Saturday 18 May 2019

Incredibly, Jeremy Rose contends that Ben Shapiro was treated unfairly by Andrew Neil (May 18, 2019)

  1. "I don't know what the POINT is. … I don't think that it HELPS."
    Incredibly, Jeremy Rose contends that Ben Shapiro was treated unfairly by Andrew Neil
    Lately, RNZ National, Wednesday 15 May 2019, 10:30 pm
    Midweek MediaWatch
    Jeremy Rose is this weeks Midweek Mediawatcher.
    Rose delivers his mostly banal ruminations in a croaky basso profundo, his words larded with an extraordinarily high "um" and "y' know" count. Donovan's role is to meekly underscore Rose's philosophical gems occasionally with a supportive "Mmmm, mmmm."
    EMIL DONOVAN: It's time for Midweek Media Watch, our weekly catch-up with the Mediawatch teeeeam, one of the Mediawatch team, to talk about all things media. Today it's Jeremy Rose's turn in the chair. Hullo, Jeremy.
    JEREMY ROSE: Gid-daaaaay Emil, how ARE ya?
    EMIL DONOVAN: Very well thank you. Ahhhh, what've you got for us this week?
    JEREMY ROSE: Well I THOUGHT I'd start with the "power of the signature" you were just talking, y'know, about….
    Rose spends an inordinate time talking about a woman's Facebook petition to change the Milo recipe. Donovan thinks this is a very serious topic: "It taps into the cultural zeitgeist, doesn't it," he observes. 
    Next topic: a Russian blogger called "Stalin Gulag" who operates on a site called Telegram. "It shows the importance of social media for holding the powerful to account," says Rose.  
    Rose says something about the need to break up Facebook, and then moves on to the distasteful topic of white supremacist sites like 8chan. He praises recent work on this by Max Towle and Patrick Gower. Rose plays a clip of Gower in fighting mood: "I'm ready for ANOTHER go with Stefan Molyneux and Lauren Southern." That cuts no ice with Jeremy Rose, however. He reckons that interviewing people like Molyneux and Southern is unwise—"these people are nonentities"—and akin to a prizefight. 
    So far, so humdrum. Then the interview with Jeremy Rose, who's billed as a media "expert", becomes foolish, bizarre, almost inexplicable. It turns out that Rose, who just a couple of minutes earlier talked grandly about "the importance of social media for holding the powerful to account", does not think that the mainstream media, i.e. the BBC, should hold the powerful or the influential to account at all. In fact, he says, there's no "point" in holding the words of a brutal racist against him in an interview. "I just don't think it HELPS", he croaks to an obviously unconvinced Donovan. Here, for those who can stomach pretentiousness and bewilderment dressed up as media commentary, is four minutes of Jeremy Rose's dire and dismal vaporing….
    (For those listening on the audio link, the horror starts at the 19:33 mark)
    JEREMY ROSE: …..so I really wanna know WHY you'd bother getting them on. And that kinda brings us to ANOTHER one that's had a bit of a sporting overtone. I think you were quite keen to talk about, which is the Ben Shapiro— 
    EMIL DONOVAN: Yes.
    JEREMY ROSE: —interview. A well known, American, ultra-conservative, right wing commentator with a LOT of Twitter followers, I think, y'know, well over a million—
    EMIL DONOVAN: Mmmm.
    JEREMY ROSE: And he was interviewed on the BBC byyyyy, um—-
    EMIL DONOVAN: Andrew Neil, the notorious hard-nosed interviewer Andrew Neil. Yeah this was a FASCINATING interview, wasn't it.
    JEREMY ROSE: It, it really was. Shall we—let's, let's have a listen to a BIT of it.
    ANDREW NEIL: Some of the ideas that are popular in YOUR side of politics, ahh, would seem to take us back to the DARK AGES. These GEORGIA new ABORTION laws, ahhh, which YOU are much in FAVOUR of, ahhhh, that a woman who MISCARRIES could get THIRTY YEARS, A Georgian woman who travels to another STATE for an abortion procedure could get TEN years! These are EXTREME hard policies. 
    BEN SHAPIRO: Well, okay, a couple of things. One, I'm not sure, I mean frankly I don't know whether you're a s— , ARE you an objective journalist or are you an opinion journalist?
    ANDREW NEIL: I'm a journalist that asks QUESTIONS.
    JEREMY ROSE: Y-y-yeah, ha, so y' know, uh, it's gone VIRAL on the internet. Everyone, including ahhhh, Shapiro, say that it, that it was a DISASTROUS performance by him. He's tweeted, though, "Neil one, Shapiro zero." Again, that sporting kind of metaphor.
    EMIL DONOVAN: Mmmmm.
    JEREMY ROSE: Wanting a rematch. I don't think there was much in it, I don't think you LEARNT much, and I ACTUALLY think he had a KIND of point, whe-e-e-ere, that there was, y'know, when he was accused of being from the Dark Ages—
    EMIL DONOVAN: Mmmm.
    JEREMY ROSE: —which is obviously a metaphor. But it wasn't actually that HELPFUL, and it ended UP just being …. [long caesura]…. for want of a better word, a shit fight. 
    EMIL DONOVAN: Mmmm, mmmm.
    JEREMY ROSE: A-and I'm NOT sure that that REALLY serves ANYBODY. 
    EMIL DONOVAN: Yeah, I know it was fascinating stuff wasn't it. It's um, yeeeahh, the idea that—I mean, it's a TEMPTING metaphor. Sporting metaphors ARE tempting when it comes to, to interviews like tha-a-a-at, because the, a confrontational interview can sometimes be NECESSARY, right? Y' know? And, and sometimes there IS a winner and a loser out of an interview. And sometimes people are satisfied by seeing that. But it's not necessarily a HELPFUL metaphor.
    JEREMY ROSE: No-o-o-o. And I, and I, and that whole idea of kinda punching OUT and a winner. And that was how it was portrayed, because he kept THROWING these ABSOLUTELY obnoxious quotes which he had ma-a-a-ade—
    EMIL DONOVAN: Mmmm.
    JEREMY ROSE: —in the past at him, and asking him to DEFEND them. ….[long caesura]…. I don't know what the POINT is. If I hadn't seen the interview, I wouldn't know that this guy had made these racist, revolting comments about Arabs, about—- And I don't think that it HELPS, knowing that. 
    EMIL DONOVAN: Mmmm, mmmm.
    JEREMY ROSE: Ahhhm, and he did have a BOOK out, I've got NO idea what he says in the book. There was nothing in it in the interview. 
    EMIL DONOVAN: Well I think this was the thing about it, that the book was about the rise of, um, extremist discourse, and, and, and ANGER within sort of SOCIETY and I think that Andrew Neil was pointing out the hypocrisy of the idea that Ben Shapiro would write a book about anger and society when he had contributed to it himself through his previous kinds of statements. But it's a very interesting kind of issue, isn't it—
    JEREMY ROSE: Yeah.
    EMIL DONOVAN: —and one that I imagine we won't see go away, because they always seem to be held up as SPECTACLES, these interviews, y'know….
    JEREMY ROSE: I think that's exactly right. It, it, it's interviewers' performance. I think when we're dealing with things that matter as much as white supremacy, THAT's not the time to do that. To me-e-e-e-e, THAT's actually exactly what white supremacist type people would ENJOY. 
    EMIL DONOVAN: Mmmm, mmmm. It's sort of, yeah, the fuzzy line where information blurs into entertainment. Yeahhhh. Well, uh, Jeremy, thanks so much for that. Really appreciate it.
    JEREMY ROSE: Oh thanks very much.
    EMIL DONOVAN: Mediawatch's Jeremy Rose.
    More Mediawatch mediocrity….


