Now, I love a good controversial joke as much as the next person and I do have to admit, Frankie Boyle has been my ‘comedian of the moment’ for the last 2-3 years, I’ve been lucky enough to see him 3 times in the last 3-4 years and I’ve thought he was hilarious each and every time. Now, free speech and controversy have followed Frankie around as of late but it’s not because of his stand up comedy (this time), it’s because of his new show called Tramadol Nights which airs at 10pm on Tuesdays on Channel 4 (bear in mind 10pm is post watershed, hold onto this fact as you may need it later). Now, the first reason he has courted controversy is because of his joke about Harvey Price (Katie Price’s blind son) which some people have labelled ‘a step to far’ and ‘over the top’. My view is, that every subject is fair game to have the mickey taken out of it in a comedic way, whether that issue is race, disability, or otherwise, and in my view comedians should never be stifled in the material they are allowed to talk about as comedy is jokes!!! Now, the joke was about Katie Price and Peter Andre going through a custody battle over Harvey and one of them will eventually lose and have to keep him (sorry if I’ve now spoilt the joke for those who haven’t heard it) and when I heard it on his tour I was in stitches (that night I also bought a tour programme and the content in there is hilarious). When I bought Frankie’s tour DVD (if I could reach out through the TV and strangle you, I would) I was in stitches as well, and when I saw it on the show I didn’t find it as funny (as I’d already seen it live, and on DVD before TV), but I still found it hilarious and it surprised me that there was such an outcry when Frankie told that joke on Tramadol nights, Katie Price has said “To bully this unbelievably brave child is despicable; to broadcast it on television is to show a complete and utter lack of judgment’, yeah ok Katie, and your career as a publicity whore who is famous for being basically a high priced slag (ask Dane Bowers and Dwight Yorke) getting your tits out in lads mags and being made of more plastic and silicone than most computers, Barbie dolls and cheap lubricants combined, isn’t the personification of a ‘complete and utter lack of judgement’ is it?
Now, admittedly Tramadol nights hasn’t been that impressive, as a Frankie Boyle fan and staunch supporter of his right to exercise freedom of speech it hurts me to say that, but this blog isn’t about how disappointing the show has been so far (for the most part, there have been some hilarious moments, such as the early stages of the Knightrider sketch which ended up running a lot longer than it should have. But I digress, as the more important thing here is freedom of speech and the defence of it. Now, the outcry to the Harvey joke surprised me only partially as my friend Gavin (aka Da G-man) who hosts Pitch Talk with me (http://facebook.com/pitchtalk – I am this opinionated about football as well) about a year ago brought my attention to a discussion which was being conducted by Adrian Goldberg on TalkSport late one night and was talking about the downs syndrome/cerebral palsy jokes made by Frankie on his 2008 DVD and I phoned up and defended Frankie and his joke material (listen to what I said here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PNt_ejOnlI ), I felt as an advocator of free speech I had to, especially as at his show I heckled him by asking the question ‘would you get a blow job off someone with Downs syndrome’, to which Frankie replied ‘yes, because the saliva would make a good lubricant’. Now, that’s the kind of quick witted response I love Frankie for and that’s the kind of quick witted and sharp comedy that is being destroyed by these moronic crusaders of vice and virtue that moan about the slightest thing said that doesn’t agree with their sense of morality.
Ok, so, the second issue, and this is around the use of the word ‘Nigger’ and ‘Paki’. Now, I’ve watched the episode of Tramadol Nights in question (It’s in the 4th episode of the series, which in my view, is the funniest in the series so far by a distance...PUSSY MONSTER!!!) which contains the Paki slur and to be honest, the critique of it has been taken out of context. Now first and foremost, it was used as part of a sketch which actually talks directly about the issue of morality and what’s right and wrong and Frankie in the sketch even says, that (coupled with the woman gyrating in a skimpy Super Mario outfit who says the word Paki and the giant mushroom being wanked off) is probably wrong, but those things were used to illustrate a point, it’s not as if he came out and just said ‘fuck all Pakis’. Also, his joke about Afganistan where he uses the word Paki for the 2nd time in the episode, has also been taken out of context as the joke actually talks about how the British media sees British lives as more important than shepherds in Afganistan, which, people, it’s true, the British media does see and report things in that way, look at the dirtsheets/tabloids/crap rags like the Star, The Sun/Scum news paper, among others, but again it’s jokes that I’ve personally seen before on his DVD on the extras containing his warm up shows. The dreaded n-word, or Nigger for those who are dumb enough not to know what I’m getting at. With racial jokes, as Dave Chappelle said in the 2nd season of Chappelle’s show midway through the season, ‘when it comes to racial humour there’s no room for subtlety’ and Frankie doesn’t sugar coat. Frankie’s use of the word Nigger was, as with the word Paki, used to illustrate and continue the point mentioned earlier with the word Paki as the joke was ‘Ministry of defence, at least in the old days we were honest, (then pretending to be a phone operator Frankie says) Hello Ministry of war, Department of Nigger bombing how can I help?’
