"Sachsgate” Ross and Brand, why did they get it so “wong"?

I have to admit I am a big fan of risqué comedians like Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross, but this time they seemed to have pushed the boundaries of what is acceptable to far. The one question I keep asking myself is why did they actually have to ring Andrew Sachs, surely the joke would have been just as affective without actually having to leave a message on the 78 year olds mobile phone. I am an avid listener of Brand’s podcast and have heard him spout more offensive gags than “I slept with your grand daughter”, granted it is pretty offensive, but Brand often plays with subjects such as race and homosexuality, the difference being he rarely singles out and names one certain person and never before have I heard him peruse such a personal attack.

So why have two of the most popular television personalities, arguably two of the most talented in their field, slipped up so badly? Let’s face it their not dumb by any stretch of the imagination, they‘re two well educated and successful men. How could they not have realised that berating a young women and her granddad in such a way, was in very bad taste. My opinion is that comedians like Brand and Ross believe they have some sort of key to every city in the world, which allows them to do or say anything they want, because at the end of the day they are rich and famous, and everybody loves the rich and famous right?

Brand has now resigned from his job at the BBC and issued an apology to Sachs, Ross however is apparently in “crucial talks” with the BBC to hang on to his 18 million pound contract. Mark Thompson, Director General of the BBC, is allegedly considering removing all risqué comedy in an attempt to protect the BBC’s reputation, as the complaint tally reached 27,000. I really hope that this is not the case as the BBC has been the breeding ground of some of he most innovative and edgy comedy I have ever seen.

Let’s hope that this was just two mates getting caught up in the moment and not anything more sinister. I say keep Jonathan Woss after a stern telling off and a sincere apology to the Sachs family and get rid of Lesley Douglas, The Radio 2 controller who should never have aired the pomposity.

What a difference a week makes...erm.. 168 little hours

So in my last blog entry I told you that "My aim for October was to have a placement sorted before it was time to go trick or treating" well as I sit here deciding weather to be a Edward Scissor Hands or Freddy Kruger I am pleased to inform you that I have an interview with Trimedia U.K a Leeds based P.R company, and I am very hopeful about my chances. The interview is not until next Friday so I am going to keep all my eggs out of my basket and continue to apply to P.R companies in Leeds.

This week I have also attended a meeting with the guys and girls who run the Students Union and they have lots of events and campaigns that they need P.R and Marketing students to get involved with. The meeting was only attended by four students, myself included, so it was suggested by Lewis Coakley (S.U president) that we become the P.R and Marketing department for the S.U. This is a fantastic opportunity to gain experience in putting on real events and working with campaigns that will actually affect people, which I can use in my P.A.C.E portfolio.

Tomorrow I have a meeting with Stacey Ellis a 2nd year Events Management student who is putting on an event in February a the Civic Quarter. Stacey last year organized a fashion show, which raised money for B-eat a charity which helps people with eating disorders. This year I will be helping Stacey to organize the event, and this time we are going for a type of "Fashion Rocks" event, which is basically a fashion show with live music from bands and D.J's. I will keep you up to date with our progress.

I am currently reading The fall of advertising and the Rise of P.R by Ries and Ries, and working through The Business Environment by Otter and Wetherley. The latter forms the topics for the Organization and Environment module, this is the one that I am finding the most difficult as it includes complex economics, something which I have not studied before. Hopefully soon I will be able to tell you exactly what caused the subprime crisis and what the word “recession” actually means.

Doesn't time fly......

My aim for October was to have a placement sorted before it was time to go trick or treating. Well I have just over a week left and I have some very promising leads. Jo Scupham the very nice lady from the placements office has informed me about a P.R opportunity at a local charity and is meeting the people in charge, with my C.V in hand. I have also applied to ten different P.R and Marketing companies in and around the Leeds area and I feel I am on the verge of acquiring some real P.R work.

I am now also a published sports reporter, I may not be reporting on the champions league for a national newspaper just yet, but my report on the Men' football varsity which is published in issue 34 of the student newspaper ,"The Met", is a start.

I have also made a great contact in the form of Hannah Limming, a second year event management student, who I am meeting next week to discuss organizing an event in February at Civic Quarter Campus. So watch this space.

With the word RECESSION ringing in my ears (cheers Gordon) and the daunting prospect of finding a job at the end of my course, I know that the experience I gain now is crucial. So wish me luck in my attempts to find a placement.

For the rest of the day I will be sending C.V's and attending a lecture by Richard Bailey.

What to write on my very first Blog?

As I sit watching "Have I Got News For You" I begin to think that my first Blog should astound my audience, maybe with some glittering satirical comedy about the credit crunch or Madonna’s divorce just like Ian Hislop does, but as the audience for this Blog will probably consist of my mum, who is more of a "Little Britain" fan, I will keep it short and sweet. I have recently started an undergraduate degree at Leeds Metropolitan University studying Public Relations and Marketing. Starting a Blog was suggested to me and my fellow students by one of our lecturers Richard Bailey. I can’t believe I haven’t thought about it before, it’s free and I have no editor to answer to, brilliant. So who am I? I grew up in a small Suffolk town called Newmarket, otherwise known as the home of Horse Racing. I studied Media, Theatre and P.E at Newmarket College and after passing my A-levels traveled up the M1 to study Leisure and Sport Studies at Leeds Met. After two years of my degree I decided that the course was not taking me in the direction I wanted to go, so I jumped ship and set out on finding a course that could let me be creative and innovative. After a year of working full time for the Halifax Bank of Scotland my piggy bank was full enough for me to return to university. The course I had chosen as you already know was P.R and Marketing. Why?, because I loved studying the media at A-level and I after researching exactly what being a P.R practitioner involved, I was excited to see if I could be creative, innovative and produce press releases that would get published. What will my Blog include? I want my Blog to be a reflection of my journey through university and somewhere where I can express my views about issues that interest me. I also want it to be a tool for meeting new contacts and thus raising my profile within the P.R industry, and of course I want it to be a place where I can become a master of social commentary like Ian Hislop. I hope you enjoy.