Weekly Media Trends: Lineker, Wakey Wines & Clarkson's Farm

Mark Borkowski on Gary Lineker ‘1930s Germany’ scandal

(written before he was suspended…watch this space for more insights…)

Gary Lineker is on safe ground; it’s been a generation since he retired from playing football. He still comfortably represents the most formidable blend of (men’s) footballing pedigree with televisual competence and charisma in the English-speaking world. We also know from the publication of salaries that he’s acknowledged as the BBC’s most lucrative human asset.
 
This - combined with what a significant chunk of people feel is the moral high ground on this particular issue- gives Lineker immense power to bend the rules. The BBC’s censure [as of Friday morning] has mainly been toothless and meaningless insofar as discouraging Lineker himself or influencing public opinion on his intervention.
 
That’s not to say he’s universally popular: in the age of the culture wars, that’s impossible. But so far Lineker’s actions have strengthened the zeal of his fanbase and impressed many neutrals. It’s arguable that the BBC needs Lineker in the current media climate more than he needs it.
 
Because even if the BBC fires Lineker, it won’t put a lasting scratch on him. BT or Sky will swoop, Lineker’s platform will only grow – with fewer restrictions on what he can say- and the Beeb’s resulting vacuum will further endanger its threadbare claim to relevance in the football world.
 
The BBC faces several more challenges. Their response has led to accusations of double standards from the right, hypocrisy from the left (pointing to views expressed by the likes of Andrew Neil while on their payroll), and impotent posturing from across the spectrum.
 
 Finally, there’s a growing perception on the political left that under sympathiser Tim Davie the BBC is in danger of turning into the broadcast wing of the Conservative Government. The optics of the government and BBC singing from the same hymn sheet in lambasting Lineker’s criticism of a (controversial, very probably illegal) government policy - on the same day as swathing cuts to BBC Music caused outrage in the arts world- adds to the feeling that any action against Lineker is at least partly political.
 
The thread running through this is ‘damned if you do; damned if you don’t’, and despite the self-inflicted elements of the crisis, it’s hard not to feel deep sympathy for the BBC’s rank-and-file.
 
And the government? Much as when Marcus Rashford single-handedly forced a U-turn on free school meals, a regime whose competence is often questioned once again finds itself flapping around for a way to play the victim because a footballer was mean to them on social media about one of their extremist policies. A show of strength it is not…

The Rise of Wakey Wines and its controversial owner

The story of Wakey Wines and its owner Mohammad Azir Nazir is a compelling example for anyone studying fame in the modern era and leveraging TikTok's hyper-virality. Nazir hit millions of views through his notorious PRIME videos and became a prominent figure on TikTok after these videos, featuring customers paying premium prices for Wakey Wines' products, went viral, earning the newsagents significant attention. 

Among these videos was one showing a woman spending £145 on six bottles of PRIME and another featuring girls travelling 133 miles from Carlisle to Wakefield to purchase Wakey Wines' products.

But this sudden rise has presented Nazir with some bizarre challenges. A recent police raid at his shop has spotlighted his criminal past - he was convicted of selling class-A drugs in 2015 and spent four years in prison. We now know that Nazir is subject to an ongoing Trading Standards investigation, which jeopardises his personal brand and will likely cap his ceiling for fame. 

But Nazir is trying to act quickly during this window of attention, previously trying to create his own energy drink called Operate, making appearances at nightclubs, and recently releasing a music video raps in his shop, amassing even more view. This approach has proved successful for other British cult figures created on social media, like the Wealdstone Raider, but Nazir's relevancy clock is ticking.

This tale is a lesson on the success of PRIME and how it has created opportunities for budding influencers to jump on the drink's monumental success to launch their brand. It also highlights that even sketchy characters like Nazir have pulled it off. However, with his relevancy clock ticking, Nazir's story is a cautionary tale that being a social media sensation does not guarantee lasting fame or success.

Clarkson’s Farm planning dispute

Clarkson's Farm has been an overwhelming success for all parties: his own brand, Amazon, and the broader farming industry. The show has brought a younger, more active interest in farmers' modern-day struggles. And for Clarkson, it has put him back into the limelight in front of a new audience.

However, the latest season featured Clarkson's battle to diversify, set up a restaurant, and improve his car park for the Farm Shop.

But the local council, West Oxfordshire District, was the unlucky victim of the latest season. The planning battle between Clarkson and the council was the running theme throughout the series. The show made the council and the planning committee and made them, and the planning committee look like they had a vendetta against Clarkson.

Following the show, there has been much debate about the planning system, its limitations on farmers and what was perceived as vindictiveness of the committee, who were silent until this week.

After the dust settled post-show, the council decided to speak their truth - blaming both Amazon and Clarkson for over-editing and failing to show why he really failed to get planning. The truth is the system is broken. But Clarkson exacerbated the issue with clever editing that made it look worse than it is, but he has a point.

The council's choice to stay quiet for so long was sensible, though they would not have been heard through the post-release media noise. They could have ended up in a media battle with someone with a far larger platform and support than them. Still, the statement issued weeks later enjoyed good coverage and was an interesting comms move from a small district council with limited resources.