Tonight I sat down to watch the new BBC comedy / mockumentary
W1A, as I had been forewarned that the programme would mention Mebyon Kernow.
On the BBC’s website, it was promoted as follows:
“Ian Fletcher’s first challenge on arriving at New
Broadcasting House, on his brand new and much-improved folding bike, is to find
somewhere to sit in a building aggressively over designed around the principle
of not having a desk.
“Ian finds himself holding the hottest of hot potatoes when
Mebyon Kernow activist Nigel Trescott complains that Cornwall
and the Cornish are shamefully under-represented on the BBC.
“Things get worse when BBC Spotlight South West presenter
Sally Wingate goes public with her feeling that her failure to progress to a
national presenting role might be part of the BBC’s institutionally
anti-Cornish bias.”
I have a very relaxed view of comedy and I anticipated a bit
of gentle mickey-taking, which I could laugh along to. Sadly, I saw no humour in
the manner in which Mebyon Kernow was misrepresented.
I have been invited onto BBC Radio Cornwall tomorrow to comment
on the programme. I will be on at about 8.20, if want to hear my thoughts.
Hi Dick - as someone perfectly amenable to Mebyon Kernow, and a former south-west resident now campaigning for Scottish independence, I didn't think the party was misrepresented. Rather, the BBC was thoroughly spoofed for not having a clue in certain key respects, and the MK character was clearly a reflective parody of that cluelessness. A crucial difference. I doubt anyone would have thought ill of MK as a result of it. On the contrary, it got you some profile (albeit with a rather minority audience). As a meeja type I also found the show extremely funny, I have to say… Best wishes, Simon
ReplyDeleteGhandhi said "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." Looks like we've reached the second stage, which is some sort of progress I guess.
ReplyDeleteStrange, but I didn't see the mummerzet MK character as much of a reflective parody myself. Looked much more like the familiar old patronising-defensive aggressive ignorance to me.
Still, look on the bright side - it got you another outing on Radio Cornball and in comparison with the BBC's MK, the real MK comes over quite well. Pity the BBC will refuse to give it anything resembling fair election coverage when it comes to our infrequent elections though.
Most people watching it outside Cornwall, would have no idea who MK are, so might not take it as satire.
ReplyDeleteDo not miss this great opportunity to get your message out there and do NOT lose your sense of humour! If the BBC can take it...so can MK, will look forward to see how this develops.
ReplyDeleteIt rather spoiled a very good comedy
ReplyDeleteHas the writer John Morton a thing against Cornwall.
Clearly knows little though
At least they pronounced Mebyon Kernow correctly though they seem to have no knowledge of what it stands for.
But its the same London Liberals who actually did like political correctness as it limits their humour so pick on the Cornish <Welsh and Scottish.
Cut an English liberal and you see the same blood as an English Tory imperialist.