The Boat Race(s)

I'm not upset about anything, I merely stated my viewpoint, it's a messageboard, that's what people do.

The BBC use taxpayers money to pay for a bunch of toffs to show off their elitism and exceptionalism. That doesn't sit well with me. You are entitled to your opinion, but it doesn't make mine less valid.
It doesn't do what you said. Like I've already repeated on here, you are putting that spin on it because this is a safe space for the class warrior. The person who can say something about "old Etonians" and then fail to back it up without any facts. as I have pointed out the BBC is paying for a program that people watch. If people didn't watch it, they wouldn't pay. You can be upset by that but it kind of blows your "elitism" complaint out of the water.
 
How many of the crews yesterday came from Eton? Just curious. Are you making things up or is this a fact?
that's not really relevant. It's promoting the exceptionalism of Oxford and Cambridge which have a high degree of public school kids, it has got better over the last 30 years, but it's still very much a right of passage for the elites to send their kids to Oxbridge. There may not be many etonians in the boats, but that was purely used as a placeholder for private education, I'd be willing to bet that there aren't many state school educated kids in those boats.
 
Man I can hardly understand all those working class accents haha are we really having this discussion that Oxbridge and Cambridge have a high number of private educated, wealthy, people?! ST would argue that black is white and up is down if you let him. Which I won't any longer,

 
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The difference between the BBC showing things like Tennis or Eastenders or whatever people don't have an interest in and the boat race is that the boat race isn't a meritocracy. They don't qualify, they are just guaranteed to be on TV every year and it brings in loads of sponsorship money because of that to institutions that don't really need it. It is promoted as the peak of university rowing. I have no idea if it is or not, I suspect the fact they are guaranteed to be called the top and be shown on TV each year means they attract the best plus it's a sport for poshos anyway because most people can't just go out and row but I would guess there are better rowers around the country that don't get the exposure or the sponsorships etc.

It's classic BBC fayre. Promotion of rich people doing rich people things is their bread and butter. It's another argument against the requirements for them to be funded by a licence instead of a subscription. If they want to pay for the broadcasting of these non-events then people should be able to opt out of paying for it.
 
It's a boat race? They aren't driving their ferraris around council estate. You claim not to be a class warrior yet think a few people rowing is an overt display of wealth and privilege?
I don’t ‘claim’ not to be, I am not a class warrior. Probably because I made enough money to retire very comfortably at 55. Not a boast as I doubt anyone on here knows me, just an observation that undoubtedly shapes my approach to the subject. But yes, taking part in a ‘race’ that does not allow any other entrants, through the heart of the capital looks like privilege to me. If it doesn’t to you, then fine.
Oh, and class isn’t about driving Ferraris.
 
that's not really relevant. It's promoting the exceptionalism of Oxford and Cambridge which have a high degree of public school kids, it has got better over the last 30 years, but it's still very much a right of passage for the elites to send their kids to Oxbridge. There may not be many etonians in the boats, but that was purely used as a placeholder for private education, I'd be willing to bet that there aren't many state school educated kids in those boats.
If it isn't relevant, why did you specifically say that?
 
I don’t ‘claim’ not to be, I am not a class warrior. Probably because I made enough money to retire very comfortably at 55. Not a boast as I doubt anyone on here knows me, just an observation that undoubtedly shapes my approach to the subject. But yes, taking part in a ‘race’ that does not allow any other entrants, through the heart of the capital looks like privilege to me. If it doesn’t to you, then fine.
Oh, and class isn’t about driving Ferraris.
You speak like a class warrior, the terms you use are indicative of the type. Maybe you don't think you are but in decrying elitism and getting so upset about a traditional event it belies a class war mindset

Oh and I obviously KNOW class isn't about driving ferraris.
 
