I really thought that the Daily Mail couldn't possibly wring out any more drips of bile from the "Sachsgate" (the answerphone messages, Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand left on Andrew (Manuel) Sach's phone on their Radio 2 show.) fallout, I was wrong. Because today we have this latest twist in the tale.
To be fair to Ross (The interview that spawned this article is here.) He describes the suspension, and the turmoil, and sudden change in his circumstances as "fun". Likewise, he describes the media furore and the huge over reaction; as "hilarious" and an "intrinsically unimportant" (which it was definitely, on this point) issue in the greater scheme of things. Whether you conclude that [the interview] paints Ross as an irreverent eccentric who sees life as one tragi -comic, whimsical adventure, or an egotistical, overpaid man -child who lives for the day, to hell with everything else. (and I feel that from the tone of the interview, it's the former, sprayed with hints of the latter) I felt that it is wrong to think that it is an attack on Andrew Sachs, but perhaps an up yours to the Mail, and others. A man trying (perhaps a bit to hard) to keep up a cheery; one fingered salute against a fierce barrage of shit. Who is being defined by his critics from the rougher edges of his whimsical exuberance, than the more esoteric side he'd rather be noted for.
There's not much more to add to the narrative of this whole sorry saga. It started with the incident happening and largely passing unnoticed. MoS gets wind of it, and start a feverish campaign to "ban this filth" against a long term hate target(s) (Ross seems to be a particular Dacre hobby horse. Possibly because of his reputed wages at the bloated money burning communist furnace, that is the BBC or what the hell ever it is. Brand also has a few crosshairs on his forehead. He's screwed more people than Bernie Madoff did in a lifetime, scarcely appropriate behaviour for the Amphill WI jam making and annual hot cross bun reviewing Middle England ladies society, and he's also a bit weird looking and thus reduces house prices.) Get people to ring ofcom to complain about second hand stuff they never even listened to. Cue Auntie desperately try to reign in the storm by suspending the pair (Brand is eventually fired) and sacking the controller of R2 (Lesley Douglas). See the BBC fail to understand that their enemies aren't interested in being placated, they wan't them finished, and denounce the BBC anyway. Let's face it, if the DG of the Beeb allowed the pair to have been disemboweled by Melenie Philips herself and Steven Glover had then boiled them alive in hot tar, on the Television Centre car park, the Mail would have ragged the Beeb for inflating petrol prices for the gratuitous use of oil. This is the kind of mentality the organisation is up against.
Now I think that the calls were (no pun intended) a a bad call. There are questions to how much Sachs was aware of what was finally transmitted. Unlike the famous Brass Eye "Cake" spoof, where people were again unaware they were the butt of a joke at their expense, Sachs hadn't done anything to warrant it. In the cake sketch, celebrities were willing to swallow whole blatant bullshit to look good. For me this is why I think someone should have said "hang on" before transmission, and have contacted Sachs, as to what would be put out (it was put out 2 days after recording) and if he was OK with it. For what happened to the trio after the backlash, Sachs was surprisingly dignified about the affair, taking care to not give the press the vengeful soundbites they wanted, (in substantial contrast to the Mail), and just seemed to want the whole thing to blow over. Really an apology to Sachs (which seems to have been how he wanted it to end. He was always very politely keen to bring the whole thing to an end, from what he said at the time), and a bollocking at BBC HQ should have been the end of it. But in the end who really thinks this was just about looking out for a Fawlty Towers legend?
To be fair to Ross (The interview that spawned this article is here.) He describes the suspension, and the turmoil, and sudden change in his circumstances as "fun". Likewise, he describes the media furore and the huge over reaction; as "hilarious" and an "intrinsically unimportant" (which it was definitely, on this point) issue in the greater scheme of things. Whether you conclude that [the interview] paints Ross as an irreverent eccentric who sees life as one tragi -comic, whimsical adventure, or an egotistical, overpaid man -child who lives for the day, to hell with everything else. (and I feel that from the tone of the interview, it's the former, sprayed with hints of the latter) I felt that it is wrong to think that it is an attack on Andrew Sachs, but perhaps an up yours to the Mail, and others. A man trying (perhaps a bit to hard) to keep up a cheery; one fingered salute against a fierce barrage of shit. Who is being defined by his critics from the rougher edges of his whimsical exuberance, than the more esoteric side he'd rather be noted for.
There's not much more to add to the narrative of this whole sorry saga. It started with the incident happening and largely passing unnoticed. MoS gets wind of it, and start a feverish campaign to "ban this filth" against a long term hate target(s) (Ross seems to be a particular Dacre hobby horse. Possibly because of his reputed wages at the bloated money burning communist furnace, that is the BBC or what the hell ever it is. Brand also has a few crosshairs on his forehead. He's screwed more people than Bernie Madoff did in a lifetime, scarcely appropriate behaviour for the Amphill WI jam making and annual hot cross bun reviewing Middle England ladies society, and he's also a bit weird looking and thus reduces house prices.) Get people to ring ofcom to complain about second hand stuff they never even listened to. Cue Auntie desperately try to reign in the storm by suspending the pair (Brand is eventually fired) and sacking the controller of R2 (Lesley Douglas). See the BBC fail to understand that their enemies aren't interested in being placated, they wan't them finished, and denounce the BBC anyway. Let's face it, if the DG of the Beeb allowed the pair to have been disemboweled by Melenie Philips herself and Steven Glover had then boiled them alive in hot tar, on the Television Centre car park, the Mail would have ragged the Beeb for inflating petrol prices for the gratuitous use of oil. This is the kind of mentality the organisation is up against.
Now I think that the calls were (no pun intended) a a bad call. There are questions to how much Sachs was aware of what was finally transmitted. Unlike the famous Brass Eye "Cake" spoof, where people were again unaware they were the butt of a joke at their expense, Sachs hadn't done anything to warrant it. In the cake sketch, celebrities were willing to swallow whole blatant bullshit to look good. For me this is why I think someone should have said "hang on" before transmission, and have contacted Sachs, as to what would be put out (it was put out 2 days after recording) and if he was OK with it. For what happened to the trio after the backlash, Sachs was surprisingly dignified about the affair, taking care to not give the press the vengeful soundbites they wanted, (in substantial contrast to the Mail), and just seemed to want the whole thing to blow over. Really an apology to Sachs (which seems to have been how he wanted it to end. He was always very politely keen to bring the whole thing to an end, from what he said at the time), and a bollocking at BBC HQ should have been the end of it. But in the end who really thinks this was just about looking out for a Fawlty Towers legend?
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