I found that joke hilarious and I’m a black man myself, but for me, the people who are whinging and complaining about these jokes need to get a life and fuck off, shove your whiny, irrelevant opinions up your arses and stop being so sensitive, it’s comedy for fuck sake, and I bet the same people who complained are sad, moronic people who not only have no lives, but see people like Katie Price and Jade Goody (see here for my views on Goody & Price - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJcQ4XNWY7A ) as heroes and think crass, vulgar people like Russell Brand are funny and X-Factor is truly about musical talent. If you don’t like a show, don’t watch it, and Frankie’s material always comes with appropriate warning, I don’t watch X-factor because I hate what it stands for and what it’s doing to the music industry and when I do talk about it, I have good reason to complain, I’m not just complaining because I have nothing better to do with my life.
Bottom line is, for me, anything is fair game in comedy and Frankie Boyle is the last of a dying breed of comics who are being forced to conform to political correctness, which in my view is bullshit, and hopefully people wake up and see that it is, Channel 4 has always been about pushing boundaries and because Frankie is pushing boundaries now people don’t like it? In the words of Cee-lo Green, FUCK YOU!!!
For those wanting to read about the Harvey controversy read here - http://tellymix.co.uk/2010/news/23110-ofcom-confirms-an-investigation-over-frankie-boyles-harvey-price-joke.html
(The episode in question is the 2nd episode of the Tramadol Nights 1st series)
For those wanting to read about the ‘Nigger/Paki’ controversy, read here - http://news.uk.msn.com/uk/articles.aspx?cp-documentid=155643640&ocid=today
(The episode in question is the 4th episode in the Tramadol Nights 1st series)
I’m Straight Shootin’ LJA & thats my opinion
Be honest, Be vocal, Have an opinion, Make your voice heard – The Straight Shootin’ Mantra (Cos suckas gots 2 kno)
Connect with me at:
http://straightshootinlja.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/liam.lja.angell
www.youtube.com/ljaproductions07
www.myspace.com/ljaproductions
Thursday, 23 December 2010
Wednesday, 4 August 2010
Straight Shootin' Favourite Days
In my life, i have a few things that i can call truly beautiful, my friends, my family, my work, but not my love life as that's non-existent as i write this blog.
For the purposes of this blog entry i'll focus on days of the week that i find beautiful.
Now, many say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, some say there is inner beauty and cosmetic beauty and yada yada yada, but for me, Monday's, Wednesday's and Saturday's provide another beauty, the beauty of a pleasurable feeling, and no i do not mean that in any sort of sinister or salacious manner, for now.
With football, as many know, i feel that it is the beautiful game and football is something i do live for, but it isn't all i have to live for. Now, on to my main point, beauty and the beauty of a pleasurable feeling. Monday's Wednesday's and Saturday's have quickly become my favourite days and the reason is football, not just watching but playing as well, as i train for Ibis fc on Weds, play for them on Sat, and then watch Match of the Day on Saturday night, and more recently with Da G-Man, talk about football for 2 hours on Monday nights on online radio during Pitch Talk (i'm not advertising but if you want more info just ask lol) so as you can see football is a huge part of my life.
On my way home from an Ibis training session and a match afterwards for a further hour i thought to myself, that the 3 aforementioned days have become days i look forward to in a week like none other and it's not just because of the football and the love i have for the game, but because of the feeling it gives me to do what i love to do, watch something i enjoy and talk about a subject i love on at least 3 separate occasions during a normal week.
Still though, i'd like to wrap up this rather spontaneous blog by saying, if you love something or someone, tell them if it's a person and if it's something else, as long as it's legal, tell the world, because some may call me crazy, some may call me random, but everyone calls me...Straight Shootin' LJA.
I'm Straight Shootin' LJA and that's my opinion
Be honest, Be vocal, Have an opinion, Make your voice heard – The Straight Shootin’ Mantra (Cos suckas gots 2 kno)
Connect with me at:
http://straightshootinlja.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/liam.lja.angell
www.youtube.com/ljaproductions07
www.myspace.com/ljaproductions
For the purposes of this blog entry i'll focus on days of the week that i find beautiful.
Now, many say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, some say there is inner beauty and cosmetic beauty and yada yada yada, but for me, Monday's, Wednesday's and Saturday's provide another beauty, the beauty of a pleasurable feeling, and no i do not mean that in any sort of sinister or salacious manner, for now.
