Dave Lee Travis

[dynatech]

The BBC issues a 'news' report boasting (for that is what it is) that he'll be erased from history forevermore... now is it me or this absolutely disgusting discrimination? Even if he did grapple **** ******'s tits on The Mrs Merton Show which he still denies (which has suddenly appeared online - and whadya know, this was the first edition of that series ) - does he really warrant this treatment?
Are the TOTP repeats not now a niche show on a niche channel - the presenters appearing for approximately 3 minutes of an average 40 minute show? What is this nastiness really about, because there are no 'victims' to 'protect'? The rewriting of history.

Incidentally, a whole load of people from BBC cameramen to various artists (including people as 'right on' as The Selecter's Pauline Black) have said they were never aware of anything dodgy happening at TOTP, and it was 'impossible' due to the amount of people around.

[frankthring]

I think this issue is double-edged. First off I have a low opinion of women
who take 30 or 40 years to suddenly make a complaint against a celebrity,
both to the veracity of their claims as well as their recall. To make a huge
fuss of some very old and hitherto respected disc jockey or actor who may or
may not have touched a mini-skirted clad wench`s bottom or given her an
overly affectionate hug or squeeze is, I feel, quite daft and, taking into account
how the Law seems to leave the Rolling Stones and most big bands of that
period well alone, when they were screwing any girl, any age, at that time, is
British hypocrisy at its most extreme !! EVERYONE, it seems, has been tarred
with Saville`s brush.
But I would also doubt if the world of Top of the Pops back then was not a
shade risqu?. There was a different mentality back then, free love, drugs,
micro-mini skirts and a desire by so many youngsters to kick back the
traces of the old morality. I remember in about 1971 or thereabouts a
scandal in the Sunday tabloids about teenage girls on TOTP screwing some
of the BBC production team. It is hardly surprising given the mood of the
times.
Personally, being a sad wanker, I used to enjoy TOTP in the late 60s not just
for the music but the fabulous low angle camerawork right up the girls`
skirts, fabulous jerk-off stuff !!

[David Johnson]

We seem to have gone full circle on sexual offence cases. Shamefully many cases of horrific rapes in the past have been ignored and the people concerned e.g. vulnerable, underage girls not listened to.

Now we seem to be in the middle of some witch hunt in which people are often arrested on the flimsiest of evidence and then left to stew for a year or two whilst police wait to see if anybody else comes forward. Then if they are found guilty of any offence, their lives must be totally destroyed.

There is a footballer, Ched Evans who used to play for Sheffield United. He was found guilty of rape and served his time. Towards the end of his sentence a petition was started to protest at any possibility that he might go back into football. Now I don't recall a similar petition being started for the likes of Tony Adams (drink driving) and other footballers found guilty of physical assault.

Surely if someone has served their time, do we have to prevent them working again in their chosen profession? Apparently what made things worse was that Ched Evans never admitted his guilt. It was proof to the protestors that he hadn't "reformed". Now I don't know all the details of the case, but it is not forbidden as far as I am aware, under British law to argue that you are innocent and to launch an appeal if necessary.

[andy at handiwork]

'...Surely if someone has served their time, do we have to prevent them working again in their chosen profession?...'


Well if they worked with children before doing time for paedophilia, or they were a bank cashier before embezzling the funds, or any number of similar examples, I think the answer might be yes.

[Arginald Valleywater]

Yet the BBC are happy to play Michael "I fucked your son now here is $1m to shut up" Jackson on a regular basis....

[David Johnson]

Andy I agree with you. I got that wrong by not thinking through all the different scenarios and instead concentrating on the specific case I was on about.

But in the case of Ched Evans I don't see why he should be stopped from going back into football.

[dynatech]

The Ched Evans case is a tricky one - it revolves around intoxication & consent, the co-accused being found Not Guilty etc. Yet to hear the witch-finders and feminists you would think he was Jack The Ripper
Every young man's nightmare really.

[JamesW]

David Johnson wrote:

> Towards the end of his sentence a petition was started
> to protest at any possibility that he might go back into
> football.


I believe this statement is incorrect.

Not that it matters much, but the petition was specifically aimed as protesting against his future employment with Sheffield Utd, not at any possibility that he might go back into football.

[David Johnson]

You're right. It doesn't matter much.

[alicia_fan_uk]

Ultimately, nothing matters much on this forum.

But JamesW made a reasonable point. He indicated an error you appear to have made. It was pertinent to distinguish between moves to restrict this individual playing at one club compared to every single club.

We all make mistakes. And we all react to our mistakes in different ways.

Perhaps me responding here is a mistake; we shall see.