Finally, the whole Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand/ Andrew Sachs/ Daily Mail row seems to have run its course.
I’m annoyed with myself for being so interested in it. And for at least initially, agreeing with the Daily Mail.
Because it is out of order to phone up and old man, then brag about having sex with his granddaughter. So what that she’s a Satanic dancer, or whatever. So what that she’s exploited the situation to get her picture in every national and regional paper out there. So what that she did have sex with Russell Brand. And so what that Andrew Sachs is in the public eye and is only famous for a mildly racist portrayal of a Spanish waiter.
It wasn’t on. It wasn’t. Sachs has no doubt got a rose-tinted picture of his grandaughter and the last thing he needs is an image of Russell Brand sliming all over her.
Personally, I think Jonathan Ross was far more guilty than Brand. It was Ross that blurted out “he fxxxxx your grandaughter”. He started it all. Course the BBC should have known they’d gone too far and not put it out.
Then, I though Russell Brand came across quite well when he quit his radio job. He was clearly disappointed he’d caused so much upset, he apologised personally to Sachs, and I ended up quite liking him.
Ross on the other hand has hidden away, waiting for it to all blow over, and he will return in a few weeks to his lucrative BBC job, with no harm done. And to be fair, much as he sometimes annoys me, why not? Nobody died, there was no lasting damage and Sachs seems to have forgiven the pair, so why can’t the rest of us.
Specifically, why can’t the Daily Mail? Ok, I initially agreed with the Mail, but after the first story, I soon left its side.
The Daily Mail thinks it is the the guardian of public morality. Not for me, thank-you. I find the Mail’s coverage of asylum seekers, foreigners, gypsies, and even the Royals and Strictly Come Dancing more offensive.
After it got the public on its side by slating Brand and Ross, it seemed to think it could sensor anything deemed offensive in the Mail newsroom. Like a joke about the Queen on Mock The Week.
Directly phoning and leaving an offensive message on an old man’s answerphone is in poor taste. Making a joke about a public figure, how ever unseemly, isn’t. Back off Daily Mail, let the middle-aged housewives and middle management of middle England think for themselves.
And going back to Andrew Sachs, even Prime Minister Gordon Brown jumped on the bandwagon by slating Ross and Brand. Why? Isn’t there a financial crisis they should be dealing with? What about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan? But no, it’s more important for them to appear outraged at a comment made to Manuel.
It was the same with John Sergeant leaving Strictly Come Dancing, with Anne Widecome saying the judges should be sacked. Why get involved Anne? Have you nothing relevant to say about Britain’s financial crisis, or is it that no-one cares what you think about anything important.
Anyway, for now, I’ll wait for the Mail and the politicians to find a new folk devil to blame all of society’s ills on.
Richie71's Weblog 