With football, as many know, i feel that it is the beautiful game and football is something i do live for, but it isn't all i have to live for. Now, on to my main point, beauty and the beauty of a pleasurable feeling. Monday's Wednesday's and Saturday's have quickly become my favourite days and the reason is football, not just watching but playing as well, as i train for Ibis fc on Weds, play for them on Sat, and then watch Match of the Day on Saturday night, and more recently with Da G-Man, talk about football for 2 hours on Monday nights on online radio during Pitch Talk (i'm not advertising but if you want more info just ask lol) so as you can see football is a huge part of my life.
On my way home from an Ibis training session and a match afterwards for a further hour i thought to myself, that the 3 aforementioned days have become days i look forward to in a week like none other and it's not just because of the football and the love i have for the game, but because of the feeling it gives me to do what i love to do, watch something i enjoy and talk about a subject i love on at least 3 separate occasions during a normal week.
Still though, i'd like to wrap up this rather spontaneous blog by saying, if you love something or someone, tell them if it's a person and if it's something else, as long as it's legal, tell the world, because some may call me crazy, some may call me random, but everyone calls me...Straight Shootin' LJA.
I'm Straight Shootin' LJA and that's my opinion
Be honest, Be vocal, Have an opinion, Make your voice heard – The Straight Shootin’ Mantra (Cos suckas gots 2 kno)
Connect with me at:
http://straightshootinlja.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/liam.lja.angell
www.youtube.com/ljaproductions07
www.myspace.com/ljaproductions
Wednesday, 30 June 2010
Life, Love & Television?
Hey peeps, it’s 2.30 in the morning on a very, very hot and to be honest, clammy Tuesday morning in late June and I thought I’d write a blog entry as it’s been a while. Now, some of you may know me as one half of Pitch Talk, and some of you may know me as a casual acquaintance, but others may know me as a ‘Straight Shootin’ individual. Now, love is not a subject I talk about often but sometimes it does deserve a mention.
Now, I am generally somewhat of a passionate individual and personally have a few loves, my friends, my family, football (playing and watching) and women.
As a heterosexual male I do love the physical female form but I also do love the fact that women can be not only emotional and loving, but also very sensual and sexual as well. There are things that do confuse me about women though, firstly, I’ve never understood women who complain about their love lives saying that they are a mess when there is a simple solution to their problems. 2. I never have and never will understand those women who go out with so-called ‘playas’ and try to change them (knowing full well they can’t because old habits die hard), but then complain when they act true to form. 3. The final woman I can’t understand is the woman who is independent, makes her own money and is legitimately her own woman/person, but then when she likes someone, shy’s away and won’t make the first move just because women apparently aren’t supposed to do that, although they buck that trend when it come to everything else.
Now, honesty can sometimes backfire, I’ve found this out as sometimes there have been women I’ve fancied, but I’ve had to keep it to myself as I haven’t wanted to burn bridges or cause potential awkwardness.
Now, I’m not saying this or aiming this at anyone in particular, even though some people who know me may make their own judgements (which I don’t mind because everyone is entitled to their opinion). On a general basis I do think a lot about a lot and I enjoy verbalizing my opinions but there are some things that continually confuse me. Love is one of those confusing things, but it may be that it’s people and their actions that confuse me even more. One thing I struggle to comprehend is people who say they love each other one minute and then the next, they are at each other’s throats and cursing the day they met each other. I also don’t understand people who say they love someone and may even be married to someone, but then they go and cheat on that person. We’ve seen the whole Tiger Woods, Ashley Cole and John Terry situations where these guys are married and have families and they have been caught cheating, but what I struggle to understand is...WHY? Why go for McDonalds when you have steak at home? Why go for imperial czar vodka when you’ve got triple distilled Smirnoff at home? Why watch football on Eurosport when you have Sky Sports? Why go for hookers when you have a loving wife at home? The analogies could go on all day but I think you get my point.
I do believe in monogamy and pledging yourself to one person at a time, not 1 wife and 3 hookers on the side. The main reason I bring this whole issue up is partially because it was brought up as an issue on a radio show that I film and appear on and it got me thinking, is it human nature for some people to cheat, or is it the result of high amounts of sexual content and the apparent advocating of promiscuity and polygamy perpetuated on television by the glamorization of these things?
I think it may be a combination of both, I’m not defending or advocating cheating or gamesmanship between men and women, I believe that you should be honest with people, if you want someone else or something else, you’ve got to let people know, if you like someone, then let them know, if you love them, then please let them know.
As I’ve said lyrically before, ‘the journey of life is a road that weaves and winds, and has many twists and turns, and many lessons that must be learned’.
I’m not sure I’m qualified to answer these questions, but I felt it was time for me to ask them as I’d like to know if there is a definitive answer to them. If you’ve made sense of any of the issues and questions I’ve raised, then please, feel free to let me know because suckas got’s 2 kno!!!
I’m Straight Shootin’ LJA, and thats my opinion!!!
