I don't know much about Amis, don't know anything about Botton, but what have Amis, Botton, Webb and Fry done to deserve being placed next to Parsons and Gill?
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Saturday, 11 October 2014 20:20 (nine years ago) link
You could, maybe, I dunno... google them and find out?
― Jacques Lacan let me rock u; let me rock u, Jacques Lacan (Branwell with an N), Saturday, 11 October 2014 20:22 (nine years ago) link
Amis
Let's all interview this cunt and treat him like some demi-god because he just had another appalling novel published and had some very fucking expensive dental work :O=
― xelab, Saturday, 11 October 2014 20:28 (nine years ago) link
Martin Amis and his... ~feeling about Muslims~ let him explain them to U. Stephen Fry and his "I'm gay, how am I supposed to know anything at all about what women feel about sex (but let me shoot my mouth off about it, repeatedly, in really gross misogynistic ways, tee hee, I'm so naughty)" or Alain de Botton and "let me condescend to you, badly, about architecture and morality and ~my feelings about porn~ and how the Pain of Being Bald gives me an insight into the suffering of the marginalised" and ugh Webb and just general smug punchability and gross ugh yuck.
― Jacques Lacan let me rock u; let me rock u, Jacques Lacan (Branwell with an N), Saturday, 11 October 2014 20:28 (nine years ago) link
I mean, if you wanted to get in a good point about unearned, inherited privilege and how only two dozen families control Britain politically and culturally and will do for the rest of our sodding miserable lives then "Amis" was a pretty good name to pick to get the point across.
― Jacques Lacan let me rock u; let me rock u, Jacques Lacan (Branwell with an N), Saturday, 11 October 2014 20:30 (nine years ago) link
I searched them and added the word "controversy" and some of that stuff did come up. Also something about Fry and Poland.
I had been aware of Amis having an English middlebrow king snob reputation.
Webb never came across anymore smug to me than the general bunch of Have I Got News For You regulars, which can be pretty bad but rarely odious enough to get close to Parsons. I thought he seems nice.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Saturday, 11 October 2014 20:43 (nine years ago) link
thing is i've not thought about 90% of these tosspots in a zillion years. actually thought that clive james was dead tbh
― john wahey (NickB), Saturday, 11 October 2014 20:45 (nine years ago) link
tragically, everybody on this list has their fans.
― Chimp Arsons, Saturday, 11 October 2014 20:49 (nine years ago) link
Clive James cheated on his wife. On a quick search I couldn't find anyone else.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Saturday, 11 October 2014 20:51 (nine years ago) link
Anything else.
I mean, I guess Webb is kind of a lightweight when compared to the full on tossitude of Parsons and Amis and Gill and Botton and Fry. But give him 20, 30 years and I'm sure he'll get there.
― Jacques Lacan let me rock u; let me rock u, Jacques Lacan (Branwell with an N), Saturday, 11 October 2014 20:52 (nine years ago) link
No hate for Matthew Paris?
― Spaceport Leuchars (dowd), Saturday, 11 October 2014 20:54 (nine years ago) link
Robert there isn't necessarily a direct moral imperative to hate all these - Amis's hardman racist posturing is probly objectively worse than, say, de Botton's clueless self-clowning dullness - but hate can come from so many deep, half-examined places, sometimes you just have to accept it and give it your unquestioning support and nurture
― Chimp Arsons, Saturday, 11 October 2014 20:56 (nine years ago) link
Like, I'm sure lots of these small-fry kinda guys individually (outside of that pentateuch of tosspots) are fairly unexceptional. But when thrown together en masse there's just this simmering sense of "ugh ugh ugh" especially when placed up beside that Perry article decrying the preponderance of WhiteDudes.
― Jacques Lacan let me rock u; let me rock u, Jacques Lacan (Branwell with an N), Saturday, 11 October 2014 20:56 (nine years ago) link
I am so out of the loop I had to google Matthew Parris, he looks like a bit of a mediocre shithead in comparison to some of these heavyweights.
― xelab, Saturday, 11 October 2014 21:00 (nine years ago) link
There's a tiny part of me that wants to think "maybe that's the point, maybe we are supposed to think about all these unexceptionally odious tosspots who floated on in to their positions on their unearned WhiteMale privilege" but I actually think that would be giving the New Statesman too much credit. I think these were the dudes they were going to publish anyway.
