I was listening to Today this morning when someone said:
“Watch this – Louis Theroux is coming on BBC 1 to plug his Ultra Zionist programme, you’ve just missed the trail, and after it Bill Turnbull said “These people are unbelievable, they make you gasp!”
So I switched off the radio and watched. I sat through inane chatter, sport, stale news about Egypt, just waiting for Louis.
He looked a bit dejected, like a dog that knows he’s just snaffled the Sunday joint. Guilty. Contrite. He seemed to be trying to take back the opportunistic antisemitism that he suddenly realised his programme would unleash. But too late. Not much good now saying: ‘I didn’t mean it in an antisemitic way, ‘ ‘there are two sides to every story,’ ‘these were ultra ULTRA Zionist settlers.’ ‘ Ultra. Very very ultra. ‘
Too late Louis. the damage has been done. Damage limitation is futile already.
I thought I’d leave it at that, but then decided to add this.
When the BBC decides to show ‘exceptional’ Israelis, and don’t forget that’s the only kind we get to see on the BBC, and when it gives people like Bill Turnbull cause to sigh at their outrageousness, and when it sets everyone off thinking the same bad thoughts about Jews, doesn’t it make you wonder where, on the BBC, are their counterparts?
How many Islamic ‘exceptions’ do we see Louis Theroux making documentaries about?
If – should such a miracle occur – he were to make one about fanatical, antisemitic, Islamic extremists, what pains would be taken to explain that they were exceptions, that Islam was the religion of peace, that their Islam was unIslamic, Islam-gone-wrong Islam?
The media would be occupying themselves with the topic for weeks. Probably the police would arrest Louis for incitement. Keith Vaz would have an apoplectic fit and Baroness Warsi would have to cancel all her dinner engagements for ever and ever.
“Don’t judge it before you see it” I hear you say. I’m not judging the programme, I’m questioning the wisdom of making it.
“But you’re always saying we should expose fanaticism when it applies to Islam. Now you’re saying we should hide fanaticism when it applies to Jews.” I thought I heard you say.
“Then expose them both, in strict proportion to the numbers that exist!” I reply. “Keep your Louis Theroux, but let’s also have Undercover Mosque, Horrible Hamas Histories, Muslim Brotherhood Unwrapped, Hassan Nasrallah’s Best Bits, Ayaan Hirsi Ali giving Zeinab Badawi a Hardtime, Anjem Choudary’s Rant for the Day, a CBeebies edition of the Hamas Bunny and Forfar the Jew-eating Wabbit.
Then trail them a hundred times per day, and really give Bill Turnbull something to gasp at.
Am I alone in finding something a little bit creepy about Louis
Theroux ?
Nicky Campbell’s 5Live phone-in on anti-Semitism touched on BBC bias this morning and Nicky did not seem entirely comfortable defending the BBC.
A link here to the show.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-12347050
“The anger and despair of the Palestinians at the settling of foreigners in their midst is palpable.”
What foreigners would that be then? Does he mean “Jooooos”?
“Many say they would be happy to have Jewish neighbours but not while they don’t enjoy the same rights or have the same sovereignty.”
But MOST say they won’t allow ANY Jews to live in their neighbourhoods when they get their Palestinian state. Their state will be Judenrein. Does Louis even mention that ?
I guess not.
I will be unable to watch the programme for fear of taking a shoe to the screen.
From your link.
Here’s Louis leading up to something, thus:
“If we’re not here there’s a [Palestinian] city and we don’t want another [Palestinian] city,” he said.
Then Louis makes his move, with his usual ‘faux innocent question’ manoeuvre:
“What, I wondered, would be so bad about another Palestinian city?”
“Because it’s my land! It’s the land of Israel. It’s not the land of Palestinians.”
Boom Boom! Loony Alert! Jews are the chosen ones!
“Not long after that I left Jerusalem, but not before I visited Yair again. Once again I found him friendly, likeable, and yet profoundly lacking in perspective of how his national aspirations were trampling on the rights of millions of Palestinians.”
More classic Louis. “Some of my best friends are settlers,” he’s saying, “but they’re interlopers in Muslim lands,” and while Jews are loonies for saying it’s their land, Muslims can say it’s theirs with impunity.
So Yair’s aspirations are trampling on the rights of millions of Palestinians? Oy veh! A shame Louis knows nowt about history.
(I don’t say *oy veh!* in real life. It was a joke.)
Actually most “Palestinians” are descendents of foreigners. Egyptians (like Yasser Arafat), Lebanese, Syrians and the like who immigrated to what is now Israel when it was “Palestine” under British rule. They were encouraged by the British as cheap labour and many also found work paid by early Zionists (not a swear word) who provided work for them long before 1948.
I don’t know if any of you have ever seen a Louis Theroux documentary, but they’re not serious exposes of important matters.