Be honest, Be vocal, Have an opinion, Make your voice heard – The Straight Shootin’ Mantra (Cos suckas gots 2 kno)
Connect with me at:
http://straightshootinlja.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/liam.lja.angell
www.youtube.com/ljaproductions07
www.myspace.com/ljaproductions
Now, I am generally somewhat of a passionate individual and personally have a few loves, my friends, my family, football (playing and watching) and women.
As a heterosexual male I do love the physical female form but I also do love the fact that women can be not only emotional and loving, but also very sensual and sexual as well. There are things that do confuse me about women though, firstly, I’ve never understood women who complain about their love lives saying that they are a mess when there is a simple solution to their problems. 2. I never have and never will understand those women who go out with so-called ‘playas’ and try to change them (knowing full well they can’t because old habits die hard), but then complain when they act true to form. 3. The final woman I can’t understand is the woman who is independent, makes her own money and is legitimately her own woman/person, but then when she likes someone, shy’s away and won’t make the first move just because women apparently aren’t supposed to do that, although they buck that trend when it come to everything else.
Now, honesty can sometimes backfire, I’ve found this out as sometimes there have been women I’ve fancied, but I’ve had to keep it to myself as I haven’t wanted to burn bridges or cause potential awkwardness.
Now, I’m not saying this or aiming this at anyone in particular, even though some people who know me may make their own judgements (which I don’t mind because everyone is entitled to their opinion). On a general basis I do think a lot about a lot and I enjoy verbalizing my opinions but there are some things that continually confuse me. Love is one of those confusing things, but it may be that it’s people and their actions that confuse me even more. One thing I struggle to comprehend is people who say they love each other one minute and then the next, they are at each other’s throats and cursing the day they met each other. I also don’t understand people who say they love someone and may even be married to someone, but then they go and cheat on that person. We’ve seen the whole Tiger Woods, Ashley Cole and John Terry situations where these guys are married and have families and they have been caught cheating, but what I struggle to understand is...WHY? Why go for McDonalds when you have steak at home? Why go for imperial czar vodka when you’ve got triple distilled Smirnoff at home? Why watch football on Eurosport when you have Sky Sports? Why go for hookers when you have a loving wife at home? The analogies could go on all day but I think you get my point.
I do believe in monogamy and pledging yourself to one person at a time, not 1 wife and 3 hookers on the side. The main reason I bring this whole issue up is partially because it was brought up as an issue on a radio show that I film and appear on and it got me thinking, is it human nature for some people to cheat, or is it the result of high amounts of sexual content and the apparent advocating of promiscuity and polygamy perpetuated on television by the glamorization of these things?
I think it may be a combination of both, I’m not defending or advocating cheating or gamesmanship between men and women, I believe that you should be honest with people, if you want someone else or something else, you’ve got to let people know, if you like someone, then let them know, if you love them, then please let them know.
As I’ve said lyrically before, ‘the journey of life is a road that weaves and winds, and has many twists and turns, and many lessons that must be learned’.
I’m not sure I’m qualified to answer these questions, but I felt it was time for me to ask them as I’d like to know if there is a definitive answer to them. If you’ve made sense of any of the issues and questions I’ve raised, then please, feel free to let me know because suckas got’s 2 kno!!!
I’m Straight Shootin’ LJA, and thats my opinion!!!
Be honest, Be vocal, Have an opinion, Make your voice heard – The Straight Shootin’ Mantra (Cos suckas gots 2 kno)
Connect with me at:
http://straightshootinlja.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/liam.lja.angell
www.youtube.com/ljaproductions07
www.myspace.com/ljaproductions
Friday, 7 May 2010
A couple of Straight Shootin' opinion based videos
Straight Shootin LJA @ Anti BNP Protest
The Straight Shootin' Newsbreak
Straight Shootin' LJA speaks on talkSport about Frankie Boyle jokes
ENJOY!!!
