It's all gone so dull!

[Keith Fellows_438]

What has happened to 4Extra? The drama is all biased towards Guardian reading, Womans Hour listening to, never tired of Jane Austen, love starved wimmin! The comedy is increasingly featuring unfunny women wannabes or equally unfunny series seriously overtaken by time. And as for the science fiction genre, well, it's non existent despite its popularity (except with the aforementioned wimmin)
 Mark my words, there's a thin lipped woman behind this!

[Tiger]

Hello Keith,

Hmmm

Have been looking at the schedules, you know the actual ones?

Mansfield Park is being serialised, but apart from that there is huge coverage of Dylan Thomas and all the usual stuff from male comedians. The only females I can really see contributing are Isy Suttie and Emma Freud and of course Jane Austen, a brilliant writer whose wit , humour and intelligence will grace the schedule of Radio 4 Extra.

Of course, the Goon Show, and Dad's Army and Alex Horne and Mitch Benn and Hancock(on every half hour) and Steptoe and Son and beyond Our Ken etc etc etc will be dominating the shedule as usual.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4extra/programmes/schedules/2014/w21

[Keith Fellows_438]

The  schedule today bears out the bias against programmes that might have any interest for the male listener.

Count Arthur Strong and some tired yesteryear comedy from 7.30 to 9.00am but then it's all dreary women's stuff.

Gillian Cross, Mrs Pepperpot, Brideshead revisited, Love Stories, American Life - babysitting, Jane Austen (just for a change!), Shelagh Stephenson .

The men have to wait until 6pm for The Price of Fear and Bradbury 13 neither of which are as gender exclusive in their appeal as the rest of the dreary dross  the dreary women at Radio 4extra come up with.

Another example of the BBC has losing its sense of balance. Blatant sexism. BBC, j'accuse!

[Tiger]

"Blatent sexism" ?

I think that would be a phrase I might use about the accuser.

I have two sons and they adore the Demon Headmaster. Your problem is that a woman wrote the book.

The Reunion is a fantastic program, covering many events, none of them defined by gender. Oh and who actually wrote Brideshead.. and Mrs Pepperpot?


As to the babysitting program, that should be of interest to parents. That would be fathers and mothers.

Wonderful to see that Jane Austen's Mansfield Park is still being serialised, fantastic writing, just like many authors are serialised of both genders.


Perhaps you would like to see a program on Radio 4 Extra that fits in more with your ideas about women, it could be broadcast at off peak so it does not interrupt the male dominated line up. I would suggest that it is called something like.."How to clean behind your Fridge" practical and educational.

[Keith Fellows_438]

I'm sorry Tiger, you just don't get it. Do you also listen to Woman's Hour I wonder.

The Demon headmaster is not a programme most men would want to listen to. I doubt many men would want to listen to The Reunion either. It has little substance. The Americans babysitting programme -  I can just imagine all these men sitting down to listen to it avidly! And as for Jane Austen with all her silly love affairs being a good writer, well perhaps she is but again most men will quickly lose interest (if they had any interest to start with). Basically Jane Austen novels are period soaps anyway. Like men are interested in soaps! And that's the point I am making. Men won't find this selection of programmes interesting. Not remotely.

[Tiger]

Hi Keith,

Well the Demon Headmaster is actually aimed at children, mostly of both genders.


Yes I listen to Woman's Hour, I also listen to the Today Program and PM and the Archers and RADIO 5 Live and BBC local radio. I love Any Questions and Question Time and Newsnight and Come Dine With Me.


I think the Reunion  has considerable substance, it gathers all those who contributed and were part of an event in recent history and we hear the reflection. As an archive it is superb. And it covers the heavy and the light.The Hutton reunion , for example, probably exposed more about that time than Chilcott will ever do.


You do not like Jane Austen, that is fine. But unfortunately many do. I do not particularly like James Joyce or Antony Trollope , but I accept that others do. Therefore there has to be a balance delivering to an audience that is not going to like everything. I believe books are still available if the radio is not providing the right dramatisation.


To be honest, I think it is you who does not get it. No offence.

[mel]

I agree with Tiger here.  Not because Im female but because the output from 4 Extra is aimed at both genders.

