The Blog Digest 2007: Politics For Pretty People – Culture and Media

‘In the future,’ Andy Warhol famously said, ‘everyone will be famous for 15 minutes’. As it turns out, Warhol, the dear old over-rated charlatan, was of course wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. His 15 minutes was an average figure. The world is seething with infuriating nonentities and spectacular mediocrities who have enjoyed simply hours of unearned fame while far greater talents freeze to death on the streets of Britain every day having had not even a nanosecond of recognition. Add all those times together and divide by the number of people and you get 15 minutes. QED*.

Fortunately, The Blog Digest is seeking to redress this imbalance by featuring in this chapter only articles of culture and refinement. Big Brother and its sub-human denizens, for instance, are afforded the space and respect they deserve (that is, hardly any). Celebrity pin-cushion and alleged popstar Pete Doherty also features but only as the untalented berk he is rightly regarded as being. So pull up a chaise longue, uncork the laudanum and wallow in the best, and a little of the worst, that British culture had to offer this year.

* This theory will be proved if it takes you longer than 15 minutes to read this book.

…

October 2005 - The Curmudgeon: Lions, Lizards and Gospel
October last year saw the release of the movie adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Philip Challinor takes a literary tour of the Lewis’ fantasy series, examining their subtexts.

October 2005 - Diamond Geezer: Today on the web
Diamond Geezer summarises the major stories from October 2005 while trying to get namechecked on the Guardian’s daily ‘Today on the web’ feature, which rounds up what the blogs are saying on any given subject.

February 2006 – No Rock And Roll Fun: Doherty Remains on the Streets
What a year it’s been for the nation’s favourite moon-faced heroin addict, Pete Docherty. Does anybody know what he’s actually famous for? Did someone mention a band? His gruelling tour of the country’s courtrooms was documented with admirable restraint by No Rock And Roll Fun.

February 2006 - Rolled-up Trousers: Those blasted cartoons
The Danish cartoons, needless to say, caused offence, debate and violence. Osama Saeed takes a balanced look at the controversy.

February 2006 - Tampon Teabag: I’m Cartooning Too
Larry Teabag took a balanced view of a different kind.

April 2006 - No Rock And Roll Fun: Didn’t We Have A Lovely Time When Doherty Wasn’t Banged-Up?
If it’s April, it must be time for another court appearance from Pete Doherty. No Rock And Roll Fun files this report.

May 2006 - Diamond Geezer: The Sultan’s Elephant
The Sultan’s Elephant arriving in London in May was certainly one of the biggest and most exciting spectacles the city has seen. It’s one of my biggest regrets this year not to have seen it with my own eyes. Although many bloggers took photos and videos of the Sultan’s quest for the time-travelling girl who haunts his dreams (just Google ‘sultan’s elephant’ to find a huge collection), very few attempted to describe it in words. Thank goodness, then, for Diamond Geezer.

June 2006 - Clairwil: Whose idea was that?
And now to philosophy. Clairwil ponders the unanswered and fundamental questions about how we got to be where we are today.

June 2006 - qwghlm: The Myth of 62p
In June, we were told how much the Royal Family costs the public – 62p each. Chris at qwghlm.co.uk was having none of it.

June 2006 - Flying Rodent: Big Brother: Series Seven – Some Thoughts
The Flying Rodent says – with élan, economy and accuracy – all that needs to be said about this year’s Big Brother.

July 2006 - Biffovision: Flop of the Plops
Lest we forget, Top of the Pops was put out of its misery this year. Paul Rose, AKA Mr Biffo, conducts the autopsy.

July 2006 - The Sharpener: My admiration for modern art
Paul Davies visited the Tate Modern and discovered a previously unheralded art form.

August 2006 - Clairwil: Clairwil’s Book Club
Time for some literary criticism. Here, Clairwil reappraises a blockbuster.

August 2006 – Sunny Hundal: Why do newspapers hate us bloggers?
August saw something of a backlash against bloggers and blogging. Blogs ‘are the verbal diarrhoea of the under-educated and banal’, sneered Janet Street-Porter in her column for The Independent on Sunday before rounding off the column with a paean to the joys of porridge (really). ‘Where do blog writers and surfers find the time? When do they do the washing, cooking, eating, talking, cuddling, story-reading to the kids? Do they never help with the kids’ homework, go to the theatre, make love, read books, talk to friends, entertain?’, asked newspaper columnist, media pundit, think-tank researcher and author, Yasmin Alibhai-Brown. There were others.

Sunny Hundal pondered on the origins of the backlash.

August 2006 – Robert Sharp: Why are we wasting our time with this shit?
You probably won’t be surprised to hear that a lot of bloggers are passionate about freedom of speech. In August a Muslim group offended by a blog post on Tory überblog Conservativehome.com campaigned to have its author sacked from his job (such campaigns aren’t unheard of). Robert Sharp sounds off.

August 2006 – No Rock And Roll Fun: Pete Doherty: Class Warrior
I know what you’re thinking: we need an update on Pete Doherty’s progress. After another court appearance for drug offences, at which the judge praised Pete’s music (true!), Pete found himself in The Priory clinic. Here, for the final time in this volume at least, is No Rock And Roll Fun.

September 2006 – Chris Dillow: Corrie’s truths, Campbell’s cretinism
Chris Dillow on the ultimate test of a politician’s integrity – do they watch Coronation Street?

Next, Chapter 2: The Honourable Member – Sex

Posted on September 15th, 2007 at 5:02 pm

See also • Links and stuff between June 2nd and June 3rd • The Blog Digest digested: Chapter 7 • New Blood Blog Roundup		Permalink • Trackback • Subscribe By Email • Print This Post • • •
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