Straight Shootin' LJA
Movies, music & quality vs quantity (June 2008)
Now, it's something i've spoken about with a couple of people, and there may be those of you who like the series will probably watch the movie, but i had to just say that i am professionally (as a filmmaker myself) hate the fact that Sex in the city has been turned into a movie. In the same breath i also hate the fact that they have brought Gladiators back on Sky One, i loved it in the 90's, but come on, theres just somethings that should be left in the 90's, not brought back as a pale imitation just to make some fast money & mediocre ratings, but thats for another discussion. But still, my venom is aimed at sex in the city, a programme which generally, i have seen has a female dominated fan base, which is all good, i'm a hetrosexual male, i love women, they are tremendous (well, some are). My gripe is, (again, as a filmmaker) what in the blue hell qualifies this series to be made into a movie? The Simpsons, brilliant movie and had the track record over nearly 20 years before the film was made, the A-team, also a great show with years of having a great track record, but Sex in the city, which in my view is a group of slags and a gay guy (mario cantone i think his real name is) who think that bein promiscuous is good and gives them power over men when all they are doing is debasing themselves, lowering the value of sex and teaching impressionable girls & women who watch it that sex isn't special or valuable, its just a tool to gain power over the opposite sex. Now, to me, its bad enough to see what the show represents generally, and i got this message from watching just 1 episode and a couple of snippets during an editing project, but for me, this program being made into a movie illustrates and is a glowing indictment of what is wrong with Hollywood movies. Any thing and everything is made into a movie, from Sex in the city, to the pure fact that they've made 4 Scary movies, where the only difference is that each movie gets dumber & dumber. Another problem i have with the Hollywood movies is that they are so heavily supported over here (England UK) that British films don't get the recognition that they should. Also, there are many people who moan that British films are low budget and they look low budget and the 'special effects' aren't that aesthetically pleasing, but when the Hollywood movies are swallowing up so much of the money that goes into film & so many people in this country watch those films, then is it any wonder that British films have only the bare bones of a budget to put into movies? British movies (in my view) are generally, but not always, are of more quality in terms of storylines because they haven't got the budget to 'hypnotize & brainwash' the masses with glitz and special effects. Exactly the same can also be said for music as well as there are acts like Roots Manuva, Omar, Ear Dis, Spoonface, Aisling Stephenson, Maveriq, among others who are busting their arses day after day, week after week, month after month to produce quality music, but because these days, like with Hollywood movies, quantity is over-emphasized over quality, the real quality music & movies get overlooked and never get the recognition they truly deserve cos everyone is sucked into the hype, sucked into the flashy graphics and over-hyped artists with little or no talent who are flash in the pan, such as Soulja boy (here today, gone tommorow) and in my view, its a damn shame as there are a lot of people, who if given the chance, and a lot of movies whereby if they were given the support they need/deserve, then they would flourish and live long in the industry & the memory.
It's time people, that more folks started to recognise quality music, movies & videos and give their support to quality, not just the flavour of the month, because it should be about quality & longevity, not, what's hot this week/month, otherwise, we, the people, will destroy the industries we know and love such as music, & movies as there will be no quality, no music or videos that we can look back on and listen to in 20/30/40 years time and say, u kno what, thats quality, i'm gona cut up a rug and dance to this or, i just love the storyline there.
It should be quality over quantity folks,
I've been Straight Shootin' LJA & thats a dose of Straight Shootin' talk
Thanx 4 reading!!!
Liam/LJA
02 June 2008
It's time people, that more folks started to recognise quality music, movies & videos and give their support to quality, not just the flavour of the month, because it should be about quality & longevity, not, what's hot this week/month, otherwise, we, the people, will destroy the industries we know and love such as music, & movies as there will be no quality, no music or videos that we can look back on and listen to in 20/30/40 years time and say, u kno what, thats quality, i'm gona cut up a rug and dance to this or, i just love the storyline there.
It should be quality over quantity folks,
I've been Straight Shootin' LJA & thats a dose of Straight Shootin' talk
Thanx 4 reading!!!
Liam/LJA
02 June 2008
The evidently retarded 'Naomi Campbell' & stupid people (June 2008)
Now, as you know, i do have nothing but contempt for stupid people, and i hate the fact that stupid people exist not only in large groups, but that they are also the ones who are or become celebrities, but Naomi Campbell just pissed me off with what i heard on the news today. Now, we all know that she was involved in an altercation on a plane a while back and did community service for that, we all know this idiot got community service again for striking her maid with a mobile phone, but this idiot, to top all of that, recently got 200 hours community service for getting into a fight with Police officers. Now, i think the fact that shes famous got her only community service and not a damn jail sentence, when jail is what this bitch deserves, but the thing that annoyed me most, was the sort of statements she said to the police officers. Now, the story goes that one of her bags got lost at the infamous Terminal 5 when the baggage backlog was at it's high point, ok, i can understand you being angry but there were thousands of other people in that situation, and it is a slap in the face when ur baggage comes home 2 weeks after you with a darker tan and twice as many air miles as you, but you can't just throw a hissy fit in an airport. Now, apparently when the officers restrained her (bear in mind its a woman having a hissy fit, which means any throwable or sharp objects, hide em) apparently she said the statement - your only doing this because im black, you wouldnt treat me like this if i was white (or something to that effect), now that statement pissed me off because i know there will be some people who will think, 'oooh, look at them darkies/blacks causing trouble again', and there will be some who think that about us, and Naomi, if you ever read this, thanks for being the type of idiot whos just set our race back another few years. I mean, its not bad enough that most of these shootings and stabbings in london tend to be by black men/boys and thats plastered all over the media, but you've got black women also degrading themselves with stupidness over and over again, it just makes things a bit more difficult than they need to be. Now, shes also giving models a bad name as well, although they have been dragged through the mud with Kate 'cokehead' Moss and Anna Nicole 'Sniff' (as i like 2 call her), but still, i was pissed off that this idiot Naomi Campbell playin the 'Race Card' in a situation that could have easily been avoided.
