Wednesday 25 April 2007

Where Dikkii complains to the ABC

For those of you who read Dikkii's Diatribe, you'll know that I have a real problem with woo. I also have a bit of a problem with academic snobbery.

Here's a little email I punched off to Auntie not so long ago:

G'day all you good folk at the ABC.

Love your work, mostly. And lots too.

I have two questions for you:

1. Whenever you put the names of people up with PhDs on Catalyst, you put their names as Dr XXX, but when you put people on without PhDs, you don't put their names as Mr/Ms YYY, you just put YYY. This is normally considered either inconsistent or incorrect. Possibly even academically snobby, although I wouldn't go that far. What's the ABC's style guide say about this?

2. I've seen some rubbish on the commercial channels in my life, but most of them would have the good sense to steer well clear of a show called "Psychic Investigators". Can you provide one good reason why I shouldn't complain to the federal communications minister about this brain shrinking waste of taxpayers money?

Cheers, Dikkii.

On the subject of what I would consider "academically snobby", I certainly would consider the ABC's use of the "Dr" honorific to be both that and an appeal to authority. I just wanted to get it in there for them to see.

Psychic Investigators on the other hand, don't get me started.

I did get a response back.

5 comments:

The Rev. Jenner J. Hull said...

I think every atheist on the planet should register with the Universal Life Church.

Not because they actually follow any religion, of course.

Only because an ordination in the ULC is (somewhat) official and anyone can sign up and append "Rev." in front of their name.

So, every time an atheist gets on the tee-vee, on the radio, or in the newspaper, he/she can automatically display a credential. One just as valid, as far as ecumenical authorities are concerned, as any other priest, preacher, or reverend.

Hell, I even performed an kick-ass wedding ceremony!

The Rev. Jenner J. Hull said...

Or, if you like to spell-check what you write...

"Hell, I even performed A kick-ass wedding ceremony."

Dikkii said...

I'm going to have to look into this, Jenner.

I always wanted the title "Reverend".

Don said...

Hey, Psychic Investigations may be utter crap, but the ABC does air The Chaser's War on Everything, if I'm not mistaken, and they're responsible for this bit of comic genius involving "The Secret."

I have two friends who were ordained in the Universal Life Church over the internet. They did it on a whim but later faced music royalty issues with their open mic night at the pizza shop they own and seriously considered running every open mic night as a worship service, at which all music would be free from royalties thanks to some obscure law.

Dikkii said...

Akusai, you are quite correct about the Chaser boys. And that one that has a go at The Secret is genius.

I'm not really having a go at the ABC - on the whole, what they churn out is good. But when they get it wrong, they need to be corrected - they're a bit more accountable that your normal broadcaster, given that they're almost fully funded by taxpayer dollars.