Comments on: No news is good news at News

By: David

David — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 06:55:28 +0000

So now the divine Ms Devine is a pop psychologist. I thought that crap had gone out of fashion about 30 years ago.

By: Katz

Katz — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 06:41:51 +0000

… and how uncomfortably recent that era actually was, though TV interviewer types still tended to be earnest straight men in horn-rims who had no idea how to …

Absolutetly!

Donn A. Pennebaker’s biopic of Bob Dylan, “Don’t Look Back” (1965) was full of those types who interpreted their own distaste of Dylan as proof positive of their own moral rectitude and probably sanity.

So much has changed since then.

By: j_p_z

j_p_z — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 06:39:31 +0000

Dr. C — hmm, good point, thanks for the expanded context.

By: Pavlov's Cat

Pavlov's Cat — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 06:33:12 +0000

JPZ — it was a very long time ago. I distinctly remember that it was a straight (as it were) question, and Crisp’s answer was intended to be stinging — he was obviously genuinely appalled by the number of neglected and abandoned children. Don’t forget how very unusual Crisp was in an era when almost all gay men were still in the closet, and how uncomfortably recent that era actually was, though TV interviewer types still tended to be earnest straight men in horn-rims who had no idea how to talk to him.

And now for something completely different, here’s a link to the Devine piece that people are talking about (someone may have provided one up-thread, but if they did I couldn’t find it).

By: j_p_z

j_p_z — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 06:24:00 +0000

PC: “as the great Quentin Crisp once said about children when asked if he regretted not having any.”

Talk about fishing for a mot. Who on earth would ask Q. Crisp such a question expecting a straight (as it were) answer?

As leading questions go, file that one up there with “Dorothy, use the word ‘horticulture’ in a sentence” for yer regular pre-paid calling-card wit.

By: adrian

adrian — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 05:12:01 +0000

Declining from a very low base.

By: Rx

Rx — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 04:59:46 +0000

The Devine piece struck me as sad for two reasons.

One, the desperation of this right-commentator to fuel-up the unworthy Costello.

Two, her use of meandering tortuous logic to make a case for the narrative she was wishing to weave.

This is a commentator in decline, judging by this piece

By: Brother Can You Spare an Apostrophe

Brother Can You Spare an Apostrophe — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 03:06:03 +0000

Apostrophe nazi’s are well and good,
and obeying them isnt that hard,
the problem comes, as of course it should,
When youre hoisted by your own petard.

By: David

David — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 02:48:42 +0000

There’s room for an “object – name – signifier” stoush somewhere in the recent blizzard of quote marks and apostrophes.

By: Patrick B

Patrick B — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 01:57:29 +0000

““Ms Devine’s piece…””

Bugger …