[Phil]

I know what ross and russell did was wrong but i dont think the bbc should have done what they did and then for him to resign.

I never listened to him on the BBC2 only sometimes vla the podcast and he was funny and also on the moyles show.

What a shame... Funny guy... and the newspapers are really screwing him and im shocked that the PM even had to have a say!!

[TIAL]

viewtopic.php?f=35&t=19925

[Phil]

cheers. I didnt see that

[rocka23]

I think this is on topic due to the way Chris is avoiding it this morning, he sounds pathetic, I have always listened to Chris for years and never felt need to comment but his show has featured both Jonathan and Russell in the last couple of weeks and they proved themselves, as they always do, to be great guys who know their audience.

I would like to think it should be my choice whether I listen to them which is what everyone has. When millions are clearly drawn to something, in the age of so much choice, those that don't like can simply go elsewhere not hound people off the airwaves.

I feel for Chris this morning, he clearly has an opinion on this.

[MOZISGOD]

I think this is on topic due to the way Chris is avoiding it this morning, he sounds pathetic, I have always listened to Chris for years and never felt need to comment but his show has featured both Jonathan and Russell in the last couple of weeks and they proved themselves, as they always do, to be great guys who know their audience.

I would like to think it should be my choice whether I listen to them which is what everyone has. When millions are clearly drawn to something, in the age of so much choice, those that don't like can simply go elsewhere not hound people off the airwaves.

I feel for Chris this morning, he clearly has an opinion on this.

I totally agree with your comment, but Chris should grow some balls and support Russell and Jonathan.
This country has obviously lost its humour and we're gonna be left with, are a bunch of bland idiots who are too scared to open their gobs.
This ios a very sad day for the bbc.

[lima eel]

but Chris should grow some balls and support Russell and Jonathan.

I don't agree, if you'd listened, I think the numerous remarks to the 27,000 texts this morning, was clearly a show of support

This ios a very sad day for the bbc.

Agreed

[ALFIE]

I agree,

The 27,000 thing was Chris supporting.

What else can he do?

He's not best placed at the moment to bite the hand that feeds him!

I would bet money however that he's sent texts to both giving his support!

[stevepro]

I just dread to think how the so called offended people, deal with real life and some of the shit that goes on, they must be cowering in their houses if something like this causes them so much grief.

Although i wouldn't like to see him switch, Jonathan Ross should stick a finger up to the BBC for suspending him for 3 months and sign for ITV. He flipping carries them.

Totally blown out of proportion.

[stevepro]

Btw what does this mean for his Film show? Will someone take over? Or will that get suspended too?

[BBQ]

I am a daily Chris listener in San Francisco and I heard both the Jonathan and Russel interviews. They were brilliant. I read on BBC News that during Russell's BBC 2 show there were only two complaints. I think once the Daily Mail started the story, then the crap flew. So then a week later you have tens of thousands of complaints and how many are listeners? Two. They must really be upset to wait a few days or more to write such an important letter. The rest of the people are conservative who didn't freak out at the F bomb being dropped but the messages that Russell left. They didn't listen to the show. They have nothing better to do than stifle people's free speech. This reminds me of the too many narrow minded, conservative people we have here who call and write TV stations at the slightest thing.

It's 2008, when are these people going to start acting like it's this year rather than 1950?

Does anyone know if Russell's show istaped earlier and then aired or is it live?

Angry in California

[SAV1OUR]

This reminds me of the too many narrow minded, conservative people we have here who call and write TV stations at the slightest thing.

It's 2008, when are these people going to start acting like it's this year rather than 1950?

Does anyone know if Russell's show is taped earlier and then aired or is it live?

Angry in California

These are exactly my thoughts. It is a sad thing that there are some ruthless forces of Conservatism (a Blair phrase) in this country, whose relentless hatred of the BBC leads them to attempt to destroy some of the best things about it - then proceed to have another traditional moan about the license fee. The thing about older people is they lived in the 50's when all that noble stiff-upper-lipped way of life was the norm. The 'feral beast' that is the right-wing media will always do this, and whilst blowing it out of all proportion, they'll use it to beam the spotlight on their values (some of them outdated 1950's ones).

Russell's show was taped, its clear to see the tears rolling down Chris Evans's face last night as he spoke fondly of his boss who took the blame, she helped make the station more youth-friendly, if I wasn't such a fan of Moyles, I reckon Radio 2 would've been my radio home.

Barely any of us would have talked about this had the Media not exploded it, so, when the story first broke, I listened to the actual broadcast, and although the start of it Jonathan is vile, I still enjoyed the madness and pure insanity of how the pair of them tried to fan the flames, with all the sense of Homer Simpson in a panic. I've uploaded this bit - "Yes Jonathan.." He said to his partner in crime, as he stared into the abyss that was his career.. "..You're right, only by doing the exact thing we did three times already will we make the situation better".

