BBC Claims: Not Embarrassed by Own Stupidity
The BBC like to be on top of current issues and engage their public by running opinion polls at their website, generating some interactive excitement for their public discussion boards.
More than a few jaws around the internet dropped in surprise, horror, and disgust at yesterday's poll question. Perhaps you've heard of it by now:
Yes, yes, we instantly recognized that it was a reference the now notorious proposed bill in Uganda through which some hope to institute a death penalty for homosexuality. It's thought by many to be a decidedly christian idea, both in Uganda and elsewhere.
Evidently the BBC decided to tackle the issue and get them some insight on such a delicate, "controversial" issue. I think I don't even need to draw any parallels to questions with similar formulations to make the point that this poll question was prima facie a stupid, offensive, and all-around bad idea, no matter how good it sounded at the editorial-board meeting.
Gosh, I don't really find myself mollified by this heartfelt non-apology either:
The programme was a legitimate and responsible attempt to support a challenging discussion about proposed legislation that advocates the death penalty for those who undertake certain homosexual activities in Uganda – an important issue where the BBC can provide a platform for debate that otherwise would not exist across the continent and beyond.
–from statement on the matter by Peter Horrocks, director BBC World Service
(All excerpts from Mike Tidmus, "Should BBC execs face execution?", Mike Tidmus : A Blog from San Diego, 17 December 2009.)
Right, here's another "issue" that should be "debated". As I've said before, I actually do take it personally.
But this isn't even my point. My point was going to be the chuckle I got over this (no doubt representative) contribution to the "debate" from the BBC's forum:
Chris from Guildford, UK said: “If homosexuality is natural, as we are forced to believe, how can they sustain the species? I suggest all gays are put on a remote island somewhere and left for a generation – afterwhich, theoretically there shoild (sic) be none left!”
Sorry, I had to stop typing for a minute–the palm of my hand keeps flying to my forehead when I read that.
Is there really any wonder left that we, the militant gays and lesbians of the secret homosexual agenda, think our opponents–well–utterly stupid sometimes?
Chris from Guilford just doesn't seem to realize that we'd be perfectly happy to have our own remote island somewhere where we could enjoy life away from all the really, really dumb guys who seem to believe that gay and lesbian people can't have children!
Do you want to tell Chris, or shall I, that gay and lesbian people are perfectly capable of conceiving and bearing children–even the old-fashioned way!–and that we've been doing it, oh, since the beginning of time?
In fact, to belabor the point a bit, and to try to be a bit more offensive to stupid straight boys, mightn't it be preferable for people, gays and lesbians who can have children, to choose to have children?
I can't say I find it offensive but I am continually amazed when even the stupidist boy-girl couple are congratulated for achieving pregnancy. Really, it's not rocket science and I think the future of the species would be safe with us.
In: All, Current Events, Faaabulosity, Feeling Peevish