I work at the BBC and I have the rage

[alltherageattheBBC]

The Humphrys/Sopel leak is the last straw. The dripping contempt and the fact that they're laughing at us and there is nothing I can do cos I need my job makes me feel so enraged I could weep.

www.theguardian.com/media/2018/jan/12/john-humphrys-jokes-about-bbc-gender-pay-gap-in-leaked-off-air-recording

I'm sick of this attidute. Why isnt Gracie paid as well as Sopel? Because she's a woman and they think they're doing her a favour giving her the job at all. Yeah, they trot out the same old 'reasons'; previous salary (er, obvious flaw there in a discriminatory system), experience, profile blah blah.

for all the unconscious bias training, I've yet to meet a senior manager who appeared to reflect, question or examine their own actions.
They cut staff in £20 000 with about as much thought as they give to choosing a sandwich; the 'talent' pay is a different matter.

'Diverse' is anyone who doesn't tick the boxes of male, middle-class, privately educated, white. In my book that's normal, not different.

It's wrong, wrong, wrong and, as they never tire of reminding us when tightening up expenses or cutting low paid roles, it's public money.

Yup, you financed that cosy joking blokey banter. Total cost of a year of Humphrys and Sopel? Around £850 000.

but mostly

[SeaRabbit]

I've complained - been meaning to complain about Humphrys for ages - he's so overbearing and sounds like a dozy grandad in his views.

[alltherageattheBBC]

Part of me thinks I should get another job but part of me thinks why should I? I believe strongly in public service broadcasting, especially in news, especially now. There is a lot I'm proud of - let's not let the £-in-their-eyes types stuff-up what is a genuinely good service. It's flawed but let's fight to make it better, let's not let Humphrys and his backer/apologists/managers win. THEY should go or at least change, not me.

Or, obvs, just put me in charge. I'd sort them out. Rate for the job - every job. End of.

We do have a grading structure, it's just ignored when it suits managers and 'talent'.

[EggsMilkandFlourPancakePower]

By their own standards, the license fee I'm paying should be cheaper than a mans. But that's not helpful. What about a 'switch off' pick a date and time, everyone agree to a BBC switch off for half an hour?

[mommybunny]

It's that smug, "genial" laugh of Humphrys' when he's contradicting an interviewee that makes me scream at the radio.

What I find odd about this whole affair is that, so far, not one of the BBC women who tweeted in support of Carrie Gracie has taken the same action she has - I'm thinking of people like Katya Adler, Laura Kuenssberg, Mishal Hussain, Sarah Montague, Martha Kearney, Jane Garvey, Fiona Bruce - why??

[InfiniteSheldon]

Because they need their jobs

[Boysarebackintown]

Thanks for this link - I have complained

[DeputyBrennan]

YANBU. I’m sick of this shit, and I can’t imagine how disheartening it must be to work for the BBC at the moment (not that there aren’t issues nation/world-wide).

Humphrys should go. I’ve never really liked his attitude but for whatever reason it seemed acceptable when he was interviewing politicians and the powerful. I kind of thought he was good at holding people to account. I think I realised that he’s actually just a bit of a nasty pig during his interview with Johanna Konta after Wimbledon last year.

[peachgreen]

I think the BBC gets a lot of stick for practices which are the same (in fact, usually worse) in practically every corporation in the U.K. and I think the work they do is immeasurably invaluable so I'm reluctant to jump on an anti-BBC bandwagon BUT I do understand your frustration OP - and Humphrys is an absolute disgrace and should have been ditched a long time ago. He's a total dinosaur and the reason I can't listen to R4 in the mornings any more. Vile, arrogant man.

[numbereightyone]

I had a meeting with a white, middle-class male executive at the BBC and he made me want to cry. I am hard as fucking nails usually and I was shocked at how awful he was. This does not surprise me whatsoever. They don't care about women, despite saying they do.

[CheapSausagesAndSpam]

The older males at the BBC are fucking awful it's true.

[Bluelady]

Thanks for the link. I've complained.

[squishysquirmy]

"What I find odd about this whole affair is that, so far, not one of the BBC women who tweeted in support of Carrie Gracie has taken the same action she has - I'm thinking of people like Katya Adler, Laura Kuenssberg, Mishal Hussain, Sarah Montague, Martha Kearney, Jane Garvey, Fiona Bruce - why??"

Because why should they resign to prove their principles? Why shouldn't their male colleagues resign in support of Carrie Grace?
Why are women always expected to be the ones to make (often significant) personal sacrifices in order to stand up against sexism?

