Roger tackles the Panorama portrayal of Oldham in his Morning Advertiser column.
Worth a read.
Rounding Up Contributions To The Session #145 — Critique Not Criticism
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A little later than planned (due to a malaise brought upon by a rather
jovial stag weekend in Dublin celebrating the imminent nuptials of my pal
Gareth)...
5 hours ago
19 comments:
64,000 people drinking beer in moderate quantities and failing to get drunk, fight, vomit
By 6pm on the Tuesday I had seen definite evidence of people who had failed to fail to vomit.
And I didn't see a single vomiter in the whole week and that included plenty visits to the customer toilets.
So there!
The BBC is the only thing that makes me vomit!
The alternatives are much worse though.
I would have to disagree with Protzy on this one. The existence of a beer festival where punters by and large behave does not negate the fact that across the country a significant number of town centres are no go areas and turn into a violent vomitorium on a Saturday night. If I were to criticise the panorama program it would not be for a lack of balance in that sense as the 2 stories are separate and distinct. A story that an area has an issue with crime does not need balancing with a story that elsewhere there is no problem. My criticism of the panorama program is that they cannot accurately report on it with visible cameras. The presence of reporters in itself encourages lewd behaviour from drunks that would otherwise walk along the street without showing their breasts or arses. I would also criticise the proposed solutions in Oldham which I believe infantilise adults and do little to solve a problem which is one of adults not being responsible for their own behaviour rather than cheap booze. The panorama problem was weak in so far as it was typical of the liberal bias that dominates the corporations reporting. Balancing the report would not involve showing alcohol enjoyed without trouble but asking the question why cheap booze is considered the problem rather than the people causing the problem. Asking whether public drunkenness ought to be tolerated and whether stiff penalties out to be considered for those individuals behaving in an anti social fashion.
Fair points Cooking. I'd birch the lot of them.
As well as hanging them?
Once you've birched them, they won't be back for a hanging.
So birching too stiff a penalty then?
I'd hang all criminals, no need for owt else.
Interestingly, I find myself agreeing with both Roger and Cooking. I need more time to assimilate that. Plus, I didn't see the program, putting me at a disadvantage.
Beer Nut, it's unlikely with that many people that a tiny bit of evidence is not found.
Hanging for all unruly people might be a good idea. Just off to design my in house gallows, after all, we do like to provide in-house products and services wherever possible. "Drunks hung while you wait"
Tiny? We're talking a couple of primo 12" pavement pizzas here.
There was a lot of yocking, farting and general drunkenness at the GBBF. Not that I have a massive problem with that - it's just that I think it's silly to pretend it's a civilised, classy event when it so obviously isn't. It's not going to pull the wool over the eyes of people who were there, and it's simply not going to be listened to by those who weren't.
Even at a more select gathering the night before - the Guild of Beer Writers drinks - I witnessed an old bloke who fell asleep at his table, emerging from slumber at intervals to take another long drag on his pint of pish. And, speaking generally, there were lots of obese malvestites circulating.
Having been to wine industry events, I have to say that the general standard of decorum's a lot better. And this is coming from a fairly dedicated beer lover, not Malcolm Gluck.
PS. For those of you in favour of birching, don't they still do that on the Isle of Mann? Move there, it can't be any less grim than where you're currently holed up. ;-)
Jefforey
All I can say is I saw nothing of it. If you had 64,000 Mormons or Model Plane makers etc. you'd have had some spewing. With beer and the great unwashed - inevitable.
PS I did see you. You were bouncing up and down with your younger friends.
The reference to "your younger friends" made me chuckle. I salute you for that one! Yes, they're younger than I am, Alfie. It's like my 20s never happened, and I'm fresh out of Oxon.
To keep young, think young eh? And why not?
Birching banned in IoM too I'm afraid. Since 1993,though the last birching took place in 1976.
IoM or Clerkenwell? Hmm. Choose wisely.
Good to see you commenting here again Jeff. (-:
Soon we will all be drunk on stars and fear nothing. Glad to see a brotherhood forming here. Have a wonderful Sabbath!
It's all lurve now. Pro tem anyway.
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