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Tuesday 16 October 2018

Those whom the gods would destroy

Conservative Woman has an interesting if somewhat depressing piece on the increasingly deranged BBC.

If you ever had a suspicion that your licence fee was being wasted, this should reassure you.

Yes, our deranged Auntie, the Beast in the Attic at Broadcasting House, has decreed that staff should use words such as ‘they’ or ‘them’ rather than ‘he’ or ‘she’, when addressing gender-fluid or transgender colleagues to make sure the BBC does not develop a ‘heteronormative culture’. Heaven forfend.

The Times reports, as always with a straight face: ‘The broadcaster will also review its “systems and practices” to ensure that they are inclusive of non-binary genders, and will train managers on how to support transgender staff, especially when they are transitioning.’

Sorry, there’s more. ‘In addition heterosexual BBC staff will be asked to wear badges identifying themselves as “straight allies” to help their LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) colleagues.


We may treat this kind of thing with the derision it deserves, but one reader's comment offers a far more serious point, one we may have forgotten.

Pozieres
And meanwhile we normal, little people watch this developing nonsense with disbelief and open mouthed amazement. Those whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad. Our society is now so effete and decadent that it is wholly incapable of resisting any more robust culture, however brutal and backward, that arises to sweep it away.

Indeed - this is the sharp end of the problem.

7 comments:

Scrobs. said...

As Her Beautifulness and myself, The Organic (not) Roberto O'Blene haven't watched the awful bbc news for thirteen months and counting, it'a not surprising that the tv tax goes to pay eye-watering money to worthless slebs and socialist mindless idiots who bring nothing to news or entertainment

We just buy dvds of old progs, or read good books all the time.

The bbc is shot! It's a useless tv tax for the likes of nobodies, useless info and crap leftie stuff for thickos.

Can I be more explicit?

Sam Vega said...

I decided to not pay the license fee several years ago, and my occasional perusal of the BBC website reminds me why.

I don't mind staff at the BBC having a particular ideology. I dip in and out of all sorts of news outlets, both mainstream and all kinds of lunatic fringe. I don't agree with much of what I read, but it doesn't actually bother me. What makes me angry about the BBC is their ridiculous de haut en bas patronising tone; it's like listening to a smug sixth former gently lecturing some plebs about how we need to change society.

"Nation shall speak peace unto nation", my arse. "Posh progressives shall speak pop sociology bullshit unto the rest of us" would be more apt.

Sam Vega said...

Actually, there might be some last faint flickerings of sanity. This is priceless:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-politics-45882606/bbc-s-simon-mccoy-announces-that-pippa-middleton-has-given-birth

Demetrius said...

I have always found that "Eh you" works quite well in the milieu to which I am accustomed.

A K Haart said...

Scrobs - "The bbc is shot! It's a useless tv tax for the likes of nobodies, useless info and crap leftie stuff for thickos. Can I be more explicit?"

No that's it as far as I can see.

Sam - "their ridiculous de haut en bas patronising tone" yes that's what I loathe, especially as they are so mediocre.

Your link is interesting. I'm sure at least some BBC staff see their job as far better than most jobs and well worth a few integrity compromises.

Demetrius - mine too but it wouldn't do for Auntie.

Anonymous said...

Maybe the Beeb has been infiltrated by agents of all the commercial broadcasters working to destroy the jewel in the UK firmament from the inside.
My only viewing is of some documentaries on BBC Four. And what have they done with The Sky at Night?
For radio, Radio 4 Extra still has examples of real comedy, drama and other stuff. But even there, more recent trash is intruding.

A K Haart said...

Anon - I don't know what they have done with The Sky at Night, but it's a good point. Such an endlessly fascinating subject should be exactly what the BBC is for.