You’re probably all (haha, all…) wondering what I was up to over the weekend, as you’ve been kept pretty much fully up to date with Tom’s busy few days.
It was my wife’s works night out on Friday so I got to hang out with my mother all night which wasn’t a bad as it sounds at all.
The following day I attended the wedding of my friends Yvonne and Declan McMahon, and a very special day it was too.
It’s so gratifying to be genuinely joyful at one of these doos, instead of just waiting for the grub to get served up or the bar to open. It’s also so unusual to care about not one, but both partners at a wedding. I was so proud of them both.
Declan’s brother raised the bar again by delivering a classic best man’s speech in which he related the tale of Dec’s ill fated decision to join his mates on a trip to a Rangers game on a Paisley supporter’s bus.
“Awright Mate? No seen you on the bus before; whit’s your name?”
All my mates from Uni were there and we all got roaringly drunk and had a cracking meal and laugh afterwards. According to my mate Stephen I was “loud and obnoxious.”
I can think of nothing to refute this. In fact I do recall browbeating my mucker Alison’s boyfriend Martin to the point where this was our parting conversation.
ME: “What are Coldplay worse than Martin?”
MARTIN: “Aids and cancer Fizz, aids and cancer.”
ME: “Toofugginrighttheyareeeee…..”
I was asleep 5 mins after getting in the door. Poor Vanora.
9 comments:
Hey 'pish. Some of us weren't so lucky as to be a free scran do at the weekend and had to content ourselves with a night watching the box. Did you know that ITV showed boxing in a primetime slot? About 10-ish I think. I was outraged and have made a complaint. I'm keen to hear your views though 'pish, do you think I over-reacted or do you agree that there can be no room for pugilism on the telly on a Saturday night?
You really complained? mmmm.
I don't have anything against boxing at any time really. I don't see anything wrong with it I'm afraid. Not that into it, but...
There were other things on surely?
I mean I'd like to see "Space Cadets" and "Celebrity Wife Bargain" off the air, but I never phone in about it.
The only time I was moved to complain (I didn't eventually) was after I had stayed up to watch Seinfeld only to be told at 12.20am that it was being replaced by shinty.
But then I'm generally far more offensive that the tele.
Okay, so I'm sensing from both you and Tom that boxing has a bigger following than I thought. But still, I can't believe it's on primetime terrestrial on a Saturday night. ITV have 4 channels, bung it on one of the smaller ones. When I saw it on the telly last Saturday, I felt that I'd been transported back to a Saturday afternoon at my granda's house in the 80's.
I never realised that I felt so strongly about it until it landed on my telly.
so what upset you? That it was boxing or that it was on ITV1?
Both.
But more that it was on ITV1. I know that you can't get rid of boxing, if you ban it, it will go underground and then the boys will have no protection, etc. But as a 'sport', it's anarchic. If ITV keep giving it prime airtime, it keeps it in people's consciousness. If it's relegated to a lesser channel, it may fade away, lose some sponsorship and end itself naturally.
I don't really like playing the feminist card (I can even be a little mysogynistic at times) but come on, ITV is segregating at least half of it's viewing audience. Very few women would ever get a couple of beers and sit down to watch a bit of boxing. It's like we don't have a voice.
The ironic thing is Nicola, that ITV is that lesser channel of which you speak. Like I was saying to you yesterday, ITV's days of being the big noise in world boxing were over about ten years ago when Sky took all the good fights from them. If boxing wasn't taking from the screens after the Eubank/Watson fight of 1991, when two men almost killed each other on prime time Saturday night, then it never will be.
I think there are enough programmes for you and the gals to settle down to on a Saturday night are there not?
My gran only has 4 channels on her telly, what is she supposed to watch on a Saturday night?
Well on Saturday night instead of boxing Granny Currie (or Granny Flanaggan) could have been watching The Real Patron Saints where historian Dr Robert Beckford looked at Britains 4 patron saints.
Auschwitz: The Nazis and the Final Solution. This would have taken her back to her memories of the war. Come on, old folk like watching depressing television. But seriously, it is an excellent documentary series.
Casualty and Strictly Come Dancing would have provided her with viewing enjoyment on BBC1. I presume Five is the terrestrial channel she is without.
She could also have spent her evening watching videos of her grandchildren.
There is plenty on the other channels, plus you have video, DVD, books, etc. You simply can't justify complaining about a TV programme with the argument "I had nothing else to do".
As for the notion that boxing is in some way barbaric or archaic, it's not. It's a highly regulated and officiated sport involving very highly trained and conditioned athletes. More people have died playing professional football in the last few years that there have been in pro boxing.
You are of course within your rights to make a complaint, but I think a person in your position would have been less likely to complain 20 years ago, when there would have been less choice.
A variety of factors come into this but I feel chief among them is the sense of entitlement people seem to have about everything these days.
We are all far to quick to greet about things. God knows I am one of the worst culprits.
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