― Jacques Lacan let me rock u; let me rock u, Jacques Lacan (Branwell with an N), Saturday, 11 October 2014 21:04 (nine years ago) link
had to be all white men including the 'with' section to pull that off
― Ƹ༑Ʒ (imago), Saturday, October 11, 2014 12:29 PM (8 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― Ƹ༑Ʒ (imago), Saturday, 11 October 2014 21:07 (nine years ago) link
Clive James cheated on his wife. On a quick search I couldn't find anyone else.― Robert Adam Gilmour, Saturday, 11 October 2014 20:51 (14 minutes ago) Permalink
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Saturday, 11 October 2014 20:51 (14 minutes ago) Permalink
Clive James is in the final stages of leukemia.
― Treeship, Saturday, 11 October 2014 21:09 (nine years ago) link
ah, you win some, you lose some
― Chimp Arsons, Saturday, 11 October 2014 21:11 (nine years ago) link
worst white man posting on the worst white man on the cover of the new stateman's 'great white male' issue thread
― Mordy, Saturday, 11 October 2014 21:13 (nine years ago) link
Just finding things I like or don't mind too much. Not claiming these people have never done bad things.
Grayson Perry. Find him quite interesting and I like that he supports old crafts.
Stephen Fry. Liked his comedy on various things, enjoyed his documentaries on language and homophobia. Kinda like QI. Generally like him despite saying sexist things.
Will Self. Found him very funny on numerous occasions. Liked some of his articles and interviews.
Robert Webb. I like Peepshow (latest series was really downhill though). Said some funny stuff on panel shows.
Clive James. Seems like a good guy. My brother loves him.
David Baddiel. Vaguely remember him saying something funny. Seems okay.
Owen Jones. Disagree with him on a few things but I don't think he's a dick.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Saturday, 11 October 2014 21:15 (nine years ago) link
― Chimp Arsons, Saturday, October 11, 2014 5:11 PM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Are you happy he's ill? Why?
― Treeship, Saturday, 11 October 2014 21:15 (nine years ago) link
Well we shan't examine Clive James then because cancer instantly absolves people of any wrong they may have committed, and qualifies them for instant sainthood.
― Jacques Lacan let me rock u; let me rock u, Jacques Lacan (Branwell with an N), Saturday, 11 October 2014 21:15 (nine years ago) link
I just dodged a cousin's funeral who prematurely died of cancer, bad shit happens to shit people as well.
― xelab, Saturday, 11 October 2014 21:15 (nine years ago) link
toxic
― Twist of Caliphate (Bob Six), Saturday, 11 October 2014 21:19 (nine years ago) link
aiieee, i do recall reports of him being unwell now, that's fucking rough
― john wahey (NickB), Saturday, 11 October 2014 21:19 (nine years ago) link
Clive James is wonderful.
― Chuck_Tatum, Saturday, 11 October 2014 21:23 (nine years ago) link
anyhow, last time i read any james, he was criticizing the bbc for not giving balanced coverage of climate change, not enough representation of the sceptical pov, that sort of thing iirc
― john wahey (NickB), Saturday, 11 October 2014 21:24 (nine years ago) link
Heaven forbid, good thing he's dying I guess
― Treeship, Saturday, 11 October 2014 21:28 (nine years ago) link
I've only said critical thing about CJ on this board and am not a fan. What I objected to here was people actively scouting out reasons to hate him and others by searching their name + "scandal." It just seems dumb.
I realize the irony of the NS only featuring white male voices in this issue though. Seems like a different issue than looking for reasons to hate the writers individually though.
― Treeship, Saturday, 11 October 2014 21:33 (nine years ago) link
the only person i've seen googling reasons to hate on this thread has actually been quite positive about half the list
― Chimp Arsons, Saturday, 11 October 2014 21:35 (nine years ago) link
tony parsons "cool guy"
About 11,700 results (0.30 seconds)
― soref, Saturday, 11 October 2014 21:37 (nine years ago) link
A Special Issue on the Great WhiteStraw Man
― Twist of Caliphate (Bob Six), Saturday, 11 October 2014 21:42 (nine years ago) link
don't be a boob treeship
― john wahey (NickB), Saturday, 11 October 2014 21:44 (nine years ago) link
The reason I was using search engines is to find out why on earth these people are so hated that they'd be lumped in with Parsons. I've seen some ridiculously over the top hate on this forum (sometimes even close to the style of Parsons) for people like Carey Mulligan and James Corden (maybe I'd have google to find out why). I'm just sceptical that all these people are worth that hate and wanted to say some nice things to balance it out.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Saturday, 11 October 2014 21:48 (nine years ago) link
wow way to pick out two of the all time worst to compare to tbh
― local eire man (darraghmac), Saturday, 11 October 2014 21:50 (nine years ago) link
SEE YOU TRY TO PLAY THE BALANCE CARD BUT THEY SUCK YOU BACK IN
― Chimp Arsons, Saturday, 11 October 2014 21:52 (nine years ago) link
This is not a thread for saying nice things! (This is a thread for making spurious assumptions about the gender and race of the participants right now, but I'm finding that too funny to disabuse right now.)
