Adam Buxton podcast and billy bragg

[Sizzlysausage]

Adam Buxton has interviewed Billy Bragg on his podcast. I can’t bear to listen to it but the blurb seems pretty positive. Not sure if they address trans issues but I feel so disappointed that Buxton has included someone who I would see as such an obvious misogynist. I like his podcast. 🙁 Anyone listened to it?

I love this. I love her.

I agree with a PP that he's just a low-key friendly chat podcaster, not in the business of challenging his guests. Course you can broadly call him an interviewer but what he does isn't journalism or even Wogan-like chat show interviews. It's literally a 'ramble' and he'll present his vague middle class liberal views if relevant but mainly he's there to waffle and giggle and say ooh that's interesting to the more intelligent guests. As with the BB/JKR comment above, that's the most he'll say - that he'd be more careful not say anything remotely controversial. Sure you can see his choice of guests as making some statement of his alignment but really I think he's more about wanting some 'modern/relevant' SM figures in the mix with his old muso and comedy mates. He'd not be thinking he's offending anyone, and probably feels fine with you thinking JKR is brave too if it keeps the chat bubbling along in a friendly way.

All of which to say, I listened to both and they're not his best but had things of interest in, as people I don't always agree with can also be interesting.

I listened to this episode but found BB so boring.

He reminded me of my dad’s mates when I was growing up who would hold court, have inexplicably huge windows of time to explore their interests and hobbies for men with families, and think that their views were the most interesting.

His Westminster College education (that I hadn’t previously known he received) helped me to understand the sheer misplaced confidence of the man.

I’m another big fan of AB and have listened to dozens of his podcasts, particularly the ones that relate to the loss of his parents, which really chimed with me (I'm older than him but I related very much to his feelings about grief). I don’t quite agree that he's essentially a superficial interviewer - for every lighthearted podcast chat with his comedy mates there are plenty with more serious people. And I did think that his heart was very much in the right place and that he was a thoughtful person.

But…..I’m genuinely disappointed at this. Really properly disappointed.

AB and not billy Bragg was educated at Westminster, is that what you meant? Sorry if I misread you.

I think AB doesn’t want to take a position, which is ok, but he tends to just agree with everyone. This chimes fine when the broad majority of his guests are reasonably well informed attuned individuals. But it’s a real clang when he yaps along with someone as egregious as BB who has shown his hand to be an enemy of women.

They both were educated at Westminster.

I like AB's podcast but can't bring myself to listen to the BB one. I know AB has come off social media but surely he hasn't been living under a rock.

I vaguely remember AB making some comment along the lines of "my wife says she wouldn't care if a trans woman uses the ladies loo so I don't see what all the fuss is about". Really quite dismissive.

I'm also going to give the Contrapoints a miss after reading this thread.

Wiki page says not. And I hadn’t thought he was, he went to a standard comp?

I wish I could just not listen to these episodes but continue to enjoy the podcast for what it is. I mean obviously that is exactly what I could do. It's a shame though because having quite enjoyed his rambling conversations, I can only conclude at this point that he has very little respect for women, and that makes the podcast less enjoyable.

On a previous point, I have often thought AB is not enormously confident despite his Westminster education. I guess that could be a way for him to avoid accusations of privilege that go with it but (not to psycho-analyse) but I've often had the slight impression that he compares himself to friends such as Louis Theroux, in a negative sense.

No idea obviously and not immediately relevant to the conversation, though perhaps more so is that he has a teenage daughter. I know some people suggest that can sway things. I never know why though, really - I have a teenage daughter and am quite prepared to tell her when I disagree on issues like this.

Big fan of AB. But I think it just isn't in many people's interest to get right into this topic. It's far better for many to just have a vague idea of what is going on, demonstrate a little all round sympathy but have no strong (and potentially problematic) views.

Exactly that @Musomama1 - especially as the issue doesn't really affect him. Sure he still likes previous guest Graham Linehan and as per JKR just thinks he's a bit mad for sticking his neck out when he could keep his head down.

And schools-wise, pretty sure it's only AB that went to Westminster (with Theroux and Cornish) and he plays it very much as his parents' wishes and the privilege makes him uncomfortable etc etc etc. but course it shapes him.

I think believing that JKR is mad for getting involved is one thing. Allowing a guest on your podcast to say she's in league with the far right and not even challenge that is quite another.

I agree @MargotBamborough It's all very well saying you don't take a stand but how far do you take that? I do think that if you have a large audience you have some responsibility not to spread misinformation of this sort. I guess he can hope that his listeners have sufficient intelligence to make up their own mind but really, I don't think it casts him in a good light. It might not be in his interest to get involved but the fact is he now IS involved as he has invited two guests onto his show at least one of whom has shared ... untruths.

My wife doesn't mind sharing with transwomen = my wife isn't suffering PTSD from serious sexual assault and can afford private medical care anyway and neither of us have the inclination or humility to imagine what life is like for less privileged women.

I've been a huge Adam and Joe fan since the late night C4 days. Won't be listening to this, as I dip in and out of his Rambles as it is, and the thought of being (effectively) trapped in a room with Billy Bragg, with no way to interrupt him, isn't something that appeals.

I loved Adam's book, and his thoughts about grief and the changing relationship you have with your parents in adulthood, especially as they approach the end. He's definitely one of those broadcasters that I almost forget I don't know in real life.

He wants his guests to like him. He's not going to challenge them. I agree he does get into more serious discussions with some of his less frivolous guests, but even then he's generally trying to show that he can (or can't) keep up with them and would be dying at the awkwardness if they had a disagreement. He sits on some eps for years before releasing them if he thinks they didn't flow. Agree that he'd rely on his listeners to use their own intelligence rather than taking a guest's views as gospel. I get what you're objecting to, but think it's also legit to show what a guest's POV is and not be there to argue against it, which would hardly dissuade them or anyone else from their existing positions. BB was interesting on the history of skiffle, so just about worth the listen.

@GrandmaMazur hang on, I thought the Theroux trans doc was his usual style of present it as is and let the people's own ridiculousness hang them?
The family he showed transing their young child ended with the child going, na actually I'm a boy. I thought the fact he went in very neutral made the family show him all the mad lengths they were going to which were then totally shown up by this ending.

He's definitely one of those broadcasters that I almost forget I don't know in real life

@MainlyOnThePlain agree, and I think this is why I (stupidly, I know) feel so personally disappointed.

And lest we forget LT got a huge career boost from that savile documentary

This is quite a common attitude. It's a bit dispiriting to see the number of people who probably believe they're good, moral, upright people who react to someone acting out of principles and suffering some kind of backlash as foolishly damaging their commercial interests.

I think I might have to rewatch that documentary as that’s not how I remember it (but my memory is shocking)! I honestly thought it only showed one side with a very happy ‘trans child’ of primary school age and nothing else.

Well, out of curiosity I just went to see whether there are any reviews of the BB edition. And there are, on Apple. Several are extremely negative, as far as I can see. I suppose I ought not to quote without permission but it’s well worth checking them out.

The slurs against JKR are also highlighted.

I hope AB reads these.

I couldn’t see where to access the reviews? Cab you link them here please @Zeugma ?

They’re on the Apple podcast page for the show but I had difficulty copying that - here’s a link to a different site that has them, though.

Podcast reviews

Thank you!