I see no real lack of consistency in saying "this is wrong", but not going all the way through with it and resigning. Besides, I don't think it would help the organisation to become more equal long term if all the senior, high profile women left. It would just create more vacancies for men!

[mommybunny]

InfiniteSheldon Every single one of them? Need their jobs as much as Carrie Gracie might need hers? I'm not in a position to know, or judge, but given that many (not all!) wealthy women marry wealthy men, when looked at from a distance it would surprise me if not a single one of those women was in a position to quit if she wanted to.

In any event, it would be interesting to see what would happen at the BBC if all that talent withdrew their labour for one day.

[SuburbanCrofter]

Someone close to me works at the BBC. They've been in meetings where there is more than one person called Jolyon.

[lolaflores]

When I watch BBC tv the attempts to wedge all the diversity they can into a single episode of anything against the daily back drop of the institutionalized discrimination against anyone not WMMM (white, male, middle classed, middle aged) if causes me great sadness.
I love the BBC. BBC4 has kept me sane for years but now all I hear are all the same voices and not one of them reflects who I am. They all sound like each other and they say exactly what the other one wants them to say.
I listen to the Archers and hear stereotypes of what working class country folk sound like, and the story lines they get. The sycohphantic sniggering of the audience on Gardener's Question time and so on. So cosy. Unchanged and Unwilling to change.
As time passes I find myself less and less drawn to the BBC for anything that relates to me as a woman of a certain age. God knows what it means to those younger than me.

[100YearsOfVote]

I've complained! I feel your rage OP - fully justified. I'm fucking livid myself.

I've been such a massive fan of BBC all my life, happily paid the licence fee, and I'm now thinking fuck you BBC, I don't give a shit anymore and you are not fit for purpose. I'm so pissed off.

[alltherageattheBBC]

I am NOT anti-BBC. I'm distressed because I am pro-BBC and what it stands for. I just wish it would walk the walk.

And nor do I believe this shit isn't rife, private and public companies. I expect the NHS is pretty poor too as well as many, many private firms.

But I don't work in any of those places so I can't speak of their hypocrisy or wrongness. But I feel the BBC double-standards every day of my working life, and quite a few non-working days. I defend the BBC all the time against a range of unfair charges but on this one it's really let itself down.

Yes, I'm raging but I'm also bitterly disappointed and sad. It doesn't have to be this way. Things could be better with some decent leadership

Looking at you Fran Unsworth.

[100YearsOfVote]

Someone close to me works at the BBC. They've been in meetings where there is more than one person called Jolyon.

MN post of the day

[mommybunny]

Because why should they resign to prove their principles? Why shouldn't their male colleagues resign in support of Carrie Grace?
Why are women always expected to be the ones to make (often significant) personal sacrifices in order to stand up against sexism?

Male colleagues resign because female colleagues don't make as much as they do?!

HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

It's bizarre to suggest seriously that men resign in solidarity with women, when women themselves aren't prepared to do so. I mean, it would be nice, but you would die holding your breath waiting for it.
Women are the ones affected by the discrimination, not men. Women are the ones who want change - men would be perfectly content for things to stay as they are. If these women are as valuable as the BBC says they are, a withdrawal of labour - either temporary or permanent - would be the kick in the ass the BBC needs to get its act together and stop discriminating against its female staff.

[100YearsOfVote]

according to the BBC website, complaints get circulated to all BBC staff the next day! that should be some fun reading for your tomorrow/Monday alltherage

[lolaflores]

I had a friend worked at BBC many years ago and she was so proud of being there and what it stood for and so were we. I still am. To this day if anything happens anywhere in the world, I turn on the BBC news. The news I get everyday is BBC. But, I think they have been trading for far too long on old glories.
BBC3 is an embarrasment but I might only be saying that cos I am old and don't understand.
BUt how do you get such an institution to change its ways? It cannot monitor itself that much is clear. If it isn't able to then someone else shoudl

[GrouchyKiwi]

YANBU, OP, and thank you for the link to the complaints page. I've sent my views through.

[peachgreen]

Sorry @alltherageattheBBC, I meant to say that I could tell from your second post that you also weren't anti-BBC. I just meant that I'm usually reluctant to post on these sorts of threads as they can turn into a bit of an anti-BBC witch hunt.

[rocketgirl22]

Sent a complaint, will also forward to my MP

I am utterly sick of it.

It is not banter, it is deeply offensive.

[lolaflores]

Is said on another thread about virtue signalling at the Golden Globes, that withdrawal of labour is the only effective way to make a point with such a complacent institution or industry.
Not to go into negotiations or anything, just to walk away for 24 hours to make th epoint that your labour is worth just as much as your male counterpart.