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From a one-eyed Grumpy
 I
love the ABC. It is the major station watched in the Heaven's
Close Old Folks' Home and, apart from dallying with their
commercial cousins for the cricket or the rugby union, is
augmented by the always reliable SBS.
Occasionally this old timer rolls his eyes to the ceiling
over the way some news items are handled and yes, in this
less-than-humble opinion the ABC is biased towards left of
centre.
You can tell by the way stories are angled, how some radio
presenters use a tone of voice to intimate their disapproval
of things and you can guarantee a conservative Government
will get asked harder questions than a Labour one.
But, that's okay because while the ABC doesn't acknowledge
such things, regular listeners or viewers can pick up these
things if they listen carefully.
One of the best things about the ABC is that it treats its
viewers with respect and not like some pack of morons - unlike
commercial channels that have the initials Channel 7, Channel
9 and Channel 10.
Another beauty of the ABC is that it seems to take a delight
in sticking it up Senator Richard Alston, some time Communications
Minister, big time free Telstra TV screen watcher and chief
boob about all things on the Internet.
Now old Alston, also known as the Minister for Disappearing,
has got stuck into the ABC over bias against the invasion
of Iraq and sent a massive list of examples to be investigated.
All but two were thrown out by the ABC and so Alston is on
the warpath and going for more blood.
For mine, the biggest worry about the ABC is not anti-Government
bias (which is a good thing as long both sides of politics
get kicked) but more the social engineering that goes on and
the censorship of what can and can't be
said.
One example is the removal of an ABC programme promotion
that used the word "hornbag". Now for my way of
thinking a hornbag is a spunk, a hunk or a gorgeous creature.
What on earth is wrong with saying hornbag in a promotion
for a show that uses the term?
The classic example of censoring our ways of thinking is
political correctness to the absurd level.
How about this? An ABC viewer bleated about the fact that
in a kids' programme called Funny Little Bugs there was an
episode about overweight bugs. The thought police deemed that
as being not right and so took it off the programme list.
Fair go, guys! In a country of little porkies I would have
thought it the perfect thing to help point out to children
that being overweight is not good for you and therefore get
them, or their parents, to do something about it.
You don't solve a problem by not being able to refer to it
just because some people may get offended.
If a person is fat, isn't it an accurate description to call
them overweight? If a person is short - well bad luck. If
a person is bald isn't it accurate to call them that?
They are statements of fact, not insults. Most baldies like
me don't mind and in fact get more offended by the fact people
think we are embarrassed about it.
I think the ABC goes way too far in trying not to offend
everyone and the other danger - censorship aside - is the
fact that it eats away at the majority of Australians by making
them feel that unless there is something different about them
they do not deserve to have their opinions listened to.
As Napoleon Bonaparte said: "Ten people who speak make
more noise than ten thousand who are silent."
I think the ABC chiefs should listen to that!
Grumpy
Old Coot has a warped view of life, check him out
If there is something that has really got up your nose,
let Grumpy Old Coot know at grumpy@webwombat.com
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