They are freak shows, hence Bill Turnbull’s aghastness. They point a finger at some of the world’s biggest nutters and say “Aren’t you happy you don’t live next door to these guys?”
Also I’ve a feeling Louis Theroux is himself Jewish, so unlikely to be spouting anti-semitic nonsense on TV is he?
I don’t think he is Jewish. He just looks like he could be *DONT_KNOW*
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Theroux
Scottie,
He is not Jewish.
Louis “points his finger at some of the world’s biggest nutters”. So next time, Islamic extremists.
Don’t hold your breath Grant.
Scott/Dez:-
>>They point a finger at some of the world’s biggest nutters and say “Aren’t you happy you don’t live next door to these guys?<<
Can’t wait for Louis to do a film on militant homosexual rights activists.
Luis goes to live with hamas to learn how to make suicide vests and how to keep disabled kids in dog cages, its the newest treatment apparently and then its onto Iran for a little women killing and torture rape and after that to top it off how about a little time for hunting down African refugees for a bit of torture killing rape and slavery Oooh and to top it all off so to speak some beheadings would no nicely.
So there you have it, the right is fair game for the ‘highlight the loony tune’ show but its strictly off limits for some isnt it?
Scottie
“Also I’ve a feeling Louis Theroux is himself Jewish, so unlikely to be spouting anti-semitic nonsense on TV is he?”
I’m pretty certain that he isn’t Jewish. And anyway, being Jewish is no guarantee that there won’t be something unpleasant there somewhere.
Comes from a Catholic family.
That’s right , Charlie.
Heard the one about the Irishman and the Jew?
“Are ye a Catholic or a Protestant?” asked the Irishman.
“I’m a Jew” replied the Jew.
“Oh!” said the Irishman. “ Are ye a Catholic Jew or a Protestant Jew?”
Not particularly funny, but slightly relevant. I just wanted to say to Scottie:
“I don’t know if any of you have seen a Louis Theroux documentary…”
No, Scottie, we never watch telly, so we just talk about things we know nothing about.
We don’t realise he’s a serious documentary maker who exposes freaks by asking contrived innocent questions, in a subtle, yet revealing, non-confrontational manner. A bit like the thinking person’s Ali G, only more snidey. Just a guess.
Oh, and I’m certain that no Jew would ever spout antisemitic nonsense. Not even a Catholic AsaJew speaking AsaLouis.
I don’t know if any of you have ever heard of antisemitic AsaJews, but you wouldn’t want to live next door to one. 😉
Indeed – we have a ruling elite and state broadcaster who actually hate the British. Being born into a culture does not guarentee endorsement.
BTW What is the definition of ultra zionist as compared to common or garden variety zionists?
deegee,
An “ultra zionist ” is the Jewish equivalent of an “ultra-muslim” but without the death threats and suicide bombs.
Any chance of the BBC doing a show called “Don’t Panic, I’m a Zionist”?
Any chance? More chance of seeing Al Gore hand back his Nobel prize.
I shall be watching “Outnumbered” instead. No-one does
excellent ,white, middle-class comedies quite like the BBC 😀
Sue your full a shit, you think it is your land and it is not, ever wonder why sain people think you are wrong.
You haven’t proven that you aren’t away with the fairies yet, so I wouldn’t go pulling the all sane people who think like me think you are wrong tactic.
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Joe joe,
Most of we insane people spell it “sane”.
So nice to read the intelligent, well-informed, articulate debating and reasoning skills of the anti-Zionist.
A BBC employee perhaps.
Jojo joined in the Question Time thread with what I think he intended as a poem. Every line ended with the word “torys” (sic) It appears he may have learning difficulties, and has the emotional age of c.12. Safest not to feed the troll though.
Meanwhile, unlike Islam Not BBC (INBBC), Glenn Beck points to the threat to Israel from Hamas, Muslim Brotherhood and sections of political ‘left’:
“Violence erupts in Egypt”
See video for 3 Feb (41 mins duration)
http://www.watchglennbeck.com/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/8302128/Louis-Theroux-the-Ultra-Zionists-BBC-Two-review.html
The first, and so far only (5 x recommended) comment in response seems to set the scene…
‘Thank you Louis Theroux and the BBC Two for showing the evil of Zionists in Israel.’
Louis Theroux is a hack. He knows no more about the Israeli/Palenstinian “situation” than joe joe does.
Also C\can’t joe joe be banned or something? He was entertaining at first, but his kind of ignorance and stupidity gets real old real fast.
Dino,
I think some posters have been banned in the past. Generally, I am against it. When idiots like Joe joe appear, I think the best approach is either to ignore them or take the p**s. Treat it as a bit of sport.
Banning and censorship would make this website no better than the BBC !