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

YANBU. It was such a smug and condescending comment made by an overpaid middle class white English ‘gentleman’. IMO it has shown that while he acts the humble gentleman, he is anything but. To justify it as a joke between old friends is shocking. Jokes are based on reality and they should not be at the expense of others who have suffered as a result of your success and happiness. He has been exposed and I personally think some disciplinary action at the very least is necessary.

I was shocked to watch a documentary revealing the “stars” of Mrs Brown’s boys are tax avoiders yet the show isn’t still aired.

In my younger any more naive days I used to support the BBC and the licence fee but no longer see it as impartial so have moved onto the Guardian.

Keep your head high. Hoping this will spark a proper review and big “stars” will not get paid such ludicrous amounts of money and equal pay will come in. Hoping you have the support of your colleagues to get you through this. I will make a complaint too.

I agree with you.

He and the other older people with this attitude are the reason we don't have true equality yet.

In my younger any more naive days I used to support the BBC and the licence fee but no longer see it as impartial so have moved onto the Guardian. I take it you're joking. I could take any Guardian headline and write the article in all its biased glory.

In my younger any more naive days I used to support the BBC and the licence fee but no longer see it as impartial so have moved onto the Guardian. Super snort!!!!!!

Agree, I used to be a Guardian reader but find the bias and lack of proper debate of issues awful, which is a shame as I liked a lot of the columnists but the editorial direction is patronising dictatorship masquerading as woolly liberalism that is intolerant of different viewpoints that are viewed as evil and wrong.

My sympathies OP. I started my own angry thread in Feminism Chat at lunchtime saying Humphries needs to go.

Dh has actually just cancelled his Guardian subscription. And he has been a loyal reader for 30 years. But then he is a middle-aged white man...

Thanks for highlighting this, rage. Like others I've also complained. It is so disheartening - BBC should be using this to meaningfully address how they will respond to rectifying the pay gap rather than waffling about 'comprehensive analysis' (Guardian link) and seeking to minimise outdated views of Humphrys. What a wasted opportunity.

A satirical Taiwanese take on the issue

m.youtube.com/watch?v=o2oQV03jWHM

with thanks to blog 'trading as wdr' tradingaswdr.blogspot.co.uk/

No I was not joking and not meaning to be a snob. I find the BBC doesn’t properly cover and report on environmental issues which are really important to me.
Apologies too for generalising middle class white men. I too am married to one. Just don’t think even in private conversation you should be able to make such comments when in such a position of authority.

Relax. That dude is a relic! He'll be dead of old age in a few years.;)
I like to think these old men with their mysogynistic attitudes are a dying breed.
Fuck 'em!

I've complained online. Gives me the absolute rage

At my son's school the word 'banter' is considered an automatic admission of bullying. If it's good enough for adolescents...

Here's the problem though - I love the 6.30 comedy, would gladly consign the Archers to a fiery pit, and don't mind GQT and the Untold. To me, the Beeb would be failing if I liked everything on it. It's supposed to have a broad remit.

I've reached the point where I breathe a sigh of relief when it's Hussein on Today and groan if it's Humphrys or Robinson. I do think there should be a cap on top salaries at the BBC and if people want to go elsewhere, let them. But I worry about the BBC getting dismantled. I still think it is precious.

The Guardian is doing something no other newspaper in this country is doing in terms of diverse images on the front page. Lots of other problems with it but it's something. I noticed it when the Cologne row blew up.

I'm fucking sick of men claiming BANTER like kids shouting den in a game of tag. It's not a defence. It's pathetic.

It pisses me off because it's more ammunition for The Sun, The Daily Mail and government to slag off the BBC. And so it's a massive own goal for the BBC when they can do something about it. The BBC are cowering spinelessly in the face of the government trying to erode them but this is largely of their own making.

I know a certain BBC show where young females have to sign NDAs so when they get conned into sleeping with the regulars and their contracts are not renewed they can't anyone what's happened to them.

Posie, if that's true, in the current climate I'm surprised no-one has come forward. It would be hugely damaging.

Er, are you sure therealrosieparker? If there is even a grain of truth in that, there is a whistleblowing policy and a phone number/contact for staff and you or somebody needs to use it. The BBC would NOT condone this, for all its faults, it's not that bad.

If you are staff please search 'whistleblowing' on Gateway and do what you need to do.

I know a certain BBC show where young females have to sign NDAs so when they get conned into sleeping with the regulars and their contracts are not renewed they can't anyone what's happened to them.
If that is the case, the HR staff who hold those forms should be sacked for facilitating sexual harassment

Will Eddie Mair talk about Humphries on PM tonight?

posie are you sure of your facts? is this a show made by the BBC or a show aired on the BBC made by a production company?

Despite Savile I'd more believe the latter making a show now largely outsourced with stars who insist on NDAs. Some of which would be reasonable - eg don't tell the Daily Fail s/he has a UTI/needs 20 pink kittens in his dressing room/needs ten facial massages a day/is divorcing his/her partner ... . Or that yes, s/he was overheard telling the cameraman not to film the facelift scars.

But "conned into sleeping with the regulars" - that's serious abuse if true.

I'd watch out - the Daily Fail will be on to this story and then on to you and your friend who works for what appears to be an abusive programme. S/he would need to be prepared to whistleblow with evidence.

On PM now

Every time i have expressed disquiet about how the BBC spends money (remember the million pound payoff? I do) a gang of BBC apologists trots along and says everything is OK because SKY/ITV whoever are worse.

Hopefully this will finally get something moving.

The BBC needs to stop acting like such an arrogant organisation.

John Humphries is smug and cringeworthy. He interviewed a scientist about dowsing one morning and it was all about how he had found water in a field on his land and therefore anything scientist said about controlled studies was clearly wrong. Much prefer the other Today presenters

I do however love Martin Jarvis reading Just William.

He did - he interviewed a former Head of Editorial Policy. (Can't remember the guy's name).