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Is this the way to Al-Jazeera?
By Alexa Baracaia, Evening Standard Last updated at 15:16pm on 11.09.06
Members of staff at BBC London wear tea towel headdresses and sing to a backdrop of news footage
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Members of the BBC London news team today face a grilling from senior bosses after they filmed a spoof video making light of the conflict in the Middle East.
The film, a skit on Peter Kay's (Is This The Way To) Amarillo? was made to mark the departure of assistant editor Simon Torkington who is going to the news channel Al-Jazeera International in Qatar with his wife, former ITV news anchor Shiulie Ghosh.
The joke video was shown at a private leaving party for Torkington - nicknamed "Storky" - last week. But a copy has been leaked to the Standard by a BBC insider angry that licence fee payers' cash was used to make a "tasteless" skit that could cause offence to Muslims.
BBC London journalists, including transport correspondent Andrew Winstanley and reporter Sarah Harris, are seen singing a spoof version of the hit song in tea towel head dresses and fake Arabstyle beards, to a video backdrop featuring real-life news footage of missile launchers, tanks and soldiers in gas masks.
BBC London special correspondent Kurt Barling - who has reported extensively on the issues facing Britain's Muslim community - appears bare-chested and dancing in a Muslim prayer hat. The re-jigged lyrics feature jokes about Osama bin Laden, the traditional Islamic jilbab dress and the Palestinian Intifada.
Fronting the video in the Peter Kay role is Ian Wade, a member of BBC London management staff who hit the headlines last summer when he was caught up in the devastating Piccadilly line bombing.
Others said to feature in the video, which sees the group dancing in a stairwell at the BBC's Marylebone headquarters, in a lift and leaping out of a BBC London van outside the offices, include news anchor Matt Barbet, arts correspondent Brenda Emmanus and reporter Karthi Gnanasegaram, along with half a dozen others who join the dancing at the end.
Although the video was never intended to be broadcast outside the BBC, sources say it calls into question the judgment of those involved at a time of heightened sensitivity among Muslim communities. One insider said: "At a time of great community sensitivities, is it right for the BBC's reporting team in London to be seen dressing up as stereotypical Arabs or Muslims, singing and dancing?
"Is it right to see the Race in the Media Awards winner Kurt Barling appear without a shirt wearing a Muslim prayer cap and dancing? Would it go down well with his contacts? Does it show the BBC to be sensitive at a difficult time? The fact is that the staff who made and appeared in the video knew what they had done was open to criticism. They were openly joking about what would happen to the programme and the BBC's reputation if the video got out."
Another insider said: "It might have been a bit of fun but at the end of the day you have to say, guys, why the hell didn't you think a bit more carefully about what you were doing?" A spokeswoman for the BBC confirmed that those involved would be quizzed by bosses today - and admitted the film was "ill-judged".
In a statement, the corporation said: "The BBC was unaware of the nature of the content of this private and informal video as it was being made. A spoof of the well-known and much-parodied music video for Amarillo, this unofficial film is within the tradition of a teasing farewell to a departing colleague.
"It was made by his friends in their spare time and hastily put together. It was always intended solely for private viewing. Nevertheless, we think it was illjudged, and we will be speaking with those involved and learning the lessons that need to be learned."
Reader views (32)
Oh, for Heaven's sake! It was funny, and silly, and yes possibly somewhat tasteless, but this was a private party among friends. Surely we have not totally lost the plot, and all our humour with it, as a society? Storm in a teacup stuff. Let's get back to the real news of the day: tell us whether we are ever going to have peace in the Middle East.
- S. Azar, London, UK, 12/09/2006 18:22
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The BBC staff in the video shouldn't give up their day jobs for a life in the music industry - that's for sure!
- David, Australia, 12/09/2006 14:11
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Absolutely harmles! Great fun, good sence of humor! Love it!
- Len Westerlund, Perth Western Australia, 12/09/2006 14:00
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Fantastic funny!
- Johan Jumk, Netherlands, 12/09/2006 12:46
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It's not as bad as the article makes out. I'm a Muslim, who wears the traditional jilbab, and I say stop making a fuss about things like this. There are more important things in the world that should be reported, and leave private things private.
- Fatima, London, UK, 12/09/2006 11:05
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To be honest, I would have expected the staff at the BBC to come up with something with a little more production value than this piece.
Not the most sophisticated video I have seen but I do not see any reason for anyone to be offended. I would give it a 4 out of 10.
- Moshe, London, 12/09/2006 10:57
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This video gave me a good laugh! Isn´t this the real picture of it all? I think BBC have got some really good actors. Thank you.
- Marie, Dalarna, Sweden, 12/09/2006 10:15
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God, this is BBC? Sure it could have been an acceptable prank by some drunk students for their college party, but BBC? Give me a break.
Making fun of others, can be seen as funny, but this is not, the video sucks, both on quality and content.
This is just a racist reaction to a British guy leaving a British company for working for an Arab company, covering news from the other side of the story and must be ridiculed by his buddies.
- Farhad Abdolian, Antibes, France, 12/09/2006 08:14
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The BBC insider who leaked the copy should be ashamed. The video was intended for a private party, not for the whole world to see. The video was just for laughs. I'm sure the muslim community have a few laughs on our behalf as well. They just haven't gone public with it.
- Tina, Thailand, 12/09/2006 07:28
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Quite funny and harmless. Shows the BBC as a nice place with good colleagues and a sense of humour. Might have the same effect as those viral Microsoft training videos.