My boyfriend, 26 years old tunes into 4 Extra. He`s a normal everyday guy and finds it very entertaining and at times more than myself.

Female writers and artists are just as good as male writers and artists, I really don't know whats your problem with this.

Please Keith, look at the output again. Im sure your`ll enjoy some programs. Just give them a chance.
 
By the way.... its 100 years this year since the suffragettes got the right to vote.

[Keith Fellows_438]

It's not a question of what programmes are good or bad. People have different tastes - I'm not so bigoted as to think otherwise! And just for the record, neither am I some macho misogynistic, Jeremy Clarkson idolising  chauvinist.

The point of this difference of opinion is balance.  If a woman gives her views on how appealing programmes are to men and a man gives his opinions on how appealing those programmes are to his gender whose opinion would you say carries the most validity? Exactly!

I repeat my assertion that there is a sexist bias in the programming but because the women in charge don't understand men they themselves can't see it. Tell me for example why the Seventh Dimension hour was so arrogantly and dismissively scrapped last week? How many men want to listen tonight to the dismally unfunny When The Dog Dies instead of (say) Charles Chilton? There's the proof girls, don't you agree!

 

[mel]

Here you will find the total Radio 4 Extra output for today (and the week ahead)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4extra/programmes/schedules/this_week

As you can see its a mix of programs aimed at a wide audience of mixed genders.

[Tiger]

Quite true Mel, the schedule speaks for itself.

It has to represent all audiences.

I hope that Keith will enjoy the special programs that are in the pipeline.

"Germaine Greer , my life "

"Caitlin Moran , How to be a woman" to be broadcast every half hour.

And a special one off, this is a working title..

"Why are some men sexist? is it because they like scfi dramas on the radio and cannot stand Jane Austen? or is it because they have quite a serious problem with their perspective about female talent and contribution to radio. Or could it be that they are just bigoted bullies?"

I am actually joking here about the schedule, but given recent trolling I feel I have to say that!!?

But we have to look at Keith's replies.


For example, he has not responded about the Reunion which is an important program on the Radio 4 schedules, he claims that it has no substance? I think we need to hear from him why he feels that? And perhaps he should listen to a few of those broadcasts. The Hutton reunion is here.

http://www.bbclocalradioforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=701.0

[darcysarto]

It's not a question of what programmes are good or bad. People have different tastes - I'm not so bigoted as to think otherwise! And just for the record, neither am I some macho misogynistic, Jeremy Clarkson idolising  chauvinist.

The point of this difference of opinion is balance.  If a woman gives her views on how appealing programmes are to men and a man gives his opinions on how appealing those programmes are to his gender whose opinion would you say carries the most validity? Exactly!

I repeat my assertion that there is a sexist bias in the programming but because the women in charge don't understand men they themselves can't see it. Tell me for example why the Seventh Dimension hour was so arrogantly and dismissively scrapped last week? How many men want to listen tonight to the dismally unfunny When The Dog Dies instead of (say) Charles Chilton? There's the proof girls, don't you agree!

I have to say I don't think I've ever listened to a radio programme and found myself thinking of it's appeal in terms of gender.  Good radio is good radio, bad comedy is bad comedy, great sci-fi is great sci-fi etc.

I can understand your concern for the removal of the Seventh Dimension thread from weekdays, it's been running for years hasn't it? -apparently it was explained the reasoning was lack of programmes in the archive, odd as it's just repeats like everything else -  but to view it as some form of sexist bias makes very little sense to me.

[Keith Fellows_438]

You know, trying to explain the need for balance to the Woman's Hour loving sisterhood is like trying to explain to a fourth generation welsh miner why he should vote for David Cameron.

I demand to see the DG. (he's a man, right?)

[Tiger]

Keith, in order for anyone to take you seriously, perhaps you could answer the question put to you about the Reunion. You have said that it has no substance?

I look forward to your reply. The Hutton reunion is up thread for you to listen to and your analysis is awaited with much interest.

[Keith Fellows_438]

Tiger, someone of my obvious gravitas surely doesn't need to expand on his views to be taken seriously. Your request is an irrelevant flanker. Now let's get back to the real issue. How are we going to sort out the Womans Hour loving mafia? Any ideas?

[Tiger]