The BBC thinks we are all morons
I wrote the post below about BBC Young Musician of the Year before watching the final, broadcast yesterday.
Given that it had been allocated two hours on BBC2, I assumed we would be allowed to hear more than the same inane rubbish broadcast during the heats. As if.
In days of old (yes, in this respect at least things really were better in the olden days) the programme consisted of the finalists playing a concerto each, some expert commentary, and the results. I have no idea what the ratings were, but why should that matter to a public service broadcaster?
Not any more. Yesterday's programme consisted of mindless chit chat with the contestants' relatives about how they would be feeling, some patronising intro and lame jokes (so lame that they were met with silence in the hall) by Aled Jones and five minutes or so given over to an instrumental solo by the contestants. As for the concertos, we are clearly all too stupid and hyperactive to sit and listen to a whole piece. So the contestants simply performed an extract from their chosen piece. (They had apparently played the full piece the night before, but the BBC decided not to bother with that as it would clearly have frightened away any audience.)
We pay for this. We pay, under threat of a jail sentence, to be treated as morons. We pay to have anything remotely serious reduced to pap.
If the BBC was given charge of a three star Michelin restaurant, it would puree all the food and feed it to its customerrs through straws.
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Diana
May 12th, 2008 10:34amAbsolutely agree Stephen.
The uninterrupted performances are supposedly available on the internet, but, of course, the quality is debatable, unreliable, and not everyone has access anyway. Even if they did, would a household of music aficionados all sit round a computer screen together and watch?
As I said in your earlier YM thread, do run your eye over the Radio 3 messageboards...I find it reassuring to read similar views so eloquently put!
Prentia Clove
May 12th, 2008 10:53amI agree, abysmal stuff. I expect next year the competition will be presented by Graham Norton, the winner will be chosen by public vote, and the prize will be to meeting Andrew Lloyd Weber.
Fabio P.Barbieri
May 12th, 2008 3:18pmI wish I had the words to say how repulsive I find this, but even my vocabulary of abuse has its limits. The worst thing is the sense of sheer helplessness: you just know that these idiots will ignore any kind of pressure and carry on with their ruinous, poisonous, vicious agenda. At present, the only way to improve the BBC would be to blow up the whole management. We are being tyrannized and insulted by the people who take our money.
Anthony
May 12th, 2008 3:50pmAbsolutely agree. I'm glad you posted on this. I missed the grand final but saw most of the category finals. In a 60 minute show, around 45 minutes was dedicated to fluff, following the musicians about and whatnot and then there was maybe (and I do mean maybe) three fifteen second musical clips per entrant.
What's the point? It's like the BBC election coverage. The sort of people who watch it want the real deal. If they want a glorified reality TV show, they aren't going to be watching anyway.
Arrrgh!
Umbongo
May 12th, 2008 4:04pm"They had apparently played the full piece the night before,"
Thanks for the info. I wondered how the judges could have reached a decision in 5 minutes flat. I wouldn't be surprised if next year it'll be decided by a phone-in: after all, isn't having judges rather too elitist - and think of the cash!
BTW what is Jana Bennett's peculiar accent?
batman
May 13th, 2008 12:32pmWhy can't I just buy a sky package and be done with this shite? Why not give me a choice? I am given nothing by the BBC I can't get elsewhere, so why am I forced to pay for it?
Tommy
May 15th, 2008 11:17amStephen,
Everyone agrees with you. The backlash has been extensive and now there is a petition which aims to get some answers from the BBC. I encourage you all to join :
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/youngmusician/
The least we want is for the BBC to tell us why there was no music performance in a competition that features music performance!
See also my blog (which references Stephen) :
http://onemoretake.blogspot.com