Archive for January, 2008

Cheerio …

January 31, 2008

 

Jeremy James Anthony Gibson Beadle

jeremy_beadle.jpg

In the 90’s “Beadles About” was in full swing and I was working as a cameraman. A job came my way and off I went to the location. I met the rest of the crew and was introduced to the host, Jeremy Beadle. My job was to follow Jeremy as he scattered fun in every direction.

At the time, Jeremy seemed to be the target of many a journalist’s poisoned pen, which was odd as this man was one of the brightest and most professional people I have ever worked with. It’s only a shame that some of today’s presenters can’t be more like him: gracious, professional and a decent human being.

One of the best day’s work I’ve had in 28 years …

His knowledge of the media bred contempt and here’s an example of how media-savvy he was: a few years ago at the Edinburgh TV Festival, he spelt out a warning to newcomers to the industry, “Never respond to the reporter who promises you the chance to give your side of the story. That means, ‘Kiss me because I am going to rape you anyway’.”

Beadle will always be about …

The Great Art Of Caring …

January 22, 2008

I’m not going to ask “what kind of world do we live in?” as I believe that the majority of level-headed people already know.

So let’s put a few irons into the fire and see who gets worked up into a frenzy … let’s see where this goes, shall we?

Nicolas Sarkosy, the President of France and his bride to be, the new First Lady (pictured). Do we care that she counts ex-lovers in order to get to sleep at night? Do we care that little Nicolas is both the youngest and smallest lover she’s had? What a superb advertisement for the country she truly is. By the way, you won’t see any anti-Sarko or anti-Carla stuff in the French newspapers – Nico’s friends own the media.

the-wife.jpg

Amy Winehouse is currently ‘battling her drug addiction’. Really? Then why was a video if her ‘battling this addiction’ shown across the globe of her smoking crack cocaine while, at the same time, the public face of this silly bint is saying “it really is a problem and I’m doing my best to give up drugs”. If she wants to end up a drooling ninny by the time she’s 40, then let her. Life is hard and we all have to make decisions – not all of us have the same parachute-style bank balance to make it easier.

Pete Doherty. Lost cause – completely. No judge dares to jail the little twerp.

The Oscars may be cancelled due to the on-going writers strike. Who cares that the Golden Globes were nothing short of a press conference? Who cares that the Oscars may end up being the same style of presentation? Is all mutal handjobs anyway. Give the money away to charity and stop being so ‘me me me’ all the tie.

Hollywood Publicists seem to revel in the fact that one mention of one of their clients falling pregnant has the media clambering for details. I feel it would be far more newsworthy if the starlette in question could positively identify the father …

Britney Spears … I just can’t see the point. A career launched in 1999 and, to date, has sold 88 million records worldwide. She’s only 26 and the mother of two children and divorced. However, she’s a multi-millionairess … give someone of immature years so much money (as she was when she hit it big-time) and that’s what you get. People bouncing off the walls and in all sorts of emotion states … a state which the Hollywood media lap up like thirsty dogs.

English Premier Soccer Players are much like Britney. Young, rich and stupid. There’s a constant stream of spotty youths in ill-fitting suits, paying cautionary fines to British courts as they will insist on ‘going out on the town’ and beating some poor sod up.

I’m feeling a lot better now and, like myself, I thank you for not caring …

Whoo Hoo …! Applause, Applause, Applause …!

January 15, 2008

I’ve just been through a long and (quite honestly) pathetic process which allowed me to watch a ‘live stream’ of Steve Jobs giving his speech at Macworld.Ustream, as far as I could see, were the only outfit offering ‘live’ coverage of the event. I was on their site for a matter of 15 minutes and in that time I saw 1 frame of images (VT/film editors will know what I’m talking about). The picture just never made it and the sound was truly awful.It was also a typical American ‘corporate’ event … Jobs only needed to say “new”, “now available” or “part of the package” and the crowd in the room went completely whackko, screaming and “whoo-hoo’ing” for all they were worth.I’ll wait for the re-run on Apple.com …