BBC Defends Mandela Coverage Against 1,000 Loons Who Complained About It
IT is only when important figures die that you start to reflect and realise what you had before your eyes all this time. In Nelson Mandela, we had a Martin Luther King Jr. We had a Gandhi. We had a Malcolm X. Of course, these people were divisive, but everyone should applaud what they aimed to do – stop unfair, inhumane treatment of people who aren’t white.
To some Mandela was a terrorist. To most, he was a man who defied a racist regime, went to prison and stayed strong in his belief to do the right thing and, inexplicably, he managed it. Apartheid, initially a ghettoisation of people, dressed up all cuddly by White Supremacists as ‘helping us all to be better neighbours’ rather than ‘Hey! Black guy! Whitey will have where you’re stood, ’til the horizon, thanks! And we’ll kill you if you complain!’, was lead by Mandela and the whole world rejoiced because he never gave up in his quest to end segregation.
On top of all that, since his release, he never once guilt-tripped a soul. He got into power and welcomed everyone with open arms. It was a show of remarkable constraint. He wanted to heal and knew he was just about the best person to give South Africa a shot at it.
What a wonderful man, we all thought, as we reflected on his passing; 95-years-old, an incredible life and a wonderful goal. Nelson Mandela is not like other human beings. His legacy outstanding, his person, remarkable.
And here we are, with BBC News director James Harding having to defend the extensive reporting on Mandela’s death after Auntie received nearly 1,000 complaints from thunderous git-baskets who still haven’t worked out how to switch channel.
Most complaints were from those who felt the coverage was excessive, because Britain was in the middle of some shitty weather. Two people died in the storm, which of course, is lousy. However… and sorry about this general public… we’re not Nelson Mandela. He is much, much more important.
Irritatingly, Harding apologised but said Mandela was a man of “singular significance”. Harding should’ve told those complaining to shut their holes and realise that when someone like Mandela dies, it always takes precedence over some stupid wind.
Harding said: “Firstly, I’m sorry if there are people who felt as though we didn’t inform them fully of what was happening in the weather. In addition to that, there’s a lot of news that’s rolling, you’re seeing President Obama come out and make comments, David Cameron comes out to make comments. The BBC, and only the BBC, managed to get former president FW de Klerk.”
“But we are probably talking about the most significant statesman of the last 100 years and a man who has defined freedom, justice, reconciliation, forgiveness.”
Bob Dylan said “you don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.” Obviously, he’d not heard about the shit-hampers that complained about the BBC covering one of the most important news stories of a generation.
Posted: 9th, December 2013 | In: Politicians, Reviews, TV & Radio Comments (4) | TrackBack | Permalink
