A man from Plymouth has been embroiled in a six-month correspondence with the BBC after complaining about a joke made regarding postal workers on the TV programme Pointless.
John White, of Plympton, was watching a repeated episode of the BBC quiz show Pointless last year when host Alexander Armstrong referred to his co-host Richard Osman as 'The Postman' because, "he always delivers and he isn't above stealing ten pound notes from birthday cards".
Mr White took exception to the comment and filed a complaint with the BBC.
"I felt the remark was not only offensive and classed all postmen as thieves, but promoted an incorrect and slanderous stereotype," Mr White said.
"I have no connection to the Royal Mail or its workforce, I'm just a 69-year-old author/ artist, who felt the hard-working and friendly postmen and women who deliver my mail didn't deserve to be be slandered in this way - especially on a tea-time quiz programme in a so-called joke that smacked, to me, of elitism."
The BBC issued a response to Mr White regarding his complaint which read: 'We understand you're unhappy with a comment made by Alexander Armstrong. Alexander and Richard have a very long tradition of introducing each other in a humorous way, but the joke is always firmly on them.
'In this case Alexander was deliberately using an outdated stereotype to poke fun at Richard, and we'd hope viewers would appreciate that the reference is obviously baseless. That said, we'd never set out to upset or offend viewers, and we'll make sure your comments are circulated to the Pointless team.'
However Mr White was not satisfied with this response and replied to the BBC.
'Calling it an 'outdated stereotype' implies that the public had thought postmen/women were thieves. I'd like to see your proof for that assertion,' he wrote.
'The use of the reference in the programme by a well-known personality not only gives it a base, but also promotes it as a given that all postmen steal. So what you have done in allowing this reference to be aired again, (as it was a repeat from 2013) is give further oxygen to a myth that postmen (and postwomen) are thieves.
'It was a cheap joke at the expense of hardworking, out-in-all-weathers individuals who are doing a valuable and essential role, often for less than the national average annual wage.'
Mr White did not receive a reply from the BBC and a month later he wrote again to ask why. According to Mr White, a spokesperson for the BBC told him that they had not received his second letter, but the 20-day standard had now passed for them to take up the issue so they would not be pursuing it further.
"Since then, I have, by letter and email, been back and forth to the BBC on this matter - and a couple of days ago replied to the BBC Trust who had said it will not put my case forward as it felt it wasn't appropriate, proportionate or cost-effective to proceed with an appeal," Mr White said.
Mr White then wrote to Terry Pullinger, Deputy General Secretary (Postal) of the Communication Workers Union - the main trade union in the United Kingdom for people working for telephone, cable, DSL and postal delivery companies.
Mr Pullinger replied to Mr White in a letter which read: 'I appreciate you taking the time to write and bring to my attention the complaint you sent to the BBC regarding the remarks made by the presenter of the Pointless Quiz programme that questioned the integrity of postal workers.
'I am sure that no real offence was meant by Mr Armstrong but I do acknowledge that stereotyping of this nature will in some cases be construed as offensive and unnecessary, as is the case in this instance.'