Man I can hardly understand all those working class accents haha are we really having this discussion that Oxbridge and Cambridge have a high number of private educated, wealthy, people?! ST would argue that black is white and up is down if you let him. Which I won't any longer,

I din't argue anything about private education to be fair. You brought that up. I was arguing that the boat race is fine, it brings in 10 million or so viewers (both non TV and in person) and to be upset about it is pure reverse snobbery. Nothing more.
 
You speak like a class warrior, the terms you use are indicative of the type. Maybe you don't think you are but in decrying elitism and getting so upset about a traditional event it belies a class war mindset

Oh and I obviously KNOW class isn't about driving ferraris.
Ah, back to definitions. If wanting equality of opportunity for all is being a class warrior then bring me my bow of burning gold.
(Of course I knew you knew about driving Ferraris).
 
Ah, back to definitions. If wanting equality of opportunity for all us being a class warrior then bring me my bow of burning gold.
And whining about the boat race will bring ab out equality will it?

Like I said, This place is a safe space for the class warriors and I get that (it's not my thing, in case you hadn't guessed)

It jsut seems odd to me that your "fight for equality" would boil down to complaining about a sport on TV. A sport which, in the past 30 years, has been probably Great Britains most successful sport too.
 
And whining about the boat race will bring ab out equality will it?

Like I said, This place is a safe space for the class warriors and I get that (it's not my thing, in case you hadn't guessed)

It jsut seems odd to me that your "fight for equality" would boil down to complaining about a sport on TV. A sport which, in the past 30 years, has been probably Great Britains most successful sport too.
You have a most singular approach to semantic logic ST.
1). Nowhere did I state that observing that the boat race is an anachronistic example of undeserved privilege would bring about the end of such privilege.
2) Why does my personal 'fight for equality' 'boil down to' complaining about a sport on tv? A conclusion unsupported by any premise.
Hopefully this board will stay a safe place for those wishing to disagree.
 
You have a most singular approach to semantic logic ST.
1). Nowhere did I state that observing that the boat race is an anachronistic example of undeserved privilege would bring about the end of such privilege.
2) Why does my personal 'fight for equality' 'boil down to' complaining about a sport on tv? A conclusion unsupported by any premise.
Hopefully this board will stay a safe place for those wishing to disagree.
1: you certainly implied that, on this very thread, by arguing against it on the grounds that it promotes privilege and elitism
2: That's what this thread is about. I'm sure you have other ways of fighting but I was addressing this particular subject and wondering why it exercised you so
 
I don't particularly think of Oxbridge as elitist; my sister went to Cambridge and neither she, nor any of her immediate friend were elitist. Clever? Yes. Odd? Admittedly. But socially no different from the rest of us. I do understand it can be a bit oil and water: the elitists don't really mix with the rest. However, the idea that Oxbridge=elite and elite=Oxbridge is wrong.
 
I don't particularly think of Oxbridge as elitist; my sister went to Cambridge and neither she, nor any of her immediate friend were elitist. Clever? Yes. Odd? Admittedly. But socially no different from the rest of us. I do understand it can be a bit oil and water: the elitists don't really mix with the rest. However, the idea that Oxbridge=elite and elite=Oxbridge is wrong.

As someone who had no chance of going to Oxbridge, I'm obviously commenting on something I know very little about (as do many people on this message board) but my understanding is that there are almost two broad groups of people at Oxbridge:-

1) The old Etonians / other public school toffs, probably reading History of Art or PPE and probably spending most time with other people of that ilk, burning £20 notes in front of homeless people / smashing up bars / popping to "Verbs" for the weekend etc. Think Johnson, Cameron etc

2) Everyone else, many of whom are from much more humble backgrounds and have worked bloody hard to get there, probably read Chemistry or Law and spend most of their time trying to avoid the people in group 1, whilst struggling to survive in the days of non grant education and the ban on extra curricular jobs (if that's still a thing). Some of these people are probably middle class in that their parents were university educated too, some may be from council estates and the first to go to university in their family, but they are not "toffs".

Rarely do the two groups mix.
 
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