Friday, September 24, 2004

Just Fancy That! #103 - Stuart Murphy, BBC3

A Press Release from November 2002

Stuart Murphy, Controller of BBC THREE says:
“As Tessa Jowell said recently, BBC THREE needs to be all about taking risks, and Popetown is a risk which we hope the target demographic will appreciate. It fulfils BBC THREE’s commitment to originating animation, while using new and established talent in an unusual and untried environment. Having had a Catholic upbringing myself, I believe Jerry Hall will make an excellent nun, and hope Ruby Wax, being Jewish and female, may bring something to the role of The Pope which the Catholic Church may have so far overlooked.”

And, from September 23rd, 2004, from the very same Stuart Murphy, still (amazingly) Controller BBC3:

[the comic impact of Popetown did] "not outweigh the potential offence it will cause"

"There is a fine judgement line in comedy between the scurrilously funny and the offensive"

"I knew when we developed the series that there was risk involved but unfortunately, once we saw the finished series, it became clear that the programme fell on the wrong side of that line."

So, that's alright then.

"Integrity, no, you need to check in someone else's office, we're fresh out." -
Unatributed quote from BBC Television Centre, 23/09/04

How The Church Likes To Explain Itself

The great bastions (no, that is the correct spelling) of the Church have once again shown us that theirs is not a doctrine that encourages divisiveness, exclusion, and religious xenophobia.
Or, did I get that completely wrong?

When some great scion of the Church of England happily points out that Christians and Mulsims have been at each other's throats for the best part of the last 1,000 years, (and it just seemed like the blink of an eye since those wacky Crusades were going on..!) and then of course, having nothing apart from the usual 'we must place our faith in higher powers' kind of crap to follow it up with, one begins to have serious doubts about the surety of any kind of future for the God-botherers, and all us other poor devils - no pun intended - that could give a tinker's cuss.

As Iraq proved, and continues to do so.... it's all about Land & God, especially, George W., when there's Oil under the land. I'm pretty sure he thinks of that merely as a bonus.

One other question - Who are we meant to be fearing when the term 'God-Fearing' is used, Dubya's or Osama's?

I think we should be told. But I don't think we will be.

Wednesday, September 22, 2004

Quote Of The Day

"If it walks like a terrorist, looks like a terrorist and quacks like a terrorist, then it probably is a terrorist"

- Ehud Barak, Israeli Prime Minister
on BBC Radio 4's Today programme

Always nice to see a clear and logical process for identifying ones enemies, and their similiarities to wildfowl.
Ironic for the fact that all he needed to do is look at every other country (geographically) around him.

Tuesday, September 21, 2004

Fantastic

Go here.

Greg Dyke / Alistair Campbell

Always nice to see Greg Dyke, cutting into his best friend, Alistair Campbell, in such fine form on Channel 4's 'Betrayed by New Labour'.
Being slack, I managed to not see the programme when it went out, but at least had the foresight to stick in a video to tape it.
The off-shot from within ITN's Channel 4 news studio of a 'tired and emotional' Campbell was very enlightening indeed, and given the fact the he had demanded to be interviewed, and Jon Snow, the presenter, handled the quick line-up change with great aplomb, Campbell only showed himself, once again to be the overbearing, arrogant and bullying fool we all know him to be. The mere fact that Tony Bliar seemingly refused to rein him in is a strong indicator as to the complicity Bliar himself had to the lamentable performance Campbell put on.

Law & Sausages, the two things you should never see getting made, as some wise old wag once put. One could add 'Any self-serving rabid Politico Pitbull being allowed to create his own media and political agenda' should be the third item on that list.

Would you trust this man to sell your dodgy Military Intelligence to a sceptical nation?



I didn't think so.

The problem with Consoles, and other stuff, frankly

The main problem with consoles is that as soon as you get comfortable with one's PS2, Cube, or [god forbid] Xbox, something really cool and funky comes along in the form of a special edition of 'new & improved' model. Sony, bless them, have just brought out a slick 'baby' PS2, which is about 40% smaller than the original, and has a cute little foot type thingy on it as well.

I suppose this, in itself, is not actually a problem per se, more the fact that I want one and have no possible justification in buying something that is exactly the same as a piece of kit I already own, just in 'cooler' form.

Damn it! Slap it on the Credit Card, I suppose.

"Never a lender or a Prime Minister be..."

After listening to the heart-rending press conference / plea from Ken Bigley's family, it seems very hard to see how Tony Blair [Bliar] can come away from this latest tragedy with any kind of credibility if he is unable to save Mr Bigley from what seems like certain execution.
His chum Bush must be starting to get worried about the Kerry volte-face in terms of pre-election gambits. It did look for a while as though we had the 'Elephant in the Room' scenario that was going to prevail over the whole campaign, but bringing in Clinton's old team has put paid to that.
The gloves are off, or so it would seem.