David Kelly story (even though they got aspects of the way they did it wrong), and I just love watching Paxo laying into politicians who won't answer the question properly.

I think Chip may have a point about political correctness in that people will carry on thinking/doing as they normally do, but I do have a worry that if we live in a society where certain things become unsayable in certain situations, then a) intolerant and nasty thoughts simply get driven underground and b) it maybe the start of something more sinister and extrapolation takes us to 1984 and the Thought Police. Oh dear. I seem to be back where I was in the Trevor Phillips debate....

Still interesting food for thought as ever, which is stopping me getting back to my wip...

And Chip, I don't go visiting your blog all that often, but I did after I saw the comment you left here and I thought it was hilarious. Hope your hangover somewhat improved!

[Tim Footman]

The BBC just can't win. I remember when the Queen Mother died, and normal programming bit the dust: surely an example of pro-monarchist political bias, and a slap in the face to licence payers of a republican hue. But did the Daily Mail applaud such a stance? No, they complained that Peter Sissons was wearing an inappropriate tie.

[Chip Dale]

Jane, that's very good of you to say that. I hope you'll visit me more often and will now support my campaign to become leader of the Liberal Democrats.

[Jane Henry]

Chip if you become the leader of the Lib Dems I might start voting for them again!

[DaveHill]

You're all banned.

[Chip Dale]

I knew it would come to this...

[Pants]

Hi Dave

I'm a bit scared to enter this debate as it's got quite vicious now but, I'd like to offer my best wishes to Nick Abendanon for the Rugby World Cup Final. I'm not sure if he's right or left wing but I do hope he does well.

xxx

Pants

[DaveHill]

Stop being so bloody even-handed, MsPants! You're banned too!

[Somebody Who Isn't Chip Dale Because He's Banned]

Okay, now you've actually made me laugh and that's not right and totally inappropriate for a blog.

[Someone who isn't Jane Henry, because that's not her real name anyway, and she is also banned]

Now you've both made me laugh. jx

[marc]

bbc right wing bias,ha ha who the hell are you trying to kid .good grief man.