Brand - Ross Prank Call Affair

[Scheherazade]

Anyone from the UK will be familiar with this story:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7694989.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7701308.stm

What is your take on it? Do you agree with public reaction? Do you agree with BBC's stand? What do you think about the prank calls which are carried out by radio presenters?

[papayahed]

I read about this, but I didn't hear the offending message. Back home there is a morning radio show that does prank calls, which I absolutely despise, they call immigrant owned businesses like bakeries or shops and ask ridculous questions. Most of the time the prankees didn't understand what was going on, one example is the prankers would try to get the prankees to say things like "Balfour blows" (Balfour was a player on an oppossing hockey team), how that was even funny. It would have been different if it was a hockey fan who knew what was going on, but when they exploit the weakness of others I don't think it's funny.

[Scheherazade]

I read about this, but I didn't hear the offending message.I did not hear it either but you can read the messages (yes, more than one) in the first link.

What gets to me is that these people get *a lot* of money to do their job (they are saying Ross will be losing about £1 m because of his 3 months suspension) and all they can think of leaving below the belt messages on other people's answer phones in the way of being funny?

[papayahed]

You guys have a Culture Secretary?

They apologized for upsetting the grandfather but I didn't read anywhere in the article where they apologized to the grandaughter, have they done that yet?

[TheInsomniac]

I believe this circumstance is brought upon by the two comedians becoming too comfortable in their shoes. BBC has let them get away with quite a few hefty things in the past and now a personal attack on a previous lover.. that is too far.

[wessexgirl]

Are all of you previous posters from the UK? I just wondered as it has been getting blanket coverage here, leading every news report and the world and his wife sticking their oar in, with politicians joining in the fray. I suppose that's 'cos the Beeb is the state subsidised channel though, and they can't see a bandwagon without jumping on it.

I have to say that as a fan, particularly of Ross, but Brand can be hilarious, even I thought they went too far. Whether Brand has a relationship with the granddaughter or not, it was not right to broadcast such stuff. I think they both got carried away, and acted like a pair of schoolboys. As performers, they both try to push the boundaries as far as they can, and it's not the first time they have offended people. What's odd though, is this was not broadcast live, but recorded, so why did the producer take the decision to let it go out, when it broke guidelines of what was acceptable? The outrage it has caused has gained momentum, with over 30000 complaints, the last time I heard, but it was nearly 2 weeks after the event. It has played right into the hands of the Beeb haters, and they have been forced onto the back foot as they handled it very badly, and were seen to be reacting rather late to events.

Brand resigned rather graciously, and I think sincerely and Ross has now pulled out of the Comedy Awards, which is a big loss, as he is a very funny and competent host, and after you've seen some other presenters, you realise just how good he is. I watched Brand's "Ponderland" last night on another channel, and it was very funny. I don't think he will miss the Beeb, he will be in demand elsewhere, as a comedian and an actor, but Ross has a massive deal with them. It was certainly not their finest hour, but it isn't that surprising....take a look at Ross's book, "Why Do I Say These Things?" which says it all really.

[kelby_lake]

They shouldn't've done it. If Sachs had come on a show knowing about Brand and his granddaughter, then he would have known that he'd be open to a few jokes made perhaps in poor taste, but leaving them on his answerphone? Not nice.

[vheissu]

I'm still not getting what the big fuss is about. I live in the UK and though I'm not completely integrated in every aspect of British TV and radio (simply because I don't have a TV and I just don't listen to the BBC radio) I know who the two comedians are but haven't a clue about who they actually pranked.
So I went and found out and well....I still don't know what the fuss is about!

And yes, ok, it wasn't very respectable and they went just that bit too far with their joke. But those two, especially Brand, seem to be crude more often than not.

But seriously, I can't understand the overreaction of the public and, if I'm not very much mistaken, some political figures! Don't they have other (more important perhaps) things to do? I guess not.

Anyway, here's a link to a small review written by Peter Tatchell on the Guardian. Got to agree on quite a few points.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/oct/30/russell-brand-jonathan-ross

It might be just me who simply doesn't get it, but I think this story was made WAY to big for what it actually is.
The BBC and other stations have broadcasted a lot of shows in the past that have had a number of complaints but this particular one actually reached the level of national scandal. I mean, it has become one of the most important stories these days but it doesn't really involve the whole nation, does it?
It feels as if Russel and Brand personally insulted Sachs and Baillie (who is she?!) and as such, should be dealt as a personal insult. I really don't understand why it's the public who feels insulted.

As for them resigning and losing money in the next few months...well, it's a risk they took. I don't think they are not intelligent enough to have known that beofre although maybe, as TheInsomniac said, they just got too comfortable in their shoes. Who knows. But I think they already are very comfortable financially, so it's not as if they'll be begging in the streets.

[bree]

Someone at the BBC decided that this telephone call was OK to air as it had been edited, so why is it that just Ross and Brand are in the firing line. Also I know it sounds crass but, how can anyone who is in a burlesque dance troup called the Satanic Sluts try to teach morality.

[papayahed]

Someone at the BBC decided that this telephone call was OK to air as it had been edited, so why is it that just Ross and Brand are in the firing line. Also I know it sounds crass but, how can anyone who is in a burlesque dance troup called the Satanic Sluts try to teach morality.

