BBC mistakes cab driver for music expert
mojoworkin
283 Posts
This is hilarious!From: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/ar..._a_source=&ct=5He is the BBC's latest star - the cab driver who a leading presenter believed was a world expert on the internet music business.The man stepped unwittingly into the national spotlight when he was interviewed by mistake on the corporation's News 24 channel.With the seconds ticking down to a studio discussion about a court case involving Apple Computer and The Beatles' record label, a floor manager had run to reception and grabbed the man, thinking he was Guy Kewney, editor of Newswireless.net, a specialist internet publication.Actually, he was a minicab driver who had been waiting to drive Mr Kewney home.Baffled, but compliant, the driver was fitted with a microphone and allowed himself to be marched in to the studio. Cameras rolled, and he was quizzed live on air by consumer affairs correspondent Karen Bowerman - who missed the cabbie's panic-stricken expression when he realised he was being interviewed.Despite knowing nothing about the case - a judge ruled that the computer company could continue to use the Apple symbol for its iTunes download service - the man gamely attempted to bluff his way through and, speaking in a strong French accent, sustained a (somewhat illogical) form of conversation. Meanwhile, the real Mr Kewney watched indignantly on a monitor in reception.A tape of the exchange, broadcast on Monday morning, has become a classic among BBC workers.It starts with the mystery man's horrified expression as Ms Bowerman introduces him as a technology expert, followed by his plucky attempt to answer her question on whether he was surprised by the verdict.Yes, he says with feeling. It was a 'big surprise'. After an increasingly confusing exchange, the presenter cut with relief to the BBC's equally puzzled reporter outside the court, while the taxi driver was hurried out of the studio.The BBC apologised, saying the mistake occurred because the man was wearing Mr Kewney's name tag. Mr Kewney said: "Everyone seems to think he was a taxi driver waiting in reception to take me home. But no one knows for sure."He added: "There were several surprising things about 'my' interview. Judging by my performance, English wasn't my first language and I didn't seem to know much about Apple, online music or The Beatles."He said the taxi driver "seemed as baffled as I felt". Last night, the driver's identity remained a mystery. None of the taxi firms regularly used by the BBC would admit to employing him.[/b]Video here: http://img.dailymail.co.uk/video/cabbie.wmv
Comments
i love shit like this, and to be honest i think he did a pretty good job of answering her questions and his point was (taking into account his broken english) essentially correct: the consumer is looking for fast efficient ways to gain access to content, at the moment downloading (be it illegal or not) provides the most sensible solution.
this guy is GREAT!
Goes to show how aimless 90% of the questions asked by anchors are - I doubt the expert could have provided much more analysis considering the banality of the questions. I want to see him drop more knowledge.
and i just forwarded the story and link to everyone in my address book. this really is fucking great, i think the internet has a new hero, no all we need is a .gif of his panic striken facial expression.
YES!!! WE HAVE A WINNER!!!
BRO, that is easily one of the best things i have seen in a long while.
you guys are killing me.
this dude needs another interview, what a guy.
http://www.newswireless.net/index.cfm/article/2697
Funny.
Bro, that guy is the winner, everyone who watches the footage is immediatly on his side, and his initial reaction (the gif) is fucking priceless. There is nothing malicious or negative in my response to him whatsoever.
The same cannot be said for the guy who was meant to be interviewed, follow the previous link to see his completly humorless take on the tale.
(i do like to see the kiwis sticking up for the little guy though
fucking priceless
I really could watch that for hours and hours.
You know, on subsequent viewings I have to say I'm most impressed by the Cabbie's casual wear. Pretty damn smart for a taxi driver even if he is from an upmarket firm.
GRATUITOUS AND UNNECESSARY
and makes a good go of stumbling through the interview...
yeh..the interviewer isn't even listening/paying attention.
wow... the real guy really IS a prick. he needs to stop acting like it's the cabbie's fault and realize that the only 'ignoramus' is whoever mistook the cabbie for him, not the cabbie himself. i mean, seriously... is ANYONE IN THE WORLD [except for him] really even convinced that this could have in some way affected his career??? it's like he's offended that people now MIGHT think he's dark skinned and french.
dude needs to get off his damn high horse.
They?
Seems like another one of the racial stereotypes manifested itself before anyone could check the fucking fact! God bless the UK!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4774429.stm
Ah, I knew my suspicions about him being too well dressed for a taxi driver were well founded.
Takes a bit of the shine off the story but that gif still makes me very happy.
Personally I don't see him being mistakenly labeled as a taxi driver as racial stereotyping but at the same time I don't want to kickstart a 5 pager so I'll leave it with this