Why do we take TV so seriously?
David Cameron says he's devastated; Lord Mandelson spoke of his shock and Bruce Forsyth was invited onto Newsnight for the first time in his career. The BBC's received thousands of emails and texts about John Sergeant pulling out of Strictly Come Dancing and they've offered to refund money to people who voted for him. John Sergeant said he was leaving to avoid a "bloody battle" and revealed how serious things were getting when someone rang his wife to say he should apologise for staying in the show.
© MMIX~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~24~RS~)
CommentsSign in
You need to sign in to contribute to this page. If you're new to BBC Blogs, creating your membership is quick and easy.
Don't watch the programme myself but the whole episode is a gloriously British farce; I love it!
Although, I do think pestering the poor man's wife is a bit off.
Complain about this comment
The only reason Marx called Religion the "opiate of the masses" was because he had never seen television.
If you want a less prozac'd populace, try giving them real stories instead of shiny fluff nonsense; and I dont mean the latest moral outrage or "dead donkey" story of the day, I mean the stuff that is really going on in the wider world that is making our society what it is today.
One example that I keep seeing coming up is "Money as Debt" - lets see you do a programme on that instead of this electronic narcotic please.
:)
Complain about this comment
You and your editor might take S.C. D and similar programmes seriously Victoria , but I don't !
I can't believe this is the subject of your main phone in, more evidence of Radio 5 dumbing down.
Complain about this comment
I think the very fact that lots of people continued voting to keep John on the show indicates how un-seriously they take both the show and TV. It's a mistake to assume that because thousands of people voted they 'obviously' take it seriously.
[Just to go off-topic for a moment - to all the whingers - if the subject for debate on Five Live annoys you, just switch over to another station! It aint rocket science! Don't continue to listen to the debate just so that you can be annoyed and then whinge about it on here. You are irritating.]
I suspect there are many more people who don't take this programme, or J.S. seriously than do. (But that is just my opinion.)
Complain about this comment
It depends on whether you want to be entertained (the term that was formerly used was "diversion" rather than "entertainment", and for good reason - its used to divert people's attention in the same way a narcotic is) or if you want to be informed, I suppose.
Personally, I dont need "diverting" because I think that, despite the problems we face, the world is an engaging, wonderful and beautiful Home. Entertainment turns up as an alternative when you dont see the world that way and dont know how to change the situation; which is EXACTLY the same rationale as behind smack addiction (or shopping-as-a-leisure-activity, to join this with your second "issue of the day" Victoria).
Complain about this comment
JS found himself in a position which he didn't expect - he thought he would be out by now and therefore free to go on his cruise - did the BBC know about the cruise when he was signed-up? Who and how many has/have been manipulated?
Complain about this comment
LMAO
The world is being manipulated by massive financial crookery, 10s of 1000s are losing their jobs, the price of food has gone through the roof ......... but the people are worried about a dance contest.
Yoohoo, reality check anyone? lol
Or is the real question: what is being buried under this avalanche of fluff?
Complain about this comment
View these comments in RSS