To bottom line this, Naomi, i hope you read this and realise you are an idiot, and its stupid people like yourself, who shouldn't be allowed to breed, some may think you look good, but good looks and no brains is like a Mercedez Benz with no wheels, its pointless, and as Carlos Mencia has said, 'With people its not like maths, negative plus negative, does not equal positive' so dumb person plus dumb person does not equal smart.
People, let's be smart and stop these thick as shit celebrities such as Naomi Campbell & Jade Goody (among others), and most people who go through shows like 'Britain's got Talent', cos from them shows (especially the early bits), we ain't got talent, we jus got people who should be sterolised and then shot just to be sure!!!
I've been Straight Shootin' LJA
And thats my opinion!!!
Liam/LJA
20 June 2008
To bottom line this, Naomi, i hope you read this and realise you are an idiot, and its stupid people like yourself, who shouldn't be allowed to breed, some may think you look good, but good looks and no brains is like a Mercedez Benz with no wheels, its pointless, and as Carlos Mencia has said, 'With people its not like maths, negative plus negative, does not equal positive' so dumb person plus dumb person does not equal smart.
People, let's be smart and stop these thick as shit celebrities such as Naomi Campbell & Jade Goody (among others), and most people who go through shows like 'Britain's got Talent', cos from them shows (especially the early bits), we ain't got talent, we jus got people who should be sterolised and then shot just to be sure!!!
I've been Straight Shootin' LJA
And thats my opinion!!!
Liam/LJA
20 June 2008
Sunday, 4 April 2010
Straight Shootin’ Pre-Election Blog
Admittedly, i'm not as switched on as i should be in terms of current politics but i do try and keep an ear (at least) on proceedings from day to day by watching Channel 4 news, Dispatches and Panorama from time to time. On a personal note it's difficult for me to be inspired by politics or vote for a group of people who I see as liars who are very evasive when interviewed or questioned in any way, but still, that’s just me. With that being said i'd like to pose everyone a very relevant question, considering we are very close to a general election as i write this (the date being Thursday April 1st 2010) i'd like to ask, has television and the use of it by politicians (with the aid of spin doctors) ruined politics? By that question i really mean, is an election won by the best personality, rather than the best policies?
I recently watched the panorama special 'How To Win An Election' and over the course of an hour went into great detail about how elections and debates used to be fought in the public arenas of a Trafalgar Square almost like a protest rally at times, along with politicians going on the campaign trail walking into factories, talking to the workers and getting votes by actually connecting with people and people voicing their opinions during these public election debates. Now with the advent of television the election trail does seem almost like professional wrestling during the 1980's/1990's whereby it's the person who has the best 'look' and the best command of their on-screen persona that will 'get over'/be triumphant when the polls open and the people make their choice. Now, as a digital video editor myself you could see me as a part of the media and someone who endorses it, which I do to an extent, but at the same time, i do have to say to myself, this looks like it has dumbed down politics/elections into nothing more than a glorified popularity contest. Panorama used the example of Margaret 'Iron Lady' Thatcher to illustrate the point and also Tony Blair and it really hit home to me that those 2 in particular had very good oratory & a very good command of interview techniques and really knew how to 'work' the voters into believing what they were saying.
These days we are seeing Brown vs Cameron vs Clegg and to me (and the opinion polls) it does look like Brown vs Cameron may be more of the 'battle' for who will run the country next. In my view David Cameron has the better on-screen persona, he has the better look & charisma about him whereas Gordon Brown is as dull as dishwater, but, on a personal note, I can't trust Cameron. My reasoning for this is that every time I see him on television he doesn't seem to be laying out what the Conservatives 'will' do, but what they 'won't' do, and everything he seems to say, to me, seems to always be something to counter what Labour have done or said, disagree if you want but that’s how I see it. Brown however, even though he is currently occupying number 10, he seems to be operating on borrowed time although opinion polls seem to change every other week, so opinion is obviously divided there. The Liberal Democrats on the other hand, well, I don't think many people, including myself, know much about them or their policies as Nick Clegg isn't on our screens as much as the so-called 'big two', so it's difficult to really see what they have to offer, which is a great shame as choice is a great thing to have in a democracy. Now, most of us get our political viewpoints and information from television (it's an inescapable fact, along with the fact that TV is bringing up a lot of children but that’s another story) but when all we are seeing is a glorified popularity contest being played out at election time with no real facts being put out because politicians are being evasive during questions/interviews, it's hard to make an informed or even a correct decision. I personally believe that the advent of television has ruined politics to an extent, because it's turned election time into a glorified popularity contest, and also because it's made politicians so 'aware' of their on-screen personas, that they are less concerned about detailing what policies and changes they will bring to make Britain, 'Great' once again, therefore making it harder to make a qualified decision on who is best suited to run our country. I feel that is part of the problem, but television also can help as well, with programs such as Panorama and also programs like 'Ask the chancellors' which was on Channel 4, which help viewers engage with politics and probes the politicians about what they will and can do for our country, and to me it's those kind of programs which can help television fix this problem of the popularity contest that is the general election, again on a personal note, i was very impressed with the honesty & rationale of Vince Cable, Darling I was semi content with and George Osbourne to me came off as rather pompous, borderline arrogant (especially with his final shot at the Liberal Democrats which was very unnecessary) & very evasive (especially when asked about guaranteeing money won’t be taken from the NHS), but this is just one mans opinion.