― Jacques Lacan let me rock u; let me rock u, Jacques Lacan (Branwell with an N), Saturday, 11 October 2014 21:54 (nine years ago) link
i am wondering who'd have to be amongst this lot to comprehensively, no-questions prevail. corden seems a shout, and yet
― Ƹ༑Ʒ (imago), Saturday, 11 October 2014 21:54 (nine years ago) link
bush obv but not likely to be asked to weigh in on cutural issues in the uk now is he
alexei sayles my vote but i recognise that's not likely to fly on ilx
― local eire man (darraghmac), Saturday, 11 October 2014 21:57 (nine years ago) link
Rupert Murdoch?
― Jacques Lacan let me rock u; let me rock u, Jacques Lacan (Branwell with an N), Saturday, 11 October 2014 21:57 (nine years ago) link
rod liddle ftw
― john wahey (NickB), Saturday, 11 October 2014 21:58 (nine years ago) link
Hitler
― lool at the herrlich (wins), Saturday, 11 October 2014 21:59 (nine years ago) link
Stephen Fry
What I know about them right now: Corden annoys people. Carey Mulligan's acting ability is in question and she dates a guy from a band that lots of people don't like. Are they Ukip supporters too?
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Saturday, 11 October 2014 21:59 (nine years ago) link
oh man fuck rod liddle
― local eire man (darraghmac), Saturday, 11 October 2014 22:00 (nine years ago) link
who would be on a US cover analogue? philip roth prob? franzen?
― Mordy, Saturday, 11 October 2014 22:00 (nine years ago) link
'corden annoys people, hitler had some dubious politics' you do realise this is the level of minimising yr guilty of there RAG
Wait I've got it: Morrissey
― Jacques Lacan let me rock u; let me rock u, Jacques Lacan (Branwell with an N), Saturday, 11 October 2014 22:03 (nine years ago) link
Hey now he's not well
― lool at the herrlich (wins), Saturday, 11 October 2014 22:03 (nine years ago) link
anyway this is a great nostalgia trip back to a long bygone age where these threads would attract a host of disingenuous "what's wrong with Scumbag X?" posts
― look on my guacs, ye mighty, and dis pear (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 29 September 2021 21:39 (two years ago) link
"He's got the whole world, in his hands.. he's got the whole world.. in his hands.."
― Andy the Grasshopper, Wednesday, 29 September 2021 21:42 (two years ago) link
"Not the biggest Baddiel fan but "snivelling 'liberal' apologist for ladbantz bollocks" was his schtick 20 years ago, not now."
yes he's somehow been even almost worse than he was then, but he did stop doing blackface tbf
― calzino, Wednesday, 29 September 2021 21:50 (two years ago) link
I'm amused that I didn't even know who Matthew Parris was at the time of this poll. Happier days of ignorant bliss! Bragg is a wanker but I still consider In Our Time a decent program and I guarantee whichever cunt replaces him when he succumbs to dementia will be a thousand times worse than him.
― calzino, Wednesday, 29 September 2021 22:17 (two years ago) link
Was gonna say, Webb and Baddiel would have gotten way more votes this time 'round.
― Daniel_Rf, Thursday, 30 September 2021 10:09 (two years ago) link
And Alain de Botton way less.
― Starmer: "Let the children boogie, let all the children boogie." (Tom D.), Thursday, 30 September 2021 10:30 (two years ago) link
Did everyone forget who Will Self was?
― Mark G, Thursday, 30 September 2021 10:35 (two years ago) link
45 years ago today (4 November 1977), the New Statesman published this article about divisions in the Communist Party of Great Britain. It is the first written use that I have found of the term ‘tankie’ to describe someone who (uncritically) supported the Soviet Union. pic.twitter.com/plCY3gk9Ge— Evan Smith (@evansmithhist) November 4, 2022
― xyzzzz__, Friday, 4 November 2022 12:05 (one year ago) link
This is a very … peculiar framing, but I do wonder where all the Statesman’s sugar daddy money has gone. The magazine’s professional irritants (and Will Lloyd, who commissions the worst of them) can’t be that expensive to run. pic.twitter.com/gLn4cK157g— Elvis Buñuelo (@Mr_Considerate) November 18, 2023
― xyzzzz__, Saturday, 18 November 2023 15:14 (six months ago) link