It’s offal how media shelters us from the realities of life
THERE’S nothing wrong with a good, honest apology – the sort we rarely hear from politicians– but I’m getting fed up of the hollow, the weedy and the downright feeble varieties.
Rita Ora falls firmly in the hollow camp after attending a birthday bash with dozens of friends at a London restaurant.
The pop star issued a grovelling apology – but only after her blatant lockdown breach was made public.
The weedy variety was demonstrated by South Yorkshire Police after the death of Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe.
The force issued a public apology for the “language, tone and terminology” used by senior officers about Sutcliffe’s victims at the time of the investigation into his crimes. But what use is that 40 years later?
The downright feeble approach is becoming the hallmark of some broadcasters.
The Talking Pictures s TV channel warns viewers that events ents and words used in the e programmes they’re about to see might cause offence, as if we didn’t know that times had changed since the days of Rumpole Of The Bailey.
Then there’s the BBC’s growing habit of tiptoeing around the he news. It’s taken to beginning reports online with a warning w that what you’re you’ about to read m might contain “offe “offensive lan language”. You could say a about any u unpleasant news, couldn’t you? Like the fa fact that child po poverty is on the rise.
Thi This week, the Beeb carried news of China tweeting a fake image of an Australian solider murdering an Afghan child. I already knew what had happened by the time it warned: “Warning: This story contains an image some people might find distressing.”
Then came the picture... merely showing a soldier holding a figure almost completely hidden by pixels.
Just give me the news, straight and unembellished! I can handle being shocked or offended if the content warrants it. I don’t need my hand holding, thank you very much. Nor, to sidetrack briefly, do I want to hear a presenter saying a story about a sick child is “so sad” or ending one about a fundraising challenge by adding “we wish them all the very best”.
Perhaps I should empathise with those of a more sensitive disposition. But at least let’s have some consistency.
For example, our national broadcaster feels the need to doctor the Pogues Christmas song Fairytale Of New York for Radio 1 listeners by removing a word that describes a meatball made from minced offal.
Radio 2 meanwhile has revived a Kid Creole and the Coconut hit that includes the line, “Oh Annie, I’m not your daddy, see if I was in your blood, then you wouldn’t be so ugly”.
Surely, that should be changed to: “Annie, I’m not your parental figure of unspecified gender, otherwise your appearance would not attract social media comments from those unable to appreciate your unique beauty”.
I can handle being shocked or offended if the content warrants it. I don’t need my hand holding