“Some of your hat-tippers may have already picked this up, but last Friday’s edition of The Now Show featured a comedian called Paul Sinha. Amusingly, and to much audience laughter, he said that in order to meet the BBC’s commitment to editorial balance a comedian from the Far Left was always balanced by one from the Centre Left. He added that ‘he was always grateful for the work’.”
Green Party activist Marcus Brigstocke seems a bit put out that the BBC has told him his privileged licence fee funded platform for leftist rants isn’t quite the same during an election campaign:
Something we said, I hope.
Of course Brigstocke could have chosen to take the principled path and not appear on the show, but I guess he’s got his media profile to worry about. After all, it’s not as if he gets much exposure on the BBC.
As the John Hathorne character in the ongoing witch-hunt against the poor, voiceless, victimised comedians of The Now Show it would be remiss of me not to note (with ignorant sadistic crypto-fascist foam-flecked glee, naturally) that the Tory candidate for Brighton Pavilion is asking the BBC for a bit of clarification.
Update. Brigstocke: “we had to be very careful to ensure that The Green Party were not hosting or organising it”
Update 2. It’s getting weirder. In the comments to the original blog post Brighton-based musician Chris T-T (no, me neither) is demanding money for use of a photo freely available via Twitter. Happy to give him credit – but not money – for the photo. Mr T-T, who apparently played at the Green Party benefit gig on Saturday, is also a columnist for the Communist Party of Britain’s house rag The Morning Star.
[Update Wed March 3. I see the photo has caused quite a bit of discussion. Chris T-T is of course pissing in the wind asking for money, but on reflection I can see his point about use of the image. I too would be pretty angry if, for example, the BBC used a photo of mine without permission. Therefore, in the interests of reserving my right to occupy the high moral ground and go apeshit in similar circumstances, I’ve replaced the picture with a link. It was only ever incidental to the point being made anyway (I could have just as easily linked to the Brighton Theatre Royal’s own website). No doubt this’ll piss some of you off, but there it is.]
Further to my earlier post pointing out that The Now Show will be on three nights a week during the election campaign, I see that two of the regular cast – Marcus Brigstocke and Mitch Benn (along with other members of the BBC’s left-wing comedy establishment) – are in Brighton tonight (via Twitter)
Interestingly, the poster fails to mention what the event is for:
Award winning comedian and broadcaster Marcus Brigstocke will join forces with TV and radio comedy friends Russell Howard (Mock the Week), Alastair McGowan (The Big Impression), Mark Steele (NewsQuiz) and Mitch Benn (Now Show), Robin Ince (Nerdstock) and others for a one-off night of political mayhem at the Theatre Royal…
Proceeds from the gig will be going towards funding Caroline Lucas’ historic bid to become the UK’s first Green MP.
I guess the chances of hearing a Brigstocke rant or Mitch Benn song taking the piss out of the Green Party on Radio 4 are pretty low, then.
Update Sunday Feb 28. Response from Mitch Benn in the comments. He doesn’t endorse Lucas or the Green Party, but he supports them because they’re not the BNP. And Marcus speaks truth to power. Something like that.
(Here’s someone who likes leftie comedians but is unimpressed by their support for the Greens. Update. Link now password protected. Cached version here.)
