As I say, I thought a big pile of broadsheets would be just the thing for a nice relaxing afternoon, I was even going to read some of them in the bath. But the whole plan came undone and I was consumed with rage when I read Giles Coren's Opinion piece, the most part of which was taken up with an attack on that graduate who's taken umbrage at being forced to work at Poundstretcher for zero pay. Previously she'd been working for nothing at a local museum but according to Giles she's got no right to expect to occupy herself with work that she finds fulfilling. According to the article, after Giles graduated he knuckled down and got a rubbish job in a clothes shop, he didn't enjoy it but apparently it taught him the value of hard slog, something that would serve him well when it came to applying for the job of restaurant critic.
Other than an awareness that Giles is the son of Alan Coren I had no idea about any other details of his life, but a comment he made about the girl attending a second rate university prompted me to check out his wikipedia entry. And what do you know - Westminster School followed by Oxford. So now, as well as being outraged by his price of everything value of nothing crassness, it's a bit of a class war thing as well.
How far up his own arse is this guy's head? For him to lecture someone on benefits with his vast experience of hardship and struggle. For that's what got him his job at The Times. It's neither here nor there that he attended one of the most expensive schools in the country, not surprisingly afterwards getting into one of the top colleges in the country. And then a coveted position in the world of journalism - absolutely nothing to do at all with the fact that his dad was a famous journalist. What a cunt.
Anyway, I've learned my lesson - never buy The Times again.
For all his father was entertaining on the News Quiz, he was a cunt as well and the sister is not much better,
ReplyDeleteReading the broadsheets today being a Scot it was not a good reading. I have been portrayed as either a feckless subsiday junkie who does not know when i am well off or an ungrateful, deep fried mars bar eating, ill educated individual who has done rather well out of the union.
I have just about given up with and I hate to type this but I will, southern English, London centric middle class press.
A - Reading The Times is no different to reading any other paper; you read the pieces you want to read and you pass on the ones you don't - a bit like the telly. When a paper uses big hitters like Coren, Clarkson, Gill, Rifkind and Moran you pretty much know the sort of 'reading experience' you're in for right from the get go.
ReplyDeleteD - No sh*t Sherlock. Maybe you should promote fecklessness and deep-fried Mars Bars as a riposte to Cameron's dystopian Big (Yin) Society.
Drew - London is a fascinating place but it warps the country. I'd rather London were duller and the rest of the UK got a fairer bite of the cherry. I know fuck all about Scottish politics but I think I'd like to see Scotland go its own way, because (I think) there's a chance the Scottish would create a fairer society and, instead of it (always) being on the continent in a place where they speak a different language, it'd be just up the road and impossible to ignore. Probably very naive but you know, prescription charges and tuition fees and all that.
ReplyDeleteJohn - I used to regard The Times as reasonably balanced again probably an amount of naivity there, but around about the time Anthony Howard used to write for it. The way it made me feel yesterday was the same as how I felt when I've read The Mail, like a comedy evil newspaper. It not just a one off, I remember reading a Matthew Parris piece a few weeks back, he was positively drooling at the thought of a good, hard recession. Not that it'd affect him on his fucking llama farm.
Like you say, they're still running the world.
ReplyDeleteI suppose something could happen and it could all change tomorrow. Seems unlikely though. I have been challenged (in the pub) about what exactly I'm doing to bring about change, but I admit, I'm a bit stumped when it comes to exactly how I'm going to bring down the public school system.
ReplyDeleteI gave up on the times years ago too. The best thing about their ridiculous paywall is that it removes ALL temptation to read anything on their website either. Odious pricks. Gotta love Rupes, eh?
ReplyDeleteOn a side note, I'm actually friendly with a section editor of a major newspaper. He has to write a column (with a picture byline, no less), and it clearly pains and embarrasses him that he has to do so using the paper's "voice" i.e. taking a certain approving view on people like Clarkson. He went to a public school, as it happens, but I rather think he reckons they're all cunts too.
another side bar: he and his wife are both professional writers ... he as a journalist, her as an author. Both are entirely bemused by my blogging as they see words as valuable and completely fail to see why I continually give them away for nothing.
ReplyDeleteI think it's healthy to read opinions that you violently disagree with, but to have to propagate them? Tough way to earn a living. It sounds a bit like the civil service actually.
ReplyDeleteI'm not saying all public school boys are cunts, just (generally) those who seem to be unaware of the massive advantage life has dealt them while being obnoxious about things and (more specifically) those who use their position at the top of the pile to perpetuate (or even deepen) societal inequalities. As a long time reader of your blog I am of course aware of your educational history but rest assured, come the revolution, if it's in my power to do so I will veto any plans for your liquidation.
Well, I can't ask for more than that!
ReplyDeleteIt's best not to rise to it with people like GC,as unfortunately, that's just what he wants - he's pulling your leg, you know. Incredibly, he genuinely thinks he's funny.
ReplyDeleteHello Adrian, didn't spot you there straight away. You may be right, though the girl in question really seems to have riled a certain section of our society. I was watching Question Time the other night (another rage-inducing habit that I've just about quit) and Cristina Odone described her as "this creature". Charming.
ReplyDelete