In any case, I don't see the problem with poking fun at the competition, even if the competition happens to be based in Qatar. Please, let's stop putting everything into a "Clash of Civilisations" context. And let's stop treating the Middle East (and Al Jazeera) as a humourless void.
- Martin, Denmark, 12/09/2006 07:20
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I love it! More like this!
- Danny, Karlstad, Sweden, 12/09/2006 06:37
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Actually I don't think that this video is offensive... and I'm a Muslim, so is my whole family. But this video is just made as a joke for their friends. I don't think that people should take everything so seriously. It's just a joke dammit.
- Alexandra, Västerås, Sweden, 11/09/2006 22:21
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EDITED by admin @ 11.08am on April 23 2009
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- Vegard Setrom, Oslo, Norway, 11/09/2006 21:38
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I agree with Dave and Mehmet, even though the screening was destinated for private use, the video clearly shows what the views of the BBC reporters are. Additionally, the occasion of the screening was a BBC private party. There is subjectivity and subjectivity. This form of subjectivity just shows an extreme tastlessness of the very people that represent the BBC outwards and whose task is to fairly portray the world we live in. I do not know about you, but this video casts serious doubts on the underlying intentions of these reporters and makes me question whether these people are capable to deal with the serious, but yet so important, task of giving justification to all the actors involved in this conflict. If there is no respect, how can there be trust? If there is no trust, how can people solve conflicts?
Change starts at the grassroot level. Change starts with the man in the mirror.
- Joseph, Toronto, Canada, 11/09/2006 20:08
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Just a bit of harmless fun, although the British Army version was much better made, this one was good as well.
Whoever reported it for being insensitive and what not, should perhaps reconsider his or her life.
- Alexander Barth, Kristiansand, Norway, 11/09/2006 19:37
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Fantastic video! With colleagues like that - I wish I worked for the BBC.
- Erik Svensson, Gothenburg, Sweden, 11/09/2006 19:04
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Well, I have to agree with Dave. Unfortunately this video sucks and wasn't any fun at all.
- Peter Piper, Oslo, Norway, 11/09/2006 18:34
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This was the best satire I have seen for a VERY long time. It only gives MORE credit to UK journalists. Thank you! I hope that Mr Torkington enjoyed it as much as I did!
- Stefan, Brussels, Belgium, 11/09/2006 18:29
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I am glad that you have the freedom to do and say what you want, do not let fanatic terror regimes stop your rights.
Have fun, enjoy life!
- Mehmet, Iran, 11/09/2006 16:55
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It is sad that they were poking fun at the hundreds of people getting killed in the Middle East by Bush and Blair.
Just imagine, if they would have made fun of the holocaust or the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki or even the July 7th victims or IRA victims. The Jewish, war crimes and UK citizen's lobbies would have made these guys leave their jobs and apologize!
This is sad that people make fun of other people's misery in the Middle East. We all need to condemn such behavious no matter how funny or innocent it may have been.
- Frack Malic, London, UK, 11/09/2006 16:08
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Great work, we need a lot more singing, smiling faces and since newsreporting mainly is about negative happenings worldwide, these guys almost owe us this!
- Dave, Stockholm, Sweden, 11/09/2006 15:58
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Perhaps all "fun" but this further shows what perspective BBC reporters have on the middle eastern situation.
Very subjective. They do not only laugh and joke about the war situation but are all ignorant towards their competition Al-Jazeera.
Never realized how subjective, old english "empireish" and introverted the BBC really was.
- Erik, Stockholm, Sweden, 11/09/2006 15:50
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If the armed forces were allowed to create an 'Amarillo' spoof which was widely accepted as being a morale booster, why not these guys? First comics, now spoof videos - what next?
- Alan, London, UK, 11/09/2006 15:42
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I liked it, it was really funny. Me and my friends had a big laugh.
- Maria, Stockholm, Sweden, 11/09/2006 15:39
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This really gave me a laugh, this shows that news reporters CAN be funny!
- Krille, Sweeden, 11/09/2006 15:22
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I just loved this.
- Tommy Amtenmyr, Halmstad Sweden, 11/09/2006 14:45
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Good job!
- Hawez, Sweden, 11/09/2006 14:41
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So some people had a laugh, big deal. Plus apparently it was meant as a private thing.
Frankly I find all this PCness offensive. Who do I complain to?
- Mikael, Sweden, 11/09/2006 14:32
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Yes! I thought it was rather funny! Why are muslims so totally out of bounds for all kinds of humor? I don't get it. We tell a joke, and suddenly there are violent riots and angry mobs attacking embassys. It's all out of proprtion! Keep up the good sense of humor that England is so famous for!
- Tobbe Kalibanos, Göteborg, Sweden, 11/09/2006 14:27
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Lighten up, people. Save the world by convincing Islam of the value of a sense of humour. Alternatively, ask yourselves whether sixty odd years ago "We'll hang out our washing on the Siegfried Line" should have been banned for fear of upsetting German sensitivities. Get real and get loyal to British values, BBC. Isn't that part of your raison d'etre?
- Rachel, Hong Kong, 11/09/2006 13:46
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That's really funny... it's only a spot of fun! The killjoy who 'grassed' them up should get a life!
- Bevelini, London, 11/09/2006 13:28
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Good on 'em! It's great to see that English humour still exists in an overly PC world.
- Dannyp, Egham, 11/09/2006 13:12
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