Hope he's not going to get told off by the BBC for this one as well, as he's only telling it like it is:
He also calls The Mash Report "thirty minutes of self satisfied, self adulatory, unchallenged left wing propaganda" and says The Now Show is "contrived ideological commentary" - and he's not wrong there either.
Here's the whole exchange:
Simon Pinsa: I would be happy if the BBC were just impartial. When was the last time they had a right wing comedian on the BBC?legalclaret: Geoff Norcott on the Mash Report last Friday.Andrew Neil: For three minutes out of thirty minutes of self satisfied, self adulatory, unchallenged left wing propaganda. It’s hardly balance. Could never happen on a politics show. Except this has become a politics show.Marchal: Like HIGNFY and The Last Leg the show exists so that audiences can applaud themselves at how clever and progressive they are.Dave P: HIGNFY is on its last legs. Never heard of The Last Leg.jeff: I've only managed to watch some moments of each but, incredibly, I'd say it was more left wing. It's hard to imagine how broadcasters get away with the continuous overt propaganda.Andrew Neil: When it comes to so called comedy the BBC has long given up on balance, on radio and tv. Nobody seems to care. And I don’t want right wing comedy, whatever that is. I’d just like comedy. Which is in really short supply. On tv and radio.Louise Rowntree: Or is it just that liberals are wittier than... illiberals?Andrew Neil: If you think Mash or The Now Show is funny as opposed to contrived ideological commentary then we have a different sense of humour. Jon Stewart in US was left wing but also intelligent and so funny. Loved it. Mash a pathetic imitation.Stuart Baggs: You simply do not look hard enough for comedy. In fact it’s clear you don’t look at all. You should look at BBC Sounds. There are absolute amazing non political comedies on there. It’s a shame you make such ignorant comments from within the BBC to be honest. Shocking in fact.Andrew Neil: I have BBC Sounds. Interesting you don’t name a single show. Give me one. That will make me laugh out loud. I use BBC Sounds to listen to the Goon show and Round the Horne. Brilliant. Anything more a la mode.
I'm glad Andrew Neil reads this website! We've been saying the same ever since the "thinly-disguised-as-comedy-though-not-very-funny" politics programme The Mash Report came on our screens. Of course it's not exactly new that technique - That Was the Week That Was back in the preshistoric TV ag was pretty much an anti-Conservative vehicle (but it was a lot funnier).
ReplyDeleteAndy must be close to retirement, I guess. Will be interesting to hear what he has to say.
When he retires he can join me and Sue!
DeleteOne participant didn't know what The Last Leg is. Well, it's one hour of self satisfied, self adulatory, unchallenged left wing propaganda on Channel 4.
ReplyDeleteNish note : At the end of Norcott's little piece on the Mash Report, Nish Kumar effects a facepalm sort of thing. Does he do such a thing after hearing a barrage of right on, politically correct, left wing rubbish? No, he does not.
is that the one with some Australian chap presenting? If it is I saw it once ages ago and wouldn't want to see it again.
DeleteAndrew has also be sent to the head on another matter.
ReplyDeleteI think Andrew is a wee bitty tired of being there.
I got a strong sense from a couple of his recent tweets that he's not happy about being passed over for key BBC presenting roles such as the US midterms results programme. He does seem to be being 'underused' at the moment.
DeleteI suppose we have to thank Andrew Neil for drawing attention to what has been one of the most glaring examples of BBC bias for years, but what took him so long.
ReplyDeleteIlliberal is the opposite of liberal in the dictionary sense, but politically liberals and progressives are no longer liberal or progressive. They are certainly not, as evidenced by most of what passes for comedy on the BBC witty. Sorry, Louise Rountree.
That Was the Week was anti-Conservative, but those were different times. I think it was probably more anti-establishment.
I'm sure you're right about that. 'Anti-establishment' is the last term you'd apply to most of our current crop of BBC comedians.
DeleteThe Mash Report is the funniest thing on TV. It’s targets are all fair game. Perhaps those commenting on would prefer to censor TV. If you don’t line the programme don’t watch it. I remember very similar comments about The Young Ones - “left wing, anti-establishment drivel”.
ReplyDelete