Government Affairs Blog

Bremner, Bird & Fortune: cynicism or scepticism?

This Saturday (03.03.2007) saw the return to Channel 4 of “Bremner, Bird & Fortune” (BBF).  A week before, “The Observer” ran a story reporting that Rory Bremner had called Margaret Beckett and passed himself off as Gordon Brown - http://observer.guardian.co.uk/focus/story/0,,2020866,00.html. 

Bremner couldn’t broadcast the recording as it went against Ofcom rules and has said he may put it on the web.  A lot of politicians were not best pleased by his actions including Labour deputy leader contender Peter Hain.  The former “liberal now right of Genghis Khan”, as a lyric in BBF described the politician, criticised Bremner on “Sunday AM” as someone who spread cynicism in British politics.

While Andrew Marr attempted to change the subject, Bremner rushed to explain it was “scepticism not cynicism.” 

Where there is power there is satire.  The barbed genre was used by Jonathan Swift (Gulliver’s Travels) to shine a light on the follies of humankind and is an integral part of the British political tradition.  It isn’t always funny – in fact Bremner and the two Johns can be hit and miss – but it does have the ability to make you think about what is being said and more importantly how it is being said. 

Bremner’s juxtaposition of the Government’s desire to renew Trident against its argument that Iran must not have nuclear weapons was neatly done, regardless of where you are on the political divide.  What BBF always aim to do is entertain and challenge assumptions, showing up the absurdity of the world and how sloppy arguments are relied on to push forward major policy. 

Is this helping to undermine British politics?  According to www.dictionary.com cynicism is “an attitude of scornful or jaded negativity” while scepticism is “showing doubt”.  In fact, BBF falls somewhere in between, a scornful doubt if you like. 

Steve Martin once said that “comedy isn’t pretty”.  And in an episode of “Duckman”, a cartoon about a duck detective, the eponymous hero made a speech about the need for comedy to shock, challenge and make you uncomfortable.  On all counts Rory Bremner, John Bird and John Fortune have certainly been doing that for quite some time.