[mattomac]

Why Am I not surprised to see he has an opinion on this.

[The Weeping Angel]

Interesting that Paul has nothing to say about what's been happening in the London Fire Brigade.

[Youngian]

Here's an extract from Paul's book

So why do savvy commercial operators make ads featuring people of colour in a country that’s over 80 per cent white? Maybe images of inclusivity and wide appeal produce positive responses among their target demographic.
If you watch the ads during Countdown for stair lifts and equity release schemes, they are nearly all white actors.

[Abernathy]

Peckham hipsters is a new one

Del Boy & Rodney, no?

[Andy McDandy]

So why do savvy commercial operators make ads featuring people of colour in a country that’s over 80 per cent white? Maybe images of inclusivity and wide appeal produce positive responses among their target demographic.
If you watch the ads during Countdown for stair lifts and equity release schemes, they are nearly all white actors.

Exactly. Even old white people will clock old white people as "square", old fashioned, traditional etc; and young BAME people as trendy, loud, vibrant and fun. It's stereotyping to be sure (particularly along the "sport and dancing" lines), but it resonates. Ditto the nerdy Asian, the brash American, the happy go lucky Irishperson and so on.

And if he wants to know why white audiences soak up this message, just consider who laughed loudest at Harry Enfield's "slobs" sketches. We do self-deprecation quite well.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Back on to the big issues. He actually attributes the change to "do gooders", or as they're otherwise known, The Pogues.

[Tubby Isaacs]

From Paul's advertising post. I vaguely recall this guy as an "agony uncle" on children's TV.

Quite why he should interpret adverts as being intended as social commentary on small town Gloucestershire, I don't really know. I expect that the population of wherever this is (Cirencester?) aren't sat flummoxed by seeing black and Asian people like live in Gloucester and Swindon. I reckon some of them probably buy things they see in adverts too.

[The Weeping Angel]

If he's that desperate to listen to it he can listen to it online or download it.

[Tubby Isaacs]

As a tangent, Paul's fan, Mr Hodson is now on to "woke", which is apparently just like 17th century radical Protestantism. That's a new one on me. Maybe Ian Paisley is due a reinterpretation too.

[Tubby Isaacs]

If he's that desperate to listen to it he can listen to it online or download it.

Paul elaborates BTL that doesn't want to hear it, or something.

[The Weeping Angel]

It's interesting that he has nothing to say about what's happening in the fire brigade.

[Dalem Lake]

From Paul's advertising post. I vaguely recall this guy as an "agony uncle" on children's TV.

Quite why he should interpret adverts as being intended as social commentary on small town Gloucestershire, I don't really know. I expect that the population of wherever this is (Cirencester?) aren't sat flummoxed by seeing black and Asian people like live in Gloucester and Swindon. I reckon some of them probably buy things they see in adverts too.

Just another sad, old, bitter gammon.

[Youngian]

As a tangent, Paul's fan, Mr Hodson is now on to "woke", which is apparently just like 17th century radical Protestantism. That's a new one on me. Maybe Ian Paisley is due a reinterpretation too.

Thought it was now widely understood that Cromwell didn’t ban Christmas but observe it in a modest contemplative manner in the home. Which is fine by me and anyone whose ever endured Christmas shopping. Neither was Cromwell a supporter of increasingly loopy demands of the Puritans but had to be placated. Imagine George Osborne had to put up with Steve Baker spitting demands in his face every day, he’d groan and throw him bones to get rid of him.

[Youngian]

May share Embling and Hodson’s misgivings if TV is just slotting in tin eared patronizing stock characters to tick boxes* but I don’t think that’s their beef. A black actor or woman could give us the greatest King Lear ever and it would still irk them, even with no intention in seeing the performances.

* Sticking an actor of colour in a respectable authority role which is just a walk-on part to spurt expository and plot link dialogue. ‘The lab results have come back’ ‘You’ve got 24 hours, Starsky’ ‘My client wishes to plead guilty m’lud.’

[RedSparrows]

As a tangent, Paul's fan, Mr Hodson is now on to "woke", which is apparently just like 17th century radical Protestantism. That's a new one on me. Maybe Ian Paisley is due a reinterpretation too.

Thought it was now widely understood that Cromwell didn’t ban Christmas but observe it in a modest contemplative manner in the home. Which is fine by me and anyone whose ever endured Christmas shopping. Neither was Cromwell a supporter of increasingly loopy demands of the Puritans but had to be placated. Imagine George Osborne had to put up with Steve Baker spitting demands in his face every day, he’d groan and throw him bones to get rid of him.

The issue is nearer the fundament, though. Ellision of 'wokery' with 'any and every attempt to police manners in a way I think wrong'. History shows a rather complicated picture there...

[Tubby Isaacs]

Yep.

And indeed the present, where Republicans are going after drag queens.

[Andy McDandy]

It's more like a reverse Niemoller.

First everyone picked on the Jews - until the Holocaust put a stop to that
Then it was the people of colour - until civil rights
Then it was women - until feminism
Then it was the gays - until Pride
Then they looked around and said "who's left?"*

*And yes, I'm fully aware that all the people listed above still get untold grief from wankers and probably will until there are no wankers left, but at least on some fronts it seems that the course of history and public opinion at least in the west is on the side of the cool people.

[Youngian]

Roderick Spode’s off on one again

[Yug]

Wodehouse is going to be rewritten? What? Like Roald Dahl was rewritten? Like Baa Baa Black Sheep and Christmas were banned?

This is terrible! How ever will the poor Daily Fail 'readers' cope?

What was that dog's name again?

[Andy McDandy]

Even Littlejohn, in his recent rant about Dahl, acknowledged that "And Then There Were None" was a necessary and welcome improvement on the original title.