The official 'Ask Aled' thread (Part Eight)

[DevilsDuck]

Absolutely

[Gaspode_The_Wonder_Dog]

Will you two give it a rest and go somewhere else to play.

Aled - that makes far more sense that what I felt you original post was saying which was that every single conversation must be analysed in case it offends a tiny number of people who may be offended by cornflakes.

[corsaboi]

With the jokes thing, the only thing I'm confused about is that they appeared on the BBC News website. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-11053202 (fwiw, I can only see number 2 and 4 where I'd show caution, cos it looks like they're asking for trouble.) I'dve thought that if they can appear on there, then they'd be fine to broadcast.

On totally unrelated notes, has the "hello Xday international radio one" thing been stopped? I haven't heard it since you all came back from holidays. Oh and is there any chance of dave doing more golden hours? Cos I thought he was canny good today, or is that Chris's baby?

[chrysostom]

PEOPLE. SERIOUSLY.

your = belonging, ownership.

you're = YOU ARE.

[Johnny 1989]

Let me give you one example. I remember working in the daytime office in Radio 1 - so that would have been within the last 9 years - and someone on Jo Whiley's team put their phone on loudspeaker. It was Lenny Henry who left a voice message expressing disappointment in us for playing a song with the 'N' word in it. I remember my reaction was shock, and thinking he was being a bit sensitive and over reacting but the word wasn't used in an angry way. A few of us had a discussion as to whether there was anything in it, and I think the end judgement was the 'N' word was continued to be used in that case.

I'm white. And at that time the word was used. Lenny showed us through complaining that there were black people who were becoming offended and were feeling uncomfortable with that word. I didn't get it.

Fast forward 9 years and the 'N' word is one of the 4 most sinful words for the BBC and you will not hear it on Radio 1 without permission from the highest level.

Interesting info, from what I can remember either M.O.P.'s Cold As Ice or a song by Ol' Dirty Bastard featured the song (I could be wrong it could be someone else).

I'll be honest I absolutely hate the word, it's nasty sounding anyway. However without turning this into a race debate, I find the whole argument that some black people use the word to "claim it back" as a poor argument because as far as I know the N word was invented by white people as a derogatory term to black people.

Either way that's for another thread.

[shamrock student]

So are we saying you're the authority on what's offensive?

Didn't you just decide you were in an earlier post? Anyway its missing the point entirely.

Only in that, it is part of my job to gauge where the line is. I don't get it right every time - but I see every complaint that gets made about the show so I'm pretty knowledgeable in what offends our audience.

That's not to say that common sense doesn't play a part in the judgement. If I got a complaint - even if it was a couple of hundred complaints (and therefore possibly a campaign) that speaking derogatory of mouldy apples offended people - We wouldn't be banning the conversation!

But tastes change. The line about what is acceptable moves naturally as society changes. I've witnessed it during the lifetime of our show. Telling people who are genuinely offended by stuff - oh it's PC gone made isn't very fair. Often it's the only thing people throw up as a way of expressing the frustration that something they'd said out of habit all their lives is now considered 'wrong'.

Let me give you one example. I remember working in the daytime office in Radio 1 - so that would have been within the last 9 years - and someone on Jo Whiley's team put their phone on loudspeaker. It was Lenny Henry who left a voice message expressing disappointment in us for playing a song with the 'N' word in it. I remember my reaction was shock, and thinking he was being a bit sensitive and over reacting but the word wasn't used in an angry way. A few of us had a discussion as to whether there was anything in it, and I think the end judgement was the 'N' word was continued to be used in that case.

I'm white. And at that time the word was used. Lenny showed us through complaining that there were black people who were becoming offended and were feeling uncomfortable with that word. I didn't get it.

Fast forward 9 years and the 'N' word is one of the 4 most sinful words for the BBC and you will not hear it on Radio 1 without permission from the highest level.

I'd imagine no one here would disagree with that. Now, it's an extreme to make my point. But it happened. Now imagine the million of grays inbetween the obvious black and white and the many ways that acceptable line sits across what people say and joke about and imagine how fluid that like is.

The BBC is part of the conversation and it reflects society, but a mainstream breakfast show owned by the BBC (i.e. you and everyone else that pays the licence fee) is not the place to challenge where the line is. If someone is honestly offended by something it has to be discussed and taken seriously whether we agree with it or not.

Very interesting post Aled, I just feel guilty now that my original question about those Edinburgh jokes has led to you wasteing part of your Friday night answering..think this whole board owes you a woo-woo or two at this stage!! Had to laugh at the mouldy apples comment, I guess the lesson for me is that I'd make a bad R1 producer

[The Stig]

Will Carrie return to The Chris Moyles Show once her maternity period finishes?

Shouldn't you be asking Carrie that?

