Why Nick is your Auntie’s Lover
OK so lameish title but I really need to get it off my chest how pissed off I am at the BBC and the panelists from last nights Question Time.
The beeb made the right decision in inviting Griffin onto the show. Much as it pains me, the BNP have a substantial following (be it protest votes or whatever). They have the right to a public platform as much as any other political party (again repugnant as they are).
Last night was the perfect opportunity for there to be a widely viewed stern critique of the BNP and the man leading it, for their policies to be shown for what they are, and for it to be made clear that the position the BNP has achieved in the political landscape to be a temporary aberration.
Most of the people watching the show were already perfectly comfortable in detesting the BNP and all they stand for – most of us are reasonable people after all, and many relished the opportunity to affirm that point of view with much tsking and childish banter about Griffin – FatHitler trending on Twitter yesterday for example. This immature bullying was carried on by the panelists – all of us should have known better.
Don’t attack a man for being fat or having a dodgy eye – that kind of behavior should stop shortly after you stop regularly running around a playground. Attack the man and party for their views (and what their views really are not the softened ones being presented at the moment)
None of this was done effectively - again using the playground analogy we had Straw as the swot spouting out case studies of why Britain is a multi-cultural society – Shush – we know you idiot! – How about giving some time for Griiffin to embarrass himself – the Tory and lib dem were basically toff fodder and Greer – who has received almost universal praise today was the smug bully – snide and sarcastic all of them.
Remember the program did not need to cater to people who already knew they detest the BNP – What it needed to do was offer a reasoned and sensible argument to those who would consider voting for them… All that the bullying of Griffin will have done is alienate these people more from the more liberal point of view – and that is why in my view the program was an unmitigated disaster. They should have put on someone who was more right wing who might have appealed to these people more while still being able to offer some critique on the BNP- as it was partisan was the order of the day…
Shame on you Auntie and all those involved – well done for bullying a bully and making his coterie more devoted than ever….
October 24th, 2009 at 15:51
Couldn’t agree more with this. I was really hoping the opposing parties and audience members would be more intelligent than Griffin. Some really failed. It was a circus and even though Griffin came out looking like the cro-magnon I knew he would be, the others should have risen above it.
October 26th, 2009 at 14:15
Completely agree. I felt a little let down as it seemed to turn into a circus. Thought it would be more considered than that; oh well, I just had to sit back and let it appeal to those base and churlish facets of my personality. Next week I think they’re going to pull Mr. Blobby out of retirement and gunge Bishop Richard Williams.
October 27th, 2009 at 09:11
Mostly agree. Although I thought Greer was actually pretty good, clearly an intelligent woman, but maybe rather too uncomfortable at being sat next to an out-and-out racist.
What I found particularly disturbing was that I almost felt sorry for Griffin at the end due to the obvious bullying – still, he must have known this would happen and I suspect he went on the programme knowing he was going to be picked on so as to look the martyr.
I do not agree with certain critics or polls claiming that it will raise the BNP’s vote share, those who already would have voted BNP still will, those who wouldn’t still won’t.
So, on the whole, a programme that was generally useless and did nothing to raise any party’s profile, or, indeed, lower it.
November 23rd, 2009 at 11:55
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