Steven Fielding
@polprofsteve2024.bsky.social
Emeritus Prof, writing (slowly) about Labour’s existential struggles since 1976 for Polity. Knows stuff about politics & culture.
Labour List: https://labourlist.org/author/s-fielding/
Zeitgeist Tapes: https://shorturl.at/nwdO4
Labour List: https://labourlist.org/author/s-fielding/
Zeitgeist Tapes: https://shorturl.at/nwdO4
It seems like this hater of empathy only believes in it when it comes to himself.
November 10, 2025 at 9:58 PM
It seems like this hater of empathy only believes in it when it comes to himself.
It also helps if your leaders have been appointed by those who exercise this cultural and economic power!
November 10, 2025 at 7:54 PM
It also helps if your leaders have been appointed by those who exercise this cultural and economic power!
I think more accurately it shows impartiality to those its leaders deem powerful and these days power lies less with elected governments and more with those who exercise cultural and economic power hence what we’re seeing now.
November 10, 2025 at 7:32 PM
I think more accurately it shows impartiality to those its leaders deem powerful and these days power lies less with elected governments and more with those who exercise cultural and economic power hence what we’re seeing now.
But this @yougov.co.uk poll from today suggests a lack of trust is being driven on the right bsky.app/profile/polp...
Whatever the objective reality, there’s a visceral belief on the right that the BBC is biased against them. Perhaps they should stop reading the anti-BBC press?
November 10, 2025 at 5:50 PM
But this @yougov.co.uk poll from today suggests a lack of trust is being driven on the right bsky.app/profile/polp...
That just shows you how closely I follow this thing! Alan Carr is in contrast a sadly cracked mirror version of Julian Clary.
November 10, 2025 at 5:18 PM
That just shows you how closely I follow this thing! Alan Carr is in contrast a sadly cracked mirror version of Julian Clary.
That’s cheap advertising screen time for these celebrities. I see Nick Mohammed won it and I like his comedy but it wasn’t cutting through much: I bet it does now.
November 10, 2025 at 5:13 PM
That’s cheap advertising screen time for these celebrities. I see Nick Mohammed won it and I like his comedy but it wasn’t cutting through much: I bet it does now.
I’m not at all surprised that he was on it. But I think there’s a lot of cross publicity going on (the celebrity BBC historian who I know was in it has a new series to promote) so the kinds of vaguely corrupt deals their agents will have done for them will have reflected that.
November 10, 2025 at 5:11 PM
I’m not at all surprised that he was on it. But I think there’s a lot of cross publicity going on (the celebrity BBC historian who I know was in it has a new series to promote) so the kinds of vaguely corrupt deals their agents will have done for them will have reflected that.
It happened under Thatcher first because the BBC needed audiences to protect itself politically and also needed cheaper output and second because of the new cost of ITV franchises meant the opposition chased audiences with even greater alacrity.
November 10, 2025 at 5:03 PM
It happened under Thatcher first because the BBC needed audiences to protect itself politically and also needed cheaper output and second because of the new cost of ITV franchises meant the opposition chased audiences with even greater alacrity.
I look forward to that mystery being solved!
November 10, 2025 at 4:54 PM
I look forward to that mystery being solved!
I don’t know if I’m correct but whenever I see a big gap between men being willing to have a definite opinion compared to women I tend to assume it’s on an issue about which most people really don’t know much but that men are are willing to say something even if it’s BS.
November 10, 2025 at 4:46 PM
I don’t know if I’m correct but whenever I see a big gap between men being willing to have a definite opinion compared to women I tend to assume it’s on an issue about which most people really don’t know much but that men are are willing to say something even if it’s BS.
But before the 1980s the creatives in TV were free to make things they wanted to watch rather than audiences (who only had 3 channels). Today they’re forced to make things they wouldn’t want to watch but execs figure the dumb audience will. I’m simplifying but there’s some truth in that distinction.
November 10, 2025 at 3:37 PM
But before the 1980s the creatives in TV were free to make things they wanted to watch rather than audiences (who only had 3 channels). Today they’re forced to make things they wouldn’t want to watch but execs figure the dumb audience will. I’m simplifying but there’s some truth in that distinction.
The one off plays he (& many others wrote) wrote would not have seen the light of day today - way too expensive and they don’t build an audience up by repetition and familiarity - and therefore maybe not the series which perhaps execs Today would seen as too challenging for audiences.
November 10, 2025 at 3:33 PM
The one off plays he (& many others wrote) wrote would not have seen the light of day today - way too expensive and they don’t build an audience up by repetition and familiarity - and therefore maybe not the series which perhaps execs Today would seen as too challenging for audiences.
They do make good sitcoms sometimes and a 2 hander like Steptoe would at least be quite cheap. And to be fair, most sitcoms have always been poor.
November 10, 2025 at 3:14 PM
They do make good sitcoms sometimes and a 2 hander like Steptoe would at least be quite cheap. And to be fair, most sitcoms have always been poor.
When growing up, TV was an important part of my education & I suppose I just resent what it’s become, even the celebrity historian documentaries are pandering stuff which I can’t watch as they irritate & disappoint so much. That said I’m on my fourth Thin Man movie so I do like well-made rubbish.
November 10, 2025 at 3:12 PM
When growing up, TV was an important part of my education & I suppose I just resent what it’s become, even the celebrity historian documentaries are pandering stuff which I can’t watch as they irritate & disappoint so much. That said I’m on my fourth Thin Man movie so I do like well-made rubbish.
I’m afraid I don’t watch panel shows either as they’re the laziest form of comedy and again just cheap shit.
November 10, 2025 at 3:07 PM
I’m afraid I don’t watch panel shows either as they’re the laziest form of comedy and again just cheap shit.
I suppose what makes it even worse is that the reason why it’s made is that it’s cheap and that real drama is so expensive.
November 10, 2025 at 2:59 PM
I suppose what makes it even worse is that the reason why it’s made is that it’s cheap and that real drama is so expensive.
I’m left unmoved by this genre, which is ironic as I like drama & dramatisations of real events but this confected ‘reality’ stuff I just find irritating especially when it involves ‘celebrity’.
November 10, 2025 at 2:58 PM
I’m left unmoved by this genre, which is ironic as I like drama & dramatisations of real events but this confected ‘reality’ stuff I just find irritating especially when it involves ‘celebrity’.
It is pretty insidious. A few years ago, I went into a local radio newsroom and it was flooded with copies of the Daily Mail.
November 10, 2025 at 1:01 PM
It is pretty insidious. A few years ago, I went into a local radio newsroom and it was flooded with copies of the Daily Mail.
You would think this particular racist would be a little more grateful given the platform the BBC regularly gives him.
November 10, 2025 at 12:51 PM
You would think this particular racist would be a little more grateful given the platform the BBC regularly gives him.
This is where I wrote that when trying to make the case that Corbynism was something from which that strand of Labour leaders should learn & engage with. It seems that once Corbynism was history they decided to act as if it never happened 🤷♀️ policynetwork.progressivebritain.org/wp-content/u...
policynetwork.progressivebritain.org
November 10, 2025 at 9:59 AM
This is where I wrote that when trying to make the case that Corbynism was something from which that strand of Labour leaders should learn & engage with. It seems that once Corbynism was history they decided to act as if it never happened 🤷♀️ policynetwork.progressivebritain.org/wp-content/u...