Obligatory Americans on BBC Radio

[DracoM]

On the Saturday night R4 Critics prog - 7.15 - 8 p.m - the first three items were about American cultural happenings. Almost every Monday. Andrew Marr has an obligatory American on Start the Week, Woman's Hour rakes them in by the shoals, Midweek usually has one a week, Night Waves regularly does. We have a Classic Serial 'Showboat' starting on Sunday next [ that's a 'classic'? Really?]. One of the current serialised books of the week is by yet another American, we have 'Americana' at 7.15p.m. on a Sunday evening on R4.

Why? Are they cheaper than British academics? Are they more prestigious? Are they au courant with Eurpoean value systems? What have I missed here?

So why are Americans so regularly drawn in to pontiifcate on UK / European situations? After Bush and Cheney made poodles out of us, after Iraq, Afghanistan, Lehmann Bros / Goldman Sachs and the implosion of the world banking system, I'm not sure I'm ready to be lectured by any Americans on many topics.

Or is that just me?

[french frank]

Or is that just me?

It may be, though - on a related point - one notes in the Trust's review on R4

"Radio 4 should address audience concerns about the imbalance of its international coverage in favour of America compared with Europe and the rest of the world."

I think a lot more academics have come over from the States to take up university posts here than there were, say, twenty years ago.

[kernelbogey]

.... So why are Americans so regularly drawn in to pontiifcate on UK / European situations? ....

Is this post (thinly) disguised anti-Americanism?

I think they have an interesting perspective. On the whole, those who are drawn in by the Beeb to comment are those who are au courant with European thinking. They remain, for the moment, the dominant economic (and therefore cultural) influence in the world. So why not invite them onto top programmes?

[DracoM]

Absolutely not anti-American.

Choice is exercised by programme editors, and more regularly than seems likely, American voices pop up in sometimes unlikely places, particularly when the topic under discussion is specifically 'British' or 'European', maybe even localised in one region of one city.

Sorry, but the suspicion in me grows that as the BBC becomes more commercially driven and sees its programmes as likely to be purchased abroad and that the American market may be more lucrative than others, it can't hinder sales if the voices included are from America?

[Don Petter]

So why are Americans so regularly drawn in to pontiifcate on UK / European situations?

Essentially, …

[Cellini]

Well, DracoM may have a point. I'm sort of used to them because I aslo post regularly on an essentially American website. Sometimes they drive me mad, but many of them are fine. And of course there are many in America who are not Americans in as much that they came from elsewhere originally. So they can be all flavours.

What I don't like is what most of us percieve as American culture, mostly seen in their films. But then I generally don't like African culture either. Of course I think their politics stink, but that's another matter, and in the end they may grow up, given enough time.

[Sydney Grew]

On the Saturday night R4 Critics prog - 7.15 - 8 p.m - the first three items were about American cultural happenings. Almost every Monday. Andrew Marr has an obligatory American on Start the Week, Woman's Hour rakes them in by the shoals, Midweek usually has one a week, Night Waves regularly does. We have a Classic Serial 'Showboat' starting on Sunday next [ that's a 'classic'? Really?]. One of the current serialised books of the week is by yet another American, we have 'Americana' at 7.15p.m. on a Sunday evening on R4.

Why? Are they cheaper than British academics? Are they more prestigious? Are they au courant with Eurpoean value systems? What have I missed here?

So why are Americans so regularly drawn in to pontiifcate on UK / European situations? After Bush and Cheney made poodles out of us, after Iraq, Afghanistan, Lehmann Bros / Goldman Sachs and the implosion of the world banking system, I'm not sure I'm ready to be lectured by any Americans on many topics.

Or is that just me?

Thank you for your fine post Member DracoM! Its inspiring words show us that even in this late and savage era there is still hope for our down-trodden land.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

After Bush and Cheney made poodles out of us, after Iraq, Afghanistan, Lehmann Bros / Goldman Sachs and the implosion of the world banking system, I'm not sure I'm ready to be lectured by any Americans on many topics.

Or is that just me?

While I deplore much of the Americanisation of our society, let us not blame Bush and Cheney what our Prime Minister did. Mr Blair could have kept us out of Iraq and Afghanistan, but he chose to take part in the invasions. TB was indeed a poodle. Indeed, I had the distinct impression that Bush considered him as less than a side-issue. But that was TB's choice.

[JimD]

Is this post (thinly) disguised anti-Americanism?

Probably. It is common to dislike those to whom one is in debt.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cambridgeshire/360/madingley3.shtml

[marthe]

Oh deah. This is very tiresome...

[Purposebuilt]

Or is that just me?

I turn off or change channel if I hear an American contributor. Once you start to notice it becomes very annoying. So, I am turning more and more to Radio 3. It's an ill wind....

This blatant infiltration makes me very angry. So glad the subject is starting to crop up in discussions.

[Dave2002]

Not sure why this thread is here, but ....

Then on Radio 4 we have to have philosphers - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01ddxbf

It was an interesting enough programme, but I think sneaked in a hidden assumption that "the market" or "markets" are in some way neutral or fair, something which could be examined much more carefully.

[maestro267]

What has this thread got to do with Performance?

[Flosshilde]

Nothing, unless the OP has detected a bias towards Americans (the USA, specifically - I don't think that there have been many Canadians, or Mexicans. A few Venezualans when the Simon Bolivar orchestra are in town ) in performers. Most, if not all, of the evening concerts have been by British orchestras & ensembles. There is the Met Opera broadcasts, which have a fair few USA contributors.

[Richard Tarleton]

Oh deah. This is very tiresome...

Quite

Dave - I've seen a few of Michael Sandel's spots on TV - I think BBC4 but can't be certain - fascinating interrogative style of discourse with a live student audience. Outstanding TV by any standards. Whatever the intention of the OP a couple of contributions to this thread are particularly tiresome, one in particular. Also, in the collegiate spirit of the MB, not a bit friendly to the small handful of regular contributors from across the pond, I'd have thought.