The "Celebrity Culture".
Those of you who live overseas may not have heard of Jordan, a woman who dominates the popular media over here. She has dated a famous footballer, has married a pop star, divorced a pop star, married someone else and has large breasts. Apparently, at her latest wedding, a photographer got punched which, obviously, merited a tabloid front page.
On TV, we have Celebrity Mastermind, where celebrities answer questions.
We have Celebrity Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, wher celebrities answer questions.
We have Celebrity Family Fortunes, where celebrities answer questions.
Want some cooking?
We have Celebrity Masterchef, Celebrity Can't Cook Won't Cook and Celebrity Pressure Cooking.
Antiques?
We have Celebrity Bargain Hunt, Celebrity Cash In The Attic...
WHHHHYYYY??? WHO CARES ABOUT THESE PEOPLE? More to the point, Roger, WHO ARE they?
Lawyers' Note: We would like to point out that Roger's views have nothing to do with the tabloid newspapers that pay his wages.
Her overriding claim to fame appeared to be big boobs.- and an over-inflated ego.
Her overriding claim to fame appeared to be big boobs.- and an over-inflated ego.
Bugger! They never asked you to be in Millionaire this year either.I've been asked to go on television a couple of times and I declined both offers with alacrity. The thought of appearing on the box fills me with horror and that ain't going to change. I did a radio interview once and I was awful---public speaking just isn't my thing.
I recently read that Jordan's newboyfriendhusband is a cage-fighter. Not a brain surgeon, a cartoonist, or a professor of astrophysics. That says a lot.
I'm afraid it's all part of the growing feminization of TV, Roger. I was lucky to work in animation during the golden age, but now TV is all about making as much money with as little outlay as possible and aiming it at the people who actually watch it - not bringing in a new demographic, and certainly not making challenging programs or crusading journalism.
Who actually watches TV? Some men and some Women. Who do you hear talking about Celebrity Masterchef around the water cooler at work? Some men and some Women. What are these programs all about? They're merely womens magazine articles writ large - gardening, home improvement, TV celebrities, weight loss, cooking.
I'm surprised more people haven't picked this. Britain's Got Talent is simply Opportunity Knocks, and Masterchef is Fanny Craddock or Delia Smith, only today's TV execs now want those programs jazzed up and supercharged, with a narrative thrown in to sensationalize it. The old Saturday afternoon wrestling is now WWE, which now has a soap opera storyline attached.
If only Roger had some kind of creative media outlet in which he could use fictional characters to satirically savage celebrity culture. I'd read it.
If only Roger had some kind of creative media outlet in which he could use fictional characters to satirically savage celebrity culture. I'd read it.:)
I looked up "Jordan."So did I - they were mauve.
The day after I appeared on Countdown, I was followed round Woolworths by an elderly gentleman in a flat cap, who kept pointing at me and arguing with his missus. The following day, I took up my usual season ticket seat at the football. A similarly elderly capped gentleman sat beside me, the same season ticket seat he had sat in all year without so much as a word to me. After ten minutes and a lull in proceedings, without making eye contact, he addressed me with, "Saw ye on the telly the other day". I smiled to cover my blushes. "Ye were shite!" he said, then we never spoke again.
I think we need a little sympathy here - we celebrities don't all live on Easy Street, y'ken!