Now in closing I would like to say this, no matter who you vote for please, I implore you to vote for the party who you think can run this country best, not the person who looks, talks and puts on the best on-screen image, think about these questions... Brown & Labour may have screwed up our economy, but are Cameron & the Tories better equipped than Labour to dig us out of this hole? We may not know much about Nick Clegg, but could a Liberal Democrat government be just the radical change we need to sort out 'Broken Britain' (as Cameron so eloquently puts it)?
I do believe this country can make the right decision (whatever it may be) and elect the best party for the job, but it's going to take a lot of soul searching and some balls to get it done. We may be picking from a bad bunch, but we’ve got to pick the best from this bunch when those polls open, and as each day goes by i come slightly closer to knowing who I’d pick.
This has been the Straight Shootin’ Blog, and that’s my opinion!
Straight Shootin’ LJA
Be honest, Be vocal, Have an opinion, Make your voice heard – The Straight Shootin’ Mantra (Cos suckas gots 2 kno)
Myspace.com/ljaproductions
Youtube.com/ljaproductions07
Livestream.com/ljaproductionstv
I recently watched the panorama special 'How To Win An Election' and over the course of an hour went into great detail about how elections and debates used to be fought in the public arenas of a Trafalgar Square almost like a protest rally at times, along with politicians going on the campaign trail walking into factories, talking to the workers and getting votes by actually connecting with people and people voicing their opinions during these public election debates. Now with the advent of television the election trail does seem almost like professional wrestling during the 1980's/1990's whereby it's the person who has the best 'look' and the best command of their on-screen persona that will 'get over'/be triumphant when the polls open and the people make their choice. Now, as a digital video editor myself you could see me as a part of the media and someone who endorses it, which I do to an extent, but at the same time, i do have to say to myself, this looks like it has dumbed down politics/elections into nothing more than a glorified popularity contest. Panorama used the example of Margaret 'Iron Lady' Thatcher to illustrate the point and also Tony Blair and it really hit home to me that those 2 in particular had very good oratory & a very good command of interview techniques and really knew how to 'work' the voters into believing what they were saying.
These days we are seeing Brown vs Cameron vs Clegg and to me (and the opinion polls) it does look like Brown vs Cameron may be more of the 'battle' for who will run the country next. In my view David Cameron has the better on-screen persona, he has the better look & charisma about him whereas Gordon Brown is as dull as dishwater, but, on a personal note, I can't trust Cameron. My reasoning for this is that every time I see him on television he doesn't seem to be laying out what the Conservatives 'will' do, but what they 'won't' do, and everything he seems to say, to me, seems to always be something to counter what Labour have done or said, disagree if you want but that’s how I see it. Brown however, even though he is currently occupying number 10, he seems to be operating on borrowed time although opinion polls seem to change every other week, so opinion is obviously divided there. The Liberal Democrats on the other hand, well, I don't think many people, including myself, know much about them or their policies as Nick Clegg isn't on our screens as much as the so-called 'big two', so it's difficult to really see what they have to offer, which is a great shame as choice is a great thing to have in a democracy. Now, most of us get our political viewpoints and information from television (it's an inescapable fact, along with the fact that TV is bringing up a lot of children but that’s another story) but when all we are seeing is a glorified popularity contest being played out at election time with no real facts being put out because politicians are being evasive during questions/interviews, it's hard to make an informed or even a correct decision. I personally believe that the advent of television has ruined politics to an extent, because it's turned election time into a glorified popularity contest, and also because it's made politicians so 'aware' of their on-screen personas, that they are less concerned about detailing what policies and changes they will bring to make Britain, 'Great' once again, therefore making it harder to make a qualified decision on who is best suited to run our country. I feel that is part of the problem, but television also can help as well, with programs such as Panorama and also programs like 'Ask the chancellors' which was on Channel 4, which help viewers engage with politics and probes the politicians about what they will and can do for our country, and to me it's those kind of programs which can help television fix this problem of the popularity contest that is the general election, again on a personal note, i was very impressed with the honesty & rationale of Vince Cable, Darling I was semi content with and George Osbourne to me came off as rather pompous, borderline arrogant (especially with his final shot at the Liberal Democrats which was very unnecessary) & very evasive (especially when asked about guaranteeing money won’t be taken from the NHS), but this is just one mans opinion.
