The topic which rapidly degenerated... [MISC]

[A Lost Iguana]

Foetus In Fetu

Ugh, I disagree with almost everything that comes out of Jeremy Clarkson's mouth.

He's a caricature of himself.  

[Invictus_88]

Julian, you're being somewhat unfair there.  

[Foetus In Fetu]

A Lost Iguana

Foetus In Fetu

Ugh, I disagree with almost everything that comes out of Jeremy Clarkson's mouth.

He's a caricature of himself.

A suck one.  

[[Finrod]]

Having finally gone and read the article, I've got to agree that Julian's assessment seems somewhat one-sided.

- I didn't get that he thought that the slave trade wasn't so bad after all - he was complaining that whenever the British Empire was mentioned "all teachers talk about is the slave trade and how we must all hang our heads in shame" and that he didn't accept that he should be "beat himself up" over his great-great-great-grandfather's actions, especially when compared with the sympathetic approach that he perceives that the German people receive over the Nazi actions of WWII.

- It took me a few read-throughs to work out what the "global warming probably isn't such a bad thing" bit might be: I'm guessing it's the "and our industrial revolution set in motion a chain of events that, eventually, will kill every polar bear in the Arctic." bit. If so, I'd see that interpretation as being somewhat harsh for a line that seems designed to illustrate how the Industrial Revolution - a major source of pride for Britain - has been (in his eyes) now held up as something of which to be ashamed.

- "mourning the dead is for wusses" - he decried the Diana hysteria and contrasted it with the harsh way that people were fully expected to cope with loss in yesteryear. The statement that "boys were told in school assembly that their mothers had died and were expected to get over it in a nice game of rugby" was directly shown as stark contrast with the Diana hysteria to illustrate the massive change in sentiment. You could hold that he wants us to go straight back to the harsh way of coping; I'd interpret it that there is a large space between the two and the Diana hysteria is way too far in one direction - and that is where we currently find ourselves.

- The "British colonialism was a good thing" bit - he showed what he had been brought up to believe and placed it against the way that it is currently perceived and presented and lamented that the current way precludes any pride in one's nation. He obviously feels that this is an unfair characterization and the huge swing from the perceptions from when he was a child increase the sense of loss of country.

Obviously we all read these differently, but my perception of the whole was that he feels that the pendulum of patriotic sentiment has swung too far against any sense of pride in one's country being supportable. That the way that the history of the nation with which he most identifies is presented is now biased in the opposite way that it was when he was a child; and that he believes this bias to be unfair. And that this has left nothing for which the English can be proud, that all of the things of which he was proud have been systematically scribbled over, that he has been told that in the way these events are now viewed, the pride he held should instead be shame.

That could well be deemed to be wrong, or an overreaction. But I do disagree with the way that you did interpret it. It did seem to be putting the worst possible spin upon it.

Sorry for the overlong response. A touch serious for the "topic that randomly degenerated", methinks.  

[Invictus_88]

You saved me the effort, though. Thank you.

I simply do not understand why anyone would react negatively to what he is saying there. He didn't put it subtly or neutrally, but he's a columnist, not a scholar or reporter.  

[Creatio ex Nihilo]

*looks around a little* well, as this is the thread of randomness, I thought I'd say, Boo...I'm back..¬_¬..The school had blocked the site for ages and it's taken me a while to get back here...I've also made a few changes to my appearance..anyone like?  

[A Lost Iguana]

He did is against the backdrop of a football game. Clarkson's knows ******** all about football. I've never, in my life, seen him write or talk as if he had any interest. The article just seems lazy and opportunistic, full of yet another Clarkson whine about the country going up the shitter in his smug prose. It is not as if the national anthem is a particularly arousing piece, I find it a tiresome dirge.  

[Boolean Julian]

A Lost Iguana

full of yet another Clarkson whine about the country going up the shitter in his smug prose.

Thanks. That's exactly what I was trying to say.  

[Invictus_88]

How is it smug? It's not as if he's immune to the various idiocies that surround us, or even that he thinks he is.  

[A Lost Iguana]

Invictus_88

How is it smug? It's not as if he's immune to the various idiocies that surround us, or even that he thinks he is.

I do believe he thinks he is. His media persona is incredibly grating and his writing is in the same style. I'm not saying his points are without merit but — like everything he does — he is exaggerating tremendously.  

[Heterodyne]

Tremendous exaggeration is Clarkson...

Clarkson's purpose in his writing: writing to entertain/express his excess of opinion/get paid/rib those he regards as bleeding heart liberal-environmentalists.

Exaggeration, and its thematic parallel of pushing certain opinions towards their less-accepted extremes, is unusual and challenging, and therefore, entertaining. He can write something that people will notice (as we all have - and everytime I wind up in the presence of the Sunday Times instead of the Observer, I read his piece with gritted teeth), vent some of his frustrations, get paid, and goad those further to the left than him very effectively through repeatedly deploying one device.

Or something like that. One of my petrol-head friends has all Clarkson's books, and one of these days, he's going to find I switched out the kindling for something else when he lights the fire pit in his garden. mrgreen

Also, I'm back home. Suffocating in Suffolk, as my lovely college wife (don't ask... I have two wives, but no husbands yet ¬_¬ ) puts it. On the upside, I have Photoshop + graphics tablet again...



O, public transport-less countryside.

Most inaccurate representation of my luggage ever. Three suitcases, one full of law books, and a few more boxes than Rachel Whiteread used in this installation a while back...(if she'd used actual boxes, rather than casting from them).

I'm tentatively open for commissions again... I'll do some free things as Christmas presents, as long as the requests are simple. mrgreen  

[[Finrod]]

Apparently Clarkson and Amy Winehouse met at a recent showbiz party.

She didn't recognise him, so he said, "Hi, I'm Jeremy Clarkson".

Puzzled look from Amy.

Clarkson tried again "You know - Jeremy Clarkson - I'm on the telly"

Shake of the head from Amy.

Clarkson explained, "I do Top Gear".

"Ah!" said Amy. "That's great! I'll have four grammes"  

[Foetus In Fetu]

Soma
is what they take when
hard times open their eyes

Moving on from Jeremy Clarkson, who sucks and writes with very little finesse (unlike myself), I submit that we, the mod squad -- that is, me, Francis, Julian, Aisa, Simon, Illy and no doubt some other people who I have forgotten due to extended absence -- are awesome.

Do we all agree?  

[Invictus_88]

Ohyes, absolutely. wink

Also, where might I find some of your excellent journalism?  

[Foetus In Fetu]

Nowhere at the moment. neutral

I didn't submit either of the "proper" news items I wrote to any newspapers. The first time it was because of confidence[1]; the second time it was because it sucked (although considering some of the content that makes it to local papers, I probably could have had it published).

And I haven't pitched the feature article I'm planning to anywhere because I don't have any sources lined up yet. That's making me really panicky because the deadline for handing it in to uni is 7th January and we're getting into Christmas now -- and: no sources, no article. But nobody's getting back to me. It's quite distressing.

I'll give you a heads up when I find my feet and actually get something published.

[1] Which sucks because that first article was really good.