Vermin control
I have an issue with the word ‘vermin’, as one man’s vermin is another man’s cuddly mammal or brilliant bird, but the word is still very frequently used, almost unconsciously, by the shooting community to identify those species that might eat game before they are available to be shot. The way that the word ‘vermin’ is used is a useful shibboleth to identify the standpoint of the person with whom one speaks.
from Inglorious: conflict in the uplands pp72-73
Countryfile did one of their frequent ‘aren’t men in tweed cute’ in-shallowness looks at gamekeeping yesterday evening.
The thing that struck me most strongly about the piece, apart from the complete lack of balance in it – indeed the presenter had to gush about how wonderful gamekeepers were – was the casual use of the term ‘vermin’.
I’m pretty sure that Countryfile would object to their interviewees using casual and inaccurate blanket terms for groups of people, particularly on the basis of gender, race, age, sexual orientation or ability, but they seem to have no issue with references to wildlife which seek to denigrate some whole species of wild creatures on their impacts on one small economic land use, ie shooting of game (but should we use the term gamebird any more?).
Here’s another passage from Inglorious:
… his gamekeepers killed 600 stoats a year on those two moors. That’s a huge toll year after year. If there were a pile of the 600 stoats killed at Weardale by the side of the road where I stood then I think I would feel very differently about the bubbling sound of the Curlew I can hear. What would a pile of 600 dead stoats look like? And then there are the Red Foxes and the Weasels and the Carrion Crows too, all of them killed legally (provided that legal methods are used)…
from Inglorious: conflict in the uplands p197
Come on Countryfile, do you really mean your viewers and listeners to be told that some wildlife species are vermin?
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I felt very sad that the latest recruit to the Countryfile Team was so ill-informed and failed to ask any questions about “vermin”. A copy of Inglorious might help her out or an invitation from the RSPB to see their work on raptor criminality would help.
Well said Mark! I happened to be watching that anodyne pap on Sunday evening and that comment brought me up short as soon as I heard it. There was no chance that new face presenter Hannah Cockcroft was going to challenge it. When she said at the end that she’d learned so much about gamekeeping I thought, ‘Yes, but you have a whole lot more to learn’.
Martyn – thank you.
I absolutely agree. It’s a word that’s always stuck in my throat. A ‘dirty’ word that covers most of our wildlife,apart from ‘game’. Another dirty word!!
I’ve always argued that the ‘v-word’ degrades an animal. It makes it exempt from protection,respect.
If people knew what wildlife fell under this horrible term. They’d be truly horrified.
Couldn’t agree more Mark. Let’s put it in the bin. And while we’re at it, let’s first unmask and then destroy such other euphemisms as “quarry”, “game”, “management”, “control” and “improvement” (i.e. ruining habitats such as natural grassland).
Perhaps “custodians of the countryside” could go as well, while we’re in the mood.
I was amazed at how little the presenter knew about driven grouse shooting, and her sycophantic attitude was rather hard to take, and when the gamekeeper added his bit about ‘vermin control’ being a part of his job I found myself shouting at the telly. She didn’t ask him anything!
Quite, Lesleyjane and all other commenters.
I forgot the use of the disrespectful word ‘vermin’ when I mentioned this programme as a comment to a previous post earlier today.
I always used to speak up for the BBC, but am finding it too difficult these days.
Very well said Mark. The use of the word vermin smacks of the Victorian age and these days I find its use truly revolting for the reasons you give. I think the term is now mainly used by the shooting/ game keeping fraternity to try to justify their shooting of our wildlife for fun.
However I have to say the BBC in my view is now a terrible organisation. These days it panders to its audiences in order to maximise its viewing numbers. The quality of its programmes are generally poor as illustrated by most editions of their Countryfile. Overall it is a very superficial and pandering programme. The BBC is also very biased and like Natural England has become a puppet of this Government. For example it gives vastly more air time to Government ministers on the issue of Brexit than it ever does to the views of the opposition parties. This bias comes through again and again in such programmes as Countryfile when it gives so much air time to what it knows are the vested interests of members of the party in Government.and so little time or no time to those who hold different views.
No, in my opinion the BBC is now pretty well “rotten to the core” and I rarely watch or listen to it, preferring other sources of news and programmes
It is a very good cast of, “ How are the mighty fallen”
No chance of the BBC maximising its viewing audience in this household. We stopped watching Countryfile ages ago because of its sycophantic attitude to the farming, shooting and recreational lobbies. It comes as no surprise that the latest presenter doesn’t have a clue about asking relevant and probing questions.
Well said Mark.Again a case of the word being used being very important given the imagery that is literally conjured up when used. The BBC is very good at this, I suppose it should be given what we pay their staff. I like it that most people are starting to see the BBC as the state propaganda organ( importantly, not a party propaganda organ) that it is.
Next up The Guardian as a propaganda organ(ducks head and runs away).
Don’t disagree.
Except rats.
“But they’re vermin, Fawlty”
Although we can approve Nye Bevan’s use of the word surely?
Mike – that’s a good example. Nye Bevan clearly knew that in using the term ‘vermin’ he was deliberately using an loaded word. I suspect the BBC would get into trouble broadcasting that word in that context almost 71 years later.
I stopped watching Countryfile some years ago because of their pandering to the shooting brigade.
Just don’t watch it!
Daniel – I don’t watch it either! I tend to catch up with it when I see a lot of people moaning about it on social media!
I have to say that by the end of the piece I thought she must have been his girlfriend, such was the easy time she gave him.
I’d encourage everyone to complain to the BBC. You will probably get a standard reply assuring you that they consider the programme to have been ‘balanced’, but they do respond individually, and that may make them think twice the next time round. Plus, the BBC will make public statements about programmes or issues that attract an unusually high number of complaints – so this will add to the publicity against the current game industry
Thank you, Mark – they really shouldn’t get away with this ‘vermin’ nonsense – Tudor superstition and prejudice, and an excuse to act like a psychopath. When asked what he did the gamekeeper basically said he kills wildlife and burns moorland. His own repellent ‘profession’ in a nutshell. And just so bloody pointless.
It was a very flippant comment, it was clear the presenter knew absolutely nothing about Grouse shooting, Deer stalking or estate management at all and was unable to ask any questions to follow up on it. (Why do we have sports personalities popping up on this type of programme?) It really did not inform or challenge the viewers at all. The young keeper came across very well, no doubt he is passionate about his job but the piece needed to be more analytical!
The only correct use of the word is using it to describe all those folk employed in the countryside to kill native predators protected by law so their employers can shoot more wildlife and poultry for fun.
Don’t watch Countryfile, stopped years ago. And I live in the country and have a wildlife-y job. Hate “vermin” and also “wasteland”.
From the book “Wildlife Crime” [Whittles 2012].. “Why do people use poison? Because it works. It does the job. It gets rid of whatever your hate is targeting. I use words like “hate”, in this context, because the passionate hatred of “vermin”, is what makes the poisoner defy the Law and lie to the police, the public and sometimes, even his employer. It’s personal. The word “vermin” [think “varmints” of cowboy films], is in itself a complete anachronism. ”
Varmints…!
I see that the Countryside Areliars are praising the BBC coverage in Countryfile, just about says all you need to know about their attitude to balanced reporting. Of course the estate in question Invermark also has a number of questions hanging over it about dead raptors.
I emailed Countryfile about this item and the lack of discussion about vermin, what it is and how and why the control it. I haven’t had a response. Their contact email is on their webpage if anyone else wants to contact them. It’s [email protected] from what I recall.