Propagandists have always known that fictional portrayals of events are the most powerful form of propaganda. They can hit home in ways that factual narratives can’t. This can be used for both good and evil. The fictional representation of the post office scandal, Mr Bates v The Post Office, gave an issue that had been bubbling away in the background for years, a public prominence that it would otherwise not have reached. Whether it alters any final outcomes still remains to be seen.
Fictionalised portrayals of ‘real-life’ events can also be used for malign purposes. Think of the recent Netflix drama ‘Adolescence’ which was described by Sir Keir Starmer, in the House of Commons, as a documentary, that has resulted in the demonisation of school-aged boys.
More recently, a male academic, Richard Taylor, has won substantial damages from Steve Coogan and his production company Baby Cow for its portrayal of him in the ‘fact based drama’ The Lost King.
The story was one of amateur historian Philippa Langley and the Department of History at Leicester University, who collaborated to find the remains of King Richard IIIrd buried under a car park in Leicester. As Roger Taylor notes
Mr Taylor said Ms Langley’s initiation of the project and “driving confidence” had made it possible for Richard III to be found.
He added: “Hers was a remarkable contribution. But it did not extend to leading the archaeological search or scientific analysis, for which she was neither qualified nor experienced to lead.
“I could have dropped Philippa’s approach for help into the waste bin when it arrived in 2011, and there have been days over the last three years when I wished that I had.
“But I didn’t, and my decision to deploy the resources and expertise of the university enabled this search to happen.”
The problem with Steve Coogan’s fictional portrayal of events was that it bought into predictable feminist tropes of men trying to steal credit for the work of more able women. Like most of these stories, it was at best lacking in nuance and at worst completely wrong. However, unlike other such fictional accounts, such as the retelling of the discovery of DNA by Rosalind Franklin, Roger Taylor was around to answer back to put the record straight. Steve Coogan and his production company have paid the price.
Roger Taylor, goes out of his way to praise and acknowledge the role of Philippa Langley. What he attacks, however, is the portrayal of him as “misogynistic” and ‘”weasel like”. In fact, it was to his great credit that he engaged with amateur historian Philippa Langley and that he added his own expertise and that of other academics to the project, without which the the project would never have succeeded.
The judge agreed that the film defamed Mr Taylor and Leicester University by presenting a false account of the Universities role and the claim that it had marginalised Philippa Langley’s contribution was demonstrably false.
The portrayal of Mr Taylor behaving in a smug and dismissive manner was also false, damaging and not supported by any evidence. At no stage did Steve Coogan or his production reach out to Mr Taylor for his side of the story and as a result they produced a misleading and defamatory fact-based drama. Steve Coogan, instead of acknowledging error, doubled-down in support of the production. Perhaps he, rather than Richard Taylor, was the smug and dismissive character. As the Spectator pointed out, Steve Coogan should simply apologise and not behave like a ‘bit of a c**t’ (here).
The behaviour of Philippa Langley was also revealing. She claimed she had to fight to get her name recognised, whereas the reality was the opposite. The media, including Steve Coogan, was all too ready to believe her one sided account of the events without bothering to verify the story. This was a pity because her role needed no gilding or enhancement. In a statement, she wrote
It is with deep regret that due to ill health I was unable to proceed with being a witness for the defence in the court case for The Lost King film.
A relapse of my ME / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) has made it impossible for me to continue and I have been advised to cancel all events and travel for the foreseeable future”
Whether this was just a convenient illness, we will never know. I suspect she ‘enhanced’ her story by exaggerating or even completely inventing the opposition and condescension she received. Gullible producers and screenwriters were too eager to believe her story without bothering to check the facts. None of the parties would have been keen to face cross examination by a barrister.
The press statement from Leicester University shows that the BBC also comes out of the story badly,
The BBC’s role as owner of Baby Cow and funder of the film also deserves scrutiny. The Director General received in writing the concerns about the film from my MP but took no action that I am aware of. Senior BBC executives planned to give witness evidence in defence of the film. Consequently, as a private individual, I’ve had to pursue action through the courts to achieve today’s outcome.”
This should come as no surprise; feminist narratives are written deep in the DNA of the BBC and they wouldn’t have bothered to check if the story they were telling was an accurate reflection of events. Instead, the script fitted with their belief system of arrogant men stealing the credit from women and that was enough for them. The BBC also neglected to mention in its coverage that it funded this defamatory piece of drama.
In truth, it was the male protagonist who was dismissed and erased from the narrative. However, unlike the men in other feminist ‘just so’ stories, Richard Taylor was still around and was prepared to fight back. We need more like him.
Another useful by product of this case is that people are asking long overdue questions about fact-based dramas and how they have a responsibility to present the protagonists accurately rather than sell simplistic narratives of good versus evil. Even if Steve Coogan is maintaining support for his discredited film, let’s hope other producers learn some lessons.
toxic feminism 