Who is this woman?

[french frank]

There are an awful lot of people 60+ who still cling to the music of their youth.

Yes. Curiously enough, I went over to the 6 Music site to see what Mary Anne Hobbs was about and was surprised to see how many popsters of my youth were being given an outing on her show (Spencer Davis Group, Kinks, Small Faces, Yardbirds &c ): combination of nostalgia for the oldies and 'new music' for the younger set.

[cloughie]

Personally,I think that If you wanted to rebrand the Proms for a youth market, Malcolm Maclaren would have been the the best bet. Now HE could have done it, and boy would he have had fun......

Yes great - can't wait to see who can spit nearest to Timber's bust!

The music of my youth included Barbirolli and the Halle and the wonderful evolution of non-classical music in the sixties, but I'm not sure I'd have been swayed by pop intervention in the Proms.

[pilamenon]

I think Blotto raises a pertinent issue. The publicity photography is one of the worst traits in R3's current persona, and that Proms assemblage is laughably awful. The in-your-face mugshots of presenters continue to put me off using the website any more than strictly necessary. Vampish, glamour pics of the women, and then the curiously unflattering close-ups of the blokes, no harm to them. It's all a bit pathetic.

[kernelbogey]

I think Blotto raises a pertinent issue. The publicity photography is one of the worst traits in R3's current persona, and that Proms assemblage is laughably awful. The in-your-face mugshots of presenters continue to put me off using the website any more than strictly necessary. Vampish, glamour pics of the women, and then the curiously unflattering close-ups of the blokes, no harm to them. It's all a bit pathetic.

The malign influence of 'marketing', and all its subsets, on our society.

[french frank]

I think Blotto raises a pertinent issue. The publicity photography is one of the worst traits in R3's current persona, and that Proms assemblage is laughably awful. The in-your-face mugshots of presenters continue to put me off using the website any more than strictly necessary. Vampish, glamour pics of the women, and then the curiously unflattering close-ups of the blokes, no harm to them. It's all a bit pathetic.

That encapsulates exactly what I took Blotto to be saying. It doesn't actually matter who "the woman" is, in the context of a promotional picture of the Proms: the image is jarring and out of place.

I suspect, however, the minority is supposed to be vociferously 'outraged' and write to The Times so that the public majority can laugh and say how fuddy-duddy these oldies are - and rush out to buy their tickets for the Paloma Faith concert. QED, folks.

[gurnemanz]

I think Blotto raises a pertinent issue. The publicity photography is one of the worst traits in R3's current persona, and that Proms assemblage is laughably awful. The in-your-face mugshots of presenters continue to put me off using the website any more than strictly necessary. Vampish, glamour pics of the women, and then the curiously unflattering close-ups of the blokes, no harm to them. It's all a bit pathetic.

For me that's a "laughably" disproportionate reaction, bordering on the hysterical. I can't bring myself to see the decline of Beeb standards in one light-hearted publicity photo which I hadn't actually seen until Blotto drew attention to it. It's not in the Proms Guide which I have bought every year since about 1968 and is this year, as usual, quite tastefully done and informative.

[doversoul1]

in one light-hearted publicity photo

I imagine this comment would disappoint whoever ‘designed’ the photo, as I suspect it was meant to be dead serious.

[teamsaint]

For me that's a "laughably" disproportionate reaction, bordering on the hysterical. I can't bring myself to see the decline of Beeb standards in one light-hearted publicity photo which I hadn't actually seen until Blotto drew attention to it. It's not in the Proms Guide which I have bought every year since about 1968 and is this year, as usual, quite tastefully done and informative.

Online is where most of the targeted new audience will find its information. i would imagine that those running R3 /the BBC Proms will have given very serious consideration to the kind of image that they want to portray on their home page for the season. If they didn't ,they should have.
One has to assume that the intended effect is something near to what it actually portrays. The effect is to say that pop acts and presenters are 50% of the value of the season.
Thats how I see it.

And since it is a fun game to play, why not have one of the more glamorous conductors,like Petrenko, and one of the less glamorous looking pop acts, such as a Pet Shop boy not looking his very best?

[pureimagination]

For me that's a "laughably" disproportionate reaction, bordering on the hysterical. I can't bring myself to see the decline of Beeb standards in one light-hearted publicity photo which I hadn't actually seen until Blotto drew attention to it. It's not in the Proms Guide which I have bought every year since about 1968 and is this year, as usual, quite tastefully done and informative.

Thank you gurnemanz for summing up how silly most of this thread is. Are the Proms on a downhill slide? No. There is plenty of variety and you are not forced to attend or listen. Do the BBC want people to attend the Proms? Yes. Hence they use whatever current PR tools are available to them. Not worth getting all jittery about in my opinion and probably hasn't stopped many of you attending the proms. Are the Proms elitist? Yes when non classical artists are criticised on what they look like and their 'deservedness' of being included at the proms is scrutinised and maligned. I don't like some of the works included at the proms and I have commented in other threads about this but my goodness there is plenty of variety to pick and choose from. The proms don't belong to anyone. The regular prommers are still appreciated and well catered for. Get off your high horses, take a deep breath and air your opinions but let's see a few more positive ideas about how the proms and classical music can welcome and encourage the widest audience possible or some of you will be be seen as snobbish, elitist and not as enlightened as many claim to be.

