University Challenge in the Metro

[GertrudeKerfuffle]

I've just seen this article about the reaction of a former question writer to the appointment of Amol Rajan as host of UC.

metro.co.uk/2022/08/18/university-challenge-former-question-writer-hits-out-at-amol-rajan-appointment-17207133/amp/

What kind of fuckery is going on at the BBC? I'm not sure what to make of this.

Objecting to Rajan because he liked JK Rowling's essay and thinks bullying is bad? I can see how the woke think he is the devil incarnate. Honestly these people need firing. Trouble is that would be 90% of their staff. How did it become so imbalanced?

The comments on the FB share were encouraging though.

I believe the researcher who complained is a transwoman which may have something to do with their criticism.

Oh my. So no BBC presenter ever can diverge from the Holy creed.

Metro really is obsessed.

Storm in a teacup

The researcher is definitely male. Appeared as a contestant, and claimed to be increasing the number of women taking part.

"a show with one of the biggest queer/trans representations on TV." ? Seriously? I'd never been aware if this.

Personally, I think it's more of a concern that Rajan worked for Lebedev but what do I know?

I don't know that contestant. Were they the same one as was on Only Connect? (A clearly male born contestant presenting as a woman with a woman's name, who seemed to be a fairly professional quizzer that had experience on many quizzes). That person acted with typical male socialisation in dealing with teammates etc, and later posted about enjoying some sort of harassment or something because it signified 'passing'. They posted about feeling very unsupported by the OC production, complained to Victoria c-m about it on twitter, etc. I could imagine that they might have been on UC as well, and would be keen to have a presenter that viewed trans individuals in a certain way.

Yes, I remember their name from another quiz. Mastermind? Iirc lots of manspreading went on...

There's an article here about her as a contestant on University Challenge which mentions her being very polite and well mannered but also about her getting abuse - it doesn't explain what that's about.
www.realitytitbit.com/bbc/lillian-crawford-is-university-challenge-fans-latest-obsession-we-found-her-on-instagram

And on Mastermind, answering questions on Sylvia Plath.

Quattro I think that was Frances or similar.

Here's Lillian on University Challenge.
m.youtube.com/watch?v=YvvHMho6mLU

Oh it’s Lillian! Of course it is.
How many other relatively recent contestants of UC get a job as question writers? Is that a Thing?

Lillian has VIEWS on J K Rowling. And how nobody should read her books, watch the films created from her work, or do anything else that might benefit Rowling. Lillian feels quite entitled to tell other people how they should think/act/feel, yes.

Someone's full of their own self importance aren't they? Not surprised that it's this person at all.

And there was me, thinking quiz question writers just…..wrote quiz questions. How silly. Of course they should steer major production decisions such as suitable Presenters with no hint of WrongThink in their past. That’s totally their remit, even if they are not Quiz Question Writers any more.

And there was me, thinking quiz question writers just…..wrote quiz questions. How silly. Of course they should steer major production decisions such as suitable Presenters with no hint of WrongThink in their past. That’s totally their remit, even if they are not Quiz Question Writers any more.

Yes, that was my thought too!

Lilian is implying there is some sort of conspiracy at the BBC

In the article, Rajan is quoted as saying he 'takes no view' on the subject of JKR's essay, but that he does take issue with abuse and trolling. Even so, in Lilian's opinion he was 'applauding the bravery of TERFs'. I think that means in Lilian's world that one should only ever mention JKR to condemn her, anything else is unacceptable.

Fortunate Lilian has no control over BBC appointments.

Lilian sounds like hard work.

Ah, that's the name, you're right. So not this same contestant then.

But this one sounds like they have an agenda too

On the thread about Amol Rajan taking over I posted that I couldn't stand him but now I might have to change my mind. Samira Ahmed wanted the job, and would have been my preference, but she has complained about gender- neutral toilets in the past, so I guess she would have been ideologically unsound, too.

I'm assuming Samira Ahmed is fully on-board with trans rhetoric given the endorsement from Lilian.

However, that doesn't mean she wouldn't have been good at the job assuming that she, like Amol Rajan appears to, maintained journalistic integrity and kept their personal views out of the non-political job of hosting a fecking game show.

Not that any of that matters to Lilian, who in the article on JKR says 'we have to decide which side of history we are on and impose boycotts and sanctions on those who oppose trans rights'. Lilian doesn't believe in free speech

Sanctions on JKR
I think Gringotts Bank should freeze her assets.

On the representation angle, I thought the whole point was about visibility? How can you see/know someone is queer or neurodiverse from watching UC? (I know if they have blue hair it’s a fairly good sign they identify as queer, but otherwise?)