I don't know is my answer - that's down to what Carrie wants to do at the end of her materinty.

Cool, what I meant by that was I take it the invatation is open for her return.

[Aled]

Will Carrie return to The Chris Moyles Show once her maternity period finishes?

Shouldn't you be asking Carrie that?

I don't know is my answer - that's down to what Carrie wants to do at the end of her materinty.

Cool, what I meant by that was I take it the invatation is open for her return.

Oh of course! Well it is from me anyway. It's not been discussed to be honest with you. She's taken a year and Tina's around 6 months in.

[neebs]

Will Carrie return to The Chris Moyles Show once her maternity period finishes?

Shouldn't you be asking Carrie that?

I don't know is my answer - that's down to what Carrie wants to do at the end of her materinty.

Cool, what I meant by that was I take it the invatation is open for her return.

The BBC are legally obliged to keep her job open for her to return for 12 months, it's not an invitation it's the law.

[DevilsDuck]

but her isnt sports reader on the radio 1 breakfast show, she is a sports journalist/sports news reader on the BBC, she just has to be able to go back into the same job role

[Yudster]

Aled, what you have written and your insight into how policy has evolved and presumably will evolve is exactly what I had hoped to hear. You worried me before!

Thanks for taking the time to wade through all this, its generous in the extreme. You must feel attacked from time to time - I hope you "know" me well enough by now to know that its never going to be personal, I wouldn't want you to think that. But you are (for most of us) the only accessible source of inside information regarding the BBC, and I think we all value the BBC, what it does and what it represents, enough to have strong opinions on how its managed. I imagine you feel the same way. Ta.

[Yudster]

what lol ?? like i said im lazy! 16_18 hour days at work make you that way!
so lmao, lol a pmsl

But we've already established that you are actually a schoolkid - 13 or 14 years old at most. Keep up.

[John22]

Hey, why say 14 years old like it's a bad thing?!

[Yudster]

Ah, but the difference is that your contributions to the site enable me to forget that you are 14 even though you aren't ashamed to admit it. He wants people to think he is an adult whilst constantly underlining the fact that he isn't.

[John22]

Ah, thank you

[newsbeat]

I'll be a teenager soon...

Plus, I don't really see John22 as a teenager. I can't help thinking he's older

[John22]

Well, I'll take that as a compliment, thank you

[newsbeat]

You're welcome!

[biggspuds]

Ah, but the difference is that your contributions to the site enable me to forget that you are 14 even though you aren't ashamed to admit it. He wants people to think he is an adult whilst constantly underlining the fact that he isn't.

hey ugly im 30 and im a pro driver

[biggspuds]

and why dont you stop being a complete tit askin dick head questions!
for the record i dont like you your a tool! duckie is cool

[biggspuds]

aled why is that crap knan wave the flag still on the play list?
please make it go away

[northernsteve]

Fast forward 9 years and the 'N' word is one of the 4 most sinful words for the BBC and you will not hear it on Radio 1 without permission from the highest level.

Interesting stuff. Hypothetically, if there was a cover version (by a credible artist) of Oliver's Army by Elvis Costello, which uses that word in a slightly different context, would it get airplay?

[chrysostom]

no. just like if the c word was used in an innocent context, it wouldn't change anything.

once a word is deemed offensive, it's crossed a bridge that is nigh on impossible to go back on.

i'd like to make the word 'panties' deemed offensive.

[wireman2004]

and why dont you stop being a complete tit askin dick head questions!
for the record i dont like you your a tool! duckie is cool

This person makes even me seem sane.

On a more serious note aled
With christmas round the corner. (i work at morrisons. they are on the shelves now. god help us) is there any special treats or ob's planned for christmas. Like the chris moyles lights switch on in a town/city or a night with the chris moyles show maybe???

if i could pitch a idea too you. maybe instead of doing a night with chris moyles careoke nights. How about say you do Rob d.j's Monday Night pub quiz night. I seem to remember it worked quite well when you kind of did it on a ooutside broadcast sometime, (i think it was a saturday show in 08 or 09) and i imagine it would work well if you gave the tickets away in 4's like you have done, you can take that as a team, and say yourself, rachael. (as she wants last night out with you all) rob d.j himself, or even celebrities/friends of the show. (i.e jake humphry doing 10 f1 questions, lorro doing 10 football questions, diana vickers doing 10 music questions for example) and you could maybe have 50 or so questions. and hand out a prize to the winning team. I would find it a laugh and a entertaining evening.)


Cheers aled

[Yudster]

Ah, but the difference is that your contributions to the site enable me to forget that you are 14 even though you aren't ashamed to admit it. He wants people to think he is an adult whilst constantly underlining the fact that he isn't.

hey ugly im 30 and im a pro driver

No you aren't.