Great post, Charles (as usual). It makes me wonder - what comes first? We seem to create the culture that we crave - yet we are shaped by this cultural production as and when it is consumed. I have a feeling that it is less to do with what passes for culture and more to do with a need to connect, identify and belong.
charlesfrith
· 1 month ago
Thanks mate. You know I can't help but think for a while now that the "Yay" on Twitter used by people who would never show excitement in real life is actually an inner hidden Yay (I say it in real life but not on twitter). By this logic I'm aware that probably I want to know more about this society of the spectacle X factor but am too sniffy to admit it.
However Princess Diana was different. It wasn't a game show and for some inexplicable reason I slept the night she died with the radio on (Radio 4) I must have caught the first reports because I awoke to a news bulletin and inexplicably started crying. Unusual for me because I never bought a tabloid and really she only came on to my radar when she died. It felt premature. It still does.
FamousRob
· 1 month ago
I remember wondering what all the fuss was about. She seemed a great person but with all the innocent people who die from war and starvation it didn't feel worth mourning more so.
Oddly I feel more sad about her death now after 13 years of (as I so politely put on Rob C's blog, feel free to censor) corpse fucking by the British media. I wish they would just leave her to rest in peace.
Oddly the genius about X Factor initially was that it felt more authentic than what had gone before (Pop idol, Pop stars - all manufactured acts) by making it about the genuine talents of the person and their style.
Sadly over the years it had regressed back to being Pop Idol +. Still, with all the rubbish weekend TV there is, it's still one of the best things on.
As Nick Hancock once said, "When I see that (The London Weekend Television logo) it means the next programme is going to be shit."
charlesfrith
· 1 month ago
If 9/11 hadn't happened Rob. I think her death was the single most culturally important event of our generation. Put aside that I felt rotten about her premature death because it was so unexpected and because paradoxically I didn't take any interest in her documented life apart from the Royal Wedding (which was magnificent) and so we're left with a woman who took on the establishment, was effectively the essence of a kinder gentler Britain that John Major espoused and I think most importantly her death confronted a lot of people with something the British dont do at all well. Their emotions. (Actually had a talk about this with my French loathing French neighbour who pointed out we're cold. Anyway. You're right. They fucked her alive and they fucked her dead corpse. People are often flawed but she was beautifully so. The only other member of Royalty I've seen who had that special star quality was the Crown Prince's wife in Siam. Alleged to bath in milk I can verify her skin was extraordinary on sight. A useless piece of information. I'm drawing up my list for you too Rob.
Oh. One last thing. I don't watch telly. I find it limits my thinking although to be fair it also means I come up with ad strategies that have already been done :)
FamousRob
· 1 month ago
Just lost a huge comment because Disqus wouldn't let me log in. Sorry mate.
charlesfrith
· 1 month ago
Bummer. I love long comments. I love any comments actually. Bit of a comment slut me ;)
All Comments
However Princess Diana was different. It wasn't a game show and for some inexplicable reason I slept the night she died with the radio on (Radio 4) I must have caught the first reports because I awoke to a news bulletin and inexplicably started crying. Unusual for me because I never bought a tabloid and really she only came on to my radar when she died. It felt premature. It still does.
Oddly I feel more sad about her death now after 13 years of (as I so politely put on Rob C's blog, feel free to censor) corpse fucking by the British media. I wish they would just leave her to rest in peace.
Oddly the genius about X Factor initially was that it felt more authentic than what had gone before (Pop idol, Pop stars - all manufactured acts) by making it about the genuine talents of the person and their style.
Sadly over the years it had regressed back to being Pop Idol +. Still, with all the rubbish weekend TV there is, it's still one of the best things on.
As Nick Hancock once said, "When I see that (The London Weekend Television logo) it means the next programme is going to be shit."
Oh. One last thing. I don't watch telly. I find it limits my thinking although to be fair it also means I come up with ad strategies that have already been done :)
Sorry mate.