I'm hoping that, if it *was* Morris who sent the NME that tape, he knows what he's doing. Didn't he say, around the time of the original Brass Eye, that if he did a second series he'd learn from his mistakes (Amiss etc) and make sure all the legalities were watertight from the start?

Then again, maybe not. For a media terrorist, Morris can sometimes be extraordinarily naive about the media. I don't think he understands the power of the internet, for one thing - the way people will take one fact and run with it. Putting out those trailers was a stupid decision for a start.

Then again (again), does anyone else share my gut feeling that the Special *will* go out, in spite of everything? I hope so, because - despite all the idiocy that has gone on of late - the actual material looks reassuringly fantastic.

>Then again (again), does anyone else share my gut feeling that the Special *will* go out, in spite of everything? I hope so, because - despite all the idiocy that has gone on of late - the actual material looks reassuringly fantastic.

I have a good feeling it WILL go out. With Brass Eye Spesh pics apearing on Warp Records website too, it has to be Morris who's leaking.

Would he take the risk of them pulling it idefinitly unless he was 100% sure he was legally watertight? I somehow doubt it, don't you?

As previously stated in "Channel 4 Issues Brass Eye Press Release", the warprecords site now has pics from the BES too. There is no reason to believe that the special won't be shown.

>Then again (again), does anyone else share my gut feeling that the Special *will* go out, in spite of everything? I hope so, because - despite all the idiocy that has gone on of late - the actual material looks reassuringly fantastic.

Mike, please stop undermining my "glass half empty" theory, if you don't mind.

I'm 99% certain that it's Morris himself "leaking" materials. However, I haven't got a clue if anyone at C4 knows this. Thus far, therefore, everything at Horseferry Road continues as normal.

Cheerio

>Thus far, therefore, everything at Horseferry Road continues as normal.

So, horses being ferryed up and down the road as per?

>So, horses being ferryed up and down the road as per?

Pretty much, yeah.

Most of the horses are fuckwits.

> Most of the horses are fuckwits

But some of them are amusing.

(All are pulled off the stage by long stripy walking sticks)

Sorry I repeated more or less what 'not another morrisism' was saying. Must post faster.

I wouldn't be that surprised if the Channel Four Press Office put a couple of stills in the NMEs direction. They've run huge puff pieces on Morris in the past, and it's just the thing to get the ball rolling to re-build the audience that's been lost since the re-scheduling.

I have no doubt that the programme is legalled to hell and back again given the previous series so I doubt there's much Collins can do. If I were him, I'd say I was suing to whichever hack rang him in the middle of the night to tell him he looked like a twat. Doesn't mean he'll go through with it, or even have much of a case if he does bother.

"Richard Blackwood's a bit of a gullable twat, isn't he? "



Sorry was that included in the report? lol

"[16:41:13] Denv - Does he ever think about the consequences of running
certain stories e.g. the 'brass eye special' story naming the celebrities
hoaxed etc. which is now almost certain to result it never being shown?

Ben Knowles - i think it'll still be shown. we have a role as a newspaper,
it was a great story. we often run stories/ print interviews/ run reviews
that we guess may damage the people it's about. but that's our job. to keep
as bullshit free as possible. i hope it does get shown, though"

>Ben Knowles - i think it'll still be shown. we have a role as a newspaper,
>it was a great story. we often run stories/ print interviews/ run reviews
>that we guess may damage the people it's about. but that's our job. to keep
>as bullshit free as possible. i hope it does get shown, though"

What a superbly roundabout way of saying absolutely nothing whatsoever.

>What a superbly roundabout way of saying absolutely nothing whatsoever.

It also avoids the issue of "newspapers" like NME complying with the PR companies and the media spin artists to keep something under their hat for an agreed length of time. Tabloids trade information with personalities, companies and celebrities all the time. I think I'm right in saying that when Stephen Gateley "outed" himself in The Sun it was partly to "manage" a story that the Sun already had. The newspaper contacted his people and traded a full-blown interview with him for their original story, thus Gateley came out of it with a certain amount of dignity intact.

Similarly, stories do not "drop" onto the desks of news editors for no reason, as seems to be implied by the editor of NME in all the coverage. It'd be lovely to think that their hard-nosed hacks were out in the field, scouring for Morris intelligence (again, this is what Mr Fogle implies with his talk of journalism), but we know it simply isn't the case.

Ah well.

>Then again (again), does anyone else share my gut feeling that the Special *will* go out, in spite of everything?

The 'Phil Collins sues brasseye' story made GMTV showbiz news this morning, along with Gillian Taylforth returns to East Enders, and something about Gail (from Coronation Street) getting a new hair cut.

Roll on next Thursday.

>It'd be lovely to think that their hard-nosed hacks were out in the field, scouring for Morris intelligence (again, this is what Mr Fogle implies with his talk of journalism), but we know it simply isn't the case.

Exactly - he used that question as an opportunity to sound like some fearless upholder of the beacon of truth, come what may, let justice be done. When really he just prints press releases on a pre-planned schedule.

I'll be on holiday when the brass eye special is shown, so for my sake, i hope it isnt. I REALLY DO. arrghhh

Friday, July 20, 2001

-- Why Chris Morris needs teaching a lesson --

It should have been obvious that the new 'Brass Eye' wouldn't (as suggested in some quarters) tackle the spread and evolution of rumours via gleeful e-mails and incoherent discussion group knife-fights. But since NME got hold of an advance video of the paedophile-witch-hunt special episode, there has been some grumpy debate on uk.media.tv.misc about Phil Collins' threat to sue Chris Morris, and the legitimacy of hoaxing celebrities in general.

Beyond the imbecile suggestion that Brass Eye is somehow helping make life easier for paedophiles, are two sound accusations: that 1) Morris' targets are easy, barn-door-sized rent-a-quotes which nobody respected in the first place and therefore 2) Brass Eye's celeb hoaxes have no more satirical impact than Noel Edmonds' Gotchas.

Although the actual target of Brass Eye is surely not the celebrities themselves but the tactics of the media, the biggest question is why, after 4 years, Chris Morris has decided to return to something he has already done to death so brilliantly.

------- james donohue 5:23 PM -------

http://www.uk-image.net/horse/esc.htm

>the biggest question is why, after 4 years, Chris Morris has decided to return to something he has already done to death so brilliantly.

I've measured that question myself and it's frankly tiny compared to many others. The point is that in the last 4 years, no other sod has done anything remotely as good, even in a similar vein, so more is certainly welcome. Stupid sod. People gasp at the fact that there were only twelve Fawlty Towers. If seven Brass Eyes is "too many", what does that say about this fellow's attention span?

>The point is that in the last 4 years, no other sod has done anything remotely as good, even in a similar vein, so more is certainly welcome

worra about Ali G eh?

>>The point is that in the last 4 years, no other sod has done anything remotely as good, even in a similar vein, so more is certainly welcome
>
>worra about Ali G eh?

Like I said...