Should Ross and Brand get sacked?

[LEE]

The same newspapers so terribly shocked by this behaviour commit similar and worse offenses every day.

Could you quote an example from today's newspaper ?

I've only bought a few newspapers in my entire life and none for around 15 years that I can remember.

If someone hands me a copy of the Sun or the Mirror though,  I predict I can highlight several 'stories' in each that are complete works of fiction at the expense of some celebrity/footballer/politician.  

PS.  The recording of the call is on Youtube. 

Hummers, exactly.  I love it when the Press's sensibilities are offended, they are an amazingly sensitive lot when the mood takes them.

This wasn't a wierd sex-crime type call, it was a stupid prank that went wrong.  Russell Brand sounds quite shocked and apologetic for Ross's outburst.

Let Andrew Sachs decide I say, if he decides to prosecute then fair enough, that's his choice, but let's hold back from parading up to the Castle with lit torches for a while.

Disregarding this incident though, just don't listen to Ross or Brand if you don't like them.  I pay my TV license as well even though I know full well the BBC are going to piss millions of it away on 'My Family' or "The One That's Identical to My Family but with Nicolas Lyndhurst Instead of Robert Linsay", I just don't watch it.

If you sack Jonathon Ross you may get Chris Moyles, be careful what you wish for.

[Jaded]

Presumably Jonathan Ross would have no problem with someone leaving a message on his answerphone saying

"I fucked Betty Kitten and Honey Kinny and they enjoyed it. I used a condom" And then laughed along with a couple of million people.

[rogerzilla]

I've never worked out why Jonathan Ross is so highly paid.  He's just an arrogant bloke with a slight speech impediment.  Never seen any real talent.

[alan]

They should be sacked & prosecuted. BBC staff should be disciplined also.

[bobb]

I read about this today and got around to listening to it half an hour ago. It wasn't funny and made me cringe. They need their wrists slapping as it was in poor taste, but being prosecuted? What the fuck for?

[Flying_Monkey]

[I've heard some complete tripe from BBC radio recently, more than ever in fact.  

You have some examples of particular incidents from a massive number of programmes that are produced on more than 50 channels (if one includes local radio). In the meantime, the number of quality programmes being produced by the BBC is higher than ever. I can assure you that having experienced state-funded TV in a number of countries including Italy, Japan and Canada we have it very good indeed - in fact the best things on Canadian TV were BBC programmes anyway - Japan has the most dull TV ever and RAI is simply biased trash. There are certainly some individual things very much worth complaining about at the BBC, including the incident in the OP - I am not really sure about your last example as I tend to share the commentator's opinion in this case and certainly it seems to be an opinion that has some evidence to back it up - but this does not add up to the BBC being 'the red top' of British broadcasting, except with the most enormous exaggeration or a very pessimistic outlook. 

[Hummers]

[I've heard some complete tripe from BBC radio recently, more than ever in fact.  

.......but this does not add up to the BBC being 'the red top' of British broadcasting, except with the most enormous exaggeration or a very pessimistic outlook. 

The Toady prgramme.

I have come to the end of my tether with it and am seriously thinking of setting the clock radio to Radio 2 *shudder*.

H

[clarion]

Andrew Sachs is too nice a guy to do anything about it, I think.

[nuttycyclist]

I just caught it on the news.  Cringeworthy.

I view it as Jonathon Ross being easily led astray, maybe to fit in with his peers?  (result of bullying due to speech impediment as a child?); and Russell Brand being an utter idiot I can't stand - as I have posted on here before.

Personally I'd like Brand to be revealed as the untalented unfunny moron he is, and sacked, and Ross (who I generally like tbh) to get a decent slapping over the wrists for being silly enough to try to fit in with Brand and sidelined for a while.

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

I have come to the end of my tether with it and am seriously thinking of setting the clock radio to Radio 2 *shudder*.

H

That's fine as long as it doesn't go off till 7.30am. Sarah Kennedy will have you wanting to hit her in the face with a claw-hammer. Trust me.

[ibrahim]

The whole thing just confirms why I gave away my TV and stopped paying the license fee 2 years ago: BBC simply doesn't deliver sufficient programming which would not otherwise have been produced by commercial stations.

Brand and Ross are both people who should not have been hired in the first place. 

[bobb]

One thing I find amusing is that people who actually bother to listen to Radio 2 constantly moan about it. The last time I ever polluted my ears with such nonsense was in 1978 when my grandmother insisted on listening to it on a painful journey from Dorset to Manchester in an HB Vauxhall Viva. Never again.....

