Men are gradually being airbrushed out

Speaking of men, and men relative to women, and women relative to men – James Innes-Smith finds there are far too many women on the BBC these days.

Is it any surprise that research carried out by the corporation for its annual report found that more than a quarter of men feel that the BBC ‘no longer reflects people like me’?

“People like me” meaning what? Just, men? Or is there more to it than that? If there is, Innis-Smith overlooked it.

In a concerted effort to redress gender imbalance men are gradually being airbrushed out. Across much of the BBC men have become something of a rarity.

Really? Really? Really?

I don’t believe it. I don’t believe men are a rarity on the BBC. I think James-Innis is confusing “more women than there used to be” with “almost no men.” I also think James-Innis sees an all-male BBC as quite normal, so that a BBC with some women feels to him like a vanishing of men.

Many of the corporation’s high-profile dramas are now female-focused, including the Pursuit of Love, I May Destroy You, Starstruck and Motherland.

And? What of it? Plenty of high-profile dramas are male-focused, so what’s alarming about the existence of some female-focused ones?

Female presenters dominate shows such as BBC Breakfast, The One Show and Songs of Praise. A rejuvenated BBC Three will be almost exclusively female led while Radio 4 has turned into one long episode of Woman’s Hour. 

No it hasn’t.

But you can hardly point the finger at the BBC; its female-centric programming reflects a cultural trend that is rife across society.

“Rife.” Slightly more inclusion of women is “rife across society.” Here’s a guy with his clutching hands stuck between his legs.

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