Over Boyled. Another one of Andrew's rants

Finally, I could not resist the tempation any longer. Her name was everywhere. As much as I despise these types of programmes, my curiosity had got the better of me. I finally tuned into youtube to see who Susan Boyle was. And yes, I was amazed. Yes, I was teary-eyed. And yes, for sure, I watched it again and again. She deserves her moment and I am reminded of my prejudices but the real winner, and this is what I really hate, are those slimy producers in ITV (Independent Television Company) who continue to exploit our fabulously ordinary lives by delving into our deepest hopes and aspirations. Isn't this the madness of Jade Goody (an ordinary not overly-educated woman prone to racist sentiments, themselves fed by the national media). A woman whose only fame is wanting to be famous so desperately that she will do anything to achieve this goal. And millions tune into TV to watch her as she is dying.

Obviously Susan Boyle, has real talent, which Jade Goody clearly did not, but the formula is remarkably the same: the best profits are made by exploiting the dreams and aspirations of the ordinary (you don't have to pay them, they do it for free), laughing at them or applauding them as they stretch towards that demi-god status of stardom.

But how rotten things really are is revealed when you have a media incapable of crticising this nonsense. There is a reasonable attempt in the Guardian to add a critial note to the Susan Boyle phenomena (see here) but it still works on the idiotic premise that the panel of judges and TV crew were genuinely unaware of this woman's talent. Don't worry Tanya Gold, you can tell the truth. There are no six year olds reading the Guardian. You are allowed to write that Father Christmas doesn't exist or that they are not really fighting in WWF (World Wrestling Federation) wrestling matches.

Well, I have to disagree therefore with the show's name, the show that brought Suan Boyle to fame, "Britain's got Talent", I would have to contradict them by saying that there is very little talent whatsoever. Whatever talent there is is stifled by money-men in suits looking for easy formulas to boost profits. Indeed, in the field of journalism, I would have to conclude that there is no talent at all. I had to search as far as a pig farm in New Zealand for a fine piece of writing on this subject; via ,of course, the rather poor offerings of La Vanguardia (not that you would want to read that -it's in Spanish).

Anyway, what do you think of Susan Boyle? Share your opinions by leaving your ideas under comments below.

Seeking Justice 20 Years On

Here is a very sad article and video (let it cherge up) about some of the families of those who died at Hillsborough twenty years ago who are still seeking the truth about the circumstances in which their loved ones died. It seems incredible to me that the authorities are still denying them the psychological closure they deserve and need. Twenty years have passed, most senior officers have retired, lessons have been learned (apparently) so why do the authorities insist on denying the obvious, that there was and is a cover up to disguise the criminal neglect of the relevant authorities on that day? People died who needn't have both as a result of the managment of events before the incident and after the incident. It's that easy.

The Imagination of an Architect

Having had the odd architect in my classes, and I mean that in both senses of the word, I was amused by an article I read in El Periodico but followed up in the English language version of Das Spiegel. I really liked the cheekiness of certain young German architects when asked to submit proposals for the redevelopment of the old airport in Berlin. Have a look at the article here.

What do you thimk of the ideas?

Have you any alternative suggestions? (Come on Francesc, I know you're not an architect but I also know you can do me particulary proud here)

The New Learning Paradigm

What is the purpose of education? In the following video, John Tagg draws a distinction between the espoused theory of education and theory in use (what really happens in education). I have some even stronger views on the subject myself (no surprise there) but this video is a highly enjoyable and intelligible critique of the modern university and, indeed, education generally. The video is also a lovely example of how to make an hour long presentation accessible and entertaining. Try it!!