FOX Soccer Bends The Truth To Make "Being: Liverpool" Sound Like Critics Like It

FOX Soccer has a new TV commercial that’s currently running in heavy rotation on its network to promote its “Being: Liverpool” marathon, which will air this weekend. The 30-second commercial seems innocuous enough, making viewers aware of the 4-episode marathon it’ll be running.

But listen closely to the words of the voiceover. “You’ve heard the buzz. Now catch four episodes of the series critics are calling endlessly fascinating.”

When the words “endlessly fascinating” are mentioned, up flashes on the screen a quote that’s attributed to The Guardian‘s TV critic Sam Wollaston.

The words “endlessly fascinating” are mentioned in his review of “Being: Liverpool.” Except that he never said that “Being: Liverpool,” the documentary, was “endlessly fascinating.” Here’s what he said in the review:

“This is not up there with the Graham Taylor documentary Do I Not Like That, or the brilliant recent QPR film, The Four Year Plan. The Anfield bosses probably saw those two documentaries and were very careful about where they allowed the cameras to go, and who they pointed at. There’s a more guarded, stage-managed feel to it all. But it’s still a sneaky peek into an endlessly fascinating world.”

In Sam Wollaston’s review of “Being: Liverpool,” he’s not describing the documentary as “endlessly fascinating.” He’s describing the world inside Liverpool Football Club. The quote used by FOX Soccer in their TV commercial is completely taken out of context.

I contacted Sam Wollaston at The Guardian to ask him whether he agreed that FOX Soccer took his words out of context.

“You’re right, my ‘endless fascinating’ refers to the lives of Premiership footballers, not to the ‘Being: Liverpool.’ A more accurate summary of my review would be something along the lines of ‘slightly disappointing’.”