"During the live programme, Paxman said: "Apparently I'm told by our editor I have to apologise for quoting what you said the Prime Minister said, so honour satisfied now.""

Saw the clip on b3ta this morning - he's reading from a statement, what's he supposed to do, put in a beep?

is behind it. They must have a whole floor of hacks poised with anti BBC stories ready to pounce.
The terrified producer must have seen a vision of Paul Dacre bearing down on him with the headline"How much longer must we take this foul mouthed filth?"

You have to have sympathy for the production team, they are now operating under ridiculous pressures. The BBC should make a statement along the lines of, "We trust our editorial teams and if they deem something to be acceptable then it is acceptable, nobody will be sacked or suspended unless they have broken a law. We welcome comments but will not penalise staff over individual incidents."
Then minor slip ups must be tolerated and incidents such as Paxman last night will be allowed to be explained as just what they are and no action ever taken.

Paxman was brilliant. The use of the expletive was perfectly justifiable in the context.

Everyone's got so over-sensitive and so heart-on-sleeve. It's absurd.

BAN THIS SICK FILTH

Nothing to do with the swearing. Just the sooner we can get the hapless Mr Bacon farmed off somewhere inoffensive, the better.

and which I haven't seen commented on so maybe I'm being paranoid, is that it strikes me as yet another example of politicians thinking they're above the rules that govern normal behaviour. Forget the confidentiality issues and any views you might have about Brown.

Ask yourself what would have been the reaction of Brown, Mandelson or Prescott if they had been asked to comment about allegations of bullying by - say - the head of the Civil Service, the editor of The Word, the CEO of a major bank or the owner of a shop employing 6 people.

Answer: they'd have said how terrible bullying is, how this case must be investigated by the appropriate authorities and how important it is for anyone in a leadership position to set an example etc etc. BUT we're talking about politicians here so Mandy brags about how he takes bollockings like a man, Prescott weighs in with his "The PM has a tough job to do and is a man of deeply held beliefs" and so on. In other words: yet again, politicians refuse to be held accountable to the same standards they impose on their subjects. Tossers.

I rather liked Charlie Brooker's take on the adulterous ways of celebrities and how it's a fixation of the press and not the public to demand on-screen contrition.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/feb/22/charlie-brooker-terr...

In a similar vein Kay Burley is unhappy unless she provokes someone into giving an emotional response to a question she asks. People can't just answer a question based on the facts, it has to come wrapped up in a tear-stained hankie of "how they feel" for it to be "real".

it's just a word.

Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck

Mongoose mongoose mongoose

Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck

Bathysphere bathysphere bathysphere

Norks norks norks norks

Fuck.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/expatfeedback/4201828/Were-all-big-babi...

Must admit was half-listening to Newsnight and wondered if I'd misheard him ;-)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympic_games/vancouver_2010/ice_hockey/...