Quote: Kevin Murphy @ February 4 2010, 12:00 AM GMT

Cheese,

What would you like to hear from a news review program?

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A critique similar to the one I outlined earlier.
Through the whole of my life I have lived through a popular culture that is overwhelmingly Left-liberal (for want of a better term). This has been blared out through films, music, TV etc. It is held by the elites of Europe and America yet the only criticism we hear of them in popular culture -coming from people who consider themselves "anti-establishment", is from those with actually the same opinions?
More bizarrely is those who watch this stuff at home and consider themselves original thinkers and individualists who hoover up this conformist dross. The Guardian is the organ of the establishment, not the organ of dissent.

Quote: Cheesehoven @ February 4 2010, 12:18 AM GMT

A critique similar to the one I outlined earlier.

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Don't be shy mate. If you have views you want expressing, why not express them here.

You've identified the views you don't like expressing on the BBC. What views would you like expressing?

None evidently. He appears to have gone off to mount a protest... or masturbate.

Quote: Kevin Murphy @ February 4 2010, 12:25 AM GMT

Don't be shy mate. If you have views you want expressing, why not express them here.

You've identified the views you don't like expressing on the BBC. What views would you like expressing?

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I doubt that anyone who read my first contribution to this thread who call it shy. So I'm wondering what you didn't find clear about it?

Quote: Cheesehoven @ February 4 2010, 12:49 AM GMT

I doubt that anyone who read my first contribution to this thread who call it shy. So I'm wondering what you didn't find clear about it?

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Your disdain for the views expressed by Brooker was obvious. Your actual views were not clear at all.

Kevin, I think Cheesehoven just wants the critique to come from a more balanced viewpoint, and to be able to give equal levels of praise and criticism to outlets at both ends of the ideological spectrum, rather than him wanting to see any view in particular. As noted, it's a largely liberal/left media being reviewed by someone who themselves expresses a clear liberal/left bias.

Quote: Aaron @ February 4 2010, 12:58 AM GMT

Kevin, I think Cheesehoven just wants the critique to come from a more balanced viewpoint, and to be able to give equal levels of praise and criticism to outlets at both ends of the ideological spectrum, rather than him wanting to see any view in particular. As noted, it's a largely liberal/left media being reviewed by someone who themselves expresses a clear liberal/left bias.

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Fine.

What's the opposing view?

EDIT: Well? What should Charlie be talking about? What should his targets be?

Quote: Cheesehoven @ February 4 2010, 12:49 AM GMT

I doubt that anyone who read my first contribution to this thread who call it shy. So I'm wondering what you didn't find clear about it?

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I don't know why you're continuing with this. Most people on the Left hate the Left. They just hate the Right more.

Quote: Kevin Murphy @ February 4 2010, 12:25 AM GMT

Don't be shy mate. If you have views you want expressing, why not express them here.

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Yes - and why not? Godot does:

Quote: Godot Taxis @ January 15 2010, 5:12 PM GMT

Morrace you c*nt.

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Quote: Aaron @ February 4 2010, 12:58 AM GMT

Kevin, I think Cheesehoven just wants the critique to come from a more balanced viewpoint, and to be able to give equal levels of praise and criticism to outlets at both ends of the ideological spectrum, rather than him wanting to see any view in particular. As noted, it's a largely liberal/left media being reviewed by someone who themselves expresses a clear liberal/left bias.

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Well he hacks into the BBC, Fox et al quite evenly. As for newspapers he lays off the Guardian, but he also lays off the Times/Telegraph. Oh and as for Fox it's a highly commercial station quite cynically being partisan to sell advertising space. The BBC has been merciless in hounding the current government, not to mention leftist stances. To see the BBC as left/liberal you have to be standing quite far to the right.

You may accuse him of being a broadsheet snob, but left liberal? As for the Guardian fine they employ George Monbiott a man who makes me want to set fire to Polar bears but what are their other sins?

Unlike the Sun, Star etc who stir up hate campaigns with real verifiable results.

Quote: Cheesehoven @ February 3 2010, 11:51 PM GMT

Another problem is that now there is a now a new generation of people who watch shit like this uncritically. They are wary of the news but they accept tosser Brooker's "analysis" at face value. GOOD OLE CHARLIE, HE'S SO FUNNY AND HE'S TELLING IT LIKE IT IS! He's not. He's got an elitist worldview and simply going along with it does not make one intelligent.

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People are entitled to their prophets. Check out how right wing LK Today or Mathew Wright or Talk Sport etc etc are. Charlie is pretty cynical about the commercialised world of infotainment, not so much specific channels.

I think, by the sounds of it, Cheesehoven would like to see Richard Littlejohn or John Gaunt sticking it to the "loony leftie, Guardianista, liberal, politically correct, do gooder brigade".

If so why not just read the Sun, the Mail, the Times, the Telegraph or Express or listen to TalkSPORT?

Quote: Cheesehoven @ February 4 2010, 12:18 AM GMT

Through the whole of my life I have lived through a popular culture that is overwhelmingly Left-liberal (for want of a better term). This has been blared out through films, music, TV etc.

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It's because the devil has all the best tunes. Us lefty-liberals are just more damned entertaining than the rightwingers. Sure, there's a few mildly diverting ones, but most entertainers and artists of any note are liberal leaning.

Quote: chipolata @ February 4 2010, 10:16 AM GMT

It's because the devil has all the best tunes. Us lefty-liberals are just more damned entertaining than the rightwingers. Sure, there's a few mildly diverting ones, but most entertainers and artists of any note are liberal leaning.

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I would guess, and this is just a theory, that this is because a lot of creativity, and especially comedy, is about challenging conventions and seeing things in a different way, where as conservatism is, well, conservative and about maintaining the status quo.

Famously Fox tried a satire sketch called "The half hour news hour." It tanked completely and "That's Life" which was a similar one in the UK was populist, but generally not remembered as being very funny.

Maybe the true leftist are funny in the same way any truly pathetic, but ultimately sympathetic lost cause are. No one finds winners amusing, comedy always has a strong sense of working with the underdog.

And right now Lib, Lab, Con, what ever. The idea of a truly lefty force having any influence is a bit of a joke. We laugh and joke because we are weak and ignored.

I fink Charlie Brooker is funny and shit.

In a way, I think this whole argument is a bit self defeating as assigning media political bias to news programming is a bit of a misnomer, as they all have to suck cock like capitalist crack whores for either ratings or advertisers.

They are neither particularly left wing or right wing and they are all, without a doubt, conservative with a small 'c'.

As Brooker has pointed out, television news has gone from a dry recitement of relevent facts to some bizarre infotainment programme. It's veered so sharply away from it's original remit, that it should, quite rightly, be mocked by one and all.

Newswipe is a thinly veiled copy of The Daily Show with John Stewart, but without the irreverance or buffoonery, which it sorely lacks. Brooker really falls down when he tries to take the moral high ground. In his mind, I'm sure he thinks he's coming across as some sort of media truthsayer, dispelling myths, uncovering hypocricy and illuminating the great unwashed to the evil machinations of the news industry and in many ways, people regard him as a cross between Charles Darwin, Fox Mulder and Robert Langdon.

Unfortunately, his revelations just seem to remind me of the moral lessons dished out at the end of He-Man episodes. 'That's right Orko, Foxor tried to use lies to create hatred, but he underestimated the power of the truth.' Etc.

I do enjoy Newswipe and Charlie Brooker massively, but wish the show was more jokey and less preachy.