The closing song by The Cranberries on last night's The One Show struck a discordant note - or two.
Alas, that was partly because the singer, Dolores, was somewhat out of tune.
(I feel for her. I'm apparently tone-deaf when I sing, in that I think I can sing but truly, truly can't. I once belted out Queen's 'Don't Stop Me Now' to a very rude Karaoke game at a friend's party. The game flashed up a running commentary. I remember "Ouch!" and "Don't give up your day job!".)
The other discordant note came from there being an absolute mass of EU flags (well over a dozen of) being waved behind the performers, with just a single Union Jack for company.
The social media response was huge and instantaneous. Large numbers of Leavers took to Twitter to ask countless variations on the question "WTF?" while, simultaneously, many a Remainer (including one with the tell-tale moniker Remainy McRemainface) took to Twitter to admire all the EU flags, or to gloat at the Leavers, or to do both.
So what were all those EU flags about? Were they stage-managed by the BBC - and, if so, for what reason? Or were they a stunt (a 'photobombing') by pro-EU activists?
It was all very strange.
Update: With a very strong tip of the hat to Quelly in the comment below, it's now clear that this was a stunt by pro-EU activists, namely a group called EU Flag Mafia - the same people behind the Proms pro-EU flag campaign last year.
They are jubilant about their One Show action and are, indeed, calling it "a stunt":
Update: With a very strong tip of the hat to Quelly in the comment below, it's now clear that this was a stunt by pro-EU activists, namely a group called EU Flag Mafia - the same people behind the Proms pro-EU flag campaign last year.
They are jubilant about their One Show action and are, indeed, calling it "a stunt":
The placement and unfurling of these flags looked to be orchestrated - by the BBC themselves. There was a no-man's-land corridor between the band and the crowd with a burly black-suited patroller walking up and down. It was all much to tidy to be a photo-bombing.
ReplyDeleteThis none too subtle demonstration from the heart of the BBC - the forecourt of Broadcasting House - represented a clear message from London in advance of the forthcoming General Election: 'We remain in support the EU'.
And there was no sign whatsoever of BBC staff intervening to ask them to fold up their flags.
DeleteIf this flag-waving had caught the BBC by surprise they would have quickly cut to a different camera angle and stayed with it so that the flags were out of shot. Also they would have made some attempt to remove the flag-wavers from their premises. Imagine the kerfuffle if the EDL had tried their hand at a photo-bomb.
ReplyDeleteLast night's BBC viewing was particularly bad. HIGNFY reached an all-time low with Kirsty Young resorting to the use of profanities to try and get a laugh, and Hislop, after the short item about Corbyn not facing the camera, complained that there hadn't been anything about the Tories for him to get his teeth into.
Yes, I was being far too charitable to the BBC there.
DeleteAnd that Ian Hislop moment on HIGNFY was even stranger. He was virtually accusing the BBC of being biased for focusing on Jeremy Corbyn rather than the Tories. The audience liked that, of course. The previous week's HIGNFY, which I watched after last night's programme to check, focused on the Tories and had one very brief gag at Jeremy Corbyn's expense.
DeleteWe're in 'complaints from both sides' territory here, with Ian Hislop being very helpful to the BBC here, given that HIGNFY has long gone after the Right (especially UKIP) far more than it's gone after the Left.
Not strange: typical. They would never allow a stage swathed in the flag of St. George.
ReplyDeleteThere would have been a stampede of panicky BBC staff.
DeleteIt was a stunt. The same protest group that did the London Marathon recently and gave out EU flags outside the proms last year I've heard. Also look up EU flag mafia on twitter. There's a whole movement of people doing the EU flag thing now.
ReplyDeleteDid the protest group bring a single Union Jack flag with them to place amongst their sea of EU flags? Is the group independent from the BBC? No effort was made to use alternative camera angles in order to minimise the impact of the flag waving.
DeleteSo - this protest group has targeted the London Marathon, The Proms and now The One Show. Aren't these all carefully controlled BBC live broadcasts? What a coincidence.
DeleteWould 'Acquiescent Mindfulness' cover the BBC's more than tolerant attitude towards the flag wavers? The 'Protesters' are leaning against an open door at Broadcasting House.
DeleteSurprised there wasn't a stampede of BBC staff silencing it though - I can only imagine they were too stunned and unprepared!
ReplyDeleteThank you. Yes, they are quite exultant about it. I'll update the post.
DeleteBBC is flagging...up its opinions.
ReplyDeleteI'm certain that the "EU flag mafia" have a number of insiders as security at W1 and all BBC sites has been increased recently.
ReplyDeleteI would expect an apology or an explanation on the next show, though it will probably be an "in-depth" investigation by Matt Baker on direct action by all-upset media liberals.