Saturday 31 May 2008

Sentimental post alert

Living with Stray is not without its surprises. (I shan't mention her current obsession with memorising sheep breeds, nor her plans for launching the sheep version of Top Trumps in time for Christmas.)

She has a remarkable intolerance for most television, but reserves a particular contempt for badly made documentaries. In a former life she used to write, direct and present factual TV which makes her something of an expert on the subject.

As I have come to realise.

Repeatedly. 

Strange then, that her intolerance of flakey documentaries is matched only by her phenomenal tolerance for populist crap. Which is how come I know exactly who won  X Factor, American Idol and that ice skating malarkey, for the first time in my life. 

And how come I have just spent the evening blubbing like a loon with Stray as we watched this amazing young man win Britain's Got Talent.



Bet you cried too, didn't you?


11 comments:

But Why? said...

I sympathise. It has taken six months of going rowing almost every day to break my dependency on the populist crap. In its place, I'm now dependent on rowing machines, one-piece lycra and carbohydrate drinks. I strongly believe that to be an improvement...

Random Reflections said...

All I watched if this series was part of the final, but I thought that boy was very good and the sort of thing that would fit with the Royal Variety Show. There were a couple of other acts that would have been great as well.

I was stunned that he also won £100,000 though. That is the most incredible amount of money and can't believe they offered so much as a prize in addition to actually getting to perform at the show.

Caroline said...

I cried, lots.
(I can tell that you're shocked by this!)

x

Stray said...

cas - you do surprise me ;)

rr - they do play the cash prize down a lot. I guess it makes it pretty life changing but actually these days it's not be completely bonkers, after all, £100 k is still less than the price of an average flat in Warrington where George comes from. I was thinking about what happens next for him - and actually I think it's important that he won the money too because it means his mum can support him and be with him instead of staying behind and working. It's hard to imagine how you could manage this kind of change without some financial backing really. Without the lump sum there would have been huge pressure on him to stay in paid work otherwise they'd have to go back to scraping by - what if he wanted to take his GCSEs or A-levels? What if he got injured? On the show Ant and Dec said that it meant that George never needed to worry again ... it was a bit schmaltzy but it made me think about the real impact of the cash. I'm not sure that it's completely true but I expect it does make a big difference!

Dr But Why? - you should try sheep. Really.

XXYXX said...

I accidentally caught the results, chilling down with my sister, as H and I recovered from meeting my family. Personally I thought, for finalists, they were amazingly crap. But I did like the British Asian dance group - fun and vibrant.

I also enjoyed the emotional blackmail. That Philippino woman with the back projection of her children that she'd left back home, with the subtext, vote for me or the kids suffer.

BTW, you've been flattered over in the Boboland.

But Why? said...

But... but... you're doing the sheep thing in addition to crap TV!

With my addiction to rowing backwards down open sewers and writing the odd post here and there, sleeping, eating and working full time, I don't think I have sufficient spare time to devote to sheep. And then there's the whole problem of pasture (of which I have none). Finally, I'm certain the neighbours would have something to say if I planted up the roof terrace with long grazing and plonked a couple of sheep on it...

trousers said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
trousers said...

Sorry, my deletion: but basically, not having a tv, there's not much I can say :)

Ms Melancholy said...

Hey there but why?, you know exactly what I mean, don't you?! Still, not entirely sure about the lycra as an alternative, let alone all that exercise you do. Hasn't anybody told you it's bad for you?

Hey lovely Bobo, I like the way you didn't really watch it, just tolerated it for the sake of your sister! Agree with you about the shameless emotional manipulation, but she wasn't in the final so you have just confessed to having watched the semis too. Ouch!

Flattered? Fab. Going there right now.

Hi there trousers, you have no idea what you are missing. Or possibly you do, which is why you don't have one. When are you next mountain biking up our way? Please do call in for a cup of tea and a scone.

trousers said...

Unfortunately Ms M I have no current mountain biking plans - but should there be an opportunity to head in your direction for tea and a scone (and of course there should!), then something will have to be arranged :)

Boris said...

Don't normally watch this kind of stuff, but did see the semis when he got through to the final. He did an incredible dance routine to a funked up version of Singing In The Rain" Absosulely FAB.

A well deserved win, I just wish some to the others could win as well - like the bullied boy with the voice of an angel

B