Quote of the Century!
By Mike Cunningham On July 23rd, 2012‘His Majesty’ has now arrived.
This is the limousine which will chauffeur him on the ‘Zil’ Lanes to the Olympic Park. This is the hotel he and all his colleagues will be staying at during the Games, all totally free of charge; and this is the Diplomatic Passport he carries, which gives him total immunity from arrest or prosecution from all crimes including murder.
So you can maybe understand my bemusement when, whilst being interviewed, most respectfully of course on the Today Programme, he said the magic line:-
“We work very hard; because after all, we are just ordinary working people”
Update on those ‘ordinary working people’ …Just like these!
I am hoping
james joyce, er, Mahons writes more today, I think he is fantastic and I cried all night.He is the best.
defintely.
And so we reach the bottom of the barrel!
All the pride and respect involved in being selected to carry the torch for a few hundred yards, surely an honour for the very many good folk, both able and disabled, who have served their communities or have given service over the years, – or so we are led to believe, and being the good citizens that we all are, – we believed -oh yeah! – we believed every last word of it, even when celebs with little or no connection to an area were selected to ‘carry the flame of Corinthian sportsmanship’, – we still believed. Even those sceptics among us, who, in spite of some doubts, really wanted to be believers.
Today, apparently, the flame will be carried through Walford – a non-existent community, peopled by actors playing what appears to be the dregs of modern British society, fatuously titled ‘Eastenders’, and yet bearing little resemblance to that area, past or present.
Does this not demean the concept of the volunteer community spirit, where neighbour helps neighbour, or is it just a reward for the BBC, who produce the thrice weekly show, as some recompense for for pushing months of Olympic propaganda.
It seems they have saved the best for last, the final raising of the middle finger by the Olympic committee to those of us who might have actually believed in the original idea.
I am hoping james joyce, er, Mahons writes more today, I think he is fantastic and I cried all night.
He is the best.
defintely.”
LU
Are you okay?
no agi, I was very upset at Colm blaming my sarcasm on an anti oirish theme.
I didn’t sleep a wink for at least a nano second.
I hope he is proud of himself…sniff.
Ernest,
George Orwell’s 1984 is being enacted before our very eyes…
“Today, apparently, the flame will be carried through Walford – a non-existent community, peopled by actors playing what appears to be the dregs of modern British society, fatuously titled ‘Eastenders’, and yet bearing little resemblance to that area, past or present.
but the people want it, innit? like? wot? they look up to these imbeciles, innit? etc…
a horrible programme with no appeal to anyone with a brain cell.
LU
Was your writing style influenced much by James Joyce?
Which of his works do you like best?
Phantom,
Nuff now.
i quite like Eastenders. Has an edgy appeal one doesnt find in Fair City.
I don’t watch Eastenders anymore but I think it is snobby to dismiss it because it is a soap. Millions of people do enjoy it and they have as much right to be entertained ad those who prefer more highbrow fare. As to the storyline encompassing the Torch relay , what’s the problem. A harmless and enjoyable twist between fact and fiction. Why the need to put a downer on it ?
DeadEnders’ characters come across as negative, cynical and angry, and many of the situations are sordid or violent.
As an inducement to suicide or depression it can’t be beat.
Even Dicken’s novels had some kind and caring characters who made you think life might be worth living after all..
Bah Humbug
Colm,
Running with the torch has been promoted as some small recognition of the runners work within the community. Quite worthy an intention of itself, but also used by the organisers of the Olympics as an advertising excercise, to stimulate areas of the country where the Olympics will have little or no financial impact or interest, other than what is shown on the telly.
If we accept that it is the first option, a token of appreciation for services rendered, then to use it in such a crass fashion, on perhaps the most generally regarded of trash soap opera. Does it not seem to you as demeaning and undermining of the original intentions – as a token of recognition, a small thank you, and you can buy your torch for a measly £200. Do you not see this as really scraping the bottom of the barrel?
Does TV have to reduce everything to the lowest level where all that matters are the viewing figures and ultimately, how much cash might be made. I know this pantomime is only once every four years, but do they really have to squeeze every last drop of commercial gain from even the most worthy of actions from what after all is supposed to be the most ethical and noble display of communal effort.
Ernest
Running with the torch is just a huge rolling marketing exercise which has involved all sorts of people – charity workers, local dignatories, prominent individuals, celebrities who have nothing to do with sport and Uncle Tom cobbley and all. As far as I can make out it has been a great success with huge numbers of people turning out every day. Not forced, not at gunpoint, just choosing to do so because they enjoy it. I am not a sporty person, I doubt I will watch much of the Olympics, and walking to work this morning I grumbled at all the road crossing closures on the Olympic route roads which will make my journey to work a bit more difficult, but still I will mainatin an attitude that this is the world’s biggest and greatest communal event and hundreds of millions of people will thoroughly enjoy it. Yes, it’s bloody expensive too and all sorts of commercial and political arrogance surrounds it, it’s a monster but a very entertaining and rewarding one. Life is too short to be too damned cynical all the time.
If London wasn’t hosting the Olympics there would still be lots of things to moan about – but it would be a duller summer in the city. At leasr you have the opportunity to moan about something spectacular in the old smoke