    • Shadrach11.1
      Morrissey
      1. Andrew Neil is an excellent interviewer.  He has variously made mincemeat of Jeremy Corbyn, Diana Abbot, Natalie Bennett and many others.  Andrew has no problem tackling those on the right of politics, it is just that generally the left provide easier targets.
      2. Andrew underestimated Ben Shapiro's intellect, and his attack dog line about Georgia's abortion law was ill-informed and justified Ben's response.  At the same time, Ben was clearly ill-informed about Andrew's interview style, and came across as petulant.  That's a shame, because Ben is intellectually the superior of virtually anyone Andrew will have interviewed, and the exchange could have been far more productive if both men had been better prepared.
      3. For anyone to suggest Ben Shapiro was treated 'unfairly' by Andrew Neil is nonsense.  Ben has been interviewed countless times, he has spoken to openly hostile audiences and has faced de-platforming by the lefty snowflakes on US campus's.  In short, he is tougher than the person you quote gives him credit for.
      4.  Take time to listen to what Ben Shapiro says.  You might not agree with him, but unlike some of the crazies on both the left and right of politics, Ben is a sound thinker, who speaks a rational, conservative voice into the issues of the day.
      • Morrissey11.1.1
        He "made mincemeat" of Corbyn, did he? That seems unlikely.
        I and I'm sure many others got a laugh from your comical assertion about Shapiro's great intellect.
        • Shadrach11.1.1.1
          Corbyn is a lightweight.  No, I'll go further, he's a fool.
          And it's a shame you have judged Shapiro without listening to him.  You're the one missing out on that score.
          • Morrissey11.1.1.1.1
            I've listened to Shapiro, sadly. Unlike you, I've listened to him with a critical ear.
            Your comment about Corbyn is as ridiculous as your insistence that Shapiro, that canting, brutal racist, is "a sound thinker."
            • Shadrach11.1.1.1.1.1
              Provide a single example of Ben Shapiro being 'racist'.
              • Morrissey
                Watch the disastrous (for Shapiro) interview with Andrew Neil again. Neil reels off example after example of Nazi-quality filth, all of them direct quotes from Shapiro.
                • Shadrach
                  Disastrous?  You are joking right?
                  And just over 16 minutes of video and you still haven't given a single example of Ben Shapiro being racist.  Quote just one, Morrisey.
      • Gabby11.1.2
        Clearly nearly everything you've stated is wrong shadders. Lies or stupidity?
    • greywarshark11.2
      You are excoriating Morrissey of all in broadcasting and media generally.
      I hope someone pays you for all that.   I don't think TS does, so whom?
      • Morrissey11.2.1
        You are excoriating Morrissey of all in broadcasting and media generally.
        Your statement is demonstrably incorrect. A quick review of my oeuvre shows I am more than happy to praise ethical, talented and conscientious journalists—both locally and internationally. On this forum and on many others I have praised: Julian Assange, Max Blumenthal, Mihi Forbes, Juan González, Amy Goodman, Glenn Greenwald, Nicky Hager, Amira Hass, Paul Jay, Caitlin Johnstone, Gideon Levy, Selwyn Manning, Abby Martin, Aaron Maté, Matt Nippert, Paula Penfold, John Pilger, Laura Poitras, Jeremy Scahill, Jon Stephenson….
        That's just a few off the top of my head, in alphabetical order. I've praised every one of them at least once, some of them many times.
        I hope someone pays you for all that.   I don't think TS does, so whom?
        What difference does it make? Mike Hosking gets paid to produce his rubbish; all the easy money in the world doesn't give him an ounce of credibility.
  2. cleangreen12
    Godbye world.
    Temperatures Soar as Nearly All Old Arctic Sea Ice Has Vanished HEADLINEMAY 16, 2019
    In climate news, temperatures near the entrance to the Arctic Ocean in northwest Russia reached a record-shattering 84 degrees Fahrenheit over the weekend, in an area where high temperatures are normally 30 degrees cooler this time of year. This comes as the National Snow and Ice Data Center recorded a record-low sea ice extent for the Arctic Ocean in April, noting that almost all of the sea ice more than four years old is gone. Over the weekend, meteorologists measured carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere at over 415 parts per million — the highest level in human history, and a concentration that’s not been seen on Earth in over 3 million years.

