That popular bogeyman, the BBC, has had to suffer the slings and arrows of British newspaper writers again over the last few weeks. It's been very quiet since Christmas in tabloid-news terms. That doesn't mean that there hasn't been plenty of events? shaping the world- simply that there hasn't been adequate stories to keep tabloid readers interested.
Nothing sells better than incensing people and given them that warm fuzzy glow that comes from feeling indignant. The Eastenders Cot Death Story Controversy should not be confused with The Eastenders Cot Death Story.
The latter revolved around one of its central characters losing her baby to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, and then stealing another character?s baby. The former asks some terrifying questions about the BBC and whether they hate all ?right-thinking? people.
They were accused, disturbingly, of making fictional programmes about dramatic subjects. We know what you're thinking- why can't they just stick to programmes of desperate people dancing badly to keep the proletariat happy? Well apparently that's not enough for the liberal media sickos at the BBC. They insist on having programmes full of things that have just been made up! Even worse some of the things that have been made up are things that have happened to people in the real world.
Even the Daily Mail, normally first to point the finger of filth at the nation?s broadcaster, realised that this wasn?t decent enough grounds to vilify the Beeb. They reported it, but their heart wasn?t especially in it. We say heart. We mean pacemaker powered by the broken dreams of illegal immigrants.
This was The Sun?s story really, but luckily there's a plethora of busy-bodies, pressure groups and attention-seekers always on hand with quotes for friendly journalists.
The Mirror, without the slightest trace of irony, had a quote from mumsnet accusing the episode of being
?a cynical ploy to make headlines by creating controversy?.
The Mirror also carried a quote from someone who lost a child who was concerned the (entirely fictional) story would reinforce the (entirely fictitious) stereotype that bereaved mothers ?go mad and steal babies?.
?I had so hoped the EastEnders storyline might have paved our way to campaign more loudly than ever, but I am disappointed? said Anne Diamond in The Sun whilst using the controversy to pave the way for her to campaign more loudly than ever.
The Sun justified attacking the BBC further with the front-page headlines ?Sam Quits Enders Over Cot Death?. The idea being that even Eastenders actress Samantha Womack was outraged by the soap plotline, the article featured plenty of information from ?a source?.
A source of bullshit, evidently, judging by the page 3 of next day?s Mirror- ?Womack told a pal ?it's ridiculous to claim I quit because of the storyline?.?
So it's a source versus a pal with no-one actually speaking to the actor who had filmed the scenes that she was so disgusted by. Oh well, this isn't just a conversation between newspapers is it? Presumably their readerships were outraged too?
A quick look at the comments on the newpapers? websites would suggest otherwise. They were seemingly as perplexed as everyone else about what the fuss was about, and a week later everyone had forgotten it even happened.
The following Monday, the Daily Mail suggested that even prostitution was off limits. Do they think we've never actually watched a British soap-opera before? They didn't actually suggest it themselves- the article just started with the hilariously half-hearted ?Eastenders will invite fresh accusations of sensationalism?. The accusations didn't follow, and the controversy stayed dead.
The true lesson to be learned by the BBC from all this, is that not every criticism is going to turn into a licence-fee worrying disaster just because publications with naked self-interest hand out pitchforks and flaming torches to the public. Sometimes the public are smarter than editors give them credit for.
And what about those who felt genuinely upset by the soap? Well, maybe people with empty lives who find it easier to write a letter than operate a remote-control don’t deserve to have their voices heard.
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