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Countdown.........ageist?

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Annna | 17:31 Fri 12th Dec 2008 | Film, Media & TV
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Just saw Carols last countdown, so sad made me cry.
Would any one else consider a boycott of the new one for being ageist?
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Given that the exit of Ms Vorderman from Countdown is being trated by the media as some kind of event on a par with the death of a prominent member of the Royal Family, I think it's time for a little perspective here.

Ms V is (was) extremely highly paid for what is in essence a supremely simple task involving the level of presentation and numerical skills that a year frull of Oxbridge graduates could perform for a fraction of the price ... and indeed that is exactly what is happening.

As advertising revenues shrink alarmingly, evey commercial broadvcaster has to look seriously at the outlay on presenters' salaries, as against the actual value for money that they represent.

In the case of Countdown, where it is patently obvious that the show is about the format, and less about the host, and not at all about Ms V herself, then it will continue and in a few months time,

Ms V will be less the 'Queen of Countdown' as the media portray her - an image she is delighted to endorse for an eight-figure salary - than simply another fairly average presenter who will have to compete in an increasingly competative workplace - pretty much like the rest of us.

The short answer to your question is -

No - I don;t watch the programme, so a boycott is not a feasible form of protest for me, but if i did, I would not dream of such a protest. It's only TV, and not especially entertaining TV for all that.
It needed a revamp, not that I ever get to watch it.
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So the ageist aspect is ok because you do not like the programme or the lady?
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Not ageist....Carol has become an icon from the show and demands a high income. She'll survive with her advert promotions.

Give another the chance.
Isn't it amazing that people can have opinions about programmes they don't watch?
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Do you think everyone who has being doing the same job (and doing it well) for 26 years should roll over and give a younger person the job? Would you happily give a younger person your job because they deserve a chance?
Anna - the point I made - at some length - is that Carol's lack of a new contract was down to her refusal to take a pay cut in line with the straightened times of the broadcaster from whom she has made a seriously good living for a very long time,doing not very much at all.

It has nothing to do with her age - simply that she is too expensive as a presenter, and the job can be done equally as well by someone else - younger - older - that is not the issue in question, as long as they are less expensive.

As I pointed out - finding someone else with CV's presenting and numerical skills would not provve a major obstacle - as indeed has been the case.
DSJ, as you point out, I don;t watch the programme, but I have watched it, and since of it's type, one programme is eseentially the same as any other programme, my perception of it is valid, even though I don't tune in on a regular basis.

I don't possess any Westlife recorded material, but I have heard and seen them, abd boy do i have an opinion!

That's the way culture works - expertise is not a prerequisite of holding and expressing a view.
Do you think everyone who has being doing the same job (and doing it well) for 26 years should roll over and give a younger person the job?

No, but if they over-price themselves then alternatives are sought.
Sorry but I do not understand. Carol did not 'roll over' - she had the chance to continue but refused to take a pay-cut. What is ageist about that?
Absolutely Catron!

People are wailing and gnashing their teeth as though it is the tragic end of some kind of televisual dynasty.

Television presenting is a skill - but it's not on a par with brain surgery - other people can do it too.

This is simply market forces in peration - not some kind of Macheavelian plot to depreive the nation of a much-loved iconic figure.

As I said initially - a sense of perspective is required here.
No one is indispensible!
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Carol seemed genuinely upset and sad to go. I hope she continues to do well in what ever turns up next for her.
I am sure she is.

I have done trhe same job for nearly thirty-five years, for a sight less money than CV, but that is by the way - and when I go I will be sad about it.

But I weould not allow anyone to infer that the world is somehow a poorer place simply because I am not there any more. I fullly expect that in six weeks maximum, everyone will have forgotton who I am, and i would not expect it to be any other way.

Longevity in a career - even in telvision - does not make your loss so terribly tragic that the nation must mourn and wonder how on earth it can get out of bed tomorrow.

It's a lightweight quiz show.

That's it.
"Carol seemed genuinely upset and sad to go"

And so would anyone be with no other job to go to and no salary coming in apart from repeat fees for those consolidation loan companies
im sure carol will manage and like has been said, she had the choice of stopping or going, she chose to go, she wasnt forced, if she was hard up for money im sure she would have stayed
What's age got to do with anything?
how is it ageist? vorderman was getting a lot of money for a simple job, this is credit crunch time, C4 cannot afford to pay her massive wages, remember she made the choice to leave
dee dum ,dee dum, diddly dum

Am I right ?
I'm not wrong !

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