Simply, they did the very dangerous thing of putting Wossy in the studio, more or less like handing them petrol and matches. Woss hangs out with Russ to try and be 'down with' the new comedian on the block, and Russ looks up to the Beeb's great veteran broadcaster Ross to try and impress him, so, as they both claim - they got lost in their little world of madness and mayhem in that studio.

[in4308]

Does anybody else think that this may have an impact on chris' show?

I Do. In the email that Mark Thompson sent to staff he said there was to be a big review of there radio networks and the way in which they're produced, etc.

http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Media/documents/2008/10/31/thompsonemail.pdf

[Boboff]

Andrew Mar recently commented that the BBC is inherently liberal, it places all it's Adverts for Jobs in the Gaurdian, and in 2007 of the 50'000 odd BBC employees who registered for Myspace or facebook or somesuch, of the ones who put a political alliance only 3% said it was conservative. The local UKIP MP was quoting that it's the reason why they don'y let more people like Markool have their views broadcast on the BBC. Personally I am not so sure that would be a good thing.

[joe_the_critic]

I have a lot more respect for Brand than I do for Ross.At least Brand had the decency to fall on his own sword and apologise in person.Ross by comparison is a slimy greedy old man.I pray he never comes back to the BBC

[Yudster]

How exactly did Brand "fall on his sword"? He apologised (although it seemed clear that he didn't actually have much idea what he had done wrong), and resigned - which he has apparently been threatening to do on a regular basis (apparently every time the BBC production people at Radio 2 said "no" to him) ever since he started the show. I'm not convinced he has given up anything that was all that important to him.

Not sure about your evaluation of Jonathan Ross. Time will tell I think.

[in4308]

I have a lot more respect for Brand than I do for Ross.At least Brand had the decency to fall on his own sword and apologise in person.Ross by comparison is a slimy greedy old man.I pray he never comes back to the BBC

Ross wanted to make a full apology and was blocked by BBC staff....Probably one of the many reasons why Radio 2 controller Douglas stepped down.

[goatboypaul]

I think that it has been blown out of proportion somewhat.

However for both Ross and Brand there are questions to answer, that is the one thing we havent had, though at some stage i expect we will get from both of them. Probably in lucrative book form..

People say that its cutting edge comedy, is it really that cutting edge to pick on an old man? I think Brand & Ross could have gotten away with their remarks had they not been recorded on to Sach's answer machine, until that happened it was just a couple of dj's making stupid remarks, once it became (or could become) a criminal offence it gave the story further to run, the addition that the BBC listened to it and cleared it for broadcast compounds it somewhat.

Comics make fun of people, that's what they do, they make fun of us, they make fun of each other, and always walk a very fine line between funny and just plain abuse, i would think that most comics could tell you a story or two about how they misjudged an audience, i've certainly seen a few die quickly because of a couple of jokes, once you lose an auidence its difficult to win them back.

I think there are sections of the media, who just dont seem to like Ross (i'm no fan myself) and just needed that excuse to fan the flames further, they have been complaining for ages about his salary (which i dont actually care about.. he can earn all he wants!) when really it would be better to complain about the fact he's just a third rate Letterman. I think the BBC got it right in the end, a suspension for Ross, a couple of resignations (though Brand could have been suspended to, rather than resigning).

I think it will possibly effect Chris, he does have a way of insulting people, however, most of the time he has a reason behind it, i may be wrong, but i cant remember a time he insulted somebody, as Ross and Brand did, for pure sport. I remember some phone calls Chris made to Edith Bowman, and though they were very funny, would somebody in power now question them? - Thats not to say i thought they were offensive, i fiqured Edith knew Chris to an extent, (which in any joke can make a difference) and came back with jokes of her own.

I do think it interesting though that few comics have come out in support of Ross/Brand, i know Jimmy Carr said it was blown out of proportion, but even Ricky Gervais didnt have an opinion, comics famous for "telling it like it is" suddenly become shy when they can see that if they give an opinion they can watch the bank notes disappear.

[foot-loose]

As far as first posts go, thats a pretty decent one.

Welcome along.

[MK Chris]

Just because he agrees with you on Jonathan Ross.

[foot-loose]

That certainly got him some plus points.

He also likes goats. You all know where I stand on such things.

[Yudster]

Welcome along.

Don't do that.

[Boboff]

That certainly got him some plus points.

He also likes goats. You all know where I stand on such things.

High on a hill ?

[tina11]

High on a hill ?

...was a lonely goatherd,
lay odl lay odl lay hee hoo etc.

This is worth a read. Charlie Brooker generally makes Monday morning ever so slightly more bearable: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree ... sell-brand

[Boboff]

Ergh, I just read something from the Guardian... why do I feel so dirty (although I agreed with the story entirely)

[Yudster]

"......pitiful gitstorm......" What a good description.