Markymark
BBC Radio 5, Sunday 12th February, 09:55am. Oliver Holt repeats that the Arsenal fan who held up the Wenger out banner is an idiot. Note that this so called idiot also supports a club whose Fan TV channel is an "embarrassment".
Why has someone who has years of experience in journalism condescendingly dismissed an alternative opinion? Where is the curiosity to ask why this supporter believes this? Why indeed do a group of pundits and journalists feel they have a right to attack a supporter who held aloft a reasonably polite and not particularly provocative A4 piece of paper? Why the continual attacks on the fan channel?
My childhood memory reflects back to a time when an idiot fan was someone involved in smashing up a Service Station on the M6. Not a young guy with an opinion. Our definition of idiot appears to have narrowed and become far less tolerant.
When one looks at journalists who are perceived to be aggressive and provocative such as Simon Heffer and Katie Hopkins, (although I typically disagree with their opinion) I am struck by the weight of the argument they give. They attempt to construct an argument whether one accepts it or not. Compare in contrast Gary Neville, John Cross and now Oliver Holt who can only fall back on "be careful what you wish for", who accord Wenger a form of legendary status somehow gained through length of service. The actual basis of this legend disappears slowly into history.
Looking at the aggressive dismissals is something else at play? Is the cold wind of society change so evident in 2016 / 2017 somehow spread an under current of fear within the established order, do they feel under threat?
Futurologists suggest that amongst the jobs considered to be most at risk of disappearing, Journalists are high on the list. A view is we are all increasingly becoming journalists now with our social media usage and our bypassing of established channels. The 1980's modelled TV media network SKY, who still have to rent line cables from BT, spend huge marketing sums, but are under increasing pressure from BT Sport, Freeview, Netflix, Amazon, Apple, even the legally grey Kodi Box. The market is loaded with threat, can SKY continue their pre-eminence? A fan who holds up a placard can muster huge publicity across multi-media for a cost of a ticket, SKY are increasing unwieldy.
Then we have John Cross the voice of the working man’s paper, if of course you go back to 1975. Compare to Arsenal Fan TV, supposedly creating 12 million hits a month. The Mirror, Express and others must despair at this erosion of power. Who talks to the fans? John Cross, Oliver Holt, or is it Claude, Ty and the other voices?
I can't help thinking that the petulant dismissal of public opinion is more based on their own fear of loss of status and power and far less about any real positive argument for Wenger staying.
