Pretentious Ramblings

On hearing about Paxman’s comments at the Edinburgh TV festival my first thoughts (after trying to think of the alternative uses of sandwich spread, besides just using it as imitation sick) were of slight numb shock (yeah I probably meant to write “first feelings” it would be weird to have thoughts about numb shocks) followed by disappointment. The disappointment I was feeling was not just because I have a great deal of respect for his interviewing style and that I felt somewhat let down by his seemingly immature comment, but also because it made me less enthusiastic about buying this T-shirt.

Paxman’s claims (I got there, although you’ll have to get through a few of these first- this bracket is continuing a joke I deleted earlier and is now pointless) handled an issue which you would usually associate with something your half-drunk uncle would say at an uncomfortable family get-together. Paxman reportedly said (I say reportedly because I have not seen the interview, I have only read excerpts written by professional journalists, which means I’m just taking bits from actual writers and making it more irreverent)

“The worst thing you can be in this industry is a middle-class white male”.

Which I strongly disagree with, the worst thing you can be in the media industry is Rupert Murdock. The only venomous snake with plans of world domination. I also believe that his statement is inaccurate and immature (but he isn’t helping his own by stating the white middle-class males as things, there not objects). Although I don’t have much first hand experience, knowledge or statistics to defend my rejection of Jeremy Paxman’s comments, analysing attitudes in general, I stand by my view that it is,

“those from working-class backgrounds and people from ethnic minorities”,

to quote Krishnan Guru-Murthy, that will find/have found it difficult in the media industry. If not in the media industry itself, then at least in the procedure to get to it. Personally I would say that someone from a low-income, working class family will have more doubts and less security when considering training for a media based profession, then someone from a middle class background.

The point that frightened me the most was that Paxman listed female television executives. By the way I wasn’t frightened that there were female television executives (no women scare me, as I don’t think they exist, their just a scam by the government, and if they do exist, how come I never see them?), just by the fact that Jeremy Paxman felt it important to mention them. It slightly feels as if he’s annoyed that there’s any at all. There is probably more then five but I would bet that there is still a greater or equal amount of white men middle-class men (if I am wrong sue me, here is a link to my solicitor, here)

Part of me feels that if it seems like it is harder for white middle class men to get into the media industry maybe it’s because it has become fairer. Change will always bring paranoia, it’s just a shame that this paranoia has been expressed by someone as talented and intelligent as Jeremy Paxman.

According to reports (that makes me seem important as if I have all these people informing me around the world, when we really I just read other people’s articles) Paxman was responding to a question about whether television is a “man’s world”. I am hoping his answers came from an urge to generate debate and form a balanced argument. I will now sign off, as it’s gone five in the morning and I need my beauty sleep (trust me, if you have seen me you’d agree…I hope I haven’t broken anyone’s fantasies, or created any), though I fear that once I wake up I’ll read that some right-wing nut-job using Paxman’s words as an excuse to go on about their horrifying opinions. I also fear that this post and indeed all my post won’t be read anyway, as people only read the posts of women and foreigners, who are stopping people like me from being heard/read/seen*.

*In case it’s misunderstood that was meant with a mixture of irony and sarcasm. I’m not prejudice, just a very naughty boy.

P.S if there are any major grammar or spelling mistakes it is because I was half asleep, don’t bully me.