4 weeks ago
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This is just wrong on SO MANY levels.
A BBC broadcaster named Michael Buerk is under fire for saying possibly one of the most insensitive things we’ve heard about Liam Payne‘s death — coming from a journalist, no less!
Of course, we all know how heartbreaking and tragic the former One Direction member’s passing has been. His family, loved ones, and fans around the world have been mourning. We mean, an entire generation lost one of their idols and a child lost his father. It’s no matter to take lightly! It’s devastating.
Related: Liam’s Death Has Been ‘So Difficult’ For Cheryl Cole
But that didn’t seem to matter to Michael, as he went on BBC Radio 4‘s program Today to talk about the late musician. On Thursday, he said this to the world:
“Last week, this program decided that the most important thing that had happened in the world was that a drugged-up faded boy band singer had fallen off a balcony.”
What the hell?? A “drugged-up faded boy band singer”?? He was a person. A living, breathing human being. That’s just beyond disrespectful…
The 78-year-old continued, complaining about the fact the news was covering Liam’s passing in the first place:
“Even the 10 O’Clock News, which is normally good on these things, thought it was the second most important thing that happened in the world. If you look at the news these days … They seem to be hammering away at the same half dozen stories while a whole continent goes unmentioned month after month.”
We get it, there’s a LOT of important things to talk about in the world. A lot of things that SHOULD be talked about often go unmentioned. But this isn’t some fluff piece!
Not only are we talking about the tragically young death of a beloved public figure, whether Mr. Buerk is personally a fan or not, but there’s also a lot of layers here. This story spotlights the prevalence and danger of drug use, the difficulty of addiction, the undue stress put on pop stars. This is a highly relevant story! Plus, guess what? The news is on for 24 hours straight! There’s plenty of time to cover important stories in the realm of politics, world events, the environment…
And a lot of important stories are still going to get ignored, and it won’t be because of Liam’s death being covered. Wow, really off-base take here. And a lot of fans agree! Across social media, lots of users are calling out the journalist for his remarks:
“Ooh Michael Buerk, you horrible, insensitive s**thouse. I hope the Directioners tear you a new one.”
“good grief what a piece of work Michael Buerk is. Imagine if his dead child was spoken about in such a fashion.”
“No need for any of this. His family is grieving and this is out of order.”
“The guy was only 31 and so talented and loved. Someone as experienced as Michael should know better and stop being an old c**t about it.”
“What a nasty little coward.”
What do U think about his comments, Perezcious readers? Let us know (below).
[Image via This Morning/YouTube/MEGA/WENN]
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