Now in closing I would like to say this, no matter who you vote for please, I implore you to vote for the party who you think can run this country best, not the person who looks, talks and puts on the best on-screen image, think about these questions... Brown & Labour may have screwed up our economy, but are Cameron & the Tories better equipped than Labour to dig us out of this hole? We may not know much about Nick Clegg, but could a Liberal Democrat government be just the radical change we need to sort out 'Broken Britain' (as Cameron so eloquently puts it)?
I do believe this country can make the right decision (whatever it may be) and elect the best party for the job, but it's going to take a lot of soul searching and some balls to get it done. We may be picking from a bad bunch, but we’ve got to pick the best from this bunch when those polls open, and as each day goes by i come slightly closer to knowing who I’d pick.
This has been the Straight Shootin’ Blog, and that’s my opinion!
Straight Shootin’ LJA
Be honest, Be vocal, Have an opinion, Make your voice heard – The Straight Shootin’ Mantra (Cos suckas gots 2 kno)
Myspace.com/ljaproductions
Youtube.com/ljaproductions07
Livestream.com/ljaproductionstv
Friday, 26 March 2010
England’s 2010 World Cup Chances
First and foremost i’d just like to say that in terms of England, I can shelve the hatred of certain players (such as Gary Neville, John 'hide your wives' Terry, ‘fat’ Frank Lampard, among others), but my worry is, can the players do it?
Our league is so competitive it has to make it hard to shelve that competitiveness and play together as a cohesive unit for a month. The World Cup is the grandest stage of them all when it comes to International level and we have flattered to deceive, 40 years of hurt, a so-called penalty/Quarter final curse, the list of excuses can go on forever, but it’s those players on the pitch who need to make it happen. No matter what’s going on off the pitch the players need to be unified and focused and I think Capello is the right man to do it. With his authoritative stance, the media circus that has distracted players and the distractions that have supposedly cost us in Germany in 2006, in Japan & South Korea in 2002 (as well as other instances) should be a thing of the past. In relation to John Terry being stripped of the captaincy i’d like to say this, anyone who didn’t expect Terry to be stripped of the captaincy or was surprised when it happened, has a very short memory, reason being is that from day one Capello said he isn’t going to accept any stupidness from his players and one of his 1st mandates was that if we get to the World Cup, then the WAG’s will be banned.
On the Bridge vs Terry Situation in general i’d like to say this, we don’t know all the details and the dirtsheets (aka the tabloids) have a nasty habit of embellishing upon any slight thing (perfect case in point being an image of Beckham jumping over the hoardings before he got injured, with the headline ‘was this the point?’ written above it). There are a lot of things we don’t know about the Terry, Bridge, Perroncel love triangle, but as a person I totally understand Bridge’s decision (because it’s difficult for anyone to be unified and want to play alongside a guy who’s face you’d happily smash in if given the chance), but as a footballer (at Amatuer level admittedly) I can’t agree with it, and the reason being is that with Ashley Cole’s injury, Bridge is the best left back we have so he would have pretty much automatically been in Fabio Capello’s squad for the World Cup, but still, it’s his decision and you’ve got to respect him for it as it must have been a difficult one. Now back to England’s World Cup chances, I personally think that we have a great chance of winning the big one, but the team has to be unified, because it’s through unity that we can find a fighting spirit and a belief that we can win. Just look at the African teams who have played in the World cup, like Ghana back in 2006, who were very tactically naive against Brazil, but their work ethich and team spirit were second to none (in my opinion you can’t play with your defensive line on the halfway line and expect to beat a team with the attacking prowess of Brazil, but that’s another subject). Another example is Senegal back in 2002 when they shocked the world and beat France that year (and sealed certain players lucrative moves to the Premiership, i know this firsthand being that i’m a Liverpool supporter and we bought Diouf and Diao, but again, thats another issue). Another team was South Korea back in 2002 & Greece back in 2004 in the European championships, both of these teams didn’t have the best players individually, but their team spirit, work ethic and unity brought them success (especially in Greece’s case) and I think that with the players we have, who are gifted to say the least individually, need to put the club rivalries behind them, come together and win the big one at long last.
For some players this is their last chance, so they need to seize it, we proved that on our day we can beat anyone (with Capello in charge look at our record in the qualifiers), but squad unity must prevail along with a unified focus and determination to win if we are to bring that golden trophy home and earn our place among the top 10 teams in the world, if not the top 5.
This has been the Straight Shootin’ Blog, and that’s my opinion!
Straight Shootin’ LJA
Be honest, Be vocal, Have an opinion, Make your voice heard – The Straight Shootin’ Mantra (Cos suckas gots 2 kno)
Myspace.com/ljaproductions
Youtube.com/ljaproductions07
Livestream.com/ljaproductionstv
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