  3. greywarshark13
    Some horribly fascinating things.
    https://metro.co.uk/2019/05/16/moment-man-fined-90-hiding-face-police-facial-recognition-cameras-9571463/ The man pulled his jumper up above his chin as he walked past Met Police officers trialling Live Facial Recognition software in east London.   BBC cameras filmed as officers swooped on the man, told him to ‘wind his neck in’ then handed him the hefty penalty charge.
    A campaigner from Big Brother Watch – who were protesting the use of cameras on the day – was also filmed telling an officer: ‘I would have done the same.’
    This not so bad.  I am thinking that's a good design for a simple bus shelter.https://metro.co.uk/2019/05/17/bus-shelter-built-road-no-buses-9582629/
    https://metro.co.uk/2019/05/15/bike-handle-stuck-woman-two-years-husband-shoved-vagina-9556829/   My summary – This shows how women get treated when they are not respected in a society and become helpless pawns.   Husband intoxicated by alcohol – such a common drug abuse.  Woman 30 has six children, can't have any more.  Might be good for her in the long run – depends on husband.   If she hasn't had boys he might put her aside.  
    https://metro.co.uk/2019/05/17/middle-class-murder-millions-birds-vacuumed-death-olive-picking-9584002/
    Millions of birds are being sucked out of trees and killed each year to feed our olive oil habit.   Iconic birds such as robins, warblers and wagtails have seen their numbers decimated because of intensive farming practices. Experts have warned the international community that it needs to act before legally-protected species disappear for good.   During the winter months, birds from central and northern Europe, flock to the Mediterranean basin.   At the same time, the olive oil harvest happens in Spain, France, Italy and Portugal…
    Farmers use large and intensive harvesting machines at night to strip the trees of their fruit.   However, the birds are sleeping in the trees and are getting sucked into the machines on a ‘catastrophic scale.’…But, 96,000 birds are known to die in Portugal every winter as a result of this technique.
    RSPCA director of conservation, Martin Harper, said: ‘Numbers of farmland birds in Europe have plummeted by 55% over the last three decades and this is another shocking example of how modern agricultural practices are impacting our bird populations, including some UK species passing through the region.’ 
    And koalas.   This cant' be.
    The Australian Koala Foundation has confirmed that, with only 80,000 members of the species left in the wild there isn’t enough to support a new generation.
    They’ve declared the marsupial ‘functionally extinct’ which means the population has dropped so low it no longer has any effect on its surrounding environment. Koalas have too few breeding adults left to support the species and any kind of genetic disease or pathogen would put the final nail in the coffin.
    Koalas are dying out due to effects caused by climate change. Rising temperatures are causing heatwaves that kill thousands of koalas through dehydration. The species has also suffered hugely from deforestation. According to the Australian Koala Foundation, there are no koalas left at all in 41 out of 128 Federal environments where they have known habitats.
    I suggest NZ sets up a fund to support the Koala Foundation and give the Australians a message that they need to both support their own vulnerable animals and the Kiwi people who live there and who they have arbitrarily arrested on spurious grounds and hold in camps against international law precedents.    Maybe there will be some politicians who have integrity to do something for the Koalas and the Kiwis.

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