In the UK, we are forced to subsidize a wealthy corporation called The British Broadcasting Corporation. Regardless of whether we watch their staple diet of crass programmes. This company expects us to subsidize and pay for their employees' salaries, all in the guise of a public service. Despite the beeb's claims that they do not advertise they have sold numerous programmes worldwide, and still insist on us to fund their overpaid chauvinists, like Jeremy Clarkson, or their authoritative male bullies, such as Jeremy Paxman.
Following the recent revelations about Jimmy Savile, I find it an abysmal abuse of celebrity power and feel outraged for every child that fell victim to this degenerate man. Isn't it ironic that he fought so hard to save peoples' lives but also destroyed so many in return? What was the motive behind it? Personally, I'd say his charitable acts were a front that enabled him to abuse children. His celebrity status and charity work gave him a passport to abuse, molest and sexually assault minors.
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| The appalling incident in which a young woman was groped by Savile live on Top of the Pops; note the expressions on some of the girls' faces above |
What is equally disturbing is that many other celebrities at the BBC were aware of the abuser's acts, but there are claims that the BBC did not want a scandal, others expressed fear or not being taken seriously or losing their jobs. They are just as guilty. Undoubtedly, if molesters/ rapists are rich, they will be enabled by corporations to continue their violation of children as long as the public image of the beeb is not ruffled. Subsequently, in the parochial world run by the BBC, fuelled by privilege, testosterone and misogyny, ratings are more important than justice. I guess respect for vulnerable young females/ children doesn't count…
Why didn't anyone contact the police? Were they concerned that Savile was in collusion with them as well? Bullshit! Self-serving careerist will always make excuses because their conscience tells them they couldn't act to justify their conscience. Furthermore, a female who witnessed an act of abuse at the beeb was cornered and threatened by Savile. This is the kind of coercive form of intimidation serves the abuser to wield power over his domain. There was also a disturbing clip on Top of the Pops where Savile clearly assaults a girl. Her pleas for help were trivialised and dismissed by the BBC. Furthermore, the masking of these sexual predator's acts were ignored because of his ability to raise exorbitant sums of money for charities. They are as guilty for ignoring what was happening in the hospitals. His mafia-style intimidation could not have happened in isolation. Others are involved. And as the shit hits the fan, more names will transpire.
Gary Glitter, an insipid third-rate pop star who excels as a sexual predator, also gets away with numerous sexual offences. I shudder when I recall the lyrics of one of his songs, on TOTP, (hosted by Savile,) 'The Leader of the Gang', 'I'm the man who puts the bang in gang'. He served a mere three years in a Vietnam jail for sex offences on the grounds that there was insufficient evidence. This seems to draw parallels with Savile. What constitutes clear evidence? Clearly not the testimonies of young females. Because the voices, the desperate pleas, the outrage, don't count.
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| I can make you jump out of bed standing on my head, Gary Glitter performs 'I'm the Leader of the Gang' on Top of the Pops |
Savile and Glitter are not alone. Look at Terry Richardson, purveyor of pornography thinly veiled as 'erotic' photography, is another dysfunctional little man eight inches short of nine. In 2010, there were allegations made against him by models who were coerced into sex, intimidated and exploited by him. Once again, the western global justice system serves powerful men. Why do they get away with it? Could it be that the justice system privileges men's accounts of the events? Or perhaps as, with Savile, they are brushed off, because girls and women don't count.
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| Terry Richardson: one is not enough... |
We need to explore the prevalent misogynist attitudes and male power that encourages male entitlement to grope, assault and sexually assault. And it's not solely a British/American thing. Abuses of power predominate throughout the world.
Let’s spare a thought for the children/ teenagers and how they were silenced by a corporation that ignored the abuse and chose to dish out this predator on a staple diet of child-focused programming spanning over four decades. Shame on you. These are the reasons why we should refuse to pay our television licence. Let's make females' testimonies count.