Saturday 16 October 2010

Marr attacks bloggers (as if we give a sh**)

Andrew Marr (the well-respected and liked, British writer, journalist and broadcaster) has attacked bloggers in general like this:

"One of the corporation's most familiar faces, Andrew Marr, has dismissed bloggers as "inadequate, pimpled and single", and citizen journalism as the "spewings and rantings of very drunk people late at night".

Marr, the BBC's former political editor who now presents BBC1's flagship Sunday morning show, said: "Most citizen journalism strikes me as nothing to do with journalism at all.

"A lot of bloggers seem to be socially inadequate, pimpled, single, slightly seedy, bald, cauliflower-nosed young men sitting in their mother's basements and ranting. They are very angry people," he told the Cheltenham Literary Festival. "OK – the country is full of very angry people. Many of us are angry people at times. Some of us are angry and drunk".


Well, He's got it right about the drunken bit, but I am not pimply, as he so cruelly suggests, neither am I cauliflower-nosed. Occasionally (like now for instance), I am pretty much sober when I write. You would have thought that - with ears like that - he would have kept the personal insults to a minimum. I reckon he's scared of us.

30 comments:

  1. Oh, and I've got a lot more hair than he has too. So there. (sob...)

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  2. Margaret Wente had a similar impression of bloggers in her Globe and Mail column a while back. Don't know who they are reading, but I think they have it all wrong. I am sure there are an equal proportion of inadequate, pimpled, single (and drunk) professional journalists out there. Maybe he fears the real talent out there, much like actors despise Reality TV, although I wouldn;t say there is much talent in that realm, but people do love it.

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  3. Hmmm, his outburst says more about the ranter than the rantees. What bothers him so?

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  4. Quite right, Raz. Ever since they got out of Fleet Street and started drinking mineral water at lunchtimes, journalists seem to think they have the right to attack us alcoholic bloggers wherever and whenever they like - talk about 'holier than thou'. I used to have to physically carry Colin Welch (remember him?) out of the wine bar I was running for a friend here in Bath, and put him in a taxi which would take him to the other side of the road, where his mistress lived. That's a true story, BTW.

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  5. Writers have always been utterly paranoid about competition, Sarah T, even successful ones. There is probably a lot of shit out there, but - personally - I feel surrounded by effortless talent amongst you fellow bloggers.

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  6. Gore Vidal once said: "Every time I hear of the success of a friend, a little part of me dies".

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  7. I wouldn't worry about Marr. We all have our bad days, make stupid statements, and get drunk. He's no different from any of us!

    Lady M thinks he's quite right.

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  8. Tom, Andrew Marr's coments and the reply to them reminded me of Bernard Cribbins' 'There I was digging this hole!' there's a funny version on You tube (well I thought it was funny). Wonder if Mr Marr could be digging himself into a hole - there's a lot of us around to disagree with him!

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  9. This falls into my category of "Just because someone says it doesn't make it so."
    I think his biggest problem is that, as a journalist, he requires an audience...he needs to talk to us...while we are happy talking to each other!
    Tom...Gore Vidal is an idiot. Everytime someone I know is successful, my heart grows fuller. Life, like love, is not a pie.

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  10. Lady M would, Cro - judging by her input recently!

    I think Gore Vidal was making a telling joke, J. I thought it was funny, anyway, but I'm just a simple, cauliflower-nosed half wit. Anyway, what makes you think I don't feel the same way?

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  11. Cos, I know you would share your pie Tom.

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  12. There are a lot of drunk idiots in high positions, so there needs to be a lot of drink, ranting citizens to even things out. Plus, it's fun.

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  13. am I angry?
    SOMETIMES
    am I inadequate?
    HUMMM NO
    am I slightly seedy?
    OCCASSIONALLY
    am I bald?
    NOPE HAIRY ANDREW!!!
    oh I am an orphan too!!!

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  14. I think I tick all those boxes too, John, though you didn't mention your alcohol intake...

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  15. Hi Tom. Came to your blog via a friend's recommendation especially to read about Andrew Marr. Yes - I had read it too in the paper.
    Well - I sure don't fit any of his categories - I am female, seventies, almost teetotal, don't think I'm seedy and am definitely not angry. As to what I think about Andrew Marr -
    thank God I am not in the media (unless blogland counts as such) so I have never learned to be rude, personal, cutting, unthinking and generally ruthless - so I will reserve my judgement except to say that I don't give a monkey's toenail about what he thinks about me or about blogland in particular. Long may it live as far as I am concerned. Do pop over and visit now that we have made contact.

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  16. Thank you Weaver. I'm not sure that you are qualified to give me as hard a time as I deserve, but welcome anyway. I'll come to yours and see if I can get you riled enough to drink more.

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  17. Well, what do ya know? I focus in on Weaver's picture, and - would you credit it - the 'almost teetotal' 70 year old has been photographed with 2 glasses of wine in her hands.

    My faith in human nature has been dented tonight.

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  18. The "archers on acid"
    well that's a first!!!!!

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  19. The Archers on MDMA is not, though.... (we're talking Jazzer here...)

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  20. LISTENING TO kATHY!
    ITS the archers on valium!

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  21. Oh God - Kathy bloody Perks. Dontcha wanta kill her? I often wish (along with everyone else) that I could write one episode of the Archers...

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  22. I like Andrew Marr, ears, hair and all but this is just the journalist's hatred of people doing what is your livelihood for free. And sometimes very well indeed. Anyway I am not angry, or pimpled, just drunk.

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  23. kathy perks KILL KILL ,
    Kathy Perks KILL KILL

    etc

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  24. The Perks family - one down, two to go.

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  25. Hey, John - you are my 50th 'follower'! Congratulations!

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  26. Never mind his ears - have you ever seen his legs!!

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  27. No I haven't, Cher - please share!

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  28. 'Humbled', John? Is that another euphemism?

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