[Polar Bear]

[I've heard some complete tripe from BBC radio recently, more than ever in fact.  

You have some examples of particular incidents from a massive number of programmes that are produced on more than 50 channels (if one includes local radio). In the meantime, the number of quality programmes being produced by the BBC is higher than ever. I can assure you that having experienced state-funded TV in a number of countries including Italy, Japan and Canada we have it very good indeed - in fact the best things on Canadian TV were BBC programmes anyway - Japan has the most dull TV ever and RAI is simply biased trash. There are certainly some individual things very much worth complaining about at the BBC, including the incident in the OP - I am not really sure about your last example as I tend to share the commentator's opinion in this case and certainly it seems to be an opinion that has some evidence to back it up - but this does not add up to the BBC being 'the red top' of British broadcasting, except with the most enormous exaggeration or a very pessimistic outlook. 

I like a good discussion:  I like some controversy.  I don't like abuse of position, lack of respect of others, lack of consideration for others, full stop. 

I happen to think that neither Alan Green, nor any public broadcaster has the right to call anybody a moron.   These fans paid their money, not corporate hospos, real moola.  They have a right to express their dissatisfaction in what is in reality not a very hostile way when one of those they have paid to be entertained by screws up.   I reserve that right too.  Imagine it:  Orchestrated 'southern plum' protestation of "Now look here old chap, that was rather a poor show, what?"   Green overstepped the mark, end of in my view.  I don't mid if he says that in his view these guys shouldn't boo, they should get behind the team.  Spot on.  But to insult them, the ticket payers, the license payers, the people who keep him in his cushy well-paid position...

To be honest I'm not bothered what other public broadcasters around the world are like.  This is the BBC and it would be good if they could maintain very high standards across the offering.

That's all I have to say on the subject.

Oh, except that I'm very glad that I don't have a television or other receiving equipment for broadcast TV and thus do not need a TV license.

[nuttycyclist]

One thing I find amusing is that people who actually bother to listen to Radio 2 constantly moan about it. The last time I ever polluted my ears with such nonsense was in 1978 when my grandmother insisted on listening to it on a painful journey from Dorset to Manchester in an HB Vauxhall Viva. Never again.....

Some shows I love, some I turn off.  I don't moan though, but I can understand why some people do.

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

One thing I find amusing is that people who actually bother to listen to Radio 2 constantly moan about it.

I only moan about Sarah Kennedy. The rest of it's either quite good, or not so bad that it makes me want to complain. It's changed a lot since 1978.

[LEE]

I've never worked out why Jonathan Ross is so highly paid. 

Popularity?

Presumably Jonathan Ross would have no problem with someone leaving a message on his answerphone saying

"I fucked Betty Kitten and Honey Kinny and they enjoyed it. I used a condom" And then laughed along with a couple of million people.

We aren't talking about the rape of a minor here,  let's at least get things in perspective, she is 23 and has, for all I know, been fkd by Brand in her time spent with him.

I doubt whether her Grandad needed to know that and I think we all agree it was stupid thing to do and upsetting for him.  But sacking? prosecuting?  Why isn't an unreserved apology enough in a case like this?

I view it as Jonathon Ross being easily led astray, maybe to fit in with his peers?  (result of bullying due to speech impediment as a child?); and Russell Brand being an utter idiot I can't stand - as I have posted on here before.

Personally I'd like Brand to be revealed as the untalented unfunny moron he is, and sacked, and Ross (who I generally like tbh) to get a decent slapping over the wrists for being silly enough to try to fit in with Brand and sidelined for a while.

1. It was Jonathon Ross who made the comment and Russell Brand who was instantly apologetic and seemingly embarrassed

2. I don't think Ross is easily led.  It was his fault, he said it, he's in his late '40s. He's perfectly capable of being responsible for his own actions I would think.

3. You can't sack Brand and slap Ross's wrists based on the fact you prefer Ross to Brand.

The whole thing sseems like a crass mistake to me.  They are 2 very popular presenters (not with YACF it seems) and I for one would rather like to continue listening to them.

Having said that, if they get sacked I'll still be able to listen to them on whichever station they turn up on so I don't really care either way (except Radio 2 is such a good signal here)

The BBC will just spend our money on Ant & Dec or trying to squeeze Vanessa Felts through a hole in a wall instead.

[nuttycyclist]

<snipped as relating to Rogerzilla's post>

I view it as Jonathon Ross being easily led astray, maybe to fit in with his peers?  (result of bullying due to speech impediment as a child?); and Russell Brand being an utter idiot I can't stand - as I have posted on here before.

