Originally posted by vinteuil
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Stopping there (i.e. without reference to any of the foregoing): Does it? Would it? I think there might be a distinction to be made about contemporary journalists writing about contemporary (to us) topics (as distinct from historical writers writing about long past events/issues). Our engagement with contemporary events will probably be deeper than when reading about topics which affect us little or not at all. In the latter case I might well read for the joy of the 'literary' style. If reading about a subject in which I'm deeply interested, I don't want style: I'm after clearly expressed ideas - opinions of whatever stripe, supported with reasons. Not aesthetics, especially if they appear to be the point of the article.It isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world. -
... you may be right. But I find myself more 'engaged' with many issues apparently of the past, whether it be Ruskin on the the effects of the industrial revolution, Carlyle on the French revolution, Arnold on education - than I find myself able to be engaged with much contemporary stuff. And those writers were, of course, writing for, and much appreciated by, a 'contemporary' audience.Originally posted by french frank View Post
I have very few fruitful thoughts on where we are now.
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....but luckily there is always wine....[or in my case the next cake....]Originally posted by vinteuil View Postbong chingComment
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... o and music and love and friends and landscape and the world and books and London and Europe and food and cats - there's lots to love : I do all right.Originally posted by eighthobstruction View Post
Except for the bloody mess the country's in...
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Yes, a good balanced piece - though not something that Matthew D'Ancona or Rafael Behr haven't also been doing very well (on an almost weekly basis) recently...Originally posted by Conchis View Post
But this is not what Marina Hyde is about, not what she does - I guess if you don't pick up on her pop-cultural, sports or film references (Jose Mourinho, Star Wars etc) - don't enjoy those or simply don't get them, you may take far less pleasure in her writing than I do...Last edited by jayne lee wilson; 19-02-19, 17:43.Comment
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Yes, that kind of thingOriginally posted by jayne lee wilson View Post
Though I wouldn't have known whether it was written by a man or woman by the content. For me (i.e. this is my opinion and the way I feel about it) it makes light of the subject - a sort of journalistic ego trip through My Favourite Things, designed to amuse.
It isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world.Comment
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So you didn't see #111 then? I can't believe I keep having to point out that making light of the subject (Steve Taylor) is the whole point; a kind of satire that has a long and (ig)noble history. (cf Swift's scatologies...and you could easily see Marina Hyde (in some of her very varied work) as offering a contemporary take on bread and circuses, a phrase originated by Juvenal which has only too obvious a resonance in our post-plebiscitic present...)....Originally posted by french frank View PostYes, that kind of thing Though I wouldn't have known whether it was written by a man or woman by the content. For me (i.e. this is my opinion and the way I feel about it) it makes light of the subject - a sort of journalistic ego trip through My Favourite Things, designed to amuse.
The puncturing of political and other such power-pretensions is often best achieved by laughing at them. Why do political cartoons (Steve Bell, Ronson etc) have their character and power? Not by remaining solemn. "Seriousness" can take many forms... so there's room for D'Ancona, Malik, Rawnsley and Hyde all in the same journal, offering different angles, not all of them solemn-serious-analytical. Why not?
God knows you need a sense of humour where the present political crisis is concerned...
In fact the robotic characterisations of Steve Baker are a bit of an in-joke for those who read John Crace's Commons Sketch, where for some time Theresa has been referred to as "The Maybot".....(it does seem to have rather caught on www-wise...I think we can award it the noble status of meme now.)
I wonder what you would all think of Crace's work.... but I've got to get my sore head away from this wall again...Last edited by jayne lee wilson; 19-02-19, 19:46.Comment
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Yes, my message was #112. I could hardly fail to see, read, mark and inwardly digest what you had said in that (and earlier posts). I just happen not to agree with you on this point.Originally posted by jayne lee wilson View Post
And I don't see it that way. I am referring to that particular article, not on her whole corpus of, I have no doubt, highly intelligent and insightful work. I don't agree that the article which you yourself put forward as an example of (not) 'fluff' was particularly remarkable. I don't think this is at all appropriate to compare an op-ed in the Guardian with Juvenal's 'panem et circenses' unless you have a low opinion of Guardian readers (many do, I understand). [ … ]Originally posted by jayne lee wilson View Post
Do you know, you may find this hard to believe but I read John Crace's pieces regularly (I have the Guardian newsletter delivered to my Inbox daily, and I make for his new columns) and I find them funny. For me, they hit the mark. But humour is very personal. You shouldn't put yourself through all that headbanging just because others don't share your sense of humourOriginally posted by jayne lee wilson View Post
It isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world.Comment
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Originally posted by jayne lee wilson View Post
Problem is, pop culture references are used passim nowadays - there are too many of them and I'm fed of reading references to 'Baldrick', 'Delboy', 'Harold Potter', the exhumed corpse of the Star Wars franchise (which is nearly as old as I am!) used as a lazy shorthand to get points across. I watch hardly any television and don't know who anyone is in Game Of Thrones and only watched Rocky (9) for the first time a few weeks ago (I thought it was hilarious, but apparently it wasn't intended as a comedy).
I used Nesrine Malik's article as an example of a female journalist writing a good point-of-view piece that avoided the wrong-headed hysteria of Toynbee and the slangy faux-irreverence of Hyde. I sometimes think the Guardian is guilty of the worst kind of sexism, in that it employs female writers but only on the condition that they don't write serious articles.Comment
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Your report of the death of Star Wars is greatly exaggerated, as the four films to have appeared since 2015 (VII, VIII, Rogue One and Solo) have been some its best and most moving, emphasising the emotive power of friendship and self-sacrifice (even in a sarcastic robot).
One left to go! What a grand finale that should be. The series is as inescapably a part of our culture as Shakespeare or Wagner or Fritz Lang.
The soundtrack has one of the great horn calls (referring back to Episode 5 or earlier...); and even now, I get a tear or two as we hit the end credits and the great trumpet theme sings out again....
Game of Thrones...?
Very last series will shortly air.... I hope nothing terrible befalls Drogon; when he takes wing accompanied by his own leitmotif, I'm tearfully transfixed....
a lengthy clip from S5/9, have patience...)
Where do little dragons come from?
(Warning: nudity and upsetting scenes (S1/10)
Last edited by jayne lee wilson; 20-02-19, 05:40.Comment
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