BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION - V - THE CULT PERSONALITY OF JEREMY CLARKSON

It is incomprehensible that the major media organisation in the UK is being petitioned to re-instate an employee who has a public serial 'offending' profile evidenced on film many times. On the basis of the latest incident alleged to have been perpetrated on a member of staff, Clarkson, a presenter of the BBC 'Top Gear' car reviewing programme, has been suspended. 

We know the Top Gear programme has been a best seller worldwide and makes millions of pounds for the BBC. Irrespective of this, What does the petition to re-instate Clarkson say about the audience profile for the Top Gear programme? 

There was a clear case at an earlier time to halt the cavalier, loose canon behaviour, which has been exhibited. Money and profit seems to have been the overriding consideration in the faulty decision-making process, which allowed Clarkson free reign with his disinhibition to continue to offend, apparently bully and physically assault others at work. His arrogance and insubordination has been allowed grow, Clarkson has had no boundaries. Has he now hit the buffers?

The BBC should not be in a quandary about actions to pursue. Their history in protecting staff from sexual harassment, offence and assaults has been seriously faulty.  

Now is the time for the Corporation to demonstrate a different policy from the old one, where suppression was encouraged.  Now, the Corporation must very publicly demonstrate a different moral code that, offensive behaviour and abuse of staff will not be tolerated. Will it; or, will the cult of personality and money-making override, yet again, the corporate moral compass?

ANTIQUE LIVESTOCK LEGS

In terms of time, the British Blue pedigree of bovines is fairly young.  The breed emanates from Belgium, where they have their Belgian Blues.   In farming circles, the Belgian livestock breeders are quite respected for their development of animal breeds. 

Last year, I saw a British Blue for the first time.  It had walked off with the major agricultural show's first prizes in all classes for the type.  It was a shiny midnight blue/black all over.  It stood about six feet high and appeared to be about seven feet long.  The muscles on the animal were notable in that they appeared to be doubled up.   It was a truly magnificent, powerful lumbering specimen.   During the explanation of the breeding background to his particular animal,   I also learned that the British Blues varied in one major and important aspect, in the farmer's view, to the 'design' that originated from Belgium.  "Look at those legs," I did as I was told.  "Our [British] Blues have good legs at all four corners; those are a good straight solid, strong leg at the back end, the kind we like and one that supports the beast.  They are not a Queen Anne Leg". 

Up to that point, I had ogled the bull's body, admired its musculature,  its four firm and straight legs at its four corners, but  now, my mind raced to the picture conjured up  by antique shapely, rounded and curved legs.  How on earth could an animal of the proportions I had seen,  firmly and steadily set its weight on anything like an antique furniture leg! 

The farmer talked as if the beast was a family pet.  His son, for example, used the bovine as a back rest in good weather,  while sitting out in the fields studying up for his school exams.  On the other hand, there had been lots of enquiries and the bull was going to be used for breeding both by natural methods and by artificial insemination.  I reckoned junior's study days curled up comfortably with his mate, were numbered.

This year at the show, the British Blues were to be seen in greater numbers,  also, there were more colour finishes in evidence and a number of Blues that looked like a work in progress.  To my surprise, and remembering my lesson in British bovine design tastes from last year, I saw  there were a number of British Blues that without a doubt, sported at their back ends, Queen Anne style legs.