Personally I'd like Brand to be revealed as the untalented unfunny moron he is, and sacked, and Ross (who I generally like tbh) to get a decent slapping over the wrists for being silly enough to try to fit in with Brand and sidelined for a while.

1. It was Jonathon Ross who made the comment and Russell Brand who was instantly apologetic and seemingly embarrassed

2. I don't think Ross is easily led.  It was his fault, he said it, he's in his late '40s. He's perfectly capable of being responsible for his own actions I would think.

3. You can't sack Brand and slap Ross's wrists based on the fact you prefer Ross to Brand.

The whole thing sseems like a crass mistake to me.  They are 2 very popular presenters (not with YACF it seems) and I for one would rather like to continue listening to them.

Having said that, if they get sacked I'll still be able to listen to them on whichever station they turn up on so I don't really care either way (except Radio 2 is such a good signal here)

The BBC will just spend our money on Ant & Dec or trying to squeeze Vanessa Felts through a hole in a wall instead.

1& 2) I'm going from BBC article, which I can't find at the moment, which said "Ross admitted getting carried away".  Also Brand seemed to make the comments first from the BBC articles I've seen to date.

3) Yes I acknowledge you can't sack Brand and slap Ross's wrists due to my preferences.  How about sacking Brand as he's shite and never been funny?

[Chris S]

It's all irrelevant to me now. I won't watch anything of theirs again (though I've never watched anything of Russell Brand since deciding he was about as funny as diarrhoea) . Will they care? Nope.

All hail the power of the OFF button  .

[Torslanda]

Sack Jonathan Ross!

Save a friggin' fortune AND get some REAL talent on a Saturday morning!

Sack Russell Brand!

Save a friggin' fortune AND get some REAL talent on a Saturday evening!

Since when was quality broadcasting a series of 'umms' and 'errrs' or a complete load of bollocks that no one who isn't in radio understands?

I've stopped listening on Saturday morning cos it ceased to be funny about 5 years ago when it turned into childish shite!

I don't listen on a Saturday evening because I don't want to be assaulted with 3rd year assenine shit from someone who wouldn't understand 'mature' even if you hit him with a 2cwt piece of 10yr old Cheddar!

Don't EVER let me meet either of these pricks!

J

[Jaded]

(in reply to LEE)*

It wouldn't have been a crass mistake in a pub to mates. it was live, on air and they left it on an answerphone.

Is it clear that Brand knows his granddaughter?

If not are you saying that because she is 23 you can say those things about her? Do we know if she is vulnerable?

Are you saying that when Ross's daughters are 23 that's appropriate behaviour?

*clarification

[Hummers]

It wouldn't have been a crass mistake in a pub to mates. it was live, on air and they left it on an answerphone.

Surely it was a crass mistake whatever the circumstances if the target of the call is deeply offended and you didn't mean to cause offence?

Also, it wasn't live and was aired two days later it was recorded.

H

[Regulator]

And it wasn't just one phone call - it was a series of calls made by the two of them.

Quite frankly, the two of them should be sacked.  If you or I had made abusive or prank phone calls at work, we would be sacked - why should it be any different for these two talentless wankers celebs?

[Flying_Monkey]

Also, it wasn't live and was aired two days later it was recorded.

That just means that the producer needs to be reprimanded too.

In general: there is a limit. Just because some people find something funny, this in itself does not provide any ethical justification for the action. Simply put, humour on its own is not a defence. It's not 'edgy' (because that would imply some kind of intelligent politics at work), it was both crass and wrong. Anyone with a working brain should have been able to see that. I suspect that when you are being paid £6M a year, ethics tend to disappear off your radar, however...

[Gandalf]

Ross' comment on his show on Friday tells me all I need to know about the level of his arrogance.  

He gave Daniel Craig a 'gift' and said something along the lines of 'don't worry I used my money, not the licence payer's money, though essentially it's the same thing'.  'nuff said.

[Ariadne]

He gave Daniel Craig a 'gift' and said something along the lines of 'don't worry I used my money, not the licence payer's money, though essentially it's the same thing'.  'nuff said.

But - that was funny! He knows that everyone knows he gets paid ludicrous amounts of money - and so he jokes about it.

Both Ross and Brand can sometimes be really funny - and sometimes not, it's true. I think what they did this time was really really stupid - I think they just got carried away and were idiots. But they're popular because they make a lot of people laugh.