Friday 15 October 2004

Shaking and stirring the media

As befits a son of Edinburgh, Sean Connery was the real James Bond. I was very disappointed to read that the great man has called for state control of the Scottish media:
In a staggering attempt to settle old scores, the veteran actor launched a bitter attack on the Scottish media, calling on MSPs to pass a law to prevent negative attacks on the parliament. Sir Sean let rip during a BBC radio interview, insisting they only way to deal with the press was to "sort them out".
If Sean wants a pro-nationalist voice in the Scottish media he should start his own newspaper, not call for censorship. With Ursula Andress on page 3 how could he go wrong?

2 comments:

David Farrer said...

Comments made on previous template:

Alastair Ross
Connery, to his credit, admitted on Jay Leno's chat show that Darrell Hammond's portrayal was very funny and 'better than me'. If you really want to know whether or not Scotland will be independent, the most rational and disinterested replies will come from Messrs Ladbrokes or William Hill.

18 October 2004, 00:43:59 GMT+01:00
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Stuart Dickson
To my knowledge SNL Celebrity Jeopardy has not aired here in Europe, but I found this clip with Tom Cruise, Adam Sandler and Sean Connery as the contestants: 
 
http://www.ifilm.com/filmdetail?ifilmid=1341192&htv=12&htv=12 
 
Warning, this clip took a wee while to load, and is barely worth wasting 7 minutes and 11 seconds of your day watching. It is largely a word-play joke on the words "titties" and "boobs". Hilarious stuff. 
 
If The Simpsons are the Gold Standard in American comedy, then this trash has the worth of one Belarus rouble. Truly tedious. Comedy of course is highly subjective, so make your own minds up. 
 
I am a big fan of much US comedy, but this Saturday Night Live stuff just does not travel. I find it very hard to believe that many Americans are moronic enough to find it funny either. 
 
The Adam Sandler impersonator is particularly poor. 
 
I thought that "Libertarians" had the greatest respect for the market, and the signals it sends. If so, even if you oppose the political convictions of Mr Connery, perhaps you should respect the price information that the market sends out regarding the value of Mr Connery's contribution to his industry. He is a true giant of the silver screen, and a jolly nice chap too. 
 
I disagree with the political convictions of the late PG Wodehouse, but I still have enormous respect for his literature. And so does the market. 
 
I tend to agree with David's advice that if nationalists want some positive propaganda they should buy their own media outlet. However, it is not guaranteed to work. The Tories have Sky News, Fox News, The Daily Telegraph, Daily Express, Daily Mail, The Star and tens of other important media outlets working tirelessly on their behalf, 24/7, but it fails to do them much good. Even their own voters know that they are a bunch of rotters. Substance still rules over trappings, in Europe at least.

17 October 2004, 18:38:41 GMT+01:00
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Alastair Ross
It is gratifying to note that the cult of idiot celebrity worship is alive and well amongst the easily suggestible. A tough-love antidote to this stubborn psychological affliction is ,however, available.Tune in to SNL's Celebrity Jeopardy for Darrell Hammond's spoof of Connery as contestant.

17 October 2004, 00:27:12 GMT+01:00
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Mark Holland
What exactly, I wonder, has Sean Connery done to create a positive image of Scotland?

16 October 2004, 10:58:57 GMT+01:00
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David Farrer said...






Stuart Dickson
What a snob you are Alastair. You are very undemocratic. I suppose that you think only graduates should be allowed to express an opinion, or vote? 
 
Connery has done more to create a positive image for Scotland throughout the world than any other living Scotsman. You are not worthy to lick his boots.

16 October 2004, 10:10:15 GMT+01:00
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Alastair Ross
Why would we expect someone with Connery's limited education to understand the complex symbiotic relationship between a free press and government? However, Connery displays considerably more commonsense than some Scottish actors,including the ferociously intelligent political moron Tilda Swinton who, like Peter Mullan and Dougray Scott, supports the SSP.

15 October 2004, 23:51:12 GMT+01:00
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Stuart Dickson
I've read the Scotsman article and I see Sean Connery's comments as frustration, rather than a genuine call for government control. 
 
Quite right too. If the Wall Street Journal attacked the US legislature in the same primaeval manner that the Scotsman attacks Scotland's legislature, the Editor would be before the Supreme Court charged with Treason. A bunch of unreconstructed Quislings. 
 
Like all Scots citizens, Sean has the right to reside where he pleases. Scots are true citizens of the world: a man is a man for all that. 
 
I have read a number of suggestions as to where Sean resides, each more imaginative than the last. It is not "Majorca". Last I heard it was Barbados.

15 October 2004, 19:47:03 GMT+01:00
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Stuart Dickson
Neil 
 
People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. 
 
Your precious Liberal Democratic Party is the shallowest bunch on willow-the-wisps in the political spectrum. You are about as "sophisticated" as strip dancers.

15 October 2004, 19:32:28 GMT+01:00
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Neil Craig
He is, after all, an SNP supporter so you can't expect deep political sophistication.

15 October 2004, 19:11:32 GMT+01:00
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Mark Holland
Isn't he the MSP for Majorca?

15 October 2004, 19:04:22 GMT+01:00
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Andrew Duffin
Maybe he's afraid someone will publicise the fact that he lives abroad and doesn't pay the taxes he's so keen to increase for the rest of us. 
 
The man's a sham. 
 
What is this worship of actors anyway?

15 October 2004, 13:44:08 GMT+01:00