There I am watching a very serious political programme "Question Time" which enjoys questions from the audience, when suddenly it descends into a spectacle of comedy. The question had began with whether next year's royal wedding will result in a minor economic upturn. A member of the audience began nosily interrupting the panel as they discussed the wedding. The individual didn't have a microphone within range of their voice, so their vocal interference sounded like a groaning mumble. The chair of the panel David Dimbleby looked at the audience to spy who it was. The camera turned towards the individual. It was a elderly man, he looked like he was at least octogenarian. He was saying the paparazzi should leave the royals alone to get on with the wedding. It didn't seem to matter to this dithering old man a large part of the costs for a royal wedding would come from the public. It didn't seem to matter, some the panel were laughing and some of the audience, he just continued gassing away. At this point I felt they should of either kicked him out or changed the title of the programme, certainly to something less serious. However, were he escorted out this would of been national news. The programme was live at the time, and he would of had more news coverage given to his royal bigotry in the next couple of days than the content of the entire programme. Fortunately, the annoyance was abated when there was a change in question and the over opinionated octogenarian had now shut up.
In reality it must be exceptionally difficult for programme makers to vet the sanity of their audience especially when it is live, but this was someone who really didn't have a worthy thing to say, it was as though they were there just to interfere with the proceedings. He hadn't been asked any question and took it upon himself to do exactly what he would of done in his own living room with the TV on. i.e. to shout his opinion at it with or without other people present. It would of been farcical at this point had another octogenarian from a different part of the audience shouted back at him "what a lot of old codswallop" because it bloody well was.
Everybody is entitled to an opinion on everything in life. However, it is unnecessary for them to offload their viewpoints on the rest of us. It's like walking down the high street and being accosted by various religious touts who want to save your soul. Just because they believe their particular omnipotent imaginary friend is more powerful and real than the rabbit called Harvey, in the film called Harvey. It doesn't mean you have to believe them or agree with them. It's odd how I have never seen atheists accost people and espouse their views. Perhaps they have got better things to do. If they do, I'm sure to bet they are not interrupting Question Time. Viva le Rabbit.
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