cjh wrote:I find the media overload here sickening
Hi Sparky, I like you. I'm really not looking for a ruck but that does sound like a bit of a received opinion. There has been a major terrorist attack on the largest city in Europe with potentially three digit fatalities and over seven hundred injured. When it comes to the media I'm a cynical, black-hearted little fuck most of the time but I've found the broadcast news (BBC, Channel Four) to be bold and mostly tastefully restrained in reigning in sensational or sentimental coverage. I mean the tabloid reporting is erring to the usual self-satisfied references to Dunkirk spirit but there's nothing we shouldn't have expected about that.
I think that blog is trivial and actually quite vile in parts, publishing it does the author no favours at all. If you're going to do irreverent at least have the balls to go the distance rather than a few snide remarks about a man's haircut. And make it funny.
Again, no hard feelings bruv.
Pax!
Chris
No offense taken Chris. I must confess that I didn't watch any of the television coverage; I'm reacting to the newspaper headlines that I was seeing (Dunkirk spirit et al). Now this is just my opinion, but my impression is that there is a gory fixation in the media over this stuff. It was a major terrorist attack, but we seem to have been relatively fortunate and perhaps even well-organised - it looks like the fatalities will be below 100, and much of our transport system is working the day after.
What little of a point I actually have is that whilst the attacks were horrible, most of London's inhabitants have been able to continue working, joking, getting on with their lives, and the screaming headlines and shots of bloodied victims seem to serve no purpose but to try to engender panic, revulsion, hate and other negative emotions. I do acknowledge that this does betray a horrendous level of naivety on my part - of course they were going to show these pictures.
I'm tempted to do a trite comparison between the frequency of road accident fatalities and other travel disruptions and the effect of the attacks, but that's probably offensive at this time. I have a (possibly fucked up) feeling of pride about this city and its ability to continue after these and previous bombs, and my whingeing about the media is perhaps an expression of hurt pride. I don't like our city being made to look a victim.
Christ, do I have a point? Don't know.
I didn't find the blog vile, though I did find it trivial. I like the shots of Oxford St and Regent St. I've got a cheap sense of humour and didn't mind the inane zombie references (though the laddish tone grated) and the rest.
Have a good one
Mark