Russell Brand, Jonathan Woss and Andrew Sachs

[JoolsToo]

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/3263328/Russell-Brand-and-Jonathan-Ross-joke-radio -phone-calls-just-werent-funny.html

Have we not had a discussion about this? I'm surprised.

Seedy, sordid, unfunny little men pad obscene amounts of money to be obscene.

What's your view?

The programme was pre-recorded. Andrew Sachs asked that it not be broadcast and it was, despite his legitimate concerns. the responsibility rests with the editorial person who reviewed it and cleared it, not the producer who would have found it impossible to stand up to the two fools who thought it funny in the first place.

IMHO the whole episode was carse, oafish, vulgar and completely out of order... I'm obviously getting old..
A real sign of getting older when you think e this...

It isn't QUITE clear what happened - but it sounds like he didn't actually ask for it not to go out, just said he'd rather turn up the following week, and the producer said 'we'll see what we can do'

Agree with Jools. She had chosen not to make cheap capital out of their encounter by going to the papers and keep her dignity, only to end up being publicly mocked and the subject of lewd calls to her family. Why should anyone need to know about her sex life, it isn't as if it is an issue of public interest or national security, and frankly who really cares about his ? If she had chosen differently, as she may now do in the tabloids anyway, she'd be the scarlet woman and he the macho hero - she can't really win.

tbh the whole sordid episode has been compounded by the so-called "apology" RB sang on his show, which has been rebroadcast on news since. Even on reflection later he apparently still thought it such a wheeze

The masses can be happy . . . Russell has now resigned.

Yes the comedy mostly lay in Fawlty's attitude to him.

I still don't know of any other racist comedy that would be acceptable today. There is no way any of Goodness Gracious Me can be reasonably described as racist. It's poking fun at stereotypes, but that is not the same as outright racism. Bernard Manning was racist and I think Ross, Brand, Baddiel, Skinner and that horrid little clique of boysy twats are the sexism equivalent of Bernard Manning. They aren't perceived as disgraceful in the way he was, because racism is perceived as disgraceful but sexism is perceived as OK.

oh russell brand is being done on PM now

Is this the right thread to confess that I kow RB and he's actually a nice bloke?

"Yes the comedy mostly lay in Fawlty's attitude to him"

No it wasn't! Manuel was portrayed as a complete idiot, there was no irony, no subversion and no implication that Fawlty's condescension was misplaced.

And I hardly see that it's the same as claiming the BNP are satirists, no logic.

But I digress ............

I would always rather be part of the Elite than the baying masses Dittany.

No Fawlty was an idiot - that was the whole point of it.

But Manuel was portrayed as stupid as well, that's true.

Was it racist though? Was Manuel stupid because he was from Barcelona? Or because he was a foreigner? Or because he was a foreign waiter? Would it have been the same if he was from Paris/ Rome/ Morecambe?

He has fallen on his sword so to speak I suppose. Liked his statement. . especially liked that he mentioned Matt Morgan, Gee, Nick the Vicar's son and Noel Gallagher too. The jibe about Noel was funny!

It's the elite that suspended him. You don't get much more elite than running the BBC.

i just heard on the radio that russell brand has quit

russell brand has resigned from his show because he wanted to make people happy and now he isnt making them happy he is making them sad

Yes, he has. Bet there are loads of people saying 'Whats Noel Gallagher got to do with it?'

well done Russell for getting something right

D'you remember O'Reilly, the Irish builder in Fawlty Towers? Was he a racist stereotype?

I think he might have been but can't quite remember...

kind of shocked that he didn't realise doing what he did wouldn't make people happy, I thought he was bright?

Well What has Noel G got to do with it? Is there a link?

So RB says he was caught up in the "moment" -Just how many "moments" does he need before realising his judgement is poor ? How many times did he, JR and the production and editorial team have the opportunity to not make those calls, not be derogatory, lewd and crass,and not to broadcast the material or his "excuses".

I have just listened to the podcast again (maybe some of you should try doing that? Just a suggestion!) and Russell clearly says at the beginning of the show 'Whatever you do Jonathan, don't mention that I went out with his grandaughter'. Not that he fucked her or anything else, that he went out with her. Cut to 1/2 an hour later and Jonathan's shouting 'He fucked your Grandaughter' down the phone.

Noel Gallagher, for the people who don't know, has always contributed to the show about 1/2 an hour from the end of the show. They usually get him on the phone. He hasn't been on it the last few weeks as he has been touring with Oasis.

As IF Jonathan Ross will resign. That would be a cold day in hell if he stepped off that gravy train.