The Station controller also resigned.

I must have missed the part about teaching morality?

[Scheherazade]

It feels as if Russel and Brand personally insulted Sachs and Baillie (who is she?!) and as such, should be dealt as a personal insult. I really don't understand why it's the public who feels insulted.I think the issue is that the public does pay these presenter's big salaries and they don't want to see it being wasted like this. Sachs used to be a very popular (a comedian of sorts himself). The fact that we don't know Baillie does not make it OK for such comments about her to be broadcast. If it were the Plumber Joe (;)) saying these things, it could have been dealt with as a simple personal insult but when it is "performed" on air by the presenters who are paid by the public, it does become a public issue.
Also I know it sounds crass but, how can anyone who is in a burlesque dance troup called the Satanic Sluts try to teach morality.This is a big over-simplification (among other things). Because of her job, she should not expect to be treated decently? Reminds me of the argument that whether a prostitute can claim to be "raped".

I think I can -sort of- understand these two guys behaving immaturely and getting carried away (probably egging each other on) but I cannot understand how the show was broadcast. It was not a live show; someone later on should have done their job better.

[Kafka's Crow]

Is it a co-incidence that Ross's book came out on the 16th and this affair gets everybody and his mum talking about Ross and Brand? Saw heaps of that book in my local TESCO. Was it a publicity stunt gone wrong?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Why-Do-Say-These-Things/dp/0593060822/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1225572835&sr=8-1

[LadyW]

In my opinion...

It was very tasteless, and not exactly the height of comical genius to put it nicely.

There is no way it should have been broadcasted.

They were too slow to apologize.

The complaints went from 2 on the night, to some ridiculous total the next day - i.e. everyone jumped onto the bandwagon and it's just gotten out of hand.

At the end of the day, I think after there has been apologies, someone (who wasn't directly responsible may I add) has resigned, Brand has quit, Ross is suspended - there's no need to carry on with this "outrage."
It was bad, but it's not the end of the world and it could've been alot worse.

[SleepyWitch]

I agree with Scher: public money shouldn't be wasted on prank phone calls.
but then this raises the question whether public radio stations should do comedy at all, because some people may argue any sort of comedy is a waste of public money?
Over here we've got radio stations that do prank phone calls, e.g. they'll ring a random number from the yellow pages and end up talking to some small or medium size business. usually they pretend to be a dissatisfied customer or they want to buy some weird things that don't exist. But these are private stations. One of them might be public, though, (not sure) so it does make me wonder why they are allowed to spend public money on that sort of thing.

[RG57]

Like many on this thread I did not hear the broadcast, however for people who are in the public eye they are despicaple. They think that they are above everyone else, Ross has only had a slap on the wrist, will be back in three months and will act as if nothing has happened. Not so long back the BBC would have dismissed him. As for Brand, good ridance!

[JBI]

I don't know - after reading it, I personally thought the joke was somewhat funny. I mean - come on - I know some of you laughed. Let's be honest, who cares - in truth, the girl is part of a burlesque dancing group known as the Satanic Sluts Extreme, and had a sexual relationship with Brand - thereby deeming the call somewhat truthful.

Meh, who cares anyway, the truth is, this whole thing is getting all those sexually repressed neo-cons angry because they feel their countries moral values, or some other such nonsense, have been compromised. In truth, the question should be whether or not this is funny or not, not whether or not it is distasteful or not. If they should get punished, it shouldn't be for "inappropriate" behavior, but for unfunny behavior, as their role is comedic, and if they fail to provide that, then they are failing to do what they are supposed to do. As it is though, I think this classifies comedy, and I'm sure a lot of people laughed.

And on the notion of public funding for radio; I see nothing wrong with this being funded. The point, I would think, of public radio is to give anyone who wants it the stuff they want. If people find this comical, then there shouldn't be a problem. In the past, if my idea of the picture is correct, these guys have delivered successful comedy bits, and have pleasured their audiences. If this joke wasn't deemed funny - so what - in truth, they have been funny in the past, and perhaps it can be assumed that Ross at least will be funny in the future - you shouldn't cut comedians for telling unfunny jokes.

Writing on her own web page, Baillie, who goes under the stage name Voluptua, says: "I am a member of the Satanic Sluts Xtreme and perform violent, horrific and sexy burlesque shows around the UK and the rest of Europe with my dance and burlesque troupe. .. I like to party, I don't care if you call me a waster or even a groupie because I am having so much more fun than you and living this way makes me happy."

She simply doesn't care if she is called a groupie as she says, and she is a self-identifying slut - where is the problem? Or is it perhaps publicity gives better ratings now that she is a victimized slut, rather than just an active one.

[kelby_lake]

Not very nice to tell her grandfather that though...

[Emil Miller]

I don`t often resort to abusive language but I am prepared to make an exception when the occasion warrants it.
Apart from the fuss currrently being aired about abusive telephone calls, in my view Ross is totally uninteresting except, possibly, to those who find childish exhibitionism amusing, and Brand, whom I accidentally caught site of when switching between channels on one occsion, is just a grubby little lout about as funny as cholera. The BBC should be aware that if they employ yobs they will inevitably get yobbish behaviour.