A curious trend has developed in the Entertainment Industry, whereby entertainment is no longer prioritised and the chief elements of normal industry — productivity and profit — are cast aside in favour of short-term political goals. Own-goals, in most cases.
A typically idiotic example is an article which appeared in Friday’s edition of The Metro, a freesheet thrust at bored commuters every morning and found crammed into waste bins by lunchtime. With a zeal reminiscent of Cambodia’s ‘Year Zero’, reporter Asyia Iftikhar attempted to rewrite history and convince readers Doctor Who was never intended for “straight white men”, but “has always been socially-progressive and inclusive” (although she failed to offer any examples of same pre-2005’s reboot).
Needless to say, such a ridiculous assertion met with an instant backlash. Perhaps Ms Iftikhar’s agenda-driven waffle found a warmer welcome during her time at the Pink News, but the Metro’s audience tends to have a closer relationship with reality. Within 48 hours, the newspaper had shut down its X/Twitter account, presumably in an attempt to deflect criticism, although the original article remained online, complete with its cheery sign-off “If someone has a problem with that, they know where the door is”.
Judging by the show’s barrel-scraping viewing figures, that door’s already had a lot of use.
Update: In a belated attempt at damage limitation, the Metro subsequently adjusted its headline to “never made just for you”. Like that’s going to help.