Sue Barker and ‘diversity’

[StillCoughingandLaughing]

Sue Barker (plus team captains Phil Tufnell and Matt Dawson) has been axed from A Question of Sport:

www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/fuming-question-sport-fans-demand-22686408

Reports are speculating that this is down to a drive to increase diversity in the presenting team. I should emphasise that, while Barker has confirmed she was axed, the BBC has NOT confirmed the reason - I’m not claiming this is gospel.

However, if this is part of a diversity drive, isn’t the BBC a) swapping one kind of inequality for another and b) shooting itself in the foot? The BBC has regularly been accused of sexism and ageism, and notably a combination of the two (remember Arlene Phillips?) Sue Barker is a 64 year-old woman with genuine credentials to present this show, as well as a wealth of experience. How many other high-profile female sports presenters aged 50 or older can you name? Because I can’t name one. Surely there’s little point in diversifying if you have to become less diverse to do so?

To me, this is a major misstep by the BBC. An older, highly experienced woman in a high profile role, who got the job based on credentials and not as window dressing, was a genuine asset. Why drop her to tick another box?

Are they trying to make it more like They Think It’s All Over?

AskDan
Let me rephrase that for you she is a woman in her 60s. I don't think I have heard a man be described in these terms.

The description is normally pale, male and stale.

@ZombieFan

Its the bloody BBC, so almost guaranteed that the three replacements will be a bame woman, a bame disabled person and a bame transwoman.

@Vigoro

I suspect that ‘diversity’ is a convenient excuse for getting rid of Sue, rather than being the reason. But nobody with any knowledge of the situation has suggested the decision was down to diversity. It's all just speculation from, I presume, racists.

Quite right.

Arlene was an absolute rude bitch, nothing to do with her age.

Isn't one of the male judges renowned for being rude too? But he didn't get axed.

I think a Question of Sport is really dull and Sue Barker is not a very engaging presenter. But on the other hand, I can't even think of another female sports presenter of her age. I hope she gets another, better, job and doesn't get shoved into forced retirement.

Ageism, I reckon. BBC are famous for that, especially re women.

An older woman - oh yes the tv is chocka with older women presenters... oh but it isn’t...

DH is a massive sports fan and has stopped watching in recent years too. Needs a shake up - definitely a different presenter and different captains. Someone funny is needed. Sue is indeed very knowledgeable about sport but she's very "dry". Someone like Dara O'Brian or Rob Brydon would be a more appropriate choice. (and yes I know they're both white, middle aged men).

They either need to go for an uber-serious, University Challenge style sports quiz fronted by a serious sports journalist with none of the messing around, or a comedy show fronted by a comedian and with comedians mixed in with sports people like Would I Lie to You or the other panel shows.

At the moment they're trying to be both funny and serious and it's just not working. It's a very old-fashioned format - I don't think saying that Sue is being ditched because she's an older woman is fair. The whole programme is being ditche and replaced, including the two younger men who captain the sides.

Phil Tufnell and Matt Dawson have been getting away with it for years. They are both hopeless. They both got a bit of a profile on reality shows fifteen years ago and have milked the reservoir of goodwill dry. Sue Barker doesn’t compare to somebody like Graham Norton, for example.

The show is really dull, as others have pointed out. The only person I know who watches it is my octagenarian father, and even he complains that it’s gone a bit rubbish in the past few years.

In which case, why not change the presenters? I don’t see why any BBC presenter should have a job for life if they aren’t delivering a show that people like.

Sue Barker is a former French Open champion. An older sports hero that should be celebrated.
Ho hum

Sue Barker is great on Wimbledon. When she's in her area of expertise, sharing her knowledge with other tennis experts and speaking to players. She will carry on doing that.

What she's not great at is the presenting show which involves a washed-up cricket captain trying to mime "false start" to a third division footballer and some guy who does archery.

I actually don’t mind QOS - wouldn’t turn it on deliberately but if it happens to be on it’s mildly entertaining and Sue’s nice in an inoffensive way.
But it’s ridiculous that there’s never been a non-white team captain. It’s the one area of British life where even the laziest casting director would have a huge list of well known Black potential candidates to choose from.

YABU - she's a privileged, able-bodied white woman. At least two of the regular presenters should be disabled and BAME.

Disabled and BAME? I don’t see many with ME origins either.

I question whether a lot of posters have actually watched the show. Sue's role is to bring the best out of the captain's banter wise and she does so, normally the opposing captains do have good banter which she helps stoke. She does have the sports pedigree behind her to be a worthy presenter. That being said her presenting style is dull and her predecessor was in the show for a similar length of time before he was replaced by Sue. It is time for a change, I would love to see another female presenter or captain of one of the teams. They may well bring in a black, Asian, disabled presenter or captain and I don't see why that would be a big deal. There are plenty of sports men and women from the above groups that could do a great job and Sue has had a chance already.

@contrmary

YABU - she's a privileged, able-bodied white woman. At least two of the regular presenters should be disabled and BAME.

Well there may be a disabled and/or BAME person next time around but in what way is Sue Barker any more privileged than most people? I 'get' that she is far from disadvantaged but I do not see her as an especially privileged person.

I've already suggested the boxer, Nicola Adams.

The shake up is because the show is stale and is partly to address the issues in the article below but don’t let that stop you from creating a thread with the sole intention of working known bigots like Zombiefan into an orgasmic frenzy.

Pathetic, pathetic comment. How is anyone supposed to discuss anything if even raising the topic is dismissed as an attempt at riling bigots? You’ve completely ignored the issue at hand - which is that IF (and I said very, VERY clearly that it was an ‘if’) this is a diversity-led move, it backfires somewhat by damaging the gender and age diversity in sports TV.

I made it clear that it was speculation that this was a diversity move, not fact. You seem to have decided it’s fact that it is NOT a diversity move. Care to share your source?

but in what way is Sue Barker any more privileged than most people?

Not more than most people.

She does, however, benefit from white privilege.

Love a late night racist thread pretending to give a shit about older women.

I should report this comment - but on balance I think it’s better to let it stand and you can be dammed by your own stupidity.

It's just got BORING.

Sorry Sue. And as for that pillock Dawson. My coffee cup has more personality.

It's interesting to me that middle aged to elderly women are considered so laughably insignificant to some people that they can't believe that anyone would actually genuinely care if they are seen on TV or not, and therefore there must be an ulterior motive for discussing it.

Diversity on TV might be an issue but I don't think older white women are the people keeping people from different backgrounds off the TV screen.