Sunday, December 03, 2006

We can have some really good fun with this!

'...blogs are to the noughties what graffiti was to the Seventies: mindless scrawls reading: 'I woz ere.' It says: 'I'm a moron, but worship me anyway ...'

This is a quote from Jasper Gerard in today's Observer. Scroll down to 'Leave us some moron-free zones'. (Thanks to Fiction Bitch for the link.)

Wanna know what I think? I think Mr G has cottoned on to the fact that he only has to be nasty to bloggers and suddenly his name will be on everyone's lips ...

You don't believe me? Put your hand up if you'd heard of John Sutherland or Rachel Cooke before they bludgeoned their way into history ...

If Jasper Gerard happens to see this post, I hope he'll accept an invitation to come to the blogmoot on Saturday so we can debate his points in person.

11 comments:

Unknown said...

Debs
Thanks for your comments on my blog. Sharon told me about you having lived in Grenada. I love it. I would sell up tomorrow and go, if I could............actually there is nothing stopping me is there really?

Oh and while I am off sick, I promise I WILL read your book,

Debi said...

Ooooh, Carol. I could write volumes about Grenada ... and still leave so much unsaid ...

But most importantly, thanks for stopping by here. Glad to hear you're on the recovery road - hope it's speedy and smooth!

Steerforth said...

I'd heard of Rachel Cooke because I've been following her career for years - not in a creepy sort of way, I hasten to add.

My interest in Rachel started when she was given her own column in the Sunday Times (called 'The Cooke Report' - get it?) during the early 90's. At the time I thought that she must be a bright young thing to have gone from obscurity to having her own column and I read it every week to see what the fuss was about.

After a while someone obviously decided that the column wasn't working and relegated her to an obscure corner of the 'Style' supplement. Then she disappeared.

Rachel Cooke resurfaced in The Observer and has been there ever since. I have to admit I quite like reading her articles because they have a refreshingly honest quality about them. Cooke's articles aren't good journalism, but their candour can make for interesting reading.

It's ironic that Cooke derides blogging because it could be argued that her confessional, opinonated style of writing is more blogging than journalism. Perhaps she's like those American evengelists who condemn homosexuality from the pulpit because deep down, they're more attracted to men.

As for John Sutherland, you can't turn on BBC4 without him appearing somewhere. At least, that's what it feels like.

It's a shame that Cooke and Sutherland have said such silly things as I've always had a soft spot for them. Jasper Gerard is different. He's always come across as the sort of person that would be described as a 'chump' in an Evelyn Waugh novel. He's a fairly indifferent writer who compensates for this by making outrageous statements - an A.A.Gill/Jeremy Clarkson wannabee.

The one thing that interests me is why blogging has touched a nerve with so many people. It's a harmless activity. Why do some journalists feel the need to slap us down?

Debi said...

Thanks for bringing us back to the point here, Steerforth. You are clearly a mine of useful info.

I do think the negative response to blogging is a combination of fear of change (especially when it has an anarchic tinge!) together with a bit of jumping on bandwagons. Not so probably with JS, whom I suspect blundered in unawares. But now he's started a whole genre of blogger-bashing.

Part of me feels the best response (contradicted by what I'm now doing!) would be to ignore them and just get on with what we do best ...

Anonymous said...

Would that be the very same 1970's graffiti that spawned a worldwide interest in street art? A movement that near revolutionised the art world?

Why bother giving bandwidth to further advance the prehistoric views of these irrelevant bitter old hacks?

Debi said...

Yep, that's the one, Lehane!

Do you have any idea how much I hope you're going to be there on Saturday???

Unknown said...

I left the 'chump' an invite in his comments. Wonder if he'll come?

Unknown said...

Is Lehane coming then? Have you hounded him enough Alper, or should I have a go as well?
No excuse for these London bloggers I'm afraid, especially now that Cailleach is coming all the way from Ireland!

Debi said...

Keep at him, Minx! And NEVER be afraid ...

Oh and don't forget our Shazza's coming from Crewe too ...

Anonymous said...

Hmmm...now you girls can keep plugging away at me, but sadly I shall be plugging away myself on a night shift this weekend, so unless someone could convince my bosses that national security will not be compromised by me coming along on Saturday evening, it's just not going to be possible! :(

Unknown said...

Give me their number...I'll convince them!

Yes, but look who is acomin'...Shazza!