These stills are from a BBC comedy called “Time Trumpet” (big hat tip - Steve J). The show features a satirical “Terrorism Awards” show with nominees including a “lone gunman” who shoots Tony Blair in the head as he sleeps with his wife; a 9/11-style video of terrorists crashing an airliner into the Houses of Parliament; and a Tel Aviv suicide bombing.

We are a month away from the five-year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. I still pause, once a day, to think about what happened and how it has changed my outlook on life. How it has opened my eyes to the evils of jihad. How it has changed the focus of my work. How it affects my children. How it affects us all. Every so often, when I’m in Washington, D.C., and a plane flies low on its way to Dulles or Reagan Airport, I catch my breath. And I remember. I cannot fathom how the BBC, the once-revered British network of supposedly serious journalists, could pull a sick stunt like this. The Guardian blog quotes a haughty BBC spokesperson shrugging off any criticism:

“The clips have to be seen in the context of the whole series,” said a BBC spokeswoman. The show begins on BBC2 this Thursday, with the terrorism episode scheduled for week three. “It is a satire. The scenarios are so ludicrous that anyone who complained would be making a fool of themselves.”

We have the video at Hot Air. Watch and listen as the audience laughs at the images. Also notice the two “presenters” in the satirical awards show.

In real life, they are BBC anchor Peter Snow and BBC Tomorrow’s World news host Philippa Forrester. They appeared in order to add “authenticity” to the episode.

Who’s making a fool of themselves?

The Daily Mail has reaction from MPs on both sides of the aisle:

The satire is the work of Armando Iannucci, who wrote the award-winning recent Whitehall comedy The Thick of It and was the co-creator of Steve Coogan’s alter ego Alan Partridge.

Although Iannucci is known for his subtle parodies on the news and media - he produced The Day Today and On The Hour - his latest offering has provoked outrage from MPs of all sides. Andrew Dismore, Labour MP for Hendon, said it was ‘absolutely sick.’

‘At a time when people are dying for real on both sides in the Middle East, to try and make fun of what’s going on is the worst thing imaginable.

‘Nothing is more sick than attempting to make a joke out of people who are dying. It’s beyond the pale.’

‘The BBC governors should do something to stop this. And the fact that it could have been given approval by the BBC’s editorial board is simply disgraceful.’

David Davies, Tory MP for Monmouth, said: ‘It shows a distinct lack of taste and could even exacerbate the suffering of the July 7th bombing victims.

‘The BBC receives a large amount of taxpayers’ money and has a duty to use it responsibly. I can’t see much comedy value in this at a time when all of us are at risk from terrorism.’

Let the BBC know how you feel about their mockery of 9/11.

Send them e-mail.

Phone them: 08700 100 222

Textphone: 08700 100 212*

Snail mail:

BBC Complaints,
PO Box 1922,
Glasgow G2 3WT

Oh, by the way, recall how sensitive the BBC was about not offending Muslims over the Mohammed Cartoons:

“When we cover any sensitive issue we have to balance our duty to report the story faithfully with our responsibility not to unnecessarily shock or offend our audience.

“It is not always an easy balance to strike, and much discussion and thought goes into decisions like these, but in making such judgements it is the interests, needs and expectations of our audience as a whole which are our guiding principle.”

I forgot to link to my column today, “The Theater of Jihad.” The last line is quite fitting here:

“All the world’s a stage,” Shakespeare wrote. The journalists of our age have chosen their costumes: court jesters in the Theater of Jihad.

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Note to BBC: Notice, you arbiters of cultural sensitivity, that we Americans will not be burning down the British embassy or calling for your beheadings or forcing your news hosts into hiding in fear for their lives.

That is the difference between us and them. But it’s all a joke to you.

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Unfortunately, it’s not just loathsome BBC journalists yukking it up over 9/11. If your blood pressure can take it, watch this video of a homegrown American moonbat laughing his head off over the hijacking and crash of Flight 93.

Yeah. We’re screwed.

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