[pilamenon]

For me that's a "laughably" disproportionate reaction, bordering on the hysterical. I can't bring myself to see the decline of Beeb standards in one light-hearted publicity photo which I hadn't actually seen until Blotto drew attention to it. It's not in the Proms Guide which I have bought every year since about 1968 and is this year, as usual, quite tastefully done and informative.

As you say, one naff publicity photo doesn't mark the end of civilisation, and no-one as far as I can see has suggested that. But the point behind the original message I think is that it isn't isolated - there are many occasions when some of us inwardly cringe at Radio 3's wrongfooted attempts to reach out. It's as if they have no faith in their core product. And presenters are presenters, and some of us don't need/want to see the women glammed up to the eyeballs to appreciate their contribution.

[pilamenon]

Thank you gurnemanz for summing up how silly most of this thread is. Are the Proms on a downhill slide? No. There is plenty of variety and you are not forced to attend or listen. Do the BBC want people to attend the Proms? Yes. Hence they use whatever current PR tools are available to them. Not worth getting all jittery about in my opinion and probably hasn't stopped many of you attending the proms. Are the Proms elitist? Yes when non classical artists are criticised on what they look like and their 'deservedness' of being included at the proms is scrutinised and maligned. I don't like some of the works included at the proms and I have commented in other threads about this but my goodness there is plenty of variety to pick and choose from. The proms don't belong to anyone. The regular prommers are still appreciated and well catered for. Get off your high horses, take a deep breath and air your opinions but let's see a few more positive ideas about how the proms and classical music can welcome and encourage the widest audience possible or some of you will be be seen as snobbish, elitist and not as enlightened as many claim to be.

I think you've extrapolated too much from the original point and introduced straw man arguments. This is not about the supposed decline of the Proms nor elitism. As I understand it, it's about naff marketing - something which Radio 3 is very adept at! The proof is that all the money spent on trails and the website, has, according to the RAJARS, added not a single extra listener.

[Flay]

Compliments to Blotto for blotting out the horse's face in the first post to preserve anonymity and prevent embarrassment.

I confess I had no idea who the young lady was, and my initial thoughts were that this was a silly picture inappropriate for proms publicity.

[Blotto]

I think you've extrapolated too much from the original point and introduced straw man arguments. This is not about the supposed decline of the Proms nor elitism. As I understand it, it's about naff marketing -

In essence, p, you're right. I found the picture funny because the 'come hither' look seemed strange in itself and strange in the context. I initiated the thread because I wanted to understand what it was about and could only understand by knowing who she was.

The posters taking issue, I humbly offer, are projecting ill-will into the topic and missing its point. I would repeat, it's not about standards or pop but just about being baffled by a specific pose and posture of a stranger in that setting.

With good wishes, b.

[doversoul1]

Thank you gurnemanz for summing up how silly most of this thread is. Are the Proms on a downhill slide? No. There is plenty of variety and you are not forced to attend or listen. Do the BBC want people to attend the Proms? Yes. Hence they use whatever current PR tools are available to them. Not worth getting all jittery about in my opinion and probably hasn't stopped many of you attending the proms. Are the Proms elitist? Yes when non classical artists are criticised on what they look like and their 'deservedness' of being included at the proms is scrutinised and maligned. I don't like some of the works included at the proms and I have commented in other threads about this but my goodness there is plenty of variety to pick and choose from. The proms don't belong to anyone. The regular prommers are still appreciated and well catered for. Get off your high horses, take a deep breath and air your opinions but let's see a few more positive ideas about how the proms and classical music can welcome and encourage the widest audience possible or some of you will be be seen as snobbish, elitist and not as enlightened as many claim to be.

It didn’t even occur to me that this woman could be a non-classical musician. You are basing your argument entirely on your own assumption that this woman was criticised for being who or what she is by those who prefer to stick to classical music. If this thread has become silly, that is because you and others like you jumped up to defend when there was nothing to defend.

[french frank]

Online is where most of the targeted new audience will find its information.

Following gurnemanz's comment about the Proms Guide: that is intended for the usual Proms audience. The photograph was distributed to the press, who duly obliged:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/proms/10785261/Proms-2014-what-does-the-season-reveal.html

http://www.tvguide.co.uk/detail/2004653/101253361/bbc-proms-2014#.U_x_HUgQKks

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/apr/24/bbc-proms-2014-pet-shop-boys-cbeebies-war-horse-roger-wright

http://www.salesgossip.co.uk/blog/tag/proms-in-the-park/

http://thestrad.com/latest/news/violinist-janine-jansen-to-appear-in-last-night-of-the-proms-2014

http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/what-s-on/arts-entertainment/tv-previews/tv-preview-bbc-proms-2014-1-6727979

http://www.sinfinimusic.com/uk/featu...the-proms-2014 and so on ...

There's something